‘Blowback,’ the Prequel ‘Blowback,’ the Prequel
The story of what historians call the second cold war often begins with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, which shocked Americans into their own overreaction i...
Oct 25, 2001 / Column / Eric Alterman
Working-Class Heroes Working-Class Heroes
The September 11 attack on the World Trade Center led journalists and image-makers to rediscover New York's working class. In an extraordinary essay in Business Week titled "Real ...
Oct 25, 2001 / Joshua Freeman
Profiles in Cowardice Profiles in Cowardice
My three favorite media stories in recent weeks were how Bill "Politically Incorrect" Maher kept his job at ABC-TV, how Ann Coulter got herself fired from National Review and how ...
Oct 18, 2001 / Victor Navasky
Press Watch Press Watch
Since September 11, Thomas Friedman has been in fine form. In his New York Times column, he has composed a letter for George W. Bush to send to Osama bin Laden, urged Vladimir Put...
Oct 18, 2001 / Michael Massing
Private Censorship Private Censorship
As we survey the cultural landscape after the atrocities of September 11, we ought to note the special danger posed to free expression by media concentration.
Oct 11, 2001 / Mark Crispin Miller
Patriot Games Patriot Games
Patriotism requires no apologies. Like anti-Communism and anti-Fascism, it is an admirable and thoroughly sensible a priori assumption from which to begin making more nuanced jud...
Oct 11, 2001 / Column / Eric Alterman
Press Watch Press Watch
The press conference that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held shortly after the United States began bombing Afghanistan on October 7 was painful to behold. The questions posed ...
Oct 11, 2001 / Michael Massing
Blaming bin Laden First Blaming bin Laden First
Just once more, and then we'll really have to get on with more pressing business. I could subscribe myself at any time to any of the following statements: § A...
Oct 4, 2001 / Column / Christopher Hitchens
Press Watch Press Watch
Of all the programs I've seen on Afghanistan, not one was more chilling than Beneath the Veil, an hourlong documentary that has appeared frequently on CNN. Its narrator, Saira ...
Oct 4, 2001 / Michael Massing