Fablog's *ahem* deconstruction of the New York Times obituary of Jacques Derrida is the first time somebody has made me curious enough to want to read some of Derrida's work.
Posted 8:00 PM by Martin Wisse
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
Here's a lengthy addendum to a letter to the editor of the New York Times (submitted exclusively to them for publication) that I had as a PS. The letter addressed the "nuisance spin" fast-emerging as the replacement for the long-unchallenged "flipflop" spin as a means to engineer a victory for Bush at the polls in November, to act as at least the appearance of a "mandate" (mandatory mandate) for his invasion of and occupation of Iraq, etc.
by cloudy
[Since you never publish any of my letters anyway, I would like to add a few comments about this issue, given the centrality of the New York Times' own coverage to this controversy which could very easily cost Kerry the election. Matthew Bai's article was grossly distorted in a number of ways. I suppose the editors of the New York Times are both hearing and going to hear that from a number of readers, and with similar inevitability will insist that the interpretation was valid, if not absolutely apt.
But especially since it is difficult for a Democrat -- especially someone of Kerry's overall approach -- to really lay into the paper (as I believe he should), it would behoove the paper to devote a VERY lengthy op-ed piece to the best credentialled and most worthy, by the Times' own judgment and standards specifically to a critique of the article as distorting Kerry's position on terror and creating an opportunity for Republicans to exploit. I understand that the position described by Bai is not the same as that presented by Bush, Guiliani, Morris and no doubt a Republican feeding frenzy of others, probably soon to be joined by voices in the mainstream press like David Brooks.
But the dispute over the article's interpretation itself, before we get to the Republican's distortion of the picture presented in the article is something that, before the week is out, will be a central if ignored undertow theme to this emerging central issue in the campaign. I noticed when I read it that the article was unfair to Kerry, and could be exploited. As of Monday night, it was obvious that the issue was becoming central. At least in the interests of fair debate, such a superlength column -- necessary to answer Bai's superlong article -- is the only way to live up to the ethos, as distinct from some 'regulation' of equal time.
I will add an example from my own recollection regarding the New York Times. Rosenthal, in Jan 1994, ran the opening piece of what I term the Khallid Abdul Maurice Templesman Muhammad affaire, that was one of the factors that significantly assisted Bill "The Shill" Clinton in giving us a Republican Congress in that year's elections, a legacy with which the country still suffers and was a major factor in making opposition to the Iraq war in Congress difficult.
As that issue was raised and became grossly exploited (and I am not alleging that, understood literally, Rosenthal's coverage unfairly distorted what Khallid Abdul Maurice Templesman Muhammad was saying or its noxious character) the New York Times then also failed to address the consequences of its own spin doctory according to the principles of responsible journalism -- responsible in the sense of letting all significant voices have adequate say in the debate (eg oped) rather than in taking a 'responsible' position or in reporting with a bias comfortable to a given reader or readership. For example, although the Congressional resolutions ostensibly to condemn antisemitism -- that, to their eternal shame, both Houses of Congress passed unanimously without a single voice to stand up to debunk the sleazy underlying agendae of those resolutions -- was memorably described in passing in a New York Times editorial as a "resolution condemning Farrakhan", the issue was nowhere further explored. This systematic evasion is an example of the kind of irresponsibility I am talking about. Even as you publish only 'what is fit to print' you have a moral and professional obligation not to consign to such passing treatment important issues in which you yourself have had such a major hand. Indeed much of the mayhem this article is generating is precisely because it was originally printed in the US newspaper of record. In the instance of the resolution, the use of a Congressional resolution on the issue of antisemitism, based on a controversy originating in the New York Times, as a vehicle for attainder or the laundering of attainder by code language merits more than the passing mention of a craven pseudo-opposition. Nor do other conflicts the paper has with the powers that pee diminish this responsibility, even by implication, by a single iota. I know that my own voice on the subject of the 1994 controversy was never heard in the Times. This time there are no doubt plenty of secularly significant voices other than simply figures from the Kerry campaign (like R Beers), who would be more than happy to dissect the Bau piece critically stem to stern in the kind of column mentioned above. You owe it to the children of Iraq, and so many others, not to repeat what your error of omission of 1994 as well as at other times in merely going through the motions of truly being a fair forum of debate on crucial issues.]
c/c
: 8:40 PM
"I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq."
-- U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, 21 July 2003
Self promotion
Martin:
Wis[s]e Words
International (political) weblog.
Booklog
Republic of Palau:
Take it as Red
Progressive weblogs:
Descriptions underneath are as much as possible taken from the weblog itself.
Fun-loving Feministas
Carnival of the Feminists
Held on the first and third Wednesday of each month and aims to showcase the finest feminist
posts from around the blogsphere.
Fetch Me My Axe
...we've all got something to grind. By Belledame222.
Pandagon
It's just Amanda now, strong on feminism.
Red State Feminist
Women's and Children's Issues, Family Law, Domestic Violence
Lefty lawyers
Lawyers, Guns and Money
No idea if they're really lawyers, actually
TalkLeft
The politics of crime.
Middle East knowitalls
Aron's Israel Peace weblog
short commentary on news items, articles and op-ed pieces about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Bethlehem bloggers
Voices from the Bethlehem ghetto.
Jews sans Frontieres
Mark Elf's anti-zionist blog.
Juan Cole
Required reading on Iraq and the Middle East.
Today in Iraq
What's really happening in Iraq
Soulfull scientists
Pharyngula
Science, politics and the intersection between them. By PZ Myers.
Science and Politics
Bora Zivkovic is trying to understand US politics by making strange connections between science,
religion, brain, language and sex.
Thus Spake Zuska
Not very polite.
Steadfast socialists
Actually Existing
Ruthless criticism of all that exists, except for the good bits. By Phil Edwards.
American Leftist
'Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization.' -- Eugene V. Debs
Apostate Windbag
A journal of assorted leftwingery with a decided preference for discussing how the
late Christopher Hitchens is a twat
Bionic Octopus
"better...faster...coconutter."
Dead Men Left
Meaders is active in the RESPECT coalition, but don't hold it against him
GlobBlog
A blog about globalisation. By General Glut.
International Rooksbyism
Not just another scummie student commie's blog. By Ed Rooksby.
Law and Disorder
Socialism and the legal systems
Left I on the News
A leftwing view of the day's news and the way it's represented in the media. By Eli.
Lenin's Tomb
Erudite English Socialist Workers Party supporter.
A New Morning
German/English socialist leaning blog.
Perspective
by Alister Black, Scottish socialist. Writes mainly about local issues.
Sonic's Place
A computer generated, left-wing hedgehog's views on the world and the war
An Unenviable Situation
D Ghirlandaio on politics, art and the culture at large
Unrepentant Marxist
By Louis Proyect, veteran Marxist
Virtual Stoa
Home of the Dead Socialist Watch. By Chris Brooke.
They make fun of the right
So we don't have to.
Alicublog
Plays the stock market of the soul -- and sells short!
Go Fug Yourself
Mocking our betters in Hollywood and tv...
Jesus' General
An 11 on the Manly Scale of Absolute Gender
The Poor Man Institute
For Freedom, Democracy and a Pony.
Sadly No!
A group blog dedicated to make fun of idiots.
TBOGG
Faithful husband, soccer dad, basset owner, and Peggy Noonan stalker
World of Crap
Come point and laught at the fundies and rightwing loonies
Loveable liberals
American Samizdat
The collective effort of over thirty leftwing bloggers.
American Street
A collective of leftist bloggers, poisoning our precious bodily fluids.
Archy
politics, fringe watching, and other stuff. By John McKay.
The Burnt Orange Report
News, Politics, and Fun from Deep in the Heart of Texas.
Democratic Veteran
Because not every vet is a right winger or pseudo facist. By Jo.
Dependable Renegade
By watertiger, who has not yet shot anybody in the face ...yet.
Eschaton
The liberal answer to Instapundit?
FABlog
By David Ehrenstein
A Fistful of Euros
A groupblog focusing on the EU and European politics.
Hronkomatic
Paying good money to shut George Will up. By Jason McCullough.
Hullabaloo
Digby, frequent and eloquent commentor at various blogs finally has his own.
James Wolcott
Journalist, media personality and blogger
John Quiggin
Commentary on Australian & world politics from John Quiggin
Lean Left
by Kevin Raybould
The Left Coaster
Outside-the-Beltway perspectives on politics, current events, and the media
Left in the West
Written by Matt Singer, a Montanan who writes on local issues and national issues
and how they correspond to Montana and the west.
Liberal Oasis
Where the left is right and the right is wrong.
Mad Kane's Noteables
commentary on and song parodies about politics, current events, books, music,
and anything else that inspires her admiration or ire.
Majikthise
Analytic philosophy and liberal politics by Lindsay Beyerstein and others.
Making Light
Teresa and Patrick Nielsen Hayden's politics and life blog.
The Martini Republic
Group blog. Nice design, good content.
Mikhaela's News Blog
By Mikhaela Reid.
Musings and Migraines
Chicago liberal's musings on war, peace, Jon Stewart, art, media. By
Lenora.
Nathan Newman
A community and union activist, policy advocate and writer with an excellent weblog.
Oliver Willis
Like kryptonite to stupid.
Orcinus
Policy, Culture and Journalism in the 21st Century. By David Neiwert.
Pacific Views
regime change begins at home, escalate nonviolence. By Natasha.
Polygon, the Dancing Bear
Occasional notes on politics, history, architecture, and life. By Lawrence Kestenbaum.
Prometheus 6
"What I want to do here is talk to the town criers. And I'll be talking more about people than politics."
Rittenhouse Review
A journal of foreign policy, finance, ethics, and culture. By James M. Capozzola
The Road to Surfdom
an intermittent weblog by Tim Dunlop.
Ruminate This
News, views, activism and a smattering of something else. By Lisa English.
Sasha Undercover
Observations and commentary on politics, women, culture, and daily life. Not for the faint of heart.
Seeing the Forest
...for the trees
Shadow of the Hegemon
Written by returned from the death Greek demagogue Demosthenes so is very eloquent.
The Sideshow
Avedon makes me think. Her weblog revolves around US politics.
Skimble
Culture, politics, commentary, criticism. Views from the left, headquartered in Chicago USA.
Slacktivist
Hopeful outrage, politics, culture and religion from a progressive Christian perspective.
Smythe's World
Politics, baseball and more.
Steve Gilliard's News Blog
Insightful (inciteful?) and interesting
This Modern World
By Tom Tomorrow
Thoughts on the Eve of the Apocalypse
By Bill Connolly
Through the Looking Glass
A chronicle of the absurd, in politics and life. By Charles Dodgson
Wampum
Progressive Politics, Indian Issues, and Autism Advocacy. By "MB".
Whiskey Bar
Free thinking in a dirty glass. By Daily Kos alumni Billmon.
Xoverboard
Blogging and cartoons! Whoot!
Progressive news
