Sloppy Thinking. Sloppy Writing.

I have decided to continue my commentary on the decline of the quality of the editorial page of the Washington Post and its leadership.  This is todays leading editorial in the WashPost.

"WITH THAT statement, which appeared on an al Qaeda Web site Thursday, Iraq's al Qaeda network at last made explicit the goals of the Iraqi insurgency: to prevent a freely elected, constitutional government from taking power and to promulgate a totalitarian Islamic republic instead."  WashPost

It is the US government's position that the insurgencies in Iraq have several components; sorehead Baathists, criminal mercenaries, disaffected tribals and, in a special category, international Jihadis (AQ Iraq) under the command of Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi.  If you read Mr. Hiatt's editorial as quoted above, you will see that he says that a statement made on an AQ web site speaks for all the components of the insurgencies.  What's the evidence for that, or is this yet another example of the WashPost editorial page distributing  "talking points?"  pl

"Shortly after meeting with Iraq's most important Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, another Shiite Muslim leader, Abdul Aziz Hakim, told a crowd in the holy city of Najaf to support the constitution in order to unify the country. "We should not let this chance of accomplishing this goal to go away," he said."

Who are the "we" in this speech by Hakim?  What is the "goal?"  Is the goal of this Shia activist to unify Iraq on the basis of inter-communal equality, the rights of minorities (like women), and the civil rights we think were given to mankind by "nature's God" as "inalienable."  Is that what he means?  Or does he mean that this is the great chance to consolidate Shia power in the pursuit of a Godly morality and unity of effort and purpose?

The Post does not even consider the latter possibility.  I should not complain too much about the Post.  It has been "subdued" like much of the media.

That's all right.  The blogoshere and media forms yet unconceived are coming to put the old media out of their misery.  Pat Lang

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201450.html

Comments

[chocolate ink]

Sloppy is certainly an understatement. Am glad to see this diary over at Booman Tribune..hopefully more people will read your excellent analysis of important issues.