A Fine Whine

Michael O'Hanlon on the real tragedy of Iraq:

“I was getting on average three to five calls a day for interviews about the war” in the first years, said Michael E. O’Hanlon, a senior fellow on national security at the Brookings Institution. “Now it’s less than one a day.”

Let's all shed a single tear.

Comments

More and more, O'Hanlon seems just like one of the more roundly drawn characters in a comic novel - something by Sterne, Voltaire or Swift.

Posted by Dan Kervick | March 24, 2008 4:23 PM

Hey O'Hanlon, on the day that the news of the 4,000th death of a US soldier comes out--you whine about not getting enough press hits?

Jesus wept.

Posted by Whiskey | March 24, 2008 4:24 PM

DENVER -- Federal authorities are investigating how a gun accidentally discharged in the cockpit on a US Airways flight from Denver to Charlotte, N.C.
"TSA and the Federal Air Marshals Service take this matter seriously and an investigation is underway," the TSA said. "The pilot was authorized to be in possession of the weapon and he completed the appropriate training."
U.S. Airways said it is cooperating with law enforcement authorities investigating the incident.
A federal aviation security source told ABC the discharged round hit the side of the Airbus A319 and did not hit any sensitive equipment. The round likely exited the bulkhead but did not result in depressurization. The incident occurred on final approach.
TSA said passengers were not aware that the weapon was discharged and flight 1536 landed without incident.
The jet has been taken out of service for inspection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yet to be explained is how and why the starting backcourt for the Indianapolis Pacers made their way into the cockpit on final approach.

Posted by steve duncan | March 24, 2008 4:24 PM

Tuning my tiny violin as we speak

Posted by Ned | March 24, 2008 4:26 PM

Tear shed. Bile vomited.

Posted by BryklynLibrul | March 24, 2008 4:26 PM

Hey O'Hanlon, on the day that the news of the 4,000th death of a US soldier comes out--you whine about not getting enough press hits?

Jesus wept.

Posted by Whiskey | March 24, 2008 4:26 PM

I'm sure he'll find a nice cushy job in the next Clinton admin.

Posted by Larry Craig's Super Tuber | March 24, 2008 4:31 PM

Yet to be explained is how and why the starting backcourt for the Indianapolis Pacers made their way into the cockpit on final approach

Is that a Mike Dunleavy joke?

Posted by blah | March 24, 2008 4:40 PM

Sounds like we need another war. I'm sure he knows just where to start.

Posted by David | March 24, 2008 4:46 PM

O'Hanlon should be pelted with rotting vegetables three times a day, not quoted.

Posted by joejoejoe | March 24, 2008 4:57 PM

Is he still in line for a job in a Clinton administration?

Off topic but how Obama might fill the White House and the administration since he is not a long time core member of the party will if it happens be a very interesting thing to watch. A lot of old hands are likely to be out in the cold or at least rather cool..

What he should do is announce that he is cutting the White House staff by 1000 at least.

Posted by rapier | March 24, 2008 5:02 PM

I have worked at several of the university extension programs connected to Fort Leavenworth since 1993. From this experience, I have several hundred former students currently serving in Iraq. So, this war is terribly, terribly personal to me. I am proud to say I opposed the war from the beginning, in September 2002 I published an op-ed in which I said: "There is an old French proverb that the only thing worse than a crime is a mistake, invading Iraq would be worse than a crime, it would be a mistake." The day we attacked Iraq, I said in a class at the Fort: " I hope I am wrong about this, but it is my firm conviction that the happiest man in the world today is Osama Bin Laden." I mention all this to underline the point that I am not in sympathy with Dr. O'Hanlon's support of the Iraq War. However, I must say that your quoting of this comment is most unfair. If you read the entire article, it is about declining media coverage of the war--in that context Dr. O'Hanlon's comments are not in any way insensitive or callous. There is already enough poisonous bitterness in US politics (see the selective quoting today of Naomi Wolf's comments, if you read the whole quotation it is clear that she is not denigrating Sen. McCain's service or courage), we do not need to add "gasoline to the fire" by quoting people out of context to unfairly make them look bad. Sincerely and Respectfully, Ernest Evans

Posted by Ernest H. Evans | March 24, 2008 5:25 PM

Perhaps if O'Hanlon based himself permanently in Iraq the volume of calls would increase?

Posted by Richard | March 24, 2008 5:30 PM

Glad Ernest has stated the obvious above. Whatever you think of O'Hanlon, the point is clearly about the decline in media (hence, public) interest in the war. On the day the deaths in Iraq have reached 4,000 with nary a peep, that truly is a tragedy.

Posted by MK | March 24, 2008 5:34 PM

Look, I think that's a pretty douchey thing to say, but think about it in context. O'Hanlon was quoted in a Times article about declining media coverage of the War in Iraq, something that IS worth shedding a tear over.

4000 Americans have now died in Iraq and the war continues, but the mainstream media has turned its coverage to the bickering between Hillary and Obama. I think that's a goddamn shame. Iraq experts (not limited to Michael O'Hanlon) should have people banging down their doors, trying to figure out how we screwed up so badly and what we should do about it.

Posted by max | March 24, 2008 5:52 PM

Anyone seen this NYT piece about recent soldier deaths?

Why does the NYT put the photo of this kid with the Israeli flag at the top?! Now, I'm as skeptical of AIPAC as the next Yglesias reader, but it seems like the NYT is rather clumsily trying to tell us something, no?

Posted by nbt | March 24, 2008 9:01 PM

It's probably because Matt is taking all of his interview slots.

Posted by Matt Yglesias Fan Club President | March 24, 2008 9:11 PM

Guy deserves to be out of work and he's fretting about his TV exposure going down? Christ. Bring back the draft and take this guy first.

Posted by David in NY | March 24, 2008 9:32 PM

I think it's fair enough to make fun of this. The silver lining to declining coverage of the war is fewer quotes for perpetually-wrong idiots like O'Hanlon. An earlier commenter is right, in a just world he would be getting pelted with rotten vegetables daily, not called for interviews daily. My German Shepard/Rottweiler mix could provide better informed and more humane Iraq War commentary than O'Hanlon. Of course, he is a kind and clever dog.

Posted by Kalkin | March 25, 2008 1:14 AM