Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Nick Cohen Strikes Back At the "Smear-Job" Lie

"I go to great lengths to separate decent people from the scoundrels who lead them. I put their arguments as well as I can, and say they were right in all respects except one: they couldn't support their comrades in Iraq once the war was over."

Good for Nick.

As in the similarly-reviled Euston Manifesto: "We are also united in the view that, since the day on which this occurred, the proper concern of genuine liberals and members of the Left should have been the battle to put in place in Iraq a democratic political order and to rebuild the country's infrastructure, to create after decades of the most brutal oppression a life for Iraqis which those living in democratic countries take for granted — rather than picking through the rubble of the arguments over intervention."

Agree with it or not, it's like I said: "Whatever else you might say about What's Left? you'd have to be pig-ignorant or a liar to write it off as a right-wing diatribe -- although that hasn't stopped many of Cohen's critics."

It sure didn't stop them from filling up the comments here, and one of them strayed so deep into Jew-bashing territory that not only did his disgusting remarks disappear, he himself vanished entirely. And someone will blame the Jews for that, too, I bet.

Which is another thing that's really starting to get to me. It's high time we started laying the blame where it belongs:

Blame Canada.

UPDATE: It's a bit like watching a trainwreck in progress, but if you're amused by berserking you won't want to miss the ongoing saga I refer to above, in the comments. Tyee editor David Beers and I are called bigots, and David, for banning comments persistently "derogatory towards Jewish people," is accused of taking offence to comments that "criticize Israel harshly" and unfairly objecting to views regarding "Jewish attitudes towards Palestinians and other Arabs." In a perverse way it's too bad the comment that set this off isn't still there (in which, as I recall, I was condemned for having a Jewish attitude about things or something), but I am happy to report that you can still read comments in which I am exposed as "gatekeeper" for "neocons and warlovers" and I tell "Goebbels type lies" as I go about my affairs, which consist of making "hateful neocon propaganda against the peace movement."

Which is a phenomenon I touched on here.

Peace out.

14 Comments:

Blogger Stuart Morris said...

I put their arguments as well as I can, and say they were right in all respects except one: they couldn't support their comrades in Iraq once the war was over."

Out of curiosity, in what way did the left not support their comrades in Iraq? I do remember a bit of fuss from the left when the CPA in Iraq closed down some left-wing newspapers and banned unions, but other than that, I'm unclear on what Cohen means by support.

It could be defined, I suppose, by whatever it was that Nick Cohen did to support his comrades in Iraq. I doubt that he grabbed a rifle and joined a POUM militia against the insurgents and Shia militias, so it must be some other form of material support.

Any idea what it was?

11:57 AM  
Blogger Stuart Morris said...

But try to imagine what the world's unions might have done - nurses, teachers, firefighters. For starters.

I can imagine some reluctance on the part of unions to send their members into a war zone.

3:19 PM  
Blogger Stuart Morris said...

But try to imagine what the world's unions might have done - nurses, teachers, firefighters. For starters.

I can imagine some reluctance on the part of unions to send their members into a war zone.

3:20 PM  
Blogger Stuart Morris said...

Damnit. Blogger choked on me on the first post, then didn't show it despite five minutes of refreshing. Bastard.

Apologies for the duplicate.

3:23 PM  
Blogger Stuart Morris said...

Terry, I responded to a single item in your reply that mentioned unions sending people to help in Iraq. From that, you have given a prickly response accusing me of setting up a straw man, an accusation that frankly leaves me befuddled.

I'm trying to discuss this issue in good faith and without rancor. Your manner in response is approaching insulting, and as this seems a trend over the last few posts, I think it'll be better for your comment section if I not comment here any further.

Good luck, and hope to continue to see some of the excellent material on the blog that I've seen in the past.

5:54 PM  
Blogger Steve said...

I have not read the book yet, it is on order, but I am sure those commentators did not read the book either.
From what I have read so far from reviews, Cohen discussed much more than the Iraq War and the anti-war movements.

6:17 AM  
Blogger Dr.Dawg said...

Just as a slight aside, has anyone actually seen Coyote's alleged "anti-Semitic" comments? Judging from the comments that The Tyee still permits, it seems that he was banned simply for being harshly critical of Israel. But the slagging continues over here as well.

The New McCarthyism, indeed. And it's precisely this kind of smearing that makes me question Terry Glavin's politics grosso modo. Sometimes character and political views simply merge.

6:14 AM  
Blogger Blazingcatfur said...

Keep up the good fight Terry.

8:23 AM  
Blogger Dr.Dawg said...

How coy. Have you seen it or not? If not, you've been simply dishonest all along. If you have, then share it with us.

11:01 AM  
Blogger Blazingcatfur said...

I have spent my morning sifting through the comments section of the Tyee. What an appalling collection of misfits. Nana, fascinated with holocaust revisionism, Coyote who's rants are near inchoherent and paranoid. So sad, it is almost though not quite, as bad as rabble.ca/babble. I do not envy you Mr. Glavin you risk being mau mau'ed by some you may once had considered principled allies. I do however wish to express my admiration for your stance.

11:04 AM  
Blogger Blazingcatfur said...

"Gatekeeper to the Ziocon False-Flag Hegemony of the Bolivarian Republic of Canada". Wow what a great name for a blog - or at least a t-shirt, I would copy-right that ASAP.

That aside I have sparred with some on rabble etc who's views echo the Coyote's of the world. The obsessiveness and tunnel-vision of their world-view has led them far astray, merely mention the Euston Manifesto and voila! Instant Pariah.

12:20 PM  
Blogger Dr.Dawg said...

I think it would be a very good idea indeed to re-post the comments. I have not had the opportunity to see them, coming to this a little late. What I have seen is an on-going slagging of the man as an alleged anti-Semite (and sexist to boot), and fairly sensible-sounding people over at the Tyee standing up for him. (Not all commenters there are of the Rabble variety.) Of course, Coyote is not able to defend himself over there.

(Incidentally, the Tyee seems to be having problems printing my own, fairly mild, comments. If it's ideological openness you want, that would be a good place to start the project.)

I found Nick Cohen's stuff challenging, by the way. He comes out of the same place as George Orwell. I don't always agree with him, of course, but we can't avoid his questions. Nevertheless, he does caricature his opposition on occasion--and you do it a whole lot more. The word "anti-Semite" has almost lost its meaning, and I for one think that's a serious problem.

12:37 PM  
Blogger Dr.Dawg said...

I'm having a monumentally awful day. Please ignore the comments about The Tyee. Turns out the fault was my own as a new registrant.

Having not covered myself with glory, to put it mildly, I now retreat to regain my normal aplomb.

1:45 PM  
Blogger Wet Coaster said...

Terry thanks for your work and your research. Being progressive no longer means ignorance or a hostage to the politically correct.

5:23 PM  

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