Unlike every other white-boy pundit, I?m no Islamic scholar, but given that, as I understand it, during the holy month of Ramadan Muslims are expected to live in simple fashion, it?s hard to see in what way taking out the water lines, the food warehouses, the electric supply, etc., is disrespectful. Quite the contrary, one would have thought: Happy Holidays from the Great Satan!

and

But where are the American Civil Liberties Union lawsuits when you need them? If B52s taking Ramadan off isn?t in breach of the separation of Church and State, what is? As Joshua Micah Marshall put it in a droll commentary, ?Some of my conservative friends must be wondering something like this right about now: if we wanted a war fought from the air, with strategy dictated by politics and not the military, we might as well have given Bill Clinton a third term.?

Though it’s a little early in the morning for it out here in La La land, our compatriots in Europe might want to enjoy it with a little snifter of fine cognac.

“The largest publicity about a boycott has come from the mayor appearing on national television and talking about it,” huffed Councilman Kriss Worthington. Brij Misra, general manager of the Radisson Hotel Berkeley Marina, lost a banquet because organizers were angry about the vote. He wonders “how much business we’ll lose because people will not come to Berkeley.” Throwing a leftist cliche back into the faces of the politically correct, Misra said, “We need to think locally before we act globally.”

“The largest publicity about a boycott has come from the mayor appearing on national television and talking about it,” huffed Councilman Kriss Worthington. Brij Misra, general manager of the Radisson Hotel Berkeley Marina, lost a banquet because organizers were angry about the vote. He wonders “how much business we’ll lose because people will not come to Berkeley.” Throwing a leftist cliche back into the faces of the politically correct, Misra said, “We need to think locally before we act globally.”

“The largest publicity about a boycott has come from the mayor appearing on national television and talking about it,” huffed Councilman Kriss Worthington. Brij Misra, general manager of the Radisson Hotel Berkeley Marina, lost a banquet because organizers were angry about the vote. He wonders “how much business we’ll lose because people will not come to Berkeley.” Throwing a leftist cliche back into the faces of the politically correct, Misra said, “We need to think locally before we act globally.”

In a related story, he also said,

“Pearl Harbor as a legitimate target? I actually don?t have an opinion on that and it?s important I not have an opinion on that as I sit here in my capacity right now. The way I conceive my job running a news organization, and the way I would like all the journalists at ABC News to perceive it, is there is a big difference between a normative position and a positive position. Our job is to determine what is, not what ought to be and when we get into the job of what ought to be I think we?re not doing a service to the American people. I can say they attacked without warning on a Sunday morning, I can say this is what the Japanese position is, this is what our position is, but for me to take a position this was right or wrong, I mean, that?s perhaps for me in my private life, perhaps it?s for me dealing with my loved ones, perhaps it?s for my minister at church. But as a journalist I feel strongly that?s something that I should not be taking a position on. I?m supposed to figure out what is and what is not, not what ought to be.”

and

“Jews, Catholics, Gypsies, homosexuals as legitimate targets? I actually don?t have an opinion on that and it?s important I not have an opinion on that as I sit here in my capacity right now. The way I conceive my job running a news organization, and the way I would like all the journalists at ABC News to perceive it, is there is a big difference between a normative position and a positive position. Our job is to determine what is, not what ought to be and when we get into the job of what ought to be I think we?re not doing a service to the American people. I can say they were herded into railroad cars, I can say they were gassed, I can say this is what the Nazis’ position is, this is what our position is, but for me to take a position this was right or wrong, I mean, that?s perhaps for me in my private life, perhaps it?s for me dealing with my loved ones, perhaps it?s for my minister at church. But as a journalist I feel strongly that?s something that I should not be taking a position on. I?m supposed to figure out what is and what is not, not what ought to be.”

[End Satire]

Is this really what they teach in J-school these days?

What really frustrates me about this is the conceit and self deception. Journalists seem to value “objectivity” but they are unable or unwilling to recognize that it’s not an achievable goal–they’re human. I much prefer a reporter who is honest about his biases and preferences, to one who pretends to be “objective” but is in actuality blind to his own bias. The former makes it much easier to appropriately filter the output.