Help Wanted, Or At Least, Needed

The NY Times promotes their long look at the collapse of the Arab World:

Fractured Lands: How The Arab World Came Apart

By Scott Anderson

Photographs by Paulo Pellegrin

Preface:

This is a story unlike any we have previously published. It is much longer than the typical New York Times Magazine feature story; in print, it occupies an entire issue. The product of some 18 months of reporting, it tells the story of the catastrophe that has fractured the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq 13 years ago, leading to the rise of ISIS and the global refugee crisis. The geography of this catastrophe is broad and its causes are many, but its consequences — war and uncertainty throughout the world — are familiar to us all. Scott Anderson’s story gives the reader a visceral sense of how it all unfolded, through the eyes of six characters in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. Accompanying Anderson’s text are 10 portfolios by the photographer Paolo Pellegrin, drawn from his extensive travels across the region over the last 14 years, as well as a landmark virtual-reality experience that embeds the viewer with the Iraqi fighting forces during the battle to retake Falluja.

It is unprecedented for us to focus so much energy and attention on a single story, and to ask our readers to do the same. We would not do so were we not convinced that what follows is one of the most clear-eyed, powerful and human explanations of what has gone wrong in this region that you will ever read.

So this story is a BFD and the result of a major editorial effort. And here we go, first paragraph - I exhort the gun enthusiasts to strap themselves in and swallow any coffee. Or if you're hitting the hard stuff, that too:

Before driving into northern Iraq, Dr. Azar Mirkhan changed from his Western clothes into the traditional dress of a Kurdish pesh merga warrior: a tightfitting short woolen jacket over his shirt, baggy pantaloons and a wide cummerbund. He also thought to bring along certain accessories. These included a combat knife, tucked neatly into the waist of his cummerbund, as well as sniper binoculars and a loaded .45 semiautomatic. Should matters turn particularly ticklish, an M-4 assault rifle lay within easy reach on the back seat, with extra clips in the foot well. The doctor shrugged. “It’s a bad neighborhood.”

The M-4 takes clips? Who knew?

OK, it is a silly thing to get hung up on and it is entirely likely that George W. Bush or Condi Rice, who surely are familiar with the Middle East but don't seem to be ex-military or gun-oriented, might make the magazine/clip mistake (Readers with a long memory will recall my very own Getting Up To Standard moment on that point).

But at some point, one does wonder. Does anyone think that if a NY Times food critic submitted a review lauding a SoHo restaurant on West 8th St that the editors would not find their red pens?

Why can't they take the trouble to learn about topics they routinely write about? Why ask why?

And since most of the editors are determined to learn nothing about icky, scary guns, why can't they let Capt. C.J. Chivers (ret.) glance at these pieces for a reality check?

 

Comments

[Frau Rutger Gefahrfeld]

It's a 'Never mind' nation.
Femall

[Frau Rutger Gefahrfeld]

"Before driving into northern Iraq the inner city, Dr. Azar Mirkhan changed from his Western regular clothes into the traditional dress of a Kurdish pesh merga warrior homie:

[henry]

So I guess it's all Bush's fault, if not some hybrid of Reagan / Ford / Nixon.

Then of the 6 characters, are any non-fiction?

[lyle]

Wow, that link to JOM in Dec '12 was a blast from the past!

[_peter]

shorter version: Bush's fault. bird cage liner.

[narciso]

minitrue is always on memory holing duty:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/19/magazine/the-makeover.html

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--OK, it is a silly thing to get hung up on...--

This was worse;
"as well as sniper binoculars"

What are sniper binoculars? Are they somehow different than binocular binoculars?
Maybe they have a built in rifle or they only show human targets?

[narciso]

sans the obligatory snark, this fellow is a better source:

https://twitter.com/KyleWOrton

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--it tells the story of the catastrophe that has fractured the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq 13 years ago--

Yeah, before 2003 the Arab world was a veritable land of brotherly love.
For the world, not just Arabia, islam is a 1400 year long catastrophe.

But, for the bonehead left, history starts with a W.

[jimmyk]

Mayor Bane goes Godwin on Syrian refugees:

http://nypost.com/2015/12/06/de-blasio-enrages-synagogue-after-likening-refugees-to-jews/

[Dave (in MA)]

Apologies if it's already been posted, I'm way behind.

[narciso]

it's that stupid cracker barrel nostrum, that someone probably prince bandar, the sammy glick of that clan, sold colin on, the baath had shattered much of iraqi society over the previous 35 years,
it was an salafi awakening that was happening due to the long and bitter war with iraq, and amplified by the loss in the gulf war, they were no longer the protectors of a secular state, if they ever were,

[maryrose]

Marlene:
Prayers and positive thoughts are being sent your way for you and your family.
The recovery rate is very good so a positive prognosis could be forthcoming.
All the politics stuff doesn't amount to a hill of beans when a loved one faces this challenge.
Barbara:
I feel positive as you seem to be.
The right person will be elected.

[maryrose]

New Yorkers:
Please vote that goofball DeBlasio out of office.

[Porchlight]

Marlene, I'm so glad to hear of the good prognosis. Prayers up. Hang in there.

[narciso]

matt's 4:32 on the other thread, captured what anderson killed thousand of innocent trees,

[Porchlight]

Breaking. Of course she did.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/291188-top-hillary-state-aide-helped-clinton-foundation

[Porchlight]

And more - State Dept spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau (what happened to the previous hotties?) gets grilled by a reporter, amazingly:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/291181-frustrated-reporter-goes-off-on-state-dept-spokeswoman-am-i-not

[narciso]

lileks would say, it's a sign we lost the war,

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/08/federal-court-punishes-us-marine-posting-bible-verse-desk/

[Jack is Back!]

maryrose,

Outside of being indicted for corruption, which he is knee deep in, Deblasio will be elected by a landslide.

[Jack is Back!]

BTW, let me say, before jimmyk pre-empts me, Deblasio will still win by a landslide even if he is indicted.

Broadway is doing great thanks to the yokels outside NYC coming to see a rap and hip hop play about liberty and freedom. Interesting? Right?

[Free James D]

No doubt, JiB.

How depressing is that?

The man is a flat-out, unrepentant capital-C Communist. He's an anti-Semite. He wanted to kill all the Central Park carriage horses so a developer buddy could tear down the stables and build condos.

He ought to be in prison, or o e of the lower circles of hell, not mayor of the largest city in the country.

[Jack is Back!]

jamesD,

One reason I wish I was back in Florida so I didn't have to listen about him and his corrupt administration everyday on the radio and TV. The guy is a poster child for every left wing agitator and yet...... he is the pride of Manhattan.

BTW, I will never buy nike again or use my Visa card. In fact, I am cutting them up and sending them in shards back to the bank. You want to over-pulblicize a muzzie femail fencer and tranny runner, fine. But don't expect my custom any longer.

[maryrose]

Jack is Back:
You should run for mayor.
Chicago got rid of Blago.
How difficult can it be to give this criminal the old heave ho?

[henry]

Things which do not help. A Confederate Battle Flag at a Trump event covers the next week of Hillary gaffes and crimes.

[Porchlight]

Nobody is ever going to stop someone from going to his rallies and flying Confederate flags. Nobody. Even people who hate Trump can do this.

Just ignore.

[Jack is Back!]

henry,

Of course, if I was a dirty operator for Trump, then I would fly an ISIS flag at one of Hillary's events.

[henry]

I agree Porch and JiB. The problem with Hillary events is they are so small you would never get away with it -- and CNN would never show it if you did.

[narciso]

management is tough all over, and yes this is dejavu,

http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/US-And-Kurdish-Forces-Kill-ISIS-Oil-Manager.html

[Porchlight]

True, henry. What the media don't want us talking about is how much larger the Kissimmee Trump crowd is compared to the Kissimmee Hillary crowd on Monday.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/08/11/compare-and-contrast-candidate-donald-trump-shadows-hillary-clinton-into-kissimmee-florida/#more-120086

Honestly, the only people who care already hate Trump. Look at the comments on that tweet. Nobody cares.

[narciso]

when it comes to new york majoral candidates on the democratic side, the magic 8 ball says try again,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PN8NCx1tBc

[jimmyk]

The guy is a poster child for every left wing agitator and yet...... he is the pride of Manhattan.

I don't know that he's all that popular, and a strong opponent could beat him, but as far as those gearing up to run against him are even farther to the left.

This is from the NYT, so take it with a grain of salt, but it suggests he's vulnerable:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/nyregion/weakened-de-blasio-may-be-vulnerable-to-3rd-party-bid-by-a-democrat.html

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I take it an endorsement of Trump by Bo and Luke Duke would not be viewed favorably?

[Porchlight]

ABC Live poll - Trump cleaning up with 89%

Hillary last at 3%

LOL, I know these are virtually meaningless, but still. Obama used to always win them.

http://abcnewsgo.co/2016/08/abc-live-poll-who-are-you-voting-for/

[lyle]

Duke and Duke? Say it's not so!

[Porchlight]

BTW that is not really an ABC News online poll. It's a junk site. But again, it's fun.

[narciso]

it's the sleeper level derangement that we saw last spring, how they memory holed that series,

https://pjmedia.com/trending/2016/08/11/reince-warned-trump-last-week-turn-your-campaign-around-or-else/

a piece with anonymous source with no byline,

[Jack is Back!]

jimmyk,

Going by who has said yes they'll run and then say they won't plus who the hell is there who has the machine and city council behind them? I'm trying to keep Zeldin in office. Its all up to you.

[Miss Marple 2]

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/08/11/compare-and-contrast-candidate-donald-trump-shadows-hillary-clinton-into-kissimmee-florida/

[narciso]

I gently reminded them, their reasoning was faulty,

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/2016/08/10/scathing-doj-report-rips-baltimore-police-for-long-standing-unconstitutional-practices/

[Miss Marple 2]

Margn2
‏@Margn222

BREAKING Kissimmee Fl: The Nat'l Federation of Republican Women @NFRW Proudly Endorse Donald J. Trump for President

[narciso]

yes, zeldin has been very sharp, at every instance we see him,

[Porchlight]

Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee has a capacity of 8K. Hillary got 1,000 (some say less). Looking pretty good for Trump so far:

https://twitter.com/search?q=trump%20kissimmee&src=typd

[Michael (fpa Patriot4Freedom)]

Originally I dismissed Trump completely and adamantly told friends I would only negotiate traversing that "Trump Bridge" when I absolutely, positively had no choice.
Which, of course, is where we are.
Posted by: RattlerGator | August 11, 2016 at 02:09 PM

RG - Great comment. The most direct, and elegant, statement of where this election has taken the Republican/conservative electorate.

Would be nice if the #NeverTrump'ers would wake up and realize this is no longer a primary election between Trump and *their* preferred choice.

It is a fundamental choice between 'Mr. Less Than Perfect' and 'Miss Corruption 2016'. Shouldn't be so difficult for them to accept.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Of course, if I was a dirty operator for Trump, then I would fly an ISIS flag at one of Hillary's events.--

What good would that do?
She already had the Taliban loving father of the ISIS loving maniac who murdered 49 homosexuals smiling behind her and nobody cared.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Not to mention the old bat said she wouldn't drop out of the race in 2008 because Barry might get shot like RFK, wink, wink, and who cared about that?

[henry]

I guess they could have picked a worse flag... a Gadsden.

[Skyslimit]

Well, Pan Islam has been mitigated per plan only to be replaced with pan arabism once we coup those nasty genderists bombing countries. Oils cheap anyway...👾
🌠All Cops guns for tazers. No questions asked. Taser sniper rifles available too!🏆

[narciso]

I was just about to say that, henry, it's all doubleunplusgood,

[henry]

The there is the Robin to Slick's Batman on the future WH nookie patrol from the basement hideaway.

[Miss Marple 2]

The Confederate Battle Flag has been replaced by the American flag. The guys were apparently told it would be used by media and either take it down or leave.

This information comes from numerous reports from reporters on Twitter, along with photos.

[henry]

Miss M, nicely handled. Alas too late for the media frauds.

[narciso]

this is how my former fishwrap shades things,

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/donald-trump/article95144337.html

[Miss Marple 2]

henry, Yes, but at least they cannot say Trump approved.

Or maybe they will, but they will be shown to be liars.

[narciso]

did I imagine, the pantomine horse,

http://www.weeklystandard.com/how-evan-mcmullin-plans-to-overcome-ballot-access-hurdles/article/2003758

[Frau Rutger Gefahrfeld]

I noticed the Hillary! shirt in the photos from Trump's FL rally. Did that person get beat up and chased away? I guess not, since it would dominate the news both foreign and domestic.

[Momto2]

Spending a few days on lovely Amelia Island before school starts. I've seen 4 Trump yard signs, several Trump bumper stickers, and quite a few Bernie ones. Not a single Hillary so far...

[narciso]

sometimes it's just a cigar, as freud put it,

http://neoneocon.com/2016/08/10/trump-and-the-second-amendment-people/

[daddy]

Re: Narciso's 05:54

This is the offensive Bible verse that the US Marine was Court-Martialed for, for having this posted on her work desk: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” Book of Isaiah

This is part of the Satanic prayer that opened yesterdays meeting of the Kenai Borough Assembly: "Hail Satan."

A pretty good snapshot of where we are in this country.

[Frau Rutger Gefahrfeld]

Rand Paul agrees that Hillary! continues to lie about breaking US laws and belongs in jail.

Giuliani states that the Clinton Foundation is a fraud, and Hillary! should be indicted. This is the big league version of the Clinton Arkansas Rose Law Firm. The State Dept. was turned into a pay-to-play operation. In his opinion, this foundation fraud is worse than the emails.

Lying to Congress can get you 5 years..if your name is not Clinton.

Criticizing the Clintons can be dangerous to a person's health. Watch out, Rudy and Rand.

[Buckeye]

Got polled by NRA this evening. First one I answered this election cycle.

[Frau Rutger Gefahrfeld]

"We're not going to have a Candy Crowley incident in these debates," says Rudy Giuliani.

[narciso]

no good deed,

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2016/08/doj-bills-jw-50k-search-nonexistent-records-anti-terrorism-coalition-launched-ag-loretta-lynch/

[Janet]

They could accommodate the Marine if she wanted an addadicktome operation, but displaying a Bible verse was just too much.

[narciso]

how the heck could one object to that passage, it doesn't injure anyone's feelings,

[Jack is Back!]

Gosh, I thought my comment on the ISIS flag behind Hillary was fun but Iggy thinks it is shit. Well, I guess I am just a doofus.

[narciso]

btw, janet, I lost the hungergames key chain, it broke off while repairs where being done,

[henry]

Why creating a crypto backdoor is a bad idea, as Microsoft leaks its own backdoor key. Giving a copy to the government (as the FBI demands) simply adds another place to leak the key (via an FBI tech agent who works for China perhaps).

[anonamom]

Saw my first Trump bumper stickers in the parking lot of the grocery store in Traverse City Michigan.

Go Donny! Beat the criminal.

[Threadkiller]

What I have noticed at the Trump rallies is that there are a lot more people who accept having a Birther run the free world than earlier reports would have you think.

[narciso]

what did truman say,

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2016/08/11/jesse-ventura-taking-on-american-sniper-has-been-hell/?mod=WSJBlog

[squaredance]

!) I have stopped reading neo-con due to her hysterical and irrational reaction to Trump. She's a real pearl clutching cuckservaive. I have lost all respect for here. Underneath it all she is still a New England Liberal, at least culturally; she is just intelligent enough to be uncomfortable with their general politics, but not bright enough to understand that she is nowhere close to the local Brahmin class, and that some of the airs of that class that she mimics are really just postures put out by said class. It is all rather pathetic.

In the particular case here she completely misses that point, and still hankers after the "Politico speak" that has been all too disastrous for the nation since Reagan left office. She really should just go back to the Democrats--she is in over her head.

2) As a counterpoint to the above NYT article, I offer this, which came across my mailbox this AM.

[narciso]

where has there been evidence of any of this, do they realize how much exposure they putting the company under,

http://www.wsj.com/articles/21st-century-fox-anticipates-settlements-in-roger-ailes-harassment-probe-sources-1470942767

[Barbara]

"We're not going to have a Candy Crowley incident in these debates," says Rudy Giuliani.

That is encouraging, Frau. They're aware of it, and hopefully well prepared.

[Janet]

btw, janet, I lost the hungergames key chain, it broke off while repairs where being done,

Sorry, narciso. It wasn't exactly a high dollar item. Just for fun.

~The Districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself~

[Barbara]

displaying a Bible verse was just too much.

I wonder, Janet, if she could get away with posting something even more "offensive" from the Koran.

[Barbara]

Yesterday, I caught about 40 seconds of Mark Levin's show. Not intentionally, I assure you! He whined that the election was a choice between slitting his throat or cutting off his arm. Then he sighed, soulfully.

Who knew which was which. Decisions, decisions. Poor Mark.

[jimmyk]

JiB, I didn't think Iggy was criticizing your comment, just pointing out the difficulty of punking someone who's punking herself regularly.

The military seems much more eager to court-martial the young lady over the Bible verse than Bo Bergdahl. Priorities.

[Threadkiller]

Mark Latrine is on pretty late here, Barbara.

I was driving home during his spew time.

He is way too angry.

[Barbara]

Mark Latrine. LOL

Yes, the man should really calm down - bigley.

[daddy]

#NFLHatesPolice

[narciso]

well look at their talent pool, can't be discriminating,

[squaredance]

I cannot understand what people like Levin are crying about. Is not Trump's economic plan as he has laid out pretty much what (non-globalist) conservatives have talked about for years? Lower taxes, radical De-regulation, etc.

I get that Trump is not much of an ideological social con, though he seems to live much like one, but Levin is not really one either. I read his book on new amendments to the Constitution, and Levin seems a sort "restoration legal structuralist", to coin a term. (I confess that I actually enjoyed the book.)

It is true that at least on the surface Cruz was more "ideological pure", but I have to wonder now how deep that was. In any event, the lawyerly, senatorial approach he seemed to want to bring to bear in the WH would most likely have never gotten anywhere. Even getting there would have been deeply problematic;I really do think that someone as thin skinned as he would have been devoured by the media onslaught had he been the nominee.

Again, people Like Levin seem to be having some sort of menopausal vapors.

It really will not due to damn with faint praise. What does he imagine he accomplish with nonsense like this. Get behind the nominee. It is childish and extremely selfish.

If Trump can really get his plans implemented, stifle the Globalists and turn the economy around, that will lead to other things. Once the elites are proven wrong (and to be paper tigers too) then we can start realigning the nation politically.

Levin and Co. seem more interested in their opinions rather than setting the nation right.

[Captain Hate]

I usually tie into TK when he does that but Levin's pissed me off too.

[Captain Hate]

Mrs H told me when Teddy heard my voice on the radio he went running around the house to find me.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Gosh, I thought my comment on the ISIS flag behind Hillary was fun but Iggy thinks it is shit. Well, I guess I am just a doofus.--

Huh?

[Threadkiller]

Radio? What did I miss, CH?

[Finlikeinfountainofyouthsoup]

Anyone interested in our greenland shark expidition. They're like 500 years old!🐟

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--...George W. Bush....who surely are familiar with the Middle East but don't seem to be ex-military...--

Huh?

[Porchlight]

Wait, Cap'n, you were on the radio? Did you call into Levin's show? I'm so confused.

[Captain Hate]

TK, a buddy of mine has a radio show at John Carroll University and he turned the program over to me to play some of my faves. I didn't want to self promote too much but I put a link for the streaming site on a prior thread. They don't podcast the shows so it's headed to Alpha Centauri at the speed of light as I type.

[Buckeye]

So Cap'n...

Did you get introduced as Captain Hate, or by your real name?

Curious JOMers want to know:)

[henry]

CH announced a sit in as DJ on a local jazz(?) action in Cleveland and gave us a link this morning for his show this evening. (I admit, I forgot too, maybe a podcast of the show?)

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

My all time favorite DJ was at KDVS the Cal Davis radio station and his handle was Peter the Clutching Hand, so I'll be disappointed if Cap didn't go all Hate on em.

[narciso]

I imagine his real name,

so I skimmed the story, mirkan's father was betrayed by herr doctor kissinger's clever clever plan in 1975, mrs, soueif, is the sister of a well known egyptian novelist, whose work I've read a little,

[Captain Hate]

Both monikers were used.

[Captain Hate]

It's college radio so I made mention a couple times of his audience of millions over the air and online. We got one call about the music being played.

[daddy]

For a guy who is generally on the same side of the issues as Mark Levin is, his incessant anger is so off-putting now that it drives me away. I gave him about 3 minutes today, then swapped to Hannity, then turned the radio off.

I cannot imagine that Levin is winning any new listeners to his arguments because I cannot imagine Levin getting any new listeners.

It is a shame that the mellow and thoughtful Dennis Prager is so hard to find on the airwaves, whereas Levin is omnipresent. Prager just had on Dan Henninger in a thoughtful discussion of intelligence and substance, and they made some excellent points without bombast or spittle. Prager at least has defeating Hillary as his primary goal and that is very evident. Levin's Primary goal, whatever it is, gets lost in the shouting.

Of odd interest, last 2 nights, due to the lineup, I wind up doing the dog walk with Michael Savage. He has been getting calls from Gay Libs commenting on how they can't abide CNN, MSNBC, etc, but they also can't abide Rush or Beck or Levin, so they wind up listening to Savage. How odd. They mention it is his music and asides about restaurants in San Fran, etc.

What strange Talk Radio days these are we are living thru.

[daddy]

"We're not going to have a Candy Crowley incident in these debates," says Rudy Giuliani.

I wouldn't bet on that.

[Threadkiller]

Sweet, CH!

Disco or Hip-hop?