Saturday, December 09, 2006

Smears Against Carter

Mainstream media eagerly passed on Kenneth W. Stein's charges against President Carter's book. But what specifically are these charges, I looked into it and have to wonder, is this the best they can do?

"Kenneth W. Stein had sent a blistering letter of resignation Monday to officials at the Carter Center in Atlanta charging that the former president's book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," had factual errors, invented segments and, most seriously, "copied materials not cited."" - allegations over new Carter book include 'unusually similar' maps

Yet where is the beef? Look how they let Stein get away with making charges against Carter yet what examples does he give??? They allow him to smear the book even though Stein writes "In due course, I shall detail these points and reflect on their origins."

[now remember, Stein is claiming a "one-sided nature of the book" YET the ONLY examples that I have been able to find Stein give have absolutely NOTHING to do with "one-sidedness" or "bias"]

They NYT played along as if there was something to it yet look at this: "Mr. Stein declined to detail all the inaccuracies he found, saying he was still documenting them for a planned review of the book; but he did offer a few examples." - Former Aide Parts With Carter Over Book

[OK , so now let's see what these examples are]

"Mr. Carter, he said, remembers White House staff members in 1990 being preoccupied by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait when the former president tried to describe to them talks he had had with Middle Eastern leaders. But the White House briefings occurred in the spring, Mr. Stein said, and the invasion of Kuwait was not until August.

"You can't write history simply off the top of your head and expect it to be credible," he said."

[ WHAT?!? Whether or not Carter is wrong on this point, this example HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Israel as far as a supposed "one-sided nature" of Carter's book, IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM BEEN CONSTRUED AS A "BIAS AGAINST ISRAEL". What the hell would the above example mean? THIS is an example Stein gives and the media are running with this? THIS is the kind of thing, if true, that Stein needs to resign over?!? ]

"Mr. Stein also said he had been struck by parts of Mr. Carter’s book that seemed strikingly similar to a work by a different author, but he would not disclose the details."

"in a telephone interview Thursday evening, Stein offered a narrower criticism. "It appears that at least two maps that came out of the Carter book were or are very closely similar, or unusually similar, to maps that were produced and published in Dennis Ross' book The Missing Peace,' " Stein said."

Stein still isn't giving ANY examples that would indicate a "one-sided nature" against Israel. We find out near the bottom of this article and the writer notes that the Stein's criticism isn't making a case that points to a "one-sided nature."

"But, in a telephone interview Thursday evening, Stein offered a narrower criticism. "It appears that at least two maps that came out of the Carter book were or are very closely similar, or unusually similar, to maps that were produced and published in Dennis Ross' book The Missing Peace,' " Stein said.

WHAT? Maps look similar? They are not a copy, it isn't a copyright infringement, so nothing was done wrong. If maps are depicting the same thing then they should look similar. This is really a desperate attempt to smear Carter. It is a shame that mainstream media gives Stein's smears so much millage. And again, what in the world does the issue of if the maps in Carter's book were copied from the pro-Israel Dennis Ross' book have to do with a supposed "one-sidedness" with regard to Palestine?

Notice how it works, we hear smears against Carter in the media and people that who don't look into the details, that is all they hear. But the details that Stein gives have nothing to do with whether or not Carter's book is "biased."

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