Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 218

Get Kinky for Labor Day

Two '60s-'70s classics from the Kinks explain the plight of the working man.

A Strong Case for 'Money'

Great front-page piece in NYT today on Barrett Strong getting screwed out of massive royalties for co-writing his hit "Money."  Later recorded by, uh, The Beatles, Stones, more.  As usual thelikely culprit: Berry Gordy.   If think he has no claim, keep in mind he wrote a little thing called "I Heard It Through the Grapevine."

Upton Sinclair Meets Franklin D. Roosevelt

It happened 79 years ago this week,  just after "Uppie," the former Socialist, swept the Democratic primary for governor of California leading one of great grassroots movements ever,  EPIC (End Poverty in California)--and seemed headed for victory in November.  His meeting with a very friendly FDR at Hyde Park seemed to clinch the deal.  Then Roosevelt and his top aides screwed him. And the dirtiest, and one of the most influential, campaigns in USA history--it virtually created the modern campaign--emerged to defeat him.  Hollywood took its first all-out plunge into politics and the saintly Irving Thalberg created the very attack ads for the screen.  See a trailer for my book on what led to all this:

David Frost, R.I.P.

Classic, fun, David Frost interview with Ali in 1974 before Foreman fight.  After awhile talks turns serious re:  Allah, black pride, fighting slavery.  And interviewed by Jack Paar in early 1960s, pre-Liston fight,  as Cassius Clay (plus Liberace), which I watched at the time and made my parents watch. Liberace:  "I'm  lover not a fighter."  Then they do a piano/poetry duet.

Kerry Claims Sarin Proof

We'll have to learn more about the quality of the samples and if UN confirms, but this just now via Politico.   Now full transcript.

Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that samples from first responders in Damascus have tested positive for signs of sarin gas exposure.

"Let me just add that this morning, a very important recent development, that in the last 24 hours, we have learned through samples that were provided to the United States that have now been tested from first responders in east Damascus and hair samples and blood samples have tested positive for signatures of sarin," Kerry said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "So, this case is building, and this case will build."

Kerry also said:  "The word 'slam-dunk' should be retired from the American national security issues."  Added he expects yes vote in Congress.  Update: Chris Wallace grills Kerry on Fox.

Note:   Ezra Klein on how the air assault would likely kill more civilians than the number who allegedly perished in the chem attack. 

Obama Goes to Congress on Syria

Surprise but welcome move.  Follow my Twitter feed for coverage as and after it happened.  @GregMitch  As I noted:  Hawks for attack on Syria (including those in media) acting like guy who takes viagra--and then woman postpones date. 

So maybe the belated, skeptical press reports of last two days did have an effect?  Perhaps not, and Brit Parliament vote no doubt the key.  But that did spark tougher media reports here.

Boehner says will not call House back until September 9.  Disgraceful.

Van Shows You 'The Way'

Van "The Man" Morrison turns 68 today, ironically just as the Irish, poetry lovers, and all sorts of others mourn the passing of Seamus Heaney.   One of my favorite all-time Van Morrison songs (among dozens of greats) is the uptempo "The Way Young Lovers," decidedly not the most famous cut off his legendary Astral Weeks back in 1969).  But until recently I did not know there was any kind of bootleg acoustic version.  Here it is, the the stupendous released version below (Richard Davis on standup bass, one of  the great mini-solos ever):

FBI Warns of Cyber-Attacks After Bombing of Syria

I've noted elsewhere today the NYT in its news coverage finally today (after it's too late) running some tough, and prominently featured, pieces of the risks of an air attack on Syria (the day after its public editor criticized its coverage).   A third piece today warns concerns about widespread cyber-attacks in the U.S.,  worries about actions by Syrians in the U.S., and Iran or Syria hitting Israel--among other things. 

The government has warned federal agencies and private companies that American military action in Syria could spur cyberattacks, the officials said. There were no such alerts before previous military operations, like the one against Libya in 2011.

Watching All Civilian Deaths in Syria

Human Rights Watch can hardly be accused of being soft on war crimes against civilians.  So it's significant that it's added its voice, in the form of a column by Kenneth Roth,  its executive director, to the debate over the coming attack on Syria.

Moreover, the norm against using chemical weapons is not the only international standard at stake.  There is also international law prohibiting deliberately and indiscriminately killing civilians, which the Syrian government has flouted on a much larger scale.  Against the 1,429 people whom Kerry said were killed by the chemical attack outside Damascus are the tens of thousands of civilians whom Syrian troops and militia have killed in two-and-a-half years of war.  Armed opposition groups have also committed their share of indiscriminate shelling and serious abuses against suspected government supporters.

Upholding the norm that civilians should never be gassed is important.  So is upholding the law against this broader killing of civilians—which Obama previously described as “a core national security interest.”  As the United States prepares to lead a military attack in Syria, the campaign will be measured by its consequences.  Will it enhance protection for all Syrian civilians, regardless of how they are attacked?  Or does the United States have other plans for doing that?  Neither Obama nor Kerry has said. 

'NYT' Finally With Key Piece Warning of Syria Attack

Yesterday I covered NYT public editor Margaret Sullivan asserting that the paper had covered the run-up to the attack on Syria without enough skepticism and from too much of an administration view.  In what we'll assume is merely coincidence (?), the Times--later than most other top outlets--today finally not only published a piece  on experts warning about risks of attack, but placed it at the top of its Web site.  Of course, it's now too late to do much good, with Kerry and Obama announcing yesterday that there was no turning back.  One might imagine that while today's piece was surely in the works before yesterday, the decision to put it at the top of the home page might have been sparked by the public editor's critique.  But anyway:

Supporters of the president’s proposal contend that a limited punitive strike can be carried out without inflaming an already volatile situation. But a number of diplomats and other experts say it fails to adequately plan for a range of unintended consequences, from a surge in anti-Americanism that could bolster Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, to a wider regional conflict that could drag in other countries, including Israel and Turkey.

And the second story at the top of the home page right now?  Amid Skepticism, White House Tries to Shore Up Support.


Sullivan yesterday quoted #2 editor Dean Baquet admitting he never reminded editors or writers about the paper's monumental failures on Iraq WMD, and said of that fiasco that it was "a long, long, time ago."