Why I can't stand the New York Times

We begin with a confession: we get the New York Times emailed to our inbox everyday. Part of our early morning ritual is to read through the headlines, including those of the Times, just to get a feel for the worldwide "office vibe." We don't think we need to explain what a longstanding and incredible reputation the Times has as an American media source, and we admit that they often have some interesting stuff in the art section and even in the sports section.

But when it comes to news and opinion, the Times sucks. Reading it makes us gag.

Case in point: Yesterday the U.S. bombed and killed the most feared terrorist in Iraq and, outside of Bin Laden, the most wanted Al Quaeda leader. This is huge. Probably the biggest thing since capturing Hussein. A major victory for the military, for the US, and for the war against terror.

Yesterday, good triumphed over evil. Yesterday, the world was reminded that people who kill for the sake of killing, who oppress their own countrymen and terrorize the citizens of other nations, who seek to oppose freedom, will not succeed.

You would not know it from reading the Times.

You don't even have to listen very hard to hear the pessimistic, whining, anti-Bush anti-America anti-success in this war negativity that oozes from just the article headlines in today's edition of the Times:


"After a Long Hunt, U.S. Bombs the Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq" - i.e. It took us long enough, and in the end we just dropped some bombs (such a brutal way to go about things, we could have used diplomacy talks or something) like barbarians

"How Surveillance and Betrayal Led to a Hunt's End" - i.e. America may have gotten Zarqawi, but we had to lie and decieve to do it.

"Hatred He Bred Is Sure to Survive Terrorist's Death" - i.e. Killing Zarqawi didn't help things at all. It's no victory.

"Zarqawi Is Dead, but Weary Iraqis Fear the Violence Won't Subside" - i.e. Again, this is no victory at all. You, Bush and America, have just made it worse.

"Death of a Terroris: As Americans discovered earlier, it will take far more than the elimination of iconic leaders to stem the tide of the Iraqi insurgency and reverse the country's slide into civil war."

"Zarqawi's Life After Death: The decapitation of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network may indeed diminish its effectiveness, but we should not get our hopes too high."


That's why we can't stand the New York Times.



Footnote: For some positive opinions of yesterday's victory, check these out:

Zarqawi’s death is particularly welcome because it comes at such a distressing time in Iraq.

Killing Zarqawi is the equivalent of averting a Haditha every other day in Iraq, indefinitely

It would be underestimating the impact of Zarqawi’s death to say it is a major blow to al Qaeda in Iraq.

Complete coverage of Zarqawi's death

A Moral Victory
The meaning of Zarqawi's death.