Someone please enlighten me on "Counterpunch"

[disgruntella]

Obviously they're working overtime to smear Clark; just do a keyword search on their homepage for "clark" for the articles. But they also did a story on Dean that lots of Dean people called a smear:
http://www.counterpunch.org/colby02222003.html

They're self-described muckrakers, so I don't have any problem calling them that. What I would like to know is whether people visit this site as a credible source of information or not.

[Prodemsouth]

1. Their a gang of defeatist elitist. Editor is a Brit, kind of like Chris

Hitchens, if you know him. Which means they don't really have any interest in seeing things improve in America. They are supposed to be "left" and like "the Nation" bitch about liberals and moderates or centrist more than they do conservatives. These type of people should be viewed as the enemy by those of us who want to see Bush gone in 04, that includes Dean and Clark supporters. They are always going to rip anyone who has a real chance to unseat W. Editor was a founder of lefties for Dole and admits he is a antiSemite. Not at all surprised they are attacking Clark.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. They print articles that are critical of the bush and sharon regimes

There is little likelihood that they will be won over by putting a Democrat face on the PNAC strategies or move closer to Gary Bauer on the subject of Israel and the Rapture.

[Prodemsouth]

3. Yeah that is for sure, editor admited he hates Jews

n/t

[Orangeone]

4. I like CounterPunch

You mean Counterpunch actual covers the Middle East fairly. Only people who are rabidly pro-Israel would say it's hate.

Also regarding Clark, don't people want to know more about him, including the negative things? Why do we have to automatically love a candidate before we have a chance to analyse him?

[Prodemsouth]

5. It not this even handed talk, I hate Sharon, I am not Jewish, Alexander

admits he hate Jews, ame right out and said it.

[ex_jew]

6. Could I have a reference please ?

I've grown to like almost everything I read in Counterpunch, and would be interested to know the basis for your statement. Thanks !

[Djinn]

7. Quote please

I'm a pretty avid counterpunch reader - I have never seen any ref to the editor "hating jews"

As an Australian I don't know enough about the contenders to really have an opinion but although I think anyone would be slightly better than Bush on a symbolic level - the reality is that when you look at actual achievements and legislation enacted Bush and Clinton weren't too different. We have the same sitch here in Aust and in the UK where a 2 party system has become entrenched and the differences between them are so minute that fewer and fewer people even bother voting. Many people, including a lot of Counterpunch contributers probably don't feel comfortable about endorsing more of the same just because on the face of it a candidate is a little less offensive/embarrasing than Bush but will happilly continue to run the nation (not to mention other nations) for the benefit of a few CEO's.

[number6]

11. Yea , me too

I'm not buying this, he hates jews ...

[Zuni]

15. their 'reporting' on the ME is a joke.

The Arab press is less biased than they are.

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. Would you mind posting a link or pointer to that, please?

Personally, I do not associate Jews or any other ethnic or religious group with the atrocities committed by the criminal sharon regime, whose policies I would find equally reprehensible regardless of what faith tradition his henchmen chose to profane.

[Rich Hunt]

10. still waiting

I'm still waiting for that link and can't find it. I found reference to an article sarcastically titled "My life as an anti-Semite" or something like that, which probably refers to being called an anti-Semite.

After digging for info, I'd like to see the proof. People shouldn't repeat things on the net if they can't back them up.

[ALoeppert]

8. I'd give them the thumbs up....

I'm not a regular (daily or weekly) reader, but everything I've read from them seemed on the up and up by me. Of course, you don't know me, nor my standards of journalism.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm skeptical of any candidate like dean that "rises" to the top, i.e. on the cover of multiple national magazines without really doing any to deserve such a blessing... from the public (of course the media is another subject).

There is no doubt that there is a growing snowball of support regarding Dean, but every Dean supporter should ask themselves the question, "why do I support this candidate?" Because I think he's more hype than anything else... and I think poeple like to latch on to who they think is the winner... early on. Plus democrats are desperate to see Bush go that they are not willing to take a chance on a candidate that they agree with but think "isn't electable".

Man... this is getting lengthy...

So people don't have to guess, I'm a Kucinich supporter. If Dean wins the primary, I'll be happy to have him over Bush, but I don't believe in mentally whitewashing a candidate because I don't like the alternative.

I hope this appears coherent to some readers.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

12. I'm not taken by their half hearted attempts to be a voice...

for liberals! I am NOT happy about their anti-Wesley Clark attitude!

[JohnOneillsMemory]

13. One of the editors broke the Iran/Contra CIA coke smuggling angle.

in the San Jose Mercury News and got fired for it.
I find great stuff there all the time. I haven't seen any of the 'elitist defeatism' cited by others. Don't believe it.

[Ignis]

14. A few points:

CounterPunch is a wonderful source of alternative views to issues being skirted about by the mainstream US media.

CP provides a voice for Chomsky and many others who've been branded as 'dangerous' or 'tinfoil hatted' or whatnot by some of the US left, as well as providing (like the Nation) a progressive outlet for some groundbreaking stories from both academia and the media.

Does the editor err on the side of inclusion rather than exclusion? Oh hell yes. Does editorial bias show? Yuppers. But it's still a cracking good read. And it's awfully nice to hear about some of these stories in something other than a 'Top 10 Censored' piece in an alternative weekly....

PS: All Britons are not elitists. Most have a firmer understanding of the pitfalls of class-centric politics than do Americans, I'd say.
PPS: Providing an outlet for Palestinian and anti-Sharon Israeli journalists does not make one Anti-Semitic. Really. I promise.