Desperate, But Not Serious

Rumsfeld hagiographer Midge Decter has an embarrassing explanation for the Abu Ghraib controversy:

This new scandal is no more than an election-season opportunity seized by certain serious opponents of the war, along with many more unserious opponents of the Bush administration.

Reminds me of one of the funniest -- and cruelest -- headlines I've ever read, from a British music-rag story on Morrissey about 10 years ago: "This Bloke Just Isn't Funny Anymore."

Comments

[s.a.m.]

Russ, I didn't quite get your point, would you mind running that by me again?

[Mark S.]

Russ: We heard you the first time.

[Larry]

What Russ said.

I think Rumsfeld is doing a great job, by the way.

[thoreau]

Jennifer, it's not nice to post under somebody else's screen name! Especially when you're multiple-posting under somebody else's screen name 🙂

[Sir Real]

The Red Cross had been telling them about this shit since March 2003- The January 2004 investigation doesn't impress anyone who's been paying attention.

The media won't be paying any attention to Rumsfeld because HE DOESN'T DESERVE ONE.

Why?

Because HE'S NOT DOING HIS JOB.

[Sir Real]

That should "not paying any attention to Rumsfeld's apology"

[Gary Gunnels]

Russ,

They buried that statement in a bunch of other news. Sorry, but apologias for this monstrosity aren't going to work.

Matt,

Its always somebody's fault but their own.

[NOT OFFENDED BY CAPS]

s.a.m.,

It's good to know that denizens of the "blogosphere" are still offended by caps.

NOT.

[The Lonewacko Blog]

Here's my Abu Ghreib flashback. While CNN is providing wall-to-wall coverage of A.G. under American control, one wonders where they were during Saddam's decades of control. Where were they when Qusay ordered 2000 prisoners killed within 24 hours?

[only ed]

Lone Man,

They were preoccupied with Benifer.

Regards,

Ed Lennox

[Mona]

There is no defense for what those pictures show. Some on the right have put forward obscene apologias that can and will come back to bite them in the ass. (I declined to comment in the Limbaugh thread because I had only a visceral response to his repugnant drivel, and nothing intelligent and pithy to offer.)

But that all said, I do not understand the contempt directed at Rumsfeld. He is correct that the Army had begun an investigation in mid-January, and had announced that fact to the world. The announcment was made with other news? So what? The media is certainly trained and able to read packages of press releases and sniff out the "good stuff." And the fact is, a frank announcment *was* made, months ago. Moreover, given due process concerns, it would not have been appropriate to incur a great deal of media attention during an ongoing investigation which will directly impact the liberty interests and careers of many individuals.

The human rights violations those photos depict are unacceptable, period. However, I am pleased that well before they became a media event, the Army was taking control of the problem. Could it have done so earlier? I'm sure, but it did do it, and did so before all this hell broke lose. To my mind, this represents the triumph of the Western values we are ostensibly upholding in the "war on terror."

"We" are not supposed to behave that way, and before the shit hit the fan, the U.S. military began making sure that we do not. But I do wish the picutres and other specific information had not been released until the court martial proceedings were concluded. The media frenzy we have now is not conducive to due process.

--Mona--

[Walter Wallis]

So the adminsistration releases news on friday so it gets less coverage?
So the press is too stupid to recognize this and have "Friday" teams to handle such stuff?
Sheesh!!!!

[Kevin Carson]

only ed,

Good point. The press should be apologizing to the American public, not to Rummy. Serious news stories of this importance are buried on page A17, while the front page is taken up with fluff about--refresh my memory--was it Bennifer, Kobe, or Laci?

I did notice, BTW, that Rummy's remarks and the Centcom announcement were released on a *Friday*. So apparently he wasn't exactly disappointed when the press buried the story.

[joe]

All of these posts by hawks pointing the finger at the press put me in the mind of:

"You screwed up, Flounder. You trusted us."

Yes, the problem here is about journalism.

[eda]

Really Cool Blog, Thank you for such a wonderful job.
Singapore Singapore 1 Singapore 2 Singapore 3 Singapore 4 Thailand Thailand 1 Thailand 2 Thailand 3 Thailand 4 Japan Japan 1 Japan 2 Japan 3 Japan 4 Hong Kong Hong Kong 1 Hong Kong 2 Hong Kong 3 Malaysia Malaysia 1 Malaysia 2 Malaysia 3 Taiwan Taiwan 1 Taiwan 2
East Asia Hotels East Asia Guide Euro Asia Hotels Come to Asia Hotels plus Tours My Europe Hotels

[cool]

Hotels in London Paris Hotels Rome Hotels Athens Hotels Hotels in Istanbul Barcelona Hotels Munich Hotels Cannes Hotels Madrid Hotels Oslo Hotels Budapest Hotels Lisbon Hotels Amsterdam Hotels Athens Hotels Barcelona Hotels Paris Hotels Istanbul Hotels Madrid Hotels Rome Hotels Milan Hotels Munich Hotels Oslo Hotels Budapest Hotels London Hotels Lisbon Hotels Santorini Hotels Shanghai Hotels Hotels in Thailand Hotels in Bangkok Chiang Mai Hotels Hotels in Pattaya Phuket Hotels Hong Kong Hotels Hong Kong Island Kowloon Hotels New Territories Hotels Outlying Island Hotels China Hotels Beijing Hotels Shanghai Hotels Guangzhou Hotels Guilin Hotels Tianjin Hotels Xian Hotels Japan Hotels Chubu Hotels Chugoku Hotels Hokkaido Hotels Kanto Hotels Okinawa Hotels Shikoku Hotels Tokyo Hotels Singapore Hotels Chinatown Area Hotels Eastcoast Area Hotels Little India Hotels Marina Bay Hotels Orchard Road Hotels Sentosa Island Hotels Malaysia Hotels Northern Region Hotels Eastern Region Hotels Kuala Lumpur Hotels Southern Region Hotels Sarawak Hotels Penang Hotels
Discount Singapore Hotels Singapore Hotels Singapore Hotels Discount Singapore Hotels Online Sentosa Hotels Singapore Thailand Hotels Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels Phuket Hotels Chiang Mai Hotels Japan Hotels Tokyo Hotels Kobe Hotels Osaka Hotels Okinawa Hotels Hong Kong Hotels Discount Hong Kong Hotels Kowloon Hotels Hong Kong Hotels Online Malaysia Hotels Malaysia Hotel Kuala Lumpur Hotels Penang Hotels Taiwan Hotels Taiwan Hotel Taipei Hotels Indonesia Hotels Bali Hotels ?stanbul Hotels Shanghai Hotels Barcelona Hotels Paris Hotels Amsterdam Hotels London Hotels New York Hotels Discount Bangkok Hotels Discount Kuala Lumpur Hotels Discount New Delhi Hotels Discount Barcelona Discount London Hotels Discount Madrid Hotels Discount Paris Hotels Discount Rome Hotels Discount Jakarta Hotels Discount Singapore Hotels Discount Pattaya Hotels Discount Bali Hotels Discount Athens Hotels Discount Hong Kong Hotels Discount Shanghai Hotels Discount Tokyo Hotels Discount Beijing Hotels Discount Istanbul Hotels