Does The PMO Phone Jeffrey Simpson And Tell Him How To Rewrite History Or Does He Do This On His Own?
Prominent Canadian columnist, Jeffrey Simpson has obviously NEVER heard of Jack Layton being labelled 'Taliban Jack' for asking some very hard questions about the Afghan Mission back in 2006.
In an attempt to rewrite Stephen Harper's role in our history, Simpson offers some journalistic nonsense in his column: 'Yes, the Afghan mission is 'failing' and, yes, the rituals continue,'
The goal of Simpson's article is to paint General Hillier as 'an enthusiastic general' who hoodwinked well meaning politicians like Stephen Harper into a war that that the 'experts' advised was winnable!
"Truth, which a wag once said is so precious in war that it must be protected by a bodyguard of lies, is too painful to bear: They died, as will many more, in an ill-defined mission that defied all the rules of counterinsurgency, sent by an enthusiastic general who has curiously become a kind of media hero, and by gullible politicians who did not ask the right questions, did not know the country, the nature of the war, the precise aims, the equipment required to fight it, and how to define success.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says a military victory is not possible in Afghanistan and, of course, he is right. It took a long time for this elementary truth to be spoken. As in everything political, truth will always attract as much, if not more, criticism as illusion."
Jeffrey Simpson's Historical Revision - Globe & Mail
In an attempt to rewrite Stephen Harper's role in our history, Simpson offers some journalistic nonsense in his column: 'Yes, the Afghan mission is 'failing' and, yes, the rituals continue,'
The goal of Simpson's article is to paint General Hillier as 'an enthusiastic general' who hoodwinked well meaning politicians like Stephen Harper into a war that that the 'experts' advised was winnable!
"Truth, which a wag once said is so precious in war that it must be protected by a bodyguard of lies, is too painful to bear: They died, as will many more, in an ill-defined mission that defied all the rules of counterinsurgency, sent by an enthusiastic general who has curiously become a kind of media hero, and by gullible politicians who did not ask the right questions, did not know the country, the nature of the war, the precise aims, the equipment required to fight it, and how to define success.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says a military victory is not possible in Afghanistan and, of course, he is right. It took a long time for this elementary truth to be spoken. As in everything political, truth will always attract as much, if not more, criticism as illusion."
Jeffrey Simpson's Historical Revision - Globe & Mail
I always suspected the government had been giving Hillier a lot of free reign in case they ever needed a scapegoat to cover their retreat from military affairs. Looks like Hillier is now living up to that objective.
The story is totally implausible, of course, as you say.
Posted by
Sixth Estate |
12:18 pm, March 11, 2009
Simpson is, and always has been, a "pleaser" first, second and foremost. An product of Toronto's incestuous media elite, lately Simpson has been more uneven than usual in his reporting. I found most the stuff he published during last fall's election cycle to be derivative at best. And he has only gone downhill since then. Witness this little tidbit that stuck with me from his Mar. 7th ode to an Argentine beauty festival:
"Back at the amphitheatre, and this being Argentina, no spectacle could be without a tango: Three couples perform the tango in shallow pools of water at the lower end of the multi-tiered stage. Erotic it most certainly was."
Icky, Icky, Icky! I care not what turns Simpson's viagra crank, or what he thinks is "erotic" - I only care that he do more "thinking" before publishing!
Posted by
Scott MacNeil |
12:35 pm, March 11, 2009
If I ever need a stenographer, Simpson's the guy. He does such a great job for the Cons.
Posted by
Jim Parrett |
12:44 pm, March 11, 2009
I suspect he re-writes history all by himself. He is good at it and does not need help from others.
It is kind of like when he praise Gordon Campbell's carbon tax and fails to mention that he wrote a book with Campbell's advisor on the topic.
Posted by
Wheatsheaf |
3:09 pm, March 11, 2009