We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

The Times picks up on bloggers vs. Guardian story

Although they have come late to this story, The Times has also noted Scott Burgess’ TKO of the Guardian regarding their employment of an Islamic extremists and subsequent firing of him once the story came to light.

It is a pity The Times did not also pick up on the bad grace in which The Guardian took their lumps, what with their snarky no-by-line remarks about how “Scott Burgess, a blogger from New Orleans who recently moved to London, spends his time indoors posting repeated attacks on the Guardian”, recalling the “guys in pyjamas” sneer made by someone at CBS following a similar humiliating mauling they received at the hands of the blogosphere. If ever you need a clear indication you have landed a painful blow against a MSM target, you have but to look for a petulant ad hominim response.

Moreover, it is fascinating how The Guardian inaccurately (follow first link to Media Guardian) attributes this incident breaking into the mainstream media down to “rightwing US bloggers” when the truth is that whilst Scott Burgess (an American living in London) sounded the charge, he was rapidly followed by Labour supporting British blog Harry’s Place and ourselves (no great fans of the Tory party either), to name but two of many largely UK based blogs. The Guardian’s take on this is therefore either shoddy reporting or a case of seeing what you choose to see.

Still, nice to see that the broadsheet newspapers do not feel any need to close ranks over this story.

12 comments to The Times picks up on bloggers vs. Guardian story

  • The great thing is, many of their readers will Google and find out the truth. That the Guardianista’s are lying to distract from the substantive issue.

  • JuliaM

    I’m not sure – I think many Guardian readers read it precisely to have their prejudices confirmed, not to find out ‘the truth’.

    Granted, there may be a substantial portion of their readership that is willing to question, but I suspect a hard core will always believe that the Guardian got it right & everyone else is wrong. I’m sure Daily Mail & Sun readers are the same, reading a paper that confirms your own worldview.

    That’s why blogs are so refreshing – you can log on to a myriad personal views on curent affairs & it’s free!

  • Tim

    It’s a pity too that The Times repeats the erroneous Guardian claim that Scott Burgess applied himself for the post Aslam got. As Scott made clear from the outset, his ‘application’ was a spoof. The Guardian might or might not have known this; if they did, it was particularly nasty of them to make the claim, with its implication that Mr Burgess was motivated by sour grapes.

  • The Guardian is venting at bloggers because they feel threatened as I bet the Times does too. Scott Burgess has showed them up and they really do not like it at all.

  • Rob

    It’s funny how the phrase “US bloggers” seems to carry as much negative connotations for the Guardian as “Jewish settlers” would for the average Palestinian.

  • Chris Goodman

    For BBC kulturkritik and suicide bomber sympathiser Tom Paulin

    (Link)

    if you combine American and Jewish Settler that is sufficient justification for you to be shot dead.

  • Speaking of the Grauniad, did anybody pick up on that piece by Osama Saeed over the weekend, in which he hammered Blair for “insulting the idea of the Caliphate?” I didn’t see anything on it here.

    I know that letting an infidel pee near a Quran is abuse, as is infidels touching it, as is stacking two Qurans atop each other (even in shipping) as is thinking badly about certain people who read the Quran, as is failing to murder in cold blood anybody who makes like of Quran abuse… All of these things are Quran abuse, it seems.

    But insulting the idea of a worldwide Caliphate as abuse of Muslims? Really? Well, color me a crusader, I guess, since I think death would be preferable to living under a viciously homophobic, misogynistic, violent, medieval death cult bent on destroying the tolerant and uplifting strains within its parent religion.

  • Julian Morrison

    Throwing an off-topic curveball, here’s an interesting webcomic

  • Al then you should get your crusader t-shirt then. Don’t want to be unprepared to face up to the caliphate.

    I love the fact that its anti-Muslim to wish to preserve your own culture. Basically to many of these dolts the only way not to insult Islam is to surrender.

  • Completely off-topic Julian… but I forgive you because it is amazing!

  • Julian Morrison

    Perry: How about adding a drop-box for commenters to post nifty stuff and breaking news?

  • steve

    So off topic Julian that it’s wonderful. Spiders is great… and let’s pray that the women in Afghanistan can fight back like this against the Mullahs