Meta and Meta

A Dim, Convenient Goof

A judicial opinion from the Queen's Bench [n.1] declares that An Inconvenient Truth

1. is "broadly accurate," and that it's central theses about anthropogenic global warming are "supported by a vast quantity of research published in peer-reviewed journals worldwide and by the great majority of the world's climate scientists"; but that it
   
2. contains errors of fact that render the film "partisan" within the meaning of the relevant statutory provision, such that it cannot be shown to students absent the presentation of other viewpoints.

The Volokh Conspiracy's David Kopel mentions only one of these two findings. Guess which?

I pointed this convenient elision out to him in a comment about almost a week ago (and I'm not the only one who did so), but so far no update or clarification in his post. I can only assume he wants to provide a comfortable echo chamber for denialists. If so, Mission Accomplished.

Depressingly, if not surprisingly, Kopel's brand of journalistic malfeasance is not peculiar to the blogs.

NOTES
1. "United Kingdom's High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division" sounds very grand, indeed. But in civil matters, the Queen's Bench is roughly analogous in its authority to a district court. So we're not talking about an opinion by the Supreme Court, here. Besides which, it's, you know, in England.

Infantile Aggression

Hilzoy has a great post limning the really weird infantile psychology that sustains the authoritarian conservative (but I repeat myself...).

Mark, I think this is another one of those structural advantages.

Stay Classy

Chris Matthews as latter-day Ron Burgundy? (The comparison may not be completely fair; Burgundy wasn't married.)

Le Réel N'a Pas de Patrie

Matt Yglesias notes a conspicuous case of fact-based reporting:

[T]he AFP tries a revolutionary experiment in writing their story in such a way as to make readers better informed about the issue at hand rather than more familiar with the president's propaganda. Here's the lede:

US President George W. Bush charged Monday that Iran has openly declared that it seeks nuclear weapons -- an inaccurate accusation at a time of sharp tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Oh, my! Imagine the world we might live in if this were the standard way to open a newspaper story about the president making a false or misleading claim.

Unfortunately, imagining appears to be what we're stuck with.

Anyway, commenter Dr. Wu suggests a salutary modification:

US President and lying sack of shit George W. Bush charged Monday that...

(Via Brad DeLong.)
 

                                                                                               

Filibuster-Busters

As Josh Marshall has been pointing out, the MSM are apparently reticent to call a Republican-led filibuster a filibuster.

Now they've gone one better, taking to characterizing the Democrats' attempt to counter a filibuster as a...filibuster!

So...who you gonna call?

UPDATE: Media Matters has a thorough rundown of this surreal journalistic pathology.

Let's Carve This Turkey

I wake up and read blog posts at Talking Points Memo about (1) 99,000 Katrina families who are living in FEMA trailers, (2) more than 130 dead in car bombings today across Bagdhad, and (3) the 140 tortured and mutilated bodies that have turned up around Baghdad over the past three days.

I turn on CNN to get more of the story. And I get:

• Safety tips for prepping that turkey!
• The Macy's Parade to proceed--despite rain!
• Viewer emails celebrating turkey, cranberries, and the blessings of being American (accompanied by the allegro from Vivaldi's Spring)!

To be fair to CNN, this is only a 10 minute sample of their coverage, randomly selected; I'm sure at some point they'll find the time to get to those other stories.

Fashion Trends in Journelision

Jeez Louise--and you don't suppose that if she'd dressed down we'd be hearing accusations of sartorial Zeligism, do ya? (Cf. Al Gore's wardrobe woes.)

Krauthammer Really Is An Idiot

From his WaPo editorial:

It is clear that one of the reasons we have gone an astonishing five years without a second attack on the American homeland is that the most dedicated and virulent jihadists have gone to Iraq to fight us, as was said during World War I, "over there." [Emphasis mine.]

Okay, what the f---? Does Krauthammer really think that if al Qaeda had viable cells in the U.S. they would divert them to the "front line in the war on terror" in Iraq? (Man, that would be some kind of flypaper.)

And, for Heaven's sake, how many years was it after the proto-Qaeda attack on the WTC in '93 that Islamic terrorists mounted a successful attack on the American homeland? Eight-plus (nine, if you round up). Is that an "astonishing" duration to which Krauthammer has ever adverted his readers?

My God, he really is an idiot. Or just thinks you are.

Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

Conservative hacks continue to show a breathtaking inability to distinguish homosexuality and pedophilia: "Are these Democratic critics of Mr. Hastert saying that they now have more sympathy for the Boy Scouts' decision to ban gay scoutmasters?"

Harrumph! And let's ban heterosexual women from teaching in public schools while we're at it!

Can I just say? You people are brilliant.

(Via TPM.)

Full of Grace

Dahlia Lithwick runs down the reasons Nancy Grace is perhaps the most odious personality on television.

However, Lithwick is oddly quick in discounting the possibility that Grace is (or should be) liable for Melinda Duckett's suicide. (Duckett shot herself after Grace mercilessly and repeatedly suggested in a videotaped interview that Duckett was implicated in the disappearance of her daughter.) Cf. Jenny Jones.