posted from inside the memory hole

thought-crimes in the blogosphere ...

It seems so Stalinist, so Kafka-esque.   In fact, I feel like one of those Soviet officials who gets deleted from the photographs of dignitaries on the reviewing stand after falling from political favor.    Tonight I discovered that my entire blogging history at BOPNews has been erased -- all past posts deleted forever.  No explanation given, just evidence that I held unacceptable opinions about Dean, Edwards, and big bloggers.    Are we on the left now censoring each other?   Is the 'blogosphere' now becoming another battleground between the 'ins' and the 'outs'?

I have been a regular contributor to BOP for some time now (I can't tell you how long, since all my posts are gone).    Tonight I received a two-line note from BOP editor Stirling Newberry:   "your posting priveliges to bop are revoked.  your posts have been deleted." 

In an email exchange, Stirling repeatedly refused to explain his actions.  When I wrote back saying "with no explanation??" he  cryptically replied, "Posting on bopnews is a privilege and not a right. You should think more carefully before using a channel carelessly.   I'm sorry my decision is final."    My 'carelessness' remains unexplained, so I'm forced to guess.   Fortunately, there are very specific clues.

I posted two pieces that were critical of John Edwards - and Newberry was among a small group of bloggers  wined and dined by Edwards recently.    My final piece for BOP (apparently the deal-breaker) - also cross-posted here - criticized Edwards, although it also said "I still have hope for the guy."   Newberry has lashed out at critics of Edwards' behavior (see below.)  I  also suggested that Josh Marshall may be going too easy on Edwards, who was a guest on his TMP Site - although, again, I complimented Marshall's work and acknowledged the difficulties and ambiguities inherent in the "access" question.

Not good enough for Newberry, who left another clue when he said this about Atrios at the same time he was rendering me a non-person:    "Usually it is a bad idea to tell a big blogger that they've fucked up big time."   He also says of Atrios,  "he, and the other Dean kneepaders are the ones who are being cry babies."    So apparently questioning the strategic value of Edwards' statement makes one a "Dean kneepadder," which is of course a euphemism for someone who gives a blowjob.

Ironically, a quick read of the comments on my supposedly "Deaniac" post will show you that they are all from Dean supporters who think I was too rough on him - but hey, you know what?   For all I know I was off-base somewhere in that post.   If so, have the grace and dignity to tell me, rather than obliterate the record of my work.    And do it in a post, where the dialog might make us all better and sharper.     Otherwise, it leaves the suspicion that other motives are at work, including those of access to power and career ambition.

I was curt in my correspondence with Stirling - which I regret for my own reasons, not his - but then I had just learned he had destroyed months of my efforts.  Specifically, I  called him "Stalinist" and promised I would "see him around campus" (by which, of course, I meant that I would write about this in the blogosphere).   I'm not proud of my momentary venting and wish I had been above that kind of spur-of-the-moment harshness, despite the provocation (although - speaking of harshness - by inference I had just been called one of the Dean blowjob artists).   Yet still, no explanation beyond comments like "I think the above demonstrates why my action was appropriate."   Kafka-esque in the extreme.

I highly doubt John Edwards would approve of being defended in this fashion.  As for me, I never received anything but positive feedback for my "BOP" writing.    If it wasn't up to snuff, nobody told me.   Instead, I was told I "used a channel carelessly" - which is a criticism of content, not quality.   There's a lot of food for thought in this very unpleasant incident.    One thing's for sure:   it's censorship, which has no place in an open dialog.

Comments

[jeff]

How ironic. I think one of my comments were deleted from there once, which is why I stopped posting comments there, although there was a denial. I often post drunk and intemperately, but always from the heart.
I still read it for the economic analysis.
I do think an open dialog on politics is the best way to (nay, the only way) to reach any sort of consensus.
I've added you to my bookmarks, and I'm sorry this has come about.

[RJ Eskow]

Thanks, Jeff - I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. (And sorry for my intemperate remarks earlier - I was processing this, I guess.)

[jeff]

I warn you, I can get pretty intemperate myself, sometimes, lol, but I try to keep in mind who my allies are. I'm also known to break out in lyrics :-O
If you know of allspinzone, though, I think most there will vouch for me...
I'm pretty pissed this has happened to you, because I was pretty sure I had a post deleted from BOP, although I think it was Stirling that denied it (it was before Oldman started posting there, I found him through Brad De Long's site...been a while, in internet time)
I do not countenence censorship of non-personal views (and, again, I apologize for the personal remark I made).

[jeff]

Nathan Newman for Preznit! lol
And I own a company. Go figure.
Spent 20+ yrs on a roof, and 3 or so in a truck.
And still can't afford health insurance.
I talk to a Russian lady, and she wants nothing to do with moving here, thinks my country is crazy.
I haven't come up with a good counter-arguement, yet.

[RJ Eskow]

Only a Russian lady would understand the emotions I'm feeling right now, having my work censored. As for defending the soundness of our country right now, tough one. I can't even defend the soundness of "our side" at the moment (but the moment will pass!)

Actually, here's an answer: The country is crazy now - that's why we stay. We don't want to leave it to them!

No pasaran and all that, compadre ...

[jeff]

That may be the only reason I can give, and the only one she could understand.

[jeff]

(by Woody Guthrie)
This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California
To the New York Island,
From the redwood forest,
To the Gulf stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.

As I was walking,
That ribbon of highway,
I saw above me
That endless skyway,
I saw below me
That golden valley.
This land was made for you and me. Flag being proudly waved for travelers on a U.S. Interstate highway in Baltimore

I've roamed and rambled
And I've followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me

The sun comes shining
As I was strolling
The wheat fields waving
And the dust clouds rolling
The fog was lifting a voice come chanting
This land was made for you and me

As I was walkin'
I saw a sign there
And that sign said no trespassin'
But on the other side
It didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

In the squares of the city
In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office
I see my people
And some are grumblin'
And some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking
That freedom highway
Nobody living can make me turn back
This land was made for you and me

OTHER VERSES

(CANADIAN CHORUS)
This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From Bonavista
To Vancouver Island,
From the Arctic Circle,
To the Great Lake waters,
This land was made for you and me.

roamed and I rambled
And I followed my footsteps
To the fir-clad forests
Of our mighty mountains
And all around me
A voice was calling,
This land was made for you and me.

I followed your low hills
And I followed your cliff rims,
Your marble canyons
And sunny bright waters.
As the fog was lifting,
A voice was saying
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun comes shining
And I am strolling,
And the wheat fields waving
And dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting
A voice was calling,
This land was made for you and me.

---Woody, who cared

warned ya

[RJ Eskow]

A self-ordained professor's tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
"Equality," I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I'd become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

He warned me, too.

[jeff]

I used to have every album Dylan ever made, up until about '80. Yes, those round bendy black vinyl thingies. btw, icq 77079047

[Mimus Pauly]

You know what, RJ? Screw BOPNews.

[KathyF]

I don't think I've ever been to BOP, but now I don't need to. Thanks for alerting me to one more site I can save time by not reading. This is a great help!

BTW, I have a special fondness for Woodie. I saw a Scotsman singing This Land in a town square in Bath, England the other day. I gave him a couple quid. Almost made me cry.

[John]

The problem with BOPNews is that you're sane, and many of them (e.g., Stirling) are not. I say, just count your blessings and say "good riddance" to the nutjobs at BOP.

[Lowell]

Fortunately, we've got the internet archive, also known as the "Wayback Machine." With this wonderful tool, nothing is ever really gone from the internet. For instance, here's BOPNews from Nov. 29, 2004. The only problem with the internet archive is that there's a lag, but in a few months, I would suspect that all your excellent writings will be available again to anyone and everyone. And this time, there won't be anything Stirling "Stalin" Newberry will be able to do about it!

[Ian Welsh]

I hadn't realized this had occured. I'm sorry it ended this way and I personally did like your writing RJ.

[RJ Eskow]

Mimus, John, and Kathy, greatly appreciated. And Kathy, Scotsmen with guitars are some of the greatest tear-inducers on the planet, in my experience. Lowell, thanks - nice to know the purge didn't completely take.

Ian, thanks -- I liked your work, too. But actually, this had nothing to do with the quality of my writing. It was an ugly and unpleasant incident, so thoughtful words like yours are appreciated.

[firedoglake]

That just sucks. I think you write really well and look forward to following your stuff wherever you post.

[Gordon]

I'm about halfway through my daily blogread. You got a lot of friends out there, RJ. I think BOP can kiss your ass. I'd feel bad if Fixer told me to kick rocks and gave me no reason and dumped my posts, too.

I seldom get fired anymore for disagreeing with the boss since I became self-employed.

[Gordon]

I should add that Fixer would tell me why in no uncertain terms and probably send me a disc with my posts. That's the difference between a stand-up guy and a weasel.

[Bruce Wilson]

I'll be waiting to hear the follow up on this - I assume that Newberry will have to respond in some manner to these charges.

I've personally heard of one case in which such a thing was done, and even though there seemed to be decent justification still I found it disturbing.

If Newberry didn't have very good reason - extraordinary even - this would amount to a major violation.

What concerns me is this : even in such cases, I would consider it generally appropriate - in the case of such total obliteration of the body of someone's online work - to save copies of the deleted comments to mail them to the author.

The lack of respect implied in such a total deletion without even a minimal ( decontextualized ) backup would seem to be utter.

[Neil the Ethical Werewolf]

I've always been kind of weirded out by Stirling. The Clark thing, where he quickly got disillusioned and caused trouble for his own candidate was one data point. I also remember some really negative pre-Election-Day posting against his own cousin, Jim Newberry, who was running for Congress. Stirling was spiteful and griping about something, I can't remember what.

And now this. Damn.

[The Heretik]

Dance of the Damned

[Lizzy]

RJ, come over for a drink!

[donna]

Will add you to my blogroll. Stirling has some great ideas and posts, but can certainly get too full of himself at times. ;^) Aren't we the ones who are supposed to VALUE diversity of opinion?

[jedmunds]

I'll bet you can find all of your old posts pretty easily on feedster.com. For what it's worth I never liked Newberry's writing, so I never visited BOP. To me this just confirms that the guy's a douchebag.

[Tacitus's Left Titty]

VOODOO STIRLING!!

TACITUS TITTY POWER