Now Reading in the Old Year

[Sir Stewart]

Don't hold your breath...he's playing the victim

Ted Rall Responds to Jon Krakauer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 18, 2009

 

In his new book about Pat Tillman, Jon Krakauer equates me with Ann Coulter and accuses me of "invent[ing]" Tillman's personality in my controversial May 3, 2004 cartoon about him. It's not a lengthy passage, but it is placed in an extremely important place: the end of his Krakauer's foreword. Chapter one starts immediately aftert his section.

 

I have enjoyed Krakauer's writing in the past,especially his books"Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air." Now, however,I am forced to question Krakauer's intellectual honesty and integrity as a writer. He uses Coulter and I as political stalking horses (of the"right" and"left") in order to portray himself as a fair-minded moderate (centrist?) whose research led to the "biographical insight"that lets him know "what motivated Pat Tillman":

 

Unencumbered by biographical insight, people felt emboldened to inventall manner of personae for Tillman after his passing. Most of these renderings were based on little more than rumor and fantasy. The right-wing harridan Ann Coulter claimed him as an exemplar of Republican political values. The left-wing editorial cartoonist Ted Rall denigrated him in a four-panel comic strip as an "idiot" who joined the Army to "kill Arabs."

 

Neither Coulter nor Rall had any idea what motivated Pat Tillman.Beyond hisfamily and a small circle of close friends, few people did."

 

I drew the cartoon in question after watching Tillman's nationally televised memorial service. The event featured speeches by Republican politicians who already knew that their official account of Tillman's"heroism"—he actually died from "friendly fire"—wasn't true. One such politician, Senator John McCain, said that Tillman offered a"welcome lesson in the true meaning of courage and honor...few of us will ever live a better life." In the manner characteristic of Bush-era jingoism, flags were everywhere. The rhetoric was militaristic: the bravery,heroism and sacrifice of a man who had given up millions of dollars as professional football player in order to fight in the war on terror. No one—not even his family—mentioned what we learned much later about him: that his politics leaned left, that he thought the war against Iraq was illegal, etc.

 

Would I have drawn the same exact cartoon had I known then that Tillman really joined the Army to try to watch his brother's back? Or that he had been shot by a fellow U.S.soldier? Of course not. Every cartoon based on current events would benefit from being able to read into the future. But I still think his decision to join the Army—especially under Bush, who started two unprovoked wars against Afghanistan and Iraq—was idiotic.

 

No one should enlist in the U.S. military. Period.

 

I'm not a pacifist. I would fight to defend the United States from its enemies. But the United States military has not fought against an actual enemy since World War II. Since then, without exception, it has been the tool of aggressive, economically motivated expansionism.Untilthat changes, every act of "heroism" by an American soldier on a foreign battlefield will be an act committed in the service of a bad cause. There is no ethical basis, not even "watching your brother's back," that can justify that.

 

If anything, Tillman should have known better. He had read Noam Chomsky. He was, by American standards, well read. His decision to join the Army—especially under Bush!—was even more reprehensible than if he had been the dumb brutishjock portrayed in the media in the weeks and months after his death.When you join Bush's army, and now Obama's, you know there's a better than even chance you'll be asked to "kill Arabs."In fact, Tillman first did a tour of duty in Iraq before meeting his end in Afghanistan—which was, back in 2004, "the good war." If you're not interested in killing Arabs (or Pashtuns, or Tajiks, or Hazaras, or Turkomen), there are lots of other jobs…playing football, for example.

 

Krakauer's attempt to posture himself as the moderate, reasonable middle between Ann Coulter and Ted Rall is belied by publicity photosshowing him carryingan AK-47 while "patrolling with Afghan Special Forces" (the U.S. puppet army) against indigenous Afghan resistance fighters. So much forjournalistic integrity—he literally served with ahated and reviled army of occupation, endangering the real independen tjournalists who work in war zones.

 

His attempt to equate Coulter and I (I'll leave aside the innate sexism in his referring to her as a "harridan") cleverly omits the fact that Coulter was parroting a tsunami of media propaganda at the time. On the other hand, I was trying—virtually alone—to counter the death cult of American militarism that was trying to use Tillman tolure more to murder and die in Afghanistan and Iraq. There is a difference, and Krakauer knows it.

 

There's also a big difference in what we do and how we do it, as attested by the many conservative readers who've written to say they appreciate my honesty.

 

Finally,for a man who claims to require "biographical insight" to understand a man's motivations, Krakauer chose not to apply those standards to me. I don't know whether he tried to contact Coulter, but he certainly neve rgot in touch with me to ask why I drew the cartoon that I did.

 

In 2001, I filed a piece from the frontlines in northern Afghanistan called "How We Lost the Afghan War." Finally, eight years later, most Americans finally agree that we have no business there. How ironic that I'm being insulted by someone whose actions in Afghanistan directlypromote the cynical machinations he claims to deplore.

 

What a gigantic douche.

[M. (hristine]

Goddammit.

[Sir Stewart]

BTW - what the fuck happened to the internet that whenever when you copy/paste something, you lose half the spacers that were there and your quote is chockful of wordsrunningtogether????

[Moss]

 

Loving this.

[Good Old Neon]

Krakauer has drawn me in...

 

I'll report back when I come up for air.

 

I downloaded the Kindle version yesterday – I’m only a few chapters in, but enjoying it so far. Several of the more negative reviewers have criticized Krakauer’s use of a sort of parallel narrative (wherein the chapters alternate between Tillman’s past and that of Afghanistan) as clunky, which, I think, is unfortunate. I find this method crucial in providing the required context, while also aiding the story’s forward momentum.

 

After rereading the above, I’m not happy with the way it reads, but I haven’t had any coffee yet, so, I’m struggling.

[M. (hristine]

I downloaded the Kindle version yesterday – I’m only a few chapters in, but enjoying it so far. Several of the more negative reviewers have criticized Krakauer’s use of a sort of parallel narrative (wherein the chapters alternate between Tillman’s past and that of Afghanistan) as clunky, which, I think, is unfortunate. I find this method crucial in providing the required context, while also aiding the story’s forward momentum.

 

After rereading the above, I’m not happy with the way it reads, but I haven’t had any coffee yet, so, I’m struggling.

I'm not much for reading reviews of art before I experience it for myself. It's either misguided superstition or practice in critical thinking, I haven't decided which.

 

Krakauer employs this as a literary device in most of his writing. I think it's a symbolic way to show how consciousness becomes infused with culture. The genesis of attitude. Post 9/11, I read everything about Afghanistan I could get my hands on. It altered my view of what had taken place.

 

A clunky device? I'm not finding it so. Thus far he is weaving pretty skillfully.

[Good Old Neon]

I'm not much for reading reviews of art before I experience it for myself. It's either misguided superstition or practice in critical thinking, I haven't decided which.

 

Krakauer employs this as a literary device in most of his writing. I think it's a symbolic way to show how consciousness becomes infused with culture. The genesis of attitude. Post 9/11, I read everything about Afghanistan I could get my hands on. It altered my view of what had taken place.

 

A clunky device? I'm not finding it so. Thus far he is weaving pretty skillfully.

 

I agree - well said.

 

I haven't read all of Krakauer's books, just the two biggies, Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, both of which I found fascinating and damn near impossible to put the fucking book down and get some shit done already.

 

For exercise, I ride a stationary bike, and rather than listen to music or watch TV, I find that reading makes the time pass a bit faster, and a more productive use of that time. Books such as this make for perfect reading, it does not require an inordinate amount brain power to process, keeps the pages turning, while still allowing me to sustain 150+ beats per minute.

[bleedorange]

I agree - well said.

 

I haven't read all of Krakauer's books, just the two biggies, Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, both of which I found fascinating and damn near impossible to put the fucking book down and get some shit done already.

 

You would probably enjoy Under the Banner of Heaven, too. Or else get really angry. It's a fascinating book and Krakauer uses the same method there where he interweaves the main, current story with a history of the Mormon church.

[Good Old Neon]

You would probably enjoy Under the Banner of Heaven, too. Or else get really angry. It's a fascinating book and Krakauer uses the same method there where he interweaves the main, current story with a history of the Mormon church.

 

And so but anyways…

 

Under the Banner of Heaven is on my list of books to read at some indeterminate point in the future. At the moment, I’m a little burned out with anything having to do with religion. As you mentioned, it probably would make me angry, and as I’m trying to put at least a little of that anger behind me, I’ll probably hold off a bit longer.

[Sir Stewart]

spot on

 

This calls for banning. Reported.

[mpolak21]

This calls for banning. Reported.

 

Oh, I wish I had seen this before I reported him too. Oh well, guess the mods will have some reading to do tonight. But anyway, yeah the post was completely unacceptable.

 

--Mike

[Moss]

Now I feel like a putz posting my dime store western in the middle of all the drama.

[gogo]

Hee! This thread is usually drama-free, and that's the way I like it. Now hurry up and post your review of that dime-store novel, please.

 

 

(I'm way overdue to go through this thread and steal all of your picks, to add to my reading list...)

[Moss]

Hee! This thread is usually drama-free, and that's the way I like it. Now hurry up and post your review of that dime-store novel, please.

 

 

Sure! It's got the strong silent gunfighter with the unknown history, the damsel in distress, the fight over land and cattle, the bad guy. It's like Sergio Leone, meets Shane, meets Deadwood meets Dirty Harry. Good stuff! Sometimes you just need a book that does not require much thinking.

[mpolak21]

 

Slightly obscure Illinois author from the 70's, who sadly isn't even the most famous author named Mark Costello. His stuff is a pretty amazing mix of Kerouac, early Denis Johnson and Raymond Carver. It's probably the most exciting thing I've found this year.

 

And cuing up...

 

 

--Mike

[gogo]

 

These books are my go-to for:

Sometimes you just need a book that does not require much thinking.

So much fun.

 

 

I like that sound of that Mark Costello, too.

[GtrPlyr]

His stuff is a pretty amazing mix of Kerouac, early Denis Johnson and Raymond Carver. It's probably the most exciting thing I've found this year.

Okay, you have my curiosity piqued. Carver is my favorite short story writer, and I'm a fan of Kerouac and Johnson's too. I'll be looking for this one for sure.

[Jay]

McSweeney's iPhone app

[M. (hristine]

McSweeney's iPhone app

This might actually be the first app I put on my iPhone.

[Oil Can Boyd]

[mpolak21]

 

Pernice wrote a novel!? I loved his 33 1/3 Meat is Murder book, what's this one like?

 

--Mike

[Lammycat]

Didn't read the article/criticism of the new Krakaur but wondering what the public (VC) consensus is on it. I've enjoyed all his other books very much but the subject matter in this one has me hesitant....

[The High Heat]

Didn't read the article/criticism of the new Krakaur but wondering what the public (VC) consensus is on it. I've enjoyed all his other books very much but the subject matter in this one has me hesitant....

I'm about halfway through it and so far it's been rotating between Tillman's life - including pieces from his own letters and journals - and world events pertaining to 9/11 and Afghanistan. Tillman was not your typical jock nor typical male. He was deeply thoughtful and introspective. I've read Krakauer's two most famous books and this one is right there alongside of those. For me this particular book is important beacuse I lost a nephew in Afghanistan a little more than a year ago on 9-11-08, and he, too, wasn't someone we'd ever imagined would even be in the military let alone die in a war. My nephew, Michael, didn't walk away from luxury, but he was small and sensitive (typically considered a "Mama's Boy"). He did share Tillman's idea that serving his country to help defend it against terrorism was something he needed to do. We didn't understand his decision but we supported him all the way. While he died only three months into his first deployment we've come to learn from his Army brothers and superior officers that Michael did find a new perspective about life and death and what is truly important in the grand scheme of this messed-up world. Michael left the States as a young man still not quite sure of himself, but in those three months living under the constant truth that life could end at any second, Michael became a man - an adult. He wasn't shot by friendly fire and he didn't do anything directly heroic. Michael died doing his job and by all accounts he performed at an excellence his superiors had never seen come from him prior to his deployment. Having not yet finished the Krakauer book I do no know if Tillman made any great strides that he never would have had he not been in a position where his life was in the hands of a few select people; but I'm willing to venture to say that - based on his introspections so far in the book - that he, too, experienced some form of profound sense of being that those of us who has never been in a soldier's position can understand. We can all have different politics and opinions like those of Rall, etc, but let us not judge anyone who is doing something we've never experienced. Let them speak on their decisions, and that is what is great about Krakauer's book on Tillman: He's using the subject's very own words to convey this very compelling story.

 

 

 

I'm just asking in a nice and sincere tone: Why are you hesitant to read this story?

[M. (hristine]

Chris, I too am half way through. As per, Krakauer has researched thoroughly and been even handed in execution.

 

Thus far a fascinating book.

 

So sorry for your family's loss, Author13.

[Oil Can Boyd]

Pernice wrote a novel!? I loved his 33 1/3 Meat is Murder book, what's this one like?

--Mike

I just finished it and really liked it. It's about a somewhat directionless 20-something guy (who is never named) who leaves his marriage and hides out on Cape Cod. There is not a strong story line; it is more the narrator thinking about his present day situation and looking back at his relationships.

 

Music doesn't play a huge role in the book but it is a consistent theme. Pernice just put out a "soundtrack" to the novel that includes him reading a few passages from the book and solo acoustic versions of a bunch of songs that are mentioned.