Michelle Malkin won’t do it, but Bill will.
Bill is a moderate (I’d call him small-l libertarian, but I think he’s just bitter) blogger who has taken it upon himself to visit Baghdad, Fallujah, and elsewhere, to see for himself what the War on Terror looks like. Bill and I have had contact on a long-term basis and get along well as long as I don’t bring up Bush. Which I intend to do more of in the New Year.
I can’t imagine being in Baghdad today of all days, but here he is.
Yesterday he visted Kuwait’s “Not to Forget” Museum which documents the “Invasion of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm and the atrocities by and ultimate fate of Saddam Hussein and his regime,” a pretty fascinating account.
Check it out. This is real citizen journalism.
I looked at his links, and they’re pretty right-wing.
It is still allowable to be friendly with people whose politics don’t align with yours.
I just hate that kind of remark, Barry. “I looked at his links, and they’re pretty right-wing.” AND? Are you going to judge him on his associations, or are you actually going to read anything he himself wrote?
Daily, I read some left-wing blogger asking some variant of this question: “Do the wingnuts inhabit another dimension or something?” Usually with regards to Iraq, but it comes up in other places often, too. And do you know why it so often seems like that? Because many (not all, so SHUT UP, Darleen) right-wingers won’t read anything left of John McCain. Many’s the time I’ve emailed a right-winger a link to a left-leaning blog only to get back, “Ugh, I don’t dive in that dumpster.” They literally will not read it. Or they’ll read it, but then they’ll write back, “Well, I don’t buy it, because they cited the New York Times and everyone knows that’s a liberal paper.”
If you think that insularity is a phenomenon exclusive to the right, think again. Any side can seal itself off that way.
(Am I really defending Bill Ardolino? You’re supposed to stop me from doing things like that, Lauren. You know I can’t stand him.)
Thanks Ilyka. If it helps you sleep better, you’re defending an idea of open-mindedness, not me. And for that, I salute you.
And Barry - if it helps your conscience, a lot of the folks on my blogroll can’t stand me either.
In fact, I’m not certain if the people who can stand me can stand me.
Thank the benevolent heavens that Lauren’s blogospheric love heals all wounds.
I am delinking anyone who does not delink Lauren immediately.
(Happy new year, darlin’.)
I don’t hate you as much as I front that I do, Bill. and I think you got brass balls for doing this.
But you should really apologize for calling me a third-rate blogger. Excuse me? FIFTH-rate, motherfucker.
Bill has a POV that isn’t close to mine, so I read his posts with that in mind. It strikes me that he calls things as *he* sees them, but at least he’s giving things a hard look.
I find it useful to be informed by perspectives alien to my own. It is always nice to see other people who share that value, if few others.