Dangling Afghani Chads?

The votes are being counted now in Afghanistan, and some, smelling defeat, have taken a page out of the Al Gore book:

What was supposed to be a historic day in the war-ravaged nation turned sour Saturday when all 15 challengers to interim President Hamid Karzai withdrew in the middle of voting, accusing the government and the United Nations of fraud and incompetence because of faulty ink used to mark voters’ thumbs.

On Sunday, at least one of those candidates appeared to pull back a bit, saying he wanted a commission to rule on whether the election was fair, and indicated he would accept its decision.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in a statement Sunday that the demand to nullify the poll was “unjustified.” The U.S. International Republican Institute said the ballot had been “a triumph” and accused the 15 of trying to make up excuses for why they were likely to lose.

Now let's parse that, as Eric says. 'Faulty' ink indicates fraud and incompetence? How might that be, you ask? Well,

The opposition candidates claimed the ink used to mark people’s thumbs rubbed off too easily, allowing multiple voting.

I wonder who masterminded this plot. Paul Wolfowitz? We'll doubtless find in the next debate that President Bush owns a disappearing ink factory that he uses as a tax write-off.

Now one of the primary lessons here is how to read the news. Jon Stewart was interviewed by Ted Koppel recently and shed his familiar non-partisan comic persona. It was time for Jon Stewart to be serious, to say what needed to be said, and that was that the Swift Boat Veterans were liars and that people like Ted Koppel were in a position to do something about it.

Koppel then taught Stewart a lesson about what the news is:

Ted: I think you are arguing about the difference between fact and proof [sic]. Which is the great problem with journalism. Let me explain.

Jon: Fact and Truth?

Ted: Fact and Truth.

Jon: Are you going to tell me that the Holocaust didn't happen?

Ted: For the sake of argument, Let's say President Bush comes out there Thursday night and out of the blue talks about that well-known drug dealer and pedophile Ted Koppel and my colleagues then...

Jon (breaks into the frame and talks to the camera): Are you getting this?

Ted: And my colleagues then, the next morning say the President of the United States last night in a surprising diversion from the rest of his speech accused ABC host Ted Koppel of being a pedophile and a drug dealer. Are they factually correct in reporting that the President of the United States said that? Is it news that he said that? Sure it is. Is it the truth. No. The truth may not emerge until...

Jon (breaks into frame again and addresses the camera): Or is it...

Ted: Or is it...

Jon (still full frame in the camera): We'll be right back...tomorrow on Nightline, Ted Koppel's resignation.

Ted: Come back here, Stewart. But do you get my point?

Jon: Right.

Ted: There is a difference between facts which are reported immediately.

Jon: Right, Right. But here is where I think news is going to go...

Ted: Its a fact, these veterns [sic] were in Vietnam, they themselves were on Swift Boats...They are saying these things. The truth may not catch up for another week or two.

Stewart was visibly uncomfortable when Koppel began the lesson as the constant hamming to the camera shows. (I almost wonder whether the leftist in him wasn't a bit threatened, hence the joke, "Are you going to tell me that the Holocaust didn't happen?")

But what this was really about was the function of the news media. Jon Stewart wants it to be something it's not, and he's not alone. Millions of people want the news to be an arbiter or a crusader, or at least expect the media to tell them the "facts." But as Koppel demonstrated facts and truth are not the same thing.

It is a fact that candidates in Afghanistan allege fraud and incompetence. That's doesn't make it true. And it's not the job of the news media to decide whether it's true or not. Stewart's view seemed to be that there was danger in reporting what was no known to be true, but to report an allegation is not to report that an allegation is true.

In many ways the most venerable members of the Old Media recognize their job and trust in the intelligence of the people to take the news for what it is. Increasingly though people look to the news for truth.

Because the Left doesn't trust your intelligence, it sees danger in media without agenda. As Stewart also said, imploring Koppel, "The media is getting creamed. They need to take a more active role in safeguarding the public trust."

UPDATE: After the media pushed the notion that these supposedly free elections were marred by controversy, the controversy appears to have ended:

The crisis surrounding Afghanistan's historic presidential election appeared to end on Monday as President Hamid Karzai's chief rival said he and other candidates were withdrawing their rejection of the weekend poll.
posted by Dennis on 10.10.04 at 08:57 AM





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» Time to Write Something from Teacher's Ramblings
Classical Values, one of my favorite blogs, has an interesting post on how the MSM is trying to explain themselves via Ted Koppel: "...Now one of the primary lessons here is how to read the news. John Stewart was interviewed by Ted Koppel recently... [Read More]
Tracked on October 10, 2004 11:10 AM



Comments

I found this exchange between Koppel and Stewart a weird example of what is now passing for normal in the MSM. I do wonder where it will all lead...

BTW, I'm trying to set up a trackback to your blog, which I've been reading for months now. In the meantime, I'm going to use the link.

Kathianne   ·  October 10, 2004 09:36 AM

Faulty ink? Isn't that what passes for news in the Philadelphia Inquirer?

Eric Scheie   ·  October 11, 2004 12:27 AM


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