Warmongers Rise to the Top

Apparently, not satisfied with the Judith Miller debacle or with their withholding of the news of government spying for an entire year, the New York Times is now elevating William Kristol to the Op-Ed page. Perhaps "elevating" is the wrong verb here. I wrote a letter to the editor protesting this absurd hire. Here it is:

January 2, 2007

Dear Mr. Rosenthal,

I am writing about the New York Times' announcement that William Kristol will be hired as a columnist for the Op-Ed page. Mr Kristol is hardly a columnist lacking a public voice. He is heard and seen constantly on Fox News and commands the attention of many news outlets.

As a believer in free speech and the First Amendment, I understand the argument that all points of view be represented on your Op-Ed pages. But in fact they are not. There is only one regular woman columnist (and one on your blog), no feminist spokesperson who questions the status quo, no anti-war columnist, no columnist who speaks for the rights of children or questions the priorities of the military industrial complex.

With the increasing consolidation of the news and TV business, voices like Kristol's have many places to be heard. Women are not heard. In fact we are still confined to the ghettoes of gossip and chick-lit. We are 52% of the population yet seriously underrepresented in the field of opinion.

Because we expect more from the New York Times, because we value the depth of your reporting, your attempt to be independent of the general circus of infotainment, we write to you in hopes of being heard. The printed word has always been the seed of change -- from the French Revolution to the American Revolution to the Feminist Revolution. Many voices are not heard in your pages. Why give more space to one who already has plentiful outlets and is not a questioner but a confirmed propagandist?

Respectfully,

Erica Jong

Comments

[Blitchard]

It is a sad state of affairs when the traditional standard bearer for reasonable liberal opinion has been hijacked by the right-wing corporate culture class. William Kristol is nothing more than a pom-pom girl for the Republican party and the war-mongers that bought it. Were it not for the Internet, the truth might never get out.

[scorchedearthrepug]

You have the undeniable right to free speech don't confuse that with the right to be heard.

[rabun666]

Freedom of speech only applies to government censorship.

[mgsorens]

The NYT had been committing slow suicide with it's extreme leftist slant on every issue. That paper doesn't really need the right or the center to survive, but they do need the more reasonable liberals.

[Nutcase]

Since I rarely read the Business Section, I must have missed the story where Rupert Murdock bought the NYT.

Will it be merged with the WSJ or the Faux News Channel or both?

[YogiBarrister]

The Times hiring of Kristol makes no sense whatsoever. Do they think they will attract more rightwing readers, without losing the liberal ones? Kristol writing for the NY Times, it's time redefine the phrase "zipless fuck"

[anywho]

The end of the NYT was just hastened with the willful inclusion of a propogandist shill for Isreal like Mr. Kristol. I do believe this was the last straw, an in your face jesture to EVERYONE and it will backfire this time. The NYT is finished. No amount of money and free subscriptions will save it. Need any fire kindling anyone?

[Mother77]

This is an appeasement of the right so they will quit trashing the NYT as a liberal rag. Unfortunately, men are myopic. They don't get the the bigger picture like women. At the end of the day, women are the ones who have to be concerned with the problems of children, their education and welfare thus the conditions of the world. Men lose sight easily in their power struggles. Sad.

[Halsey]

Hard to believe this is the same paper that published the Pentagon Papers...man o manochevitz..

What's next..the Washington Post hiring Rove?

Ivin's is turning in her grave..

[mamacat]

Sounds like the NYT should give serious consideration to hiring Ms. Jong!

[texanna]

Erica, yours is the best piece I've read regarding the NYT hiring Kristol. I do believe that in this case, not all publicity is going to prove to be good publicity. And the print media wonders why they can't sell papers anymore?!

[realpolitic]

The Times has said Kristol's voice should be heard. Kristol's voice is everywhere. It is hard to tune it out. The Times needs a confirmed anti-war columnist.

[Politihal]

I would be perfect for the job!

~Halli Casser-Jayne
The CJ Report
www.ablahblahblog.com

[sugarmoes]

"confirmed propagandist" - bingo. kristol is not a writer. he is a note passer. he passes on notes from rove and his ill ilk.

[hopeless277]

Uh, because those were the instructions faxed to us by the White House. Duh!!!!