Air Force Voices

Left-Wing Values?

So much for civility and a sense of values on the left-side of the aisle (okay, left-fringe). 

Michelle Malkin has a MSM roundup regarding Pope John Paul II's death (with several examples of "liberal values") and John Hinderaker exposes the NYT's biased coverage against the Pope (see his NYT screenshot!)

I don't have much more to add...the two posts speak volumes by themselves.

Old Media Tricks III

Accountability continues to be an issue with Old Media.  In fact, Michelle Malkin (and Powerline) continues to press the issue. 

In her latest post, Michelle Malkin nails the Washington Post in its latest attempt to spin the truth.  Go see her post.

I agree with Michelle Malkin's question:

"If the Post never reported that the memo was distributed by party leaders, as Allen now asserts, the Reuters story is in error. Isn't the Post, which carried the story, obligated to run a correction?"

Or, are they in so deep that a retraction now goes to the heart of accountability and their credibility?  Didn't anyone learn from the CBS Memo (i.e., Rathergate) scandal? 

A Retraction and a Warning

The story on Old Media Tricks has not been fully resolved.  However, there has been a retraction and a warning regarding anonymous sources.

See La Shawn Barber and Michelle Malkin.  The story on the retraction appears here.

At least Josh Claybourn had the decency to admit he was duped and issued a retraction.  That is more than I can say for the Old Media.  Also, Claybourn's retraction did not appear on page B14.

It is a great lesson for all of us...

Air Force Voices will continue to keep up with the story.

Personal Readiness

Diana B. Henriques of the NYT had an alarming post regarding creditors foreclosing mortgages or repossessing family automobiles from American service members heading off to war. 

With all that a service member has to deal with in getting ready to deploy, Congress has passed a law that is supposed to protect military members serving their country.

"...The law, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, protects all active-duty military families from foreclosures, evictions and other financial consequences of military service. The Supreme Court has ruled that its provisions must 'be liberally construed to protect those who have been obliged to drop their own affairs to take up the burdens of the nation.'"

...Unfortunately, too many lenders, debt collectors, landlords, lawyers and judges are unaware of the federal statute or do not fully understand it."

The article lists specific cases (some involving prominent lenders such as Wells Fargo and Citigroup) where dozens of returning service members found their possessions illegally seized and sold by creditors.

What's more, the burden of proof lies with the servicemember who

"...must notify their creditors or landlords of their military status to invoke their rights under the act. It is one more chore for a soldier getting ready for overseas duty, and it often does not get done properly."

Something more needs to be done.  I admit, the deployment line should have a checklist for members to notify creditors of military status prior to deployment (just like dependent care is handled).  We owe it to our service men and women to ensure all personal affairs are in order prior to departure (or when the member is the deployment window) and not leave the burden on the spouse. 

Then the bulk of the burden shifts to the creditors who must comply with the law.  Heavy fines need to be assessed on creditors who disregard the law...that is one way to get their attention.

Clearly more needs to be done.

Old Media Tricks II

John Hinderaker (who publishes Powerline) has an article in the Daily Standard that keeps the heat on the Old Media.  I like the way Hinderaker concludes his article:

"There is little danger that anyone will forget the "infamous" memo any time soon; the mainstream media will make sure of that. So far, mainstream news sources have not even acknowledged that the source of the memo is in doubt, let alone set forth the compelling arguments suggesting that, in fact, it might be a political dirty trick. This is a case where the truth, as the old saying goes, is still lacing up its shoes."

We agree (see previous AFV post).  The facts in this case need to be fully examined in order to hold people accountable.

Related posts:  Michelle Malkin and Powerline.  There is also a great article on the Daily Standard by Fred Barnes (HT: Powerline)

An Unpopular War?

Larry Elder has a great commentary in the Washington Times that pretty much nails the NYT and its penchant for posing "another editorial masquerading as a question." 

No surprise:  The NYT doesn't let inconvenient facts (see previous post) get in the way of its world view.

I like Elder's commentary because he takes us through history looking at popular opinion in:

• The Revolutionary War
• The War of 1812
• The Mexican-American War
• The Civil War
• The Spanish-American War
• World War I
• World War II
• The Korean War
• The Vietnam War

Finally, I like the way Elder ends his commentary:

"This brings us to the "unpopular" Iraqi War. Mr. Bush obtained a resolution from Congress (which passed the House 296 to 133, and the Senate 77 to 23) authorizing use of force. At the time of America's entry into Iraq in 2003, a CBS/New York Times poll found 76 percent of Americans approved of the U.S. military action against Iraq. Even now, the majority of Americans want us to stay the course.

Aside from that, the New York Times reporter pretty much nailed it."

Heh Heh!

More Iraq News

Jason Burke of the UK's Guardian follows a similar post in the Financial Times (see previous post) that things aren't going too well for the so-called Iraq "insurgency." (HT: Captain's Quarters)

Here is an excerpt:

"The Iraqi resistance has peaked and is 'turning in on itself', according to recent intelligence reports from Baghdad received by Middle Eastern intelligence agencies.

The reports are the most optimistic for several months and reflect analysts' sense that recent elections in Iraq marked a 'quantum shift'. They will boost the government in the run-up to the expected general election in May."

I also expect a last ditch effort at violence by the so-called "insurgents" followed by the usual MSM / fringe left distortions using words such as "failure" and "quagmire."

Captain Ed is correct to point out that all attempts to stage another "Tet Offensive" have not succeeded because this time the majority of the American public did not fall for it (to the chagrin of most MSM elites). 

I agree with Captain Ed:  The "insurgents" (along with the elite media's world view) are losing and they know it.  I guess that would explain why this not being prominently reported in our national newspapers and broadcasts.

Lessons in combat

Democracy Project posts a great account written by former Marine Captain Nathaniel Fick who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and knows something about roadblocks and checkpoints.  The article appeared in the NYT.  Here is the bottom line.

"Every combat unit learns its own lessons from hard experience. The important thing is that they be passed on so they are not continually relearned at the cost of innocent lives. Americans must understand that tragic mistakes in war are unavoidable, but that every legal, moral and strategic imperative demands that they be kept to a minimum. This is our obligation to Ms. Sgrena and to Mr. Calipari's family, to the thousands of Iraqi civilians who pass through military checkpoints each day, and to the Americans who must man them and live with their decisions."

That is true...I don't know much about operating a military checkpoint...but I do know the value of training, applying lessons learned, and passing on experiences.

You need to read the article.  I also recommend reading Winfield Myers' post at  Democracy Project which concludes:

"[Captain Fick] leaves the reader with a better understanding of just how much we ask of our men and women in uniform, and how unfair -- and dangerous -- it is to expect them to take even more risks than they already do."

God Bless our troops!

More Diversity

We were talking about diversity yesterday (see previous post). 

Here is more from Michelle Malkin on NYT's columnist Maureen Dowd.  Here is my favorite part which includes a list of great blogs (which happen to be published by females):

"In this case, though, I'm going to take up the invitation to spotlight many, many women writers in the blogosphere who are far better investments of your time and attention than the self-appointed representatives of gender diversity in your newspapers. I don't read them because of their reproductive organs. I read them because they are sharp. Funny. Incisive. Informative. And because, unlike the Times' resident harridan, these women know what the hell they are writing about--from politics and culture to law to terrorism to military affairs."

Read Michelle's post.  It is great.

Note: I am already a big fan of La Shawn Barber...I need to start reading these other great sources.

MSM's Worldview

Yesterday in my research seminar, we were talking about ways to streamline public affairs operations so the military could fill the void and combat enemy lies and distortions in the press.  This is a good idea...yet it only solves part of the problem.

I contend:  What is the use of becoming more efficient (and spending lots of money) if the MSM is only going to spin the news with their worldview? 

What is the use of becoming more efficient if we are going down the wrong road?...go down the wrong road more efficiently?

Need more evidence?  Here is another example from Michelle Malkin (who has several such posts featuring CNN). 

Thanks to Michelle Malkin for exposing this bias!