Quote of the Day--Michael Yon

This morning, while trying to catch up on all the news, I had one of those "Gee, I wish I wrote that!" moments.

Michael Yon, the Adam of Military Bloggers, gives the type of detail that simply cannot be faked.  In this dispatch, he evaluates the campaign slogan "No political progress in Iraq."  I found the following quote to be especially insightful.

"To an enemy in need of assets, a press that is increasingly disengaged is like an empty car with keys in the ignition—begging to be stolen. How the keys came to be left in the car, and how the inevitable theft managed to go unreported are questions for a different dispatch. To really understand the dynamics of the Battle for Mosul, it suffices to say the enemy started with a media advantage that they continue to exploit even now."

Comments

[ElMondoHummus]

That's true, and so illustrative of the reportage problems. Somehow, the narrative reflects less the actual events and more the selectivity of the particular organization doing the reporting.

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Anyway, on a slightly different topic, but still discussing Yon's article - another quote, unrelated to the media, but so relevant to the situation over there, and so underreported:

"Large numbers of Iraqis detested us after the prisoner abuse stories, and some over-the-top attacks on Fallujah, for example. But through time, somehow the American military has managed to establish a moral authority in Iraq. It’s not the only authority, but the military has serious and increasing moral clout. In the beginning, our influence flowed from guns, or dropped from the wings of jets. Later it was the money. Today, the clout still is partially from the gun, and definitely the money is key, but there is an intangible and growing moral clout and it flows from an increasing respect among Iraqis for our military."

Not something we're seeing from the MSM. But hints are starting to get out there. Spiegel from Germany published one such example (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,499154,00.html). Possibly others will follow. We can only hope.

[Carlos]

There were allegedly some big bombings in Iraq today. So what does the liberal media do but spread the rumor that the violence is bad. Folks, don't fall for it. Since Sadaam was removed by American, the Iraqis have experienced a dramatic increase in safety and security. We are winning the war against those that perpetrated 9/11 and the liberal media wants you to think Iraq is somehow dangerous. Michael Yon and ohters have the courage to speak of how much peaceful construction and political reconciliation has taken place. Both Shia, Sunni, and Yzadi are uniting for a new democratic Iraq despite the lies spread by the traitorous liberal Democrats and their pawns like phony Scott Beauchamp.

[Uhuh]

Uh-huh. This is the same Michael Yon who served up a story of al-Qaeda cannibalism. Where were the right-wing demands for proof?

[Hassir]

Everyone loves to blame the press, and no one blames Donald Rumsfield for the failures in Iraq.

Yes, Rummy is gone but he is far more responsible than the press ever could be.

[Gabe]

*Everyone loves to blame the press, and no one blames Donald Rumsfield for the failures in Iraq.*

Yes, I guess for someone who sympathized with the anti-American Saddam regime ("successful" regime for liberals because he was anti-American and anti-Israeli) would consider overthrowing that dictator and replacing him with a democracy to be a "failure." I can tell that liberals like Hassir who post comments on this site actually pine for the days of Saddam Hussein.

No one is blaming the press for any "failures." They are blaming the press for HOPING for failure and not reporting the massive successes our military has accomplished. We are winning the war in Iraq and this frightens liberals and extremists.

The Surge has been a resounding success that the liberal media does not want to report. Of course, success is "failure" for liberals like Hassan who want us to withdraw from Iraq.