Why I hate editors


but it did the job

The Star never called but they did publish my letter, after some changes. It probably was too terse, and they went and cut the word count by nine. Terry said I should have written 1200 words, not 158. And spoken to a larger audience than the anti-war crowd.

So now it reads like I think Nato is in Iraq. Oh well, what can we expect from the mainstream media these days. Here, at the end of my last post, is what I sent them. And here is what they printed.

There are far more important things to worry about than a few lines of text. This morning I learned from Richard at Baggage Reclaim that one of my favourite writers, Johann Hari, has recanted his support for the war in Iraq. See also Eric on D-sTPfW. I don't agree with Hari, but his article and the response to it deserve consideration. I still value his opinion, as I do of several writers on my blog roll who have always been anti-war, or skeptical.

It is unlikely I'd ever change my mind. I didn't join the pro-war side until many months after the initial invasion, when the incompetence of the American occupation was well evident. I'm not surprised by the current strife and violence. I expect the democratic revolution in Iraq to succeed, eventually. Even if it doesn't, it will nevertheless have been worth supporting. Some of the reasons why I feel this way can be found in this interview. And this.



Posted: Mon - March 20, 2006 at 06:39 PM          

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