Fair and Balanced (Foreign Policy)

The current election campaign is rapidly shaping up as a War Against the Media. The determined grip of incompetence shows little sign of loosening.

Matthew Yglesias (May 04, 2008) - Fair and Balanced (Foreign Policy): "

"Sweet Iraq panel from the New York Times. It's got Richard Perle and Danielle Pletka and Frederick Kagan and Paul Bremer. That's four out of the nine slots! Plus you've got Ken Pollack, and what Spencer Ackerman describes as 'non-liberal members of the reality-based community like Paul Eaton and Anthony Cordesman and Nate Fick.' Representing American liberalism in even the liberal New York Times is Anne-Marie Slaughter all by her lonesome -- can't let too many hippies congregate on one op-ed page."

A short while ago, Charlie Rose hosted a series of interviews on the anniversary of the Iraq War invasion. In Charlie Rose's own words:

"On the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, I did a series of conversations to find out how both critics and supporters of the war effort see the current situation. Some of the critical voices I listened to are Les Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, the New Yorker's George Packer and two young Iraqis living in the United States. . . . To get the other side's perspective, I talked to Richard Perle and Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute."

Conspicuously absent were any Americans, who thought the war a bad idea from the beginning. Charlie, of course, argued with the very sensible Iraqis, who were suitably blunt in blaming the U.S., as they should, for destroying so much of their country. But, American voices opposed to the imperialist project were excluded. So, Charlie heard from the victims; from reluctant supporters critical of the war, and from enthusiastic supporters less critical of the war. And, that's where the spectrum of opinion stopped.

Media delenda est.