Saturday, December 02, 2006

NYT: Bully's got no plans but a lot of starter sets (Sanger & Wong)

"If you think Maliki may not survive," said one senior administration official, "you'd want to make sure that the president is talking to the guy who might well form the next government."

The above is from David E. Sanger and Edward Wong's "Bush to Meet With Head of Powerful Iraq Shiite Party" in today's New York Times and it's addressing the meet up next week (if it comes off) with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. Bully Boy also plans to meet with Tariq al-Hashemi who is one of Iraq's vice-presidents.

The article addresses Robin Wright's "U.S. Considers Ending Outreach to Insurgents" (Washington Post) (without noting publication or authorship) wherein the administration that's been in contact with what they've dubbed the 'insurgency' for months and is now rethinking that. What the article in the Times really drives home is that there is still no plan. There are lots of we-mays, that's all.

All this time after, the US administration still doesn't have a plan. Maybe they'll stay with the puppet but his turn of (bad) fortune means they better have something cooking on another burner. At some point, they may actually trip over a plan but currently the only plan for the illegal war remains lying to garner support for it and the only plan they had for a post-invasion was the 'free' market wet dream Naomi Klein's "Baghdad Year Zero" (Harper's magazine) exposed.

Elsewhere? Shery Gay Stolberg offers an article on body language. It was interesting. Thursday. In the Times of London. Today, it just seems a rather tired topic.

Today, the US military announces: "One Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Division died Dec. 1 from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province." Today, CNN places the count at 2889, ICCC at 2890 -- count of US troops killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war. Today, the AP reports: "Three parked car bombs exploded in central Baghdad on Saturday near a predominantly Shiite area packed with vendors, killing at least 91 people and wounding dozens, officials said." Today, CNN reports: "Iraq police found 44 bullet-riddled bodies along various Baghdad streets Saturday during their patrols."

Another difference between the Times of London and the Times of New York, Stephen Farrell didn't have to go running to experts to tell him what he should have seen with his own eyes. He just reported what he saw. But thanks for the rebroadcast. There was also a repeat this week. We'll be noting it at The Third Estate Sunday Review. Apparently, putting out a daily paper is too much work for the Times (of New York) so they felt the need to offer up repeats. Maybe they were on hiatus?

Visitors have e-mailed for about two weeks now to get a book review highlighted. I did take it over to The Third Estate Sunday Review as a potential short entry but we had other things both weekends. So I'll address it here.

If a work (of any kind) is something you're unable/unwilling to finish, that's fine. Note it in your review. But don't pretend, in this case, you read a book when, at best, you only skimmed it. The second paragraph of JoE Silva's book review of Static opens, "The cover of Static, which she co-wrote with journo hubby David Goodman . . ." The review concludes, "Through sheer osmosis, those in the electorate who have never heard of her or her husband . . ."

Now visitors may be thrilled by the review (for various reasons) but there's not a member in this community who just read the preceding paragraph and has any desire to read another word. Why? Who cares about Silva's opinion? He's made himself a joke (and the fact that there's been no correction to the review makes the site that carries the review a joke as well).

The review is the standard b.s. meaning it's someone's idea of scholarly. Apparently The New Republic(an) Style Manual is now available and being sent out to many. It's a boring review. It would probably do well in some schools but it's lousy writing, lousy thought. Worst of all, it's lifeless.

But no one in this community would give a damn what JoE Silva has to say because he doesn't just make an error about something not addressed in the book, he makes a HUGE error about a book he claims to have read. Amy Goodman and David Goodman are not married to each other.
They are sister and brother and only a nitwit who skimmed the book to play the "on the one hand . . . on the other" game could make such an idiotic mistake. (Why it wasn't caught by anyone else at the site -- why it still hasn't been caught by anyone else at the site -- calls the site itself into question.)

Do I have quibbles over the book? I identified some. I believe I noted a typo that got a year wrong and I also noted that a War Hawk shouldn't be presented in a chapter on anti-warriors. (And when Mommy's Pantyhose wouldn't let Goodman complete a sentence on CNN, I think my point was backed up.) But I recommended it (and recommend it still) strongly.

The fact that Silva and I disagree on the book doesn't matter to me. I enjoy many reviews I disagree with. The fact that Silva wants to pose as having read a book and can't grasp that the Goodmans are brother and sister, not a married couple, is appalling.

Again, if he couldn't read the whole book, for whatever reason, that doesn't mean he couldn't review it. I walked out on Natural Born Killers. I have a ton to say about that film still. But I don't pretend I sat through until the credits rolled.

RadioNation with Laura Flanders (on Air America radio, online, XM satellite radio, from 7:00 pm EST till 10:00 pm EST Saturday and Sunday)? Today, Robert Dreyfuss addresses options for Iraq, Malik Rahim gives up update on New Orleans and Dave Marsh discussed his latest book (Bruce Springsteen on Tour: 1968-2005). Sunday, Amiri Baraka discusses Tales of The Out and The Gone (his collection of short stories), Mark Hertsgaard and Herb Boyd join Flanders for a media roundtable, and Kindra Muntz discusses the voting problems in Florida's 13th Congressional district.


Rachel notes that WBAI

Sunday, December 3, 11am-noon
THE NEXT HOUR
Cynthia Croot curates this presentation from THAW (Theatres Against War) in collaboration with member theatre companies The Driling Company and The Butane Group, with music by The Gentle Troubadour and The Wandering Minstrel.Monday,

December 4, 2-3pm
CAT RADIO CAFE
Author Stefan Kanfer on his new book, "Stardust Lost: The Triumph, Tragedy and Mishugas of the Yiddish Theater in America"; singer Freda Payne on her upcoming tribute to Ella Fitzgerald at Iridium; Norma Rogers and other senior citizens from the St. Margaret House Theatre discuss their original plays. Hosted by Janet Coleman and David Dozer.

Last week [this is corrected] the two programs above gave you two chances to hear Gore Vidal. If you missed that, you can access them at the WBAI archives.

The following community sites have updated since yesterday morning:

Rebecca's Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude;
Cedric's Cedric's Big Mix;
Kat's Kat's Korner;
Betty's Thomas Friedman is a Great Man;
Mike's Mikey Likes It!;
Elaine's Like Maria Said Paz
Wally's The Daily Jot:
and Trina's Trina's Kitchen*

*Trina's having the same problem I am this morning with Blogger/Blogspot. She's got a portion of her entry saved after losing most of it. If she's not up yet, she will be shortly. The time on this post is hours ago now. Take it up with Blogger/Blogspot. If that hadn't happened, I'd be addressing another Iraq topic. About five hours later, I just want this thing posted and over. If we don't address the topic at The Third Estate Sunday Review, I'll address it next week (probably in a snapshot).

We will note Margaret Kimberley's "Black Lovers of White Supremacy" (Black Agenda Report):

White supremacy is on the march in America. White university students boldly host Ghetto Fabulous parties, and film themselves in black face. Michigan voters approved a proposal to end affirmative action. White performers make jokes about lynching and know they will still get laughs.
White actor and wannabe comic Michael Richards yearns for the good old days, when white men could torture and kill with impunity. During a performance he told black audience members, "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f***ing fork up your ass."
Initial reports indicated that Richards had been heckled by black audience members. Heckling is a harsh but time honored show business tradition, but according to Richards' defenders, not for black folks. Even if the account had been true, his words were still inexcusable, an expression of the belief that blacks have no rights that a white unfunny comedian need respect.
Kyle Doss and Frank McBride walked into the Laugh Factory with a group of 20 other friends. As they recalled in a Today Show interview which Richards declined, they made it clear they hadn't heckled or spoken to Richards until he attacked them.

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