Wednesday, July 28, 2004
The Many Deceits of Dave Kopel (32-46)
I have been out of town and away from my "deceits," but am ready to finish it up in the next couple days (also, the Boone Watch has been brought up to date). If you are new, and have plenty of time to kill reading my overkill, see here, 1-15, and 16-31. All references to Kopel come from his "Fifty-nine Deceits in Fahrenheit 9/11."
Deceit 32
Moore shows footage of a Taliban official’s visit to the U.S. in March of 2001, and implies he was treated like a great friend and ally. Kopel successfully discredits this. -0
Deceit 33
Another personal grievance against Moore, noting how he previously opposed military action in Afghanistan, while Fahrenheit argues we have not pursued it strongly or swiftly enough. Though somewhat contradictory, this does not diminish, nor make deceitful, the message of the film. Further, why is it not allowed for people to change their opinions over the course of years? -1
Deceit 34
Kopel does not really elucidate a deceit here. I assume his quote from Hitchens here refers to the notion in the film that Afghanistan is a puppet of the U.S., their “coalition forces” sent to Iraq are just American forces stationed in Afghanistan, and that they are a failed experiment in nation building. Hitchens extols the “emerging Afghan army,” their membership in NATO, and their upcoming attempt to hold elections. However, those elections have been delayed, regional warlords are controlling vast territories, and drugs are flowing out of the country at an alarming rate (see Hitchens’ colleague at Slate, Fred Kaplan). Though the debate over the success and independence of Afghanistan could go on, clearly Moore’s argument is valid, though Kopel does not really say what Moore did deceptively here. -1
Deceit 35
Moore skews the order of events regarding the administration’s compliance with the 9/11 commission’s requests. The President is shown saying, “We have given extraordinary cooperation with Chairmen Kean and Hamilton,” followed by a clip of Kean (9/11 commission chairman) saying, “We haven’t gotten the materials we needed, and we certainly haven’t gotten them in a timely fashion. The deadlines we set have passed.” The problem is that Kean’s statement was made 7 months before the President’s. This is deceptive editing, but the message remains the same even in the correct order: the president was not cooperating with the commission in a timely manner, and only cooperated after public pressure mounted. The President smugly asserted his “extraordinary” cooperation, while the chairman had said that at a certain point, past many deadlines, they had not yet received that for which they had asked. -.75
Deceit 36
Moore tells of how Attorney General John Ashcroft lost his 2000 senate race in Missouri to the late Mel Carnahan, saying “Voters preferred the dead guy.” Kopel cites a source arguing that though Carnahan died only three weeks before the election, the voters knew they were voting for his widow, who would be appointed to the vacant seat in the even of a Carnahan victory. Well, in three weeks, how many voters knew what Jean Carnahan stood for? Did she even know her position on every issue? The election was more about people not liking Ashcroft than it was about their like for the unknown widow; about symbolically supporting their dead candidate against an extreme neocon like Ashcroft. -1
(aside: I attended Washington University, in St Louis, during the 2000 election, and the third presidential debate was held there. Of course, protesters turned out for the event, some lambasting the powers that be for denying Ralph Nader a spot in the debate, some supporting Gore despite his hideous flannel shirts, and others hating him for being linked to President Clinton. Then there was that group of Ashcroft supporters. Mel Carnahan, as Governor, had vetoed a bill that banned partial-birth abortions. The bill also could have been construed to make all abortions illegal, and it gave legal cover to anyone who committed crimes – including murder – to prevent an abortion from being performed. (The state legislature overrode the veto, but the bill was declared unconstitutional this year because it lacked exceptions to protect the mother’s health) Just three weeks after Mel Carnahan’s death, many protesters still could not come to terms with their hate for the late Governor, and held signs that read, “Mel’s in Hell.” Lovely. I wonder if they considered themselves “compassionate conservatives,” as that was all the rage during Bush’s campaign.)
Deceit 37-38
Moore chastises the Attorney General for ignoring the FBI’s warnings of Al Qaeda cells in flight schools and that Bush cut the FBI’s counter-terrorism budget. Moore is exaggerating about the knowledge of flight training and lying about and misdirecting certain budgetary claims. Also, Moore shows former FBI Director Thomas Pickard testifying before the 9/11 commission, saying Ashcroft told him he did not want to hear any more about terrorism. Ashcroft shockingly denies this, and Kopel complains that Moore left out the AG’s denial. Still, it is testimony under oath by the former director of the FBI. When Clinton denied having sexual relations with Monica, was it a deceit to say that Monica claims they got it on? The rest of this segment, however, is deceitful. -.5
Deceit 39
Two deceits here. First, Moore lies about Rep. Porter Goss’ claim that he has an “800 number” for people to call about the USA PATRIOT Act. Moore says gross is lying, though there is a toll free number, though not “800,” to call the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which Goss chairs, to report any problems with the Act. Moore “exploits this trivial fact to create the false impression that Goss lied.” The rest of the segment on the Act is valid, and Kopel supports some of Moore’s arguments. -0
Also, Moore bemoans the lack of funding for the Oregon state troopers, leaving miles of coastline almost completely unwatched. Kopel says this is not a valid critique of the Bush administration, as the state troopers are funded by the state budget. Oregon’s budget crisis, not Bush’s lack of homeland security funding, are to blame. Well, yes, if you want to be like Moore and exploit certain technicalities. But even assuming Kopel’s argument, why would Bush, if he is concerned with fully funding Homeland Security, allow any state’s budget to diminish the safety of the nation? However, the better argument Moore does not make is that Oregon, and many other states, are suffering from terrible budget crisis because the Federal budget has been horribly mismanaged under the Bush administration. Much of this has to do with the under-funded No Child Left Behind act, which has left states’ education systems in disarray as they try to meet the necessary funding to develop and administer the required testing. Oregon has even had to shorten their school year to meet budget demands. That’s a pretty good way to leave no child behind. -.5
Deceits 40-41
Moore says that Saddam Hussein and Iraq have never attacked, or threatened to attack, the U.S., nor have they murdered a single American. Well, they tried to assassinate George H.W. Bush in 1993 and have supported terrorists who have attacked in the U.S. (WTC bombing) and have killed Americans (Achille Lauro hijacking and Palestinian terrorists, who have, from time to time, killed Americans in Israel). -0
Deceit 42
Kopel continues with the previous deceits, discussing the various threats towards American people and interests abroad. Though Kopel is correct again, this was included as part of the two previous deceits – which probably should be counted as one. I am a benevolent man. (note to Kopel: start, programs, accessories. you should find a calculator there.) -1
Deceits 43-44
Moore states that there was no connection between Iraq and al Qaeda, and it was developed by the administration to deflect attention to his Saudi friends. The 9/11 commission’s findings support Moore’s assertion, though the reason Moore gives (protect the Saudis) is his own. Kopel cites one author who has written many times about the Iraq/al Qaeda connection, which leads me to believe he is a right-wing journalist and author who is a lone voice in the sea of evidence to the contrary. Kopel also deceives here, asserting that whether you believe the 9/11 report (at the time, it was only the preliminary staff report) or not, there "is no disputing that Saddam Hussein had a relationship with al Qaeda." Well, not if you freakin believe the commission's report!
Happily enough, Kopel’s next deceit supports Moore’s position about the lack of connection. Kopel points out how Moore cut a Condoleezza Rice quote to say only, “Oh, indeed there is a tie between Iraq and what happened on 9/11.” In actuality, Kopel points out, she continued to say that the link is in the rise of “ideologies of hatred” in the Middle East, and Iraq is a central figure that encourages such anger. This is the type of contradiction Kopel and Hitchens like to criticize. Kopel should have put Moore’s name on the heading before editing his “Deceits” – he may have caught this one. For these two deceits, -2
Deceit 45
Moore shows happy Iraqis leading ordinary pre-war lives, followed by American bombing and scenes of Iraqis bemoaning the loss of innocent lives. Kopel, by quoting Jeff Jarvis and Jeff Foreman (who has some factual errors and deceptive editing himself) of the right-wing tabloid The New York Post, complains that Moore ignores the hundreds of thousands who were killed, tortured, and tormented by Saddam’s regime. Those are facts that should not be ignored, but neither should the loss and destruction of innocent lives resulting from the invasion and occupation. Though one bad situation may be better than another, and may lead to a much better life in the future, the destruction this war has caused should be part of the discussion. -.5
Deceit 46
Kopel, quoting Matt Labash of The Weekly Standard: “According to the footage that ensues, our pilots seem to have hit nothing but women and children.” Moore, as described above, shows footage of happy Iraqis, followed by the bombings and deaths of innocents. There is no way anyone would think the U.S. has only killed innocent civilians, unless they are trying to find an excuse to criticize Moore. -1
and so we come to our last intermission. Kopel loses 9.25 out of 15 here, bringing his total losses to 29.45, and his overall score up to 16.55/46. In totally unrelated news, why did sportscenter just end with a rap performance? Is this the Late Show with Linda Cohn (please, please, do not imagine such a show. There is no known antidote for such poisonous thoughts cursing through the brain). Also, Steve Levy suddenly looks like he is 15 years old.
Edit: Kopel has changed his numbering and labeling. I refuse to go through mine to re-match these posts to his deceits. They are off by one from the 30's up to the late 40's now, and some of the "bonus deceits" to come are mislabled. Thank you, Dave Kopel, for annoying me even more than before.
Deceit 32
Moore shows footage of a Taliban official’s visit to the U.S. in March of 2001, and implies he was treated like a great friend and ally. Kopel successfully discredits this. -0
Deceit 33
Another personal grievance against Moore, noting how he previously opposed military action in Afghanistan, while Fahrenheit argues we have not pursued it strongly or swiftly enough. Though somewhat contradictory, this does not diminish, nor make deceitful, the message of the film. Further, why is it not allowed for people to change their opinions over the course of years? -1
Deceit 34
Kopel does not really elucidate a deceit here. I assume his quote from Hitchens here refers to the notion in the film that Afghanistan is a puppet of the U.S., their “coalition forces” sent to Iraq are just American forces stationed in Afghanistan, and that they are a failed experiment in nation building. Hitchens extols the “emerging Afghan army,” their membership in NATO, and their upcoming attempt to hold elections. However, those elections have been delayed, regional warlords are controlling vast territories, and drugs are flowing out of the country at an alarming rate (see Hitchens’ colleague at Slate, Fred Kaplan). Though the debate over the success and independence of Afghanistan could go on, clearly Moore’s argument is valid, though Kopel does not really say what Moore did deceptively here. -1
Deceit 35
Moore skews the order of events regarding the administration’s compliance with the 9/11 commission’s requests. The President is shown saying, “We have given extraordinary cooperation with Chairmen Kean and Hamilton,” followed by a clip of Kean (9/11 commission chairman) saying, “We haven’t gotten the materials we needed, and we certainly haven’t gotten them in a timely fashion. The deadlines we set have passed.” The problem is that Kean’s statement was made 7 months before the President’s. This is deceptive editing, but the message remains the same even in the correct order: the president was not cooperating with the commission in a timely manner, and only cooperated after public pressure mounted. The President smugly asserted his “extraordinary” cooperation, while the chairman had said that at a certain point, past many deadlines, they had not yet received that for which they had asked. -.75
Deceit 36
Moore tells of how Attorney General John Ashcroft lost his 2000 senate race in Missouri to the late Mel Carnahan, saying “Voters preferred the dead guy.” Kopel cites a source arguing that though Carnahan died only three weeks before the election, the voters knew they were voting for his widow, who would be appointed to the vacant seat in the even of a Carnahan victory. Well, in three weeks, how many voters knew what Jean Carnahan stood for? Did she even know her position on every issue? The election was more about people not liking Ashcroft than it was about their like for the unknown widow; about symbolically supporting their dead candidate against an extreme neocon like Ashcroft. -1
(aside: I attended Washington University, in St Louis, during the 2000 election, and the third presidential debate was held there. Of course, protesters turned out for the event, some lambasting the powers that be for denying Ralph Nader a spot in the debate, some supporting Gore despite his hideous flannel shirts, and others hating him for being linked to President Clinton. Then there was that group of Ashcroft supporters. Mel Carnahan, as Governor, had vetoed a bill that banned partial-birth abortions. The bill also could have been construed to make all abortions illegal, and it gave legal cover to anyone who committed crimes – including murder – to prevent an abortion from being performed. (The state legislature overrode the veto, but the bill was declared unconstitutional this year because it lacked exceptions to protect the mother’s health) Just three weeks after Mel Carnahan’s death, many protesters still could not come to terms with their hate for the late Governor, and held signs that read, “Mel’s in Hell.” Lovely. I wonder if they considered themselves “compassionate conservatives,” as that was all the rage during Bush’s campaign.)
Deceit 37-38
Moore chastises the Attorney General for ignoring the FBI’s warnings of Al Qaeda cells in flight schools and that Bush cut the FBI’s counter-terrorism budget. Moore is exaggerating about the knowledge of flight training and lying about and misdirecting certain budgetary claims. Also, Moore shows former FBI Director Thomas Pickard testifying before the 9/11 commission, saying Ashcroft told him he did not want to hear any more about terrorism. Ashcroft shockingly denies this, and Kopel complains that Moore left out the AG’s denial. Still, it is testimony under oath by the former director of the FBI. When Clinton denied having sexual relations with Monica, was it a deceit to say that Monica claims they got it on? The rest of this segment, however, is deceitful. -.5
Deceit 39
Two deceits here. First, Moore lies about Rep. Porter Goss’ claim that he has an “800 number” for people to call about the USA PATRIOT Act. Moore says gross is lying, though there is a toll free number, though not “800,” to call the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which Goss chairs, to report any problems with the Act. Moore “exploits this trivial fact to create the false impression that Goss lied.” The rest of the segment on the Act is valid, and Kopel supports some of Moore’s arguments. -0
Also, Moore bemoans the lack of funding for the Oregon state troopers, leaving miles of coastline almost completely unwatched. Kopel says this is not a valid critique of the Bush administration, as the state troopers are funded by the state budget. Oregon’s budget crisis, not Bush’s lack of homeland security funding, are to blame. Well, yes, if you want to be like Moore and exploit certain technicalities. But even assuming Kopel’s argument, why would Bush, if he is concerned with fully funding Homeland Security, allow any state’s budget to diminish the safety of the nation? However, the better argument Moore does not make is that Oregon, and many other states, are suffering from terrible budget crisis because the Federal budget has been horribly mismanaged under the Bush administration. Much of this has to do with the under-funded No Child Left Behind act, which has left states’ education systems in disarray as they try to meet the necessary funding to develop and administer the required testing. Oregon has even had to shorten their school year to meet budget demands. That’s a pretty good way to leave no child behind. -.5
Deceits 40-41
Moore says that Saddam Hussein and Iraq have never attacked, or threatened to attack, the U.S., nor have they murdered a single American. Well, they tried to assassinate George H.W. Bush in 1993 and have supported terrorists who have attacked in the U.S. (WTC bombing) and have killed Americans (Achille Lauro hijacking and Palestinian terrorists, who have, from time to time, killed Americans in Israel). -0
Deceit 42
Kopel continues with the previous deceits, discussing the various threats towards American people and interests abroad. Though Kopel is correct again, this was included as part of the two previous deceits – which probably should be counted as one. I am a benevolent man. (note to Kopel: start, programs, accessories. you should find a calculator there.) -1
Deceits 43-44
Moore states that there was no connection between Iraq and al Qaeda, and it was developed by the administration to deflect attention to his Saudi friends. The 9/11 commission’s findings support Moore’s assertion, though the reason Moore gives (protect the Saudis) is his own. Kopel cites one author who has written many times about the Iraq/al Qaeda connection, which leads me to believe he is a right-wing journalist and author who is a lone voice in the sea of evidence to the contrary. Kopel also deceives here, asserting that whether you believe the 9/11 report (at the time, it was only the preliminary staff report) or not, there "is no disputing that Saddam Hussein had a relationship with al Qaeda." Well, not if you freakin believe the commission's report!
Happily enough, Kopel’s next deceit supports Moore’s position about the lack of connection. Kopel points out how Moore cut a Condoleezza Rice quote to say only, “Oh, indeed there is a tie between Iraq and what happened on 9/11.” In actuality, Kopel points out, she continued to say that the link is in the rise of “ideologies of hatred” in the Middle East, and Iraq is a central figure that encourages such anger. This is the type of contradiction Kopel and Hitchens like to criticize. Kopel should have put Moore’s name on the heading before editing his “Deceits” – he may have caught this one. For these two deceits, -2
Deceit 45
Moore shows happy Iraqis leading ordinary pre-war lives, followed by American bombing and scenes of Iraqis bemoaning the loss of innocent lives. Kopel, by quoting Jeff Jarvis and Jeff Foreman (who has some factual errors and deceptive editing himself) of the right-wing tabloid The New York Post, complains that Moore ignores the hundreds of thousands who were killed, tortured, and tormented by Saddam’s regime. Those are facts that should not be ignored, but neither should the loss and destruction of innocent lives resulting from the invasion and occupation. Though one bad situation may be better than another, and may lead to a much better life in the future, the destruction this war has caused should be part of the discussion. -.5
Deceit 46
Kopel, quoting Matt Labash of The Weekly Standard: “According to the footage that ensues, our pilots seem to have hit nothing but women and children.” Moore, as described above, shows footage of happy Iraqis, followed by the bombings and deaths of innocents. There is no way anyone would think the U.S. has only killed innocent civilians, unless they are trying to find an excuse to criticize Moore. -1
and so we come to our last intermission. Kopel loses 9.25 out of 15 here, bringing his total losses to 29.45, and his overall score up to 16.55/46. In totally unrelated news, why did sportscenter just end with a rap performance? Is this the Late Show with Linda Cohn (please, please, do not imagine such a show. There is no known antidote for such poisonous thoughts cursing through the brain). Also, Steve Levy suddenly looks like he is 15 years old.
Edit: Kopel has changed his numbering and labeling. I refuse to go through mine to re-match these posts to his deceits. They are off by one from the 30's up to the late 40's now, and some of the "bonus deceits" to come are mislabled. Thank you, Dave Kopel, for annoying me even more than before.
# posted by Anonymous @ 3:32 PM 
