MS's Clarion Ledger has a slap down opinion piece, it calls Bush insane

[Melodybe]

It uses Bush propaganda quote, and mentions that he is polling lower than Nixon.

It is soo good, I'm shocked to find it in the Clarion Ledger:

http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050826/OPINION/508260376/1166

[BOSSHOG]

1. That is rather surprising coming from the C-L

which I consider in a league with the Washington Times. bush doesn't fare much better in the Sun-Herald on the gulf coast. Great news coming from the EDITORIAL PAGE IN A NEWSPAPER OF A VERY RED STATE.

[Melodybe]

15. please remember to kick and nominate

I want everyone to know what is coming out of Mississippi.

[Maddy McCall]

54. Especially since the C-L endorsed Bush.

Go figure.

[steve2470]

2. Yeehaw and hot damn ! Thanks for the good news from a fellow Southerner nt

[Melodybe]

3. God bless a smaller newspaper, I am shocked myself.

[donco6]

4. Telling snips:

"First, this administration is wholly unwilling to change course—even when they're obviously driving off a cliff. Second, and much more threatening to the outcome in Iraq, the president seems incapable of realizing mistakes.

"He's entirely blind to error. His is the ultimate "faith-based" government. All decisions made by the president must be prima facie correct because he's made them.

"Any seeming trouble in the world is merely a matter of faulty PR, easily fixed by some better way of making the case.

"Surely this explains Karen Hughes' appointment to the State Department, tasked with creating "rapid response" teams to counter bad news and defend Bush's policies to the world."

Great point about Hughes. Why else would you appoint a PR specialist to a State Dept. post? Spin, baby, spin.

[me b zola]

5. Hey bush**, how do ya like me now?!!

~snip~

No matter the crisis, the solution is simply to find some more persuasive way to say the same things. Nothing is ever wrong with facts on the ground. Nothing ever needs adjustment. The American people must simply be better sold.

Well, the case has been made, and made yet again. Turns out America isn't buying. Americans see the Iraq mess as just that; a gargantuan mess of George Bush's making.

As we've learned from the draft Iraqi constitution, Americans are dying to establish not "freedom," but an Islamic republic severely curtailing the rights of women, a la Iran.

That is, assuming Iraq doesn't explode into all out civil war, an increasing likelihood. Is this what the American people signed on for when we were warned of mushroom clouds and WMDs wreaking carnage on American soil?

~more~

Read it & weep, bush*bots. The truth is painful.

[Melodybe]

7. I told ya it was good, MS is on the rise, baby

[me b zola]

11. Here's to speaking truth to power....and the people

:toast:

[faithnotgreed]

35. beautiful - or should i say utterlydeeplyandforevertragic

[CatWoman]

6. yikes!!!

Cowards change policies. Real leaders change minds.

[Melodybe]

8. kick for a kickass article!

[steve2470]

9. kick nt

[Melodybe]

10. kick

[bleedingheart]

12. Great Article!!!

[Melodybe]

13. kick

[patdem]

14. Everybody is kicking nobody is nominating...here is a nominate and kick

:kick: for a :kick: ass editorial. I expected a LTTE, but no..this is a full blown editorial that had to be passed by the powers that be. Like the front page article says..'times they may be a changing'

[puerco-bellies]

16. My Nomination and a kick.

[Supersedeas]

17. The Karen Hughes reference is classic

[Melodybe]

18. I know I love the whole article!

[Nothing Without Hope]

19. Wow! That C-L article is a hard-hitting!

{snip)

He tried again to connect his war of choice with the horrific attack on our country by perpetrators still very much at large. Five times in a 30 minute speech meant to shore up resolve for the war in Iraq did the president invoke September 11th. Unfortunately for Mr. Bush, fear just doesn't sell like it used to.''

(snip)

Two things become painfully clear.

First, this administration is wholly unwilling to change course—even when they're obviously driving off a cliff. Second, and much more threatening to the outcome in Iraq, the president seems incapable of realizing mistakes.

(snip)

Far from it. In fact, in the popular parlance of addiction, "doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results" is far from policy. It is, rather, the definition of insanity.

[FizzFuzz]

20. godDAMMM this is GREAT!

this definitely goes in my "MustPrintOut" file.

I love this: "Ultimate 'faith based' government. All decisions made by the president must be prima facie correct because he's made them."

And the Karen Hughes comment:
"Surely this explains Karen Hughes' appointment to the State Department, tasked with creating "rapid response" teams to counter bad news and defend Bush's policies to the world."

"Cowards change policies. Real leaders change minds."


"This administration places all power and faith in spin and communications."

Oh yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss. What we've been saying ALL ALONG!!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. Here's the email address of the author and the LTTE instructions:

You KNOW he and the editors are getting freeper hate mail. Let's balance it with some sanity to encourage articles that speak the truth.

Mitch Cohen is a freelance writer and communications consultant. He can be reached via email at [e-mail].

and here is the LTTE info for this paper:

Write Us
We welcome your comments on editorials, columns and other topics in The Clarion-Ledger or on any subjects important to you. Only letters that include name, address and day and evening phone numbers and are verified by The Clarion-Ledger can be considered for publication. Letters to the editor of 250 or fewer words have the best chance of being published. Mail letters to: Letters to the Editor, The Clarion-Ledger, Box 40, Jackson MS 39205-0040; fax to: [phone]; e-mail to: [e-mail]. Letters are edited for accuracy, length and clarity. Letters to the editor, opinion and editorial columns, and articles submitted to The Clarion-Ledger may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.

[nofurylike]

27. thanks for this info. please write, folks. a great piece and writer! eom

[OneGrassRoot]

29. I wrote Mitch Cohen......

commending him on speaking the truth and doing it so effectively, as well as expressing my appreciation. What a GREAT article!

He kindly took the time to respond and asked that I/we write CL to express the same.....:)

[nofurylike]

30. great! he deserves the compliments! thanks! eom

[Melodybe]

36. Yeah Mitch is a great writer and an all around calss act

I read one of the short stories he had published a few years ago and it blew me away.

[nofurylike]

40. he really is! thank you, Melodybe, for bringing this article,

and his talent to our - speaking for myself, to my - attention!


peace!

[Jade Fox]

22. Wow. The worm IS turning.

Not only is this remarkable because it is coming from such a red state,
it is one of the best critiques of the Bush Administration I've read
recently.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. Hot dang!

[Kurovski]

24. They called it "Bush's war" and "his war"

not "the war."

They got it right on every count. Kudos to the The Clarion-Ledger!

[nofurylike]

25. PLEASE PLEASE write Clarion Ledger about this great piece!

info:
their "email us" link, below, takes you to the "customer service" page, but i'm not sure filling out that form is the way. still, couldn't hurt.

other email addresses are listed down the right side of that same page. executive editor and managing editor, probably best, as publisher only gives phone # - though really is worth a call:

http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/ABOUT02/50329006

Re:

Bush's 'stay the course' in Iraq falling flat
by Mitch Cohen,
August 26, 2005


thank you!


peace!

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. Letter to the Editor info is given upthread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4464950&mesg_id=4468294

[nofurylike]

41. after posting what i did, i saw you already had, the LTTE info! thanks! nt

[nofurylike]

26. thank you, Melodybe! excellent article! eom

[nofurylike]

28. kick 'cause everyone should get to read this thread! thanks!

[nofurylike]

31. kick

[nofurylike]

32. kick

[Lone_Star_Dem]

33. That was one of the most clear and succinct articles yet

In regards to bush** and his tactics.

"Cowards change policies. Real leaders change minds." Perfect!

I rate it a two :thumbsup:

[tblue37]

34. I have a real problem with this line:

"Cowards change policies. Real leaders change minds."

I assume (hope) he means that this is Bush's insanely stubborn idea. But the way it is phrased, without clear attribution, makes it seem that it is the author's belieeif. The whole point of the article is that Bush and his handlers won't change their policies, but think all they have to do is come up with better PR to change people's minds. If he were a real leader--or even sane--he would recognze that he needs to change policies.

But Bush doesn't believe in changing policies, because he believes it is cowardly for a leader to admit to a mistake.

At least that is what the articles is saying. But the line "Cowards change policies. Real leaders change minds" seems to imply that if Bush were a real leader he would "stay the course" and persuade (with PR) people to follow him. Obviously that is at odds with the article, but the careless presentation of the line makes it seem this is what the author means.

[nofurylike]

39. considering context, i read it as *change their own minds*. eom

[tblue37]

46. But we do want them to change their insane policies,

so we would not want to say it is cowardly to change policies. If policies are good ones, then it's cowardly to change them in the face of public (mob) pressure, but BushCo's policies are terrible and should be changed.

[nofurylike]

48. first, i should have added that i too had trouble with just that line.

from the context, though, i take it like this:

yes, those policies MUST change, as you say.

BUT:
he changes policies only to match them to, or use them to bolster, his stubborn view

versus:

changing his stubborn - now provably insane - view, which would result in sane change of policies.


as i read, i did get caught by that one line too. thing is, based on the context, i felt i could trust his meaning on that.

you know, the writer, Mitch Cohen, is very responsive to comments. maybe you feel like comenting to him on this?

mailto:[e-mail]

if you do, maybe post his reply.

thank you for discussing, tblue37!

i'm headed off for tonight, but will check tomorrow and reply if you have.


peace!

[tblue37]

56. I also felt I could trust his meaning.

The problem is that "we" already "know."

Part of the thrill of seeing an opinion piece like this is that finally the truth is being told in a place where people who don't already know might get to see it. But I always fear when people who think as I do present the ideas I agree with in a way that could easily confuse people who don't believe what I believe.

The fact that this very line was immediately snatched up by many posters on this thread and presented as a sort of motto or war cry is part of what bothered me. If people had just read it and understood it in context, I might not have been so troubled. But to raise such a confused line to the level of a rallying cry--well, it just exacerbates the confusion.

[Ouabache]

49. yes tblue, I spotted that too

for a well-written article that line falls below par for clear meaning.

[mitch2k2]

58. answer

Of course the intent was to state Bush's absurd refusal to change course. The original draft of the column had those two short sentences as part of the preceding paragraph; as in, "Surely this is why Karen Hughes was appointed....only cowards change policies, real leaders change minds..." Patently absurd. The editor chose to break them off onto their own line. Regardless, I would hope that when read in context the meaning would be obvious.

If Bush were a real leader (and I hope no one gives him the benefit of the doubt any longer), we wouldn't have been lied into his war in the first place. If Bush were a real leader, Osama bin Laden would be dead or in prison, there'd be flourishing economic, cultural, and academic communities in Afghanistan, instead of roving bands of warlords financing their little fiefdoms through international heroin distribution. If Bush were a real leader, the massive camaraderie and goodwill the entire world held for America following 9/11 would have transformed the globe--for the better, and criminal terrorist organizations would whither on the vine and die.

Then again, if Bush were a real leader, there's a very good chance 9/11 could have been averted entirely, in which case we wouldn't be having this conversation at all.

Thanks to all y'all for the kind words. FYI, there's an online archive of some of my past columns here, and I've been writing on The Thorn Papers blog, though somewhat infrequently these days, since early in 2004.


mc

[immoderate]

60. Welcome to DU.

Hope you can hang out often.

(Wow. Talk about service.)

--IMM

[mitch2k2]

62. Thank you. n/t

[tblue37]

63. Welcome to DU!

It was a fine piece. Only those 2 lines troubled me. Now I understand what happened. Editors can mess things up sometimes.

That is actually why my son switched majors from journalism to international studies and Spanish as an undergrad. The editor of the student newspaper did such a hatchet job on one of his pieces on the op-ed page that he cut all of his classes the day it was published (something he never did otherwise) because he was so embarrassed that it was published under his byline. All of a sudden he realized that he was at the mercy of editors if he became a writer for magazines or newspapers.

I am an online writer. I have a list of places that I no longer allow to publish my articles because they have chopped them up so badly.

[Hailtothechimp]

37. Beat. Down. It's a great read. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. It's over folks, it's over...

more and more are fleeing

[Nothing Without Hope]

43. No, it's NOT over - we still must head off an attack on Iran. PLEASE read

through this thread - and don't miss reply #42:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2037110
Thread title: All the pieces are on the board, folks....time to get worried

It's on the Greatest Page with 21 votes now, but with the very short life of even important threads, it will be gone all too soon. This is a thread ALL DUers should read!

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. Yes I have read this threat

and yes all the pieces seem to be on the board, but seems is the opeartinve word... we truly don't know behnd the scenes how much of this is truly on the board, if you catch my drift

[Nothing Without Hope]

50. Yes, there are many indications but not certainty. To me this means we

need to be alert and to make sure to spread the word as much as we can to HEAD OFF it's becoming reality. We know the necons and the Likud hawk faction WANT "regime change" in Iran very, very badly and have planned for it for years. The issue is whether they can be stopped - and there are plenty of indications suggesting that they still want to make this move in spite of everything.

We can't let up our vigilance or our effort of letting people know just how frightening the Bush Administration really is. In fact, I think showing the reasons for fear of them is even more effective than showing them the reasons for anger.

[WiseButAngrySara]

44. Kick, recommended and thankyou for such a graet read. This is why

I love (and have become addicted to) DU!

[WiseButAngrySara]

45. Kick, recommended and thankyou for such a great read. This is why

I love (and have become addicted to) DU!

[ninkasi]

51. Excellent article!

This might just help wake up some Southerners to the idea that there are more important things in life than gay marriage, and teaching "intelligent design" in schools. Bush is dangerously close to causing either WWIII, or so crippling this country financially, and destroying alliances that were forged many years ago, that our whole country is on the verge of going from world's only superpower, to another third world country.

This might wake up a few people who have automatically voted conservative, thinking that Republicans shared their "values." They might want to take a look at the consequences of being one or two issue voters. We are not the only country on this planet.

[Syrinx]

52. great post

My local paper has some good ones sometimes, but not THAT good yet. But it's coming I think!

[Maddy McCall]

53. Isn't it funny how the Clarion Ledger changed its stance in 10 months?

Remember, the Clarion Ledger endorsed Bush only 10 short months ago.

Glad to see this scalding editorial, but it's about a year overdue.

[jbnow]

55. I Recommended it, but

it's a shame that the article is such a big deal that we want to make sure we all can read it.

It should be just normal to see this in MSM, how long have we known and been saying all that's in the article. It's obvious truth, no great mystery being uncovered. It should be the norm.

I know it is a big deal, to see such clear words from any paper, let alone this one. I know we are glad to see more and more coming out, I am glad to see this.

I just shouldn't have to be. It shouldn't be true, but since it is true, it shouldn't be news worthy to see it.

[flyarm]

57. wow!!!!!!!! Mississippi!!!!!!!!! great!!!!!! n/t

[Usrename]

59. He truly is middle managment MBA ..

I think I used to work for that idi....or may be that was somebody else.

Oops, sorry, middle mgt MBAs out there, didn't really mean it like it sounds. No comparison.

[mitch2k2]

61. Should have posted this at the tail of this thread

Originally posted this in response to TBlue's question regarding some confusion as to meaning:

Of course the intent was to state Bush's absurd refusal to change course. The original draft of the column had those two short sentences as part of the preceding paragraph; as in, "Surely this is why Karen Hughes was appointed....only cowards change policies, real leaders change minds..." Patently absurd. The editor chose to break them off onto their own line. Regardless, I would hope that when read in context the meaning would be obvious.

If Bush were a real leader (and I hope no one gives him the benefit of the doubt any longer), we wouldn't have been lied into his war in the first place. If Bush were a real leader, Osama bin Laden would be dead or in prison, there'd be flourishing economic, cultural, and academic communities in Afghanistan, instead of roving bands of warlords financing their little fiefdoms through international heroin distribution. If Bush were a real leader, the massive camaraderie and goodwill the entire world held for America following 9/11 would have transformed the globe--for the better, and criminal terrorist organizations would whither on the vine and die.

Then again, if Bush were a real leader, there's a very good chance 9/11 could have been averted entirely, in which case we wouldn't be having this conversation at all.

Thanks to all y'all for the kind words. FYI, there's an online archive of some of my past columns here, and I've been writing on The Thorn Papers blog, though somewhat infrequently these days, since early in 2004.


mc