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Media Malpractice and Dishonest "Scholars"

Glenn Greenwald makes many great points in his article discussing his interview of Michael O'Hanlon. I'll discuss those on the flip but I do want discuss O'Hanlon's offense at what he thinks were unfair attacks on him.

Michael O'Hanlon and Ken Pollack are and were Iraq Debacle and Surge supporters. There was nothing as bad to me in their work on this than their misleading description of themselves as critics of the war. As Glenn states, they were critics the way Bill Kristol, Frederick Kagan and John McCain were critics - they wanted more troops. They wanted the Surge. They got the Surge. So their praise for the Surge was to be expected. Do I believe they were going to praise the Surge no matter what they saw? In a word, yes. Because they were going to see what they wanted to see.

Let's face it, the only way to make this trip and their Op-Ed a newsworthy story was to deceive as to their views as Iraq Debacle and Surge supporters. They had to be sold as critics of the Debacle and the Surge and they dishonestly did that. I have said from the beginning, that this was their major sin - their deliberately dishonest presentation of themselves in order to make their views on the Surge newsworthy. After that, I did not think their actual views merited a fair hearing. If they were willing to lie about that, how could you trust them on anything else? Personally, I think they should no longer be considered honest observers on Iraq after what they did. The dishonesty should disqualify them as persons to be listened to on the subject. More.

O'Hanlon does a fake mea culpa:

First, I think that to an extent, at least, it's certainly fair to go over a person's record when that person themself is being held up as playing a certain role in the debate. So while I'm not entirely happy with some of the coverage I've received here [on this blog] and elsewhere, I agree with the basic premise: that if I'm being held up as a "critic of the war", for example by Vice President Cheney, it's certainly only fair to ask if that is a proper characterization of me. And in fact I would not even use that characterization of myself, as I will elaborate in a moment.

(Emphasis supplied.) But O'Hanlon is lying here. He DID use that characterization of himself:

As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.

(Emphais supplied.) O'Hanlon acts as if Dick Cheney invented the idea that he and Pollack were Iraq Debacle critics. In fact, it was O'Hanlon and Pollack, knowing that the only way their reporting would be newsworthy was if they were seen as Debacle and Surge critics who had seen the light based on their observations on this trip. It was O'Hanlon and Pollack who chose to be dishonest first about this. And O'Hanlon and Pollack, also knowing how Cheney, the Right, the GOP and the Media would spin this "conversion," did this in order to support the Bush Administration's Surge strategy.

Too many have decided to give this blatant dishonesty a free ride, Jon Chait most prominently among them. That is simply unacceptable. A "dishonest" expert cannot be believed. there was no reason to address the substance of O'Hanlon and Pollack's points because they decided to be dishonest. They disqualified themselves.

Glenn points out many other decpetive aspects of O'Hanlon and Pollack's work on this that further disqualifies them from serious consideration. They did not disclose that the US military organized the trip for them. They did not disclose that they spent virtually no time in any of the areas for which they reported progress. Most importantly, they did not disclose that their "analysis" really is basically the regurgitation of the military's analysis:

GG: Given that some of the claims in your Op-Ed are based upon your conversations with Iraqis, and that the Iraqis with whom you spoke were largely if not exclusively ones provided to you by the U.S. military, shouldn't that fact have been included in your Op-Ed?

MO: If the suggestion is that in a 1,400 word Op-Ed, we ought to have mentioned that, I can understand that criticism, and if we should have included that, I apologize for not having done so. But I want to stress that the focus here was on the perspective of the U.S. military, and I did a lot of probing of what I was told, and remain confident in the conclusions that we reached about the military successes which we highlighted. But if you're suggesting that some of our impressions might have been shaped by the military's selection of Iraqis, and that we might have disclosed that, that is, I think, fair enough.

In short, O'Hanlon admits he is a charlatan. Personally, I do not believe we need consider more. There is no reason to even consider the views of a "scholar" as dishonest as Michael O'Hanlon.

As for the Media, their performance was typical, Media malpractice. I simply expect nothing else from the Media.

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  • Display: Sort:
    I present you (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Sumner on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 07:54:11 PM EST
    aj, you could not possibly have read or (1.00 / 0) (#15)
    by Green26 on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 10:11:04 AM EST
    understood my post/question. I asked for someone to point out anything of substance (i.e. on what is going on in Iraq) in the editorial that was not true. I understand the arguments on methodology. However, just because the methodology can be attacked, doesn't mean the editorial isn't correct. This was an editorial on what was going on in Iraq; it was not a science experiment. Had the editorial explained its methodology and fully stated the authors historical views, what was stated in the editorial on Iraq that wasn't true?

    yep (none / 0) (#1)
    by taylormattd on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 05:33:00 PM EST
    Too many have decided to give this blatant dishonesty a free ride, Jon Chait most prominently among them.
    Although he is one of my favorites, I would add Josh Marshall to this list. He has always blogged very positively about Pollack.

    but (none / 0) (#2)
    by andgarden on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 05:37:46 PM EST
    their deliberately dishonest presentation of themselves in order to make their views on the Surge newsworthy.
    Will never be owned up to either by members of the media or the authors themselves. As Bush, Gonzo, and Cheney show us, when you lie, it's best to blame being found out on someone else.

    NYT culpability (none / 0) (#3)
    by RedHead on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 05:59:31 PM EST
    Should have NYT done the same due diligence you and Glenn have provided.

    I have contacted directly on other matters.  I don't know who is currently responsibie for the op-ed submissions.  

    Like many of us, you have also had a LTE printed with the times.

    Can't hurt to call.


    That's my concern too, since I'm a (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 08:32:34 PM EST
    subscriber.  I read the op-ed on an airplane, noted the authors were Brookings Instit., thought, OMG, the surge is working!  Then I found out they backed the Iraq war to begin with.  I expect better for my $50+ dollars/month.

    Parent
    O'Hanlon (none / 0) (#4)
    by joejoejoe on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 07:33:10 PM EST
    O'Hanlon and Petraeus are Princeton classmates and friends, something neither O'Hanlon or Petraueus go out of their way to share in any of their fawning comments about each other. Being a friend doesn't disqualify somebody from making an honest assessment but failure to disclose the friendship again and again raises suspicions for me.

    Glenn Greenwald (none / 0) (#5)
    by Repack Rider on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 07:38:35 PM EST
    is the finest writer on any blog.  His amazing output, his insight, and his exposure of so many inconvenient truths are what the blogosphere is supposed to be about.

    Let's give BTD credit too: (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 08:36:29 PM EST
    Isn't there a difference between "critics of (none / 0) (#9)
    by Green26 on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 10:15:38 PM EST
    the administration" and "critics of the war"? O'Hanlon admits he wasn't a critic of the war. Was he, or wasn't he, a critic of the administration? From the time the article was written, I found it interesting that BTD and others were attacking the authors, but not what was said in the article. In some of this thread, there is further criticism of what the authors did to gather information for the article. There is also a statement from BTD that the authors were dishonest about being critics of the administration; therefore, nothing in the article can be believed. What kind of analysis is that? I'd like to hear someone knowledgeable discuss what of substance is not true in the article. The vociferous attack on the authors/article has made me wonder if the article struck a nerve with the likes of BTD and others, and the only way they could refute or diminish the article was to attack the authors.

    You could always try (none / 0) (#10)
    by Repack Rider on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 10:19:45 PM EST
    reading Greenwald's article.

    Parent
    Oh boy (none / 0) (#12)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 11:24:33 PM EST
    What a comment.

    Not worth a reply.

    Why don't I believe dishonest writers? Hmmm. Let's see.

    Parent

    Repack R, I have read Greenwald's (none / 0) (#11)
    by Green26 on Sun Aug 12, 2007 at 11:15:44 PM EST
    article twice now, and it doesn't do anything other than attack the authors and their methodology for the editorial. Perhaps you should read the Greenwald article and point out what of substance in the NYT editorial was not accurate regarding its observations and conclusions about Iraq.

    Back To Where You Started (none / 0) (#13)
    by john horse on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 06:07:12 AM EST
    Your complaint is that noone has investigated O'Hanlon and Pollacks claims to verify whether they are truthful or not.   O'Hanlon and Pollack claims were based on information and witnesses spoonfed by the military.  As Greenwald points out they did not independently verify this information.

    So your complaint is that noone has done what O'Hanlon and Pollack should have done in the first place.

    Parent

    You could not possibly (none / 0) (#14)
    by aj12754 on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 07:49:47 AM EST
    have carefully read the Greenwald piece and then goneon to post the above.

    If Greenwald fairly and accurately attacks the methodology by which the "facts" cited in an op-ed are ascertained (which he did), the credibility of both those facts and the authors are basically destroyed.

    Frankly, the only surprise here is that O'Hanlon actually read the critique, took it seriously,  and finally accepted the justice of large portions of Glen's piece.  You might take a page out of his book.

    Parent

    aj, why can't you understand (none / 0) (#16)
    by Green26 on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 07:58:40 PM EST
    my point? Even if you think poor methodology undercuts the credibility of facts in the editorial, it doesn't mean the facts are wrong. Why can't you or anyone else step up to point out what facts are wrong? My guess is because you don't know enough about the situation to say what may be wrong. Personally, it doesn't surprise me that the authors were with the military much of the time, and spoke with a number of people selected by the military. Do you really think that someone could go to Iraq, wonder freely around the country, talk to whomever they wanted, and not talk to the military--and then come back and write a better article?