New York Times Death Spiral Watch (William Kristol Edition)

Outsourced to Ezra Klein:

EzraKlein Archive | The American Prospect: William Kristol, columnist for The New York Times's once-respected op-ed page, informed me this morning that "we are on course to win the Iraq war." He explains:

This past weekend, a friend forwarded an e-mail message from a Marine helicopter pilot who has done tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Because he’s on active duty, I’m not naming him.) He’s now stationed in the U.S., training pilots who are about to deploy to Iraq:

[...]

The Marine major concluded: “May has been ridiculously quiet everywhere.”

“Ridiculously quiet everywhere” is Marine-like hyperbole, of course. And even though May has been very encouraging, there will be upticks of violence and occasional setbacks over the next months.

Elsewhere in the paper, I learn that:

But the tactical success of the surge should not be misconstrued as making Iraq a safer place for American soldiers. Last year was the bloodiest in the five-year history of the conflict, with more than 900 dead, and last month, 52 perished, making it the bloodiest month of the year so far. So far in May, 18 have died.

Encouraging! What's interesting is that that latter analysis comes from an article that laments the media's recent inattention to the war. It did not, sadly, have much to say about prominent media personages who have spent the last five or so years lying about the war, and misrepresenting stasis as progress and chaos as mere growing pains.

Comments

[howard]

what i truly do not understand is how kristol can look himself in the mirror....

[Ken Houghton]

I remember seeing an e-mail with that phrasing a few years ago.

Are we certain Kristol isn't just being forwarded Old Spam??