Though I have some issues with Rall, I was interested in reading his essay. That is, until I saw your responses to the other posters here. As an editor, you of all people should be aware of the reaction Rall gets, and anything said on this thread should not surprise you. What surprises ME, however, is the lack of maturity in what you've said in this thread. So I'll be skipping this essay, not because of Rall, but simply because of you.

Well, any excuse not to read it is a good one. Apparently some people can't even read the press release stating the piece will be up tomorrow.

ADD

I read that it was appearing on your site tomorrow, followed by your apparent inability to let others voice their opinion (no matter how trivial) without taking it personally.

You're being remarkably snippy over an unpublished column that isn't even yours. If your goal is to promote the column and the site it will be featured on, I would suggested that LEGION is correct in stating that your reaction to some of the comments here are probably doing more harm than good. I certainly don't insult potential readers in my line of work, not publicly at least, and I don't expect you really want to either. It's not a good reflection on the publication in general.

There are many people who have problems with Rall's work and/or his politics - surely you are not so blind as to be unaware of this. The very posting of his name is guaranteed to get a reaction, and likely half of that reaction will be quite bad. So what? The world is a big enough place for such differences. Heck, when you post a link to a column that will claim 9-11 and the conflict in Afghanistan were part of a plan to pave the way for an oil pipeline benefiting George W. Bush, well, I would expect you'll get plenty of bad reaction. You know this.

Some people will have dismissive comments about Rall no matter what he does. So be it. That is not a good reason for you to lower yourself to their level.

Too snarky? Ok, let me try this again:




Are you suggesting that if we all just took the time to read Ted Rall's 14,000 word essay on the issue, we would sharpen our pitchforks, boil some oil, and march on Washington?

I'm sorry, but insinuations, conspiracy theories and radical leftist opinions are not the same as "truths."

I am suggesting that the intellectual laziness of the American populace is exactly how an illegal, unelected government can get away with just about anything it wants.

ADD

Perhaps this piece will make the New York Times fiction best seller list?

You may think that's what you're suggesting, and I'll even grant you that may well be what you intend to suggest, but by your arrogant dismissal and smart-aleck putdowns what you're actually suggesting is that anyone who thinks Ted Rall is a jerk is ipso facto either a crypto-fascist Bushite or an ignorant apathetic slug. Which is utter nonsense, because the fact is the vast majority of people who have come in contact with the fact of his existence think Rall is a jerk, even those (like me) who respect and admire "To Afghanistan and Back" and might be interested in reading this essay.

What you are actually saying, apparently without any awareness on your part whatsoever, is that you can be just as big a jerk as Rall is.

But you can't, really. You're just a whiny amateur. He's a pro. Ask Danny.

But don't confuse intellectual laziness with the ability of the reader to get their information elsewhere. I can't say I appreciate your generalizations.

Please forgive me for not giving my fullest attention to every momentous word of your vitally-important (and brave) press release. I apologize, and hereby swear to give all future CBGB's/Ted Rall/David Allan Coe press releases (be they courageous or not) nothing less than the full concentration and intense scrutiny that they deserve.

I also ask that you forgive me for making the grossly stupid assumption that the column you were hyping would be made available simultaneous with your beating of the press release drum. I now see that there is some kind of cunning strategy at play here, ("MAKE 'EM WAIT FOR IT!") and I hereby promise that I will never again doubt your keen marketing abilities, Mr. Coe. OFF THE PIGS!