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Cry Me A Riverbend II

Sunday, May 23, 2004

Justify My Love

Thanks to Jeffery for his specific instructions on getting the Comments option to work as desired. Some have advised me that Haloscan in not necessary since BlogSpot Comments permit anonymous blogging; but I find the BlogSpot Comment interface confusing, and it could make people think they cannot comment anonymously.

I'm still getting email about what a terrible thing this blog is…critically analyzing other people’s blogs. One reader says:
Sorry, I don't understand why you insist they have to have a comments section? Do you believe it holds them accountable? If so, why do you demand accountability from them, yet you do this anonymously? Anonymous commenting on a personal blog is hardly necessary, is it? These Iraqi bloggers are not public officials, they're citizens. Why is it necessary that you are given the opportunity to provide feedback on everything they say?

I'm sorry, but it seems really very bizarre to create a blog simply because some other blog will not let you leave comments there. Why not just email them?

It's akin to you walking behind someone you meet on the street and countering or arguing every point they make, then claiming it's your right.

Um…well, actually it’s more akin to standing on the street, passing out flyers critiquing the flyers of the fellow on the other side of the street. And I do claim it is my right. If someone says something in public, why should I not have the right to comment on it publically?

But why do I think a Comments section is desirable? One might as well ask why a newspaper should have Letters to the Editor section. Yes, and I also claim the right to do this anonymously – just like Madison, Hamilton, and Jay. I don’t want to be placed in the position the original CMAR was in – deciding whether it is worth it place my family in jeopardy to publish a blog. This a time when the most distant crazy person in the world is 12 hours away. Faiza & Co. are not anonymous, but their adversaries are advocates of civilization and free speech. Those I whom I view as adversaries, the Bathists and Islamo-facists and their sympathizers, put bombs on public streets (or apologize for their right to do so). So I’ll continue to post anonymously.

But for anyone who agrees with everything Faiza & Co say, this site is a benefit to you too. Use the Comments section to leave notes of support for them, point out what you liked most about what they had to say.

Speaking of which, has anyone checked out the pictures section of Faiza’s blog? Fantastic! Based on media photos, one could get the idea that Iraq is nothing but bombed-out buildings, barbed wire, and humvees (burning and shooting). These pictures show the beauty of Baghdad.

UPDATE
Reading the Comments at Jeffery's site, someone mentioned Col. Momar Gaddaffi's bodyguard. So I googled around for it. Yowsa! They all look like the backup singers in the "Simply Irresistible" music video. President Bush has got to do this country a favor and invite Momar up to Crawford for a summit!

If anyone cares after checking out the pics, here's serious analysis of Momar's internal security organization.

By the way, why is it that after running a military dictatorship for all these years, Momar is still just a colonel?



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