Oh my God - Marc Pitzke Follows Medienkritik's Lead

What did we do wrong? Why do we deserve this?

Marc Pitzke from SPIEGEL ONLINE - the godfather of all Bush-haters - falls in line with Medienkritik's comparison of the CBS forgeries to the Hitler diaries:

The documents were supposed to expose President Bush as a slacker once and for all. Now, however, there are increasing signs that they were as amateurishly forged as once the Hitler diaries.

This hurts.

The only apology I could come up with: Our comparison was posted on September 13, while Pitzke's piece appeared a couple of days later.

So, does this mean that Marc Pitzke is a regular at Davids Medienkritik? Is he perhaps a ... closet-neocon?

The story is developing. Stay tuned.

Rather is small change, compared to Pitzke...

Update: Helian has written a comprehensive and interesting evaluation of Pitzke's article:

SPIEGEL’s Pitzke “Spins” Memogate

Spiegel’s Marc Pitzke left no doubt today that he has managed the art of spin on both sides of the Atlantic in his article on the Rather/Memogate affair. His major theme, not to mention headline, is the famous, and ludicrous, claim that the documents are “forged but accurate.” As US blogger James Lileks pointed out in “The Bleat” yesterday:

“In any case, the whole “fake but accurate” line shows how tone-deaf these people are; it’s like saying a body in a pine box is “dead but lifelike.” It boggles, it really does: the story is true, the evidence is faked, but the evidence reflects the evidence we have not yet presented that proves our conclusion – ergo, we’re telling the truth.”

Pitzke certainly seems to buy that logic. Let’s take a closer look at his article. In the lead paragraph we once again see the mandatory German media claim that the US election has degenerated into a “farce.” Clearly, the result of the election is still uncertain, and much will happen between now and November. The one thing about it that we can be absolutely certain of is, regardless of what actually happens, the German media will describe it as a “farce.” Then Pitzke makes the incredible claim that what he
calls the “essential truth” of the accusations against Bush are in danger of being “forgotten.” Let me reassure our German readers. As we can see in these typical articles by CNN,
Foxnews, NBC and ABC, there is no danger at all that the US mainstream media are in danger of “forgetting” the “essential truth” argument. I think we can safely lay Mr. Pitzke’s fears to rest on this point.

But let’s continue. After once again reminding us that “the election has degenerated into a horrific farce,” Pitzke leads us to the source of the “forged but accurate” claim. It turns out to be one Marian Knox, the former secretary of Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, supposed “author” of the fake memoes.
Pitzke notes that Ms. Knox is 86 years old, but evidently thinks it ungenerous to question her detailed and highly specific memory of events that happened over 30 years ago. What he doesn’t mention is that Ms. Knox is a zealous supporter of the Democratic Party. In the US media she is quoted as saying that Bush is “unfit for office,” and “selected, not elected,” both common Democrat talking points, but very unusual remarks coming from an 86 year old woman, or, shall we say, at least an 86 year old woman who hasn’t been coached beforehand. Evidently Pitzke didn’t think it worthwhile to confuse his German readers with these minor details.

Pitzke goes on to inform us that it is so good as an established fact that the documents are forgeries. This is certainly true, as any 12 year old with a computer and a passing interest in the story could see within a day after CBS released them. The reasons for coming to this conclusion are amply documented by Little Green Footballs, Instapundit, and Powerline. What Pitzke fails to mention is the incredible reluctance shown by the US mainstream media, typically described in “SPIEGEL” as in “lockstep with the Bush Administration,” in coming to this conclusion. In fact, with rare, and praiseworthy, exceptions, such as the “Washington Post,” they still pay lip service to the CBS claim that the documents may be real.

Pitzke continues to muddy the water for his German public by repeating the CBS claim that, “ the controversy that followed last week's report did not challenge the "heart" of the story.” Again agreeing with CBS, Pitzke describes this “heart of the story” as the claim that Bush received preferential treatment during his service in the National Guard. This rationalization is nonsense. In fact, as noted in an article on the memoes released by AP shortly after the documents came out, “The key questions about Bush's service are whether or where he trained in late 1972 and early 1973, why he skipped the required medical exam, and whether he was investigated or punished for skipping the exam and six months' worth of training in 1972.”

In other words, the memoes go far beyond the mere suggestion that Bush received preferential treatment. Furthermore, it is anything but an “essential” or “unchallenged” truth that the accusations against Bush springing from these “key questions” have any basis in fact. Since it is virtually impossible for readers who rely on the German mainstream media for their information on the Bush Guard story to gain anything near a complete picture of his service record, let’s briefly review it here. One can find a wealth of detail by clicking here and following the links. We find that “Bush enlisted as an Airman Basic in the 147th Fighter-Interceptor Group at Ellington Air Force Base, Houston, on May 28, 1968 - at a time when the 147th was actively articipating in combat in Vietnam. However, one can not train overnight to be a pilot. Bush completed basic flight training and then, from December 1969 through June 27, 1970, he was training full-time at Ellington to be an F-102 pilot. Bush volunteered to serve in a unit at the very moment it was seeing combat in Vietnam, and only a restructuring of the unit's mission before he completed his flight training made it unlikely he would fly in combat. And he was never AWOL - he completed his required service and even served beyond the minimum.”

Even the rabidly anti-Bush “Boston Globe” is forced to admit, “Those who trained and flew with Bush, until he gave up flying in April 1972, said he was among the best pilots in the 111th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. In the 22-month period between the end of his flight training and his move to Alabama, Bush logged numerous hours of duty, well above the minimum requirements for so-called ‘weekend warriors.’

”Indeed, in the first four years of his six-year commitment, Bush spent the equivalent of 21 months on active duty, including 18 months in flight school. His Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, who enlisted in the Army for two years and spent five months in Vietnam, logged only about a month more active service, since he won an early release from service.”

As noted in the link above, the equally anti-Bush “New York Times” looked into the charges that Bush was “AWOL” (away without leave) after his days as an active flyer, and found they lacked substance.

Another one of the “essential truths” mentioned in the forged memoes is that Bush refused a direct order to take a physical exam. This, too, is complete nonsense, as anyone could confirm who actually bothered to talk to someone who was ever actually in the service. In fact, the whole leftist myth about the “physical exam scandal” lacks anything approaching credibility, as noted, for example, here.

The idea that Bush was avoiding danger by serving as a fighter pilot is also transparently ridiculous. Several airmen were killed flying out the Houston airbase that Bush was stationed at while he was actively flying in the same aircraft that he piloted, the F-102.

In a word, Pitzke’s “essential truths” argument is nonsense. The mass media in the US has been beating its head against a brick wall ever since the 2000 election trying to find credible evidence to support these “essential truths” and have failed miserably. The real significance of the forged documents scandal is the light it throws on their level of frustration.

As mentioned earlier by commenters on this blog, 15 or even 5 years ago, it is unlikely that the forged “Memogate” documents would ever have been exposed. As we have seen, the blogosphere chewed them up and spit them out within 24 hours. A lot of charges were thrown back and forth as this story developed about the credibility of bloggers, those “amateur journalists in pajamas.” I offer some gratuitous advice to our German readers who really want to know the facts: read more blogs.

Comments

[Thomas]

Es ist sogar noch schlimmer. Bis vor kurzem hat Pitzke immer geschrieben, die "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" seien "längst widerlegt" bzw. "Lügner". Ich habe ihm daraufhin mehrmals geschrieben, daß das nicht stimmt, daß zwar ein Teil der Behauptungen wohl falsch waren, einige aber bestätigt wurden und andere noch ungeklärt sind. Heute schreibt Pitzke: "teils widerlegt".

Und er kritisiert Maureen Dowd und Kitty Kelley...
Ich habe auch ungläubig vor dem Bildschirm gesessen. Er soll mal lieber schnell wieder so schreiben wie früher, sonst bildet man sich nachher tatsächlich noch ein, etwas bewirkt zu haben... ;-)

[Downer]

Oder Pitzke hat einfach mal bei der Weltwoche vorbeigesurft - was gut möglich sein kann. Schließlich erschien zu dem Thema (mit dem Hitler-Tagebücher-Vergleich) auch dort ein Artikel, denn wenn es um's Abschreiben geht, sind SPIEGEL-Journalisten bekanntlich einsame Spitze. Wundere sich da noch jemand, wieso es keinen Unterschied macht, ob ich nun zur FAZ, SZ oder taz greife - die Gleichschaltung der hiesigen Medien kann sich durchaus mit Nordkorea messen lassen.

[S1IG]

Als ich das Pitzke-Zeug heute gelesen habe, da dachte ich auch gleich an Davids Seite...

[Downer]

Als Off-Topic möchte ich auf ein überaus erhellendes Essay in der Samstagsausgabe der "Welt" hinweisen:

Wir liebten euch doch alle
Warum es nicht stimmt, dass die islamische Welt bloß Opfer westlicher Vorurteile, Irrtümer, Abneigungen ist
von Siegfried Kohlhammer

Ist unser Verhältnis gegenüber den arabischen Ländern und ihrer Literatur von Unkenntnis, Vorurteilen und Zerrbildern bestimmt? Keinen anderen Begriff benutzen die Islamisten häufiger, wenn sie den Westen als Feind des Islam attackieren, als den des Kreuzzüglers. Mit den Kreuzzügen begann angeblich der bis heute anhaltende Krieg des Westens zur Schwächung und Vernichtung des Islam, dem es mit allen Mitteln Einhalt zu gebieten gilt, bevor es zu spät ist. Auch moderate, zur Verständigung bereite oder säkulare Muslime sehen in den Kreuzzügen eine wesentliche Ursache für das gespannte und von Misstrauen bestimmte Verhältnis der islamischen Welt zum Westen.

http://www.welt.de/data/2004/09/18/333532.html

[R.]

... ob ich nun zur FAZ, SZ oder taz greife - die Gleichschaltung der hiesigen Medien kann sich durchaus mit Nordkorea messen lassen ...

Deine Gehirnzellen scheinen ziemlich einsam zu sein, wenn solcher Blödsinn dabei herauskommt.
Versuch es mal wenigstens mit einer anständigen Grundschulbildung.

[Downer]

"Versuch es mal wenigstens mit einer anständigen Grundschulbildung."

Aber auch nur dann, wenn Du mir den Privatlehrer bezahlst, lieber R. Muss man Dich eigentlich kennen? Jedenfalls erscheintst Du mir ziemlich "neuartig" hier.

[Hotz]

FAZ=SZ=taz?

Bei allem Respekt Herr Downer, aber das ist kein ernsthafte Medienkritik mehr.

[jo]

Downer,
"... die Gleichschaltung der hiesigen Medien kann sich durchaus mit Nordkorea messen lassen."

Na dann seien Sie mal froh, dass Sie Ihre Meinung hier so frei kundtun duerfen. In Nordkorea saessen Sie fuer vergleichbare "Systemkritik" vermutlich laengst hinter Gittern.

Ich will Sie in Ihrem Eifer ja nicht bremsen, aber unter gleichgeschalteten (Print-)Medien stelle ich mir etwa 20 Seiten Schroeder-Fotos vor, wie er laechelnd ueber die Hannover-Messe geht. Und das in allen Zeitungen. Naja, die nicht ganz so gleichgeschalteten Organe haben dann vielleicht nur zehn Seiten Schroeder-Fotos + 1 Seite unpolitischer Witze und Karrikaturen...

[Downer]

Okay, ich ziehe meinen Vorwurf zurück. Wir waren übrigens beim Herrn Pitzke stehen geblieben...

[Anonymous Coward]

etwas OT:

Ist schon jemand aufgefallen das Schilly seit ca. einer Woche unglaublich vernünftige Statements abgibt? Ich meine

- Verständnis für den israelischen Sicherheitszaun
- Selbstmordattentate der Palästinenser bezeichnet er als Terrorakte
- er versucht den Berliner Islamistenkongress zu verhindern
- er bennent Antisemitismus in Ostdeutschland als Problem

Ja was ist denn los, hat Schilly auf einmal "das Licht" gesehen? Ich kann nur noch staunen.

[Ted]

Ich wäre ja dafür, daß Schilly der Cdu beitritt und gegen Schörder als Kanzlerkandidat in den Wahlkampf zieht :)

"Ja was ist denn los, hat Schilly auf einmal "das Licht" gesehen? Ich kann nur noch staunen."

vielleicht beantwortet dieser artikel deine frage. bei mir hat er das zum teil getan. ich bin angenhem überrascht.

Der Ultra-Realist
Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily plädiert für Israels Sperrzaun, will Asyllager in Afrika und fordert Härte gegen Islamisten. Was treibt diesen Politker?
von Miriam Lau

http://www.welt.de/data/2004/09/14/332261.html

WOw
a comment from Jo based in reality..
looks like your recent time in the neuen Bundesländer really helped you Jo

[cyllio]

"The only apology I could come up with: Our comparison was posted on September 13, while Pitzke's piece appeared a couple of days later."

Don't worry, there is a much more likely explanation: the idea is simply obvious and rather unoriginal. Or as "Weltwoche" put it: "Was CBS-News anbetrifft, wird das ehrwürdige Medienunternehmen noch eine Weile an dem Skandal kauen, der einen unweigerlich an die Affäre um die gefälschten Hitler-Tagebücher vor zwei Jahrzehnten erinnert."

http://www.weltwoche.ch/artikel/print.asp?AssetID=8710&CategoryID=66

[Downer]

Bitteschön:

So were the authors of the "Hitler Diaries," which the German magazine Stern breathlessly presented to its readers a decade later as work from the hand of der Fuehrer himself.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040914-123022-4058r.htm

Rather and CBS executives were smart, they'd study a similar forgery scandal involving a prominent news organization, Stern magazine's "Hitler Diaries" hoax, to discover how to avoid blinding themselves to the truth.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/lindachavez/lc20040915.shtml

Remember the Hitler Diaries? They turned up in the '80s. Only problem is they weren't by Hitler. But by then various prestige publications had paid a fortune to serialize them.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn12.html

(...) the CBS news division is refusing to face the reality that it has been caught out in the most significant forgery scandal to hit journalism since the Hitler diaries.

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/30280.htm

The fact that Adolf Hitler allegedly had thoughts similar to some in those long discredited "Hitler's diaries" doesn't make them more than sleazy frauds.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0409170108sep17,1,2882259.story?coll=chi-news-hed