Posted on 09/10/2004 3:55:47 AM PDT by billorites
The echoes of the big Internet bang which annihilated a 60 Minutes story in under 12 hours are still resounding. The key riffs apparently started at Powerline and as Samizdata notes, the distributed intelligence of the Internet took over. Under the scrutiny of thousands of analysts, the CBS story began to melt down. The idea that the intellectual resources of a major news agency are always superior to the blogosphere is given by lie by citing these two separate lines of analysis which, though proceeding from different starting points, both led to the conclusion that the documents which Dan Rather relied on to question the Bush National Guard record were faked. Donald Sensing's analysis was grounded in a familiarity with military documents.
The two memos refer to a flight physical and a flight review board, both IAW ("in accordance with") AFM 35-13. But that would stand for "Air Force Manual" 35-13, and manuals are guidelines only. They have no regulatory authority. No one takes a physical exam, flight or not, IAW a manual. ...
So I went there and discovered, sure enough, that there was an Air Force Regulation 35-13, but no AF Manual 35-13 is listed. AFR 35-13 was superceded in 1990 by AFI36-2605 (Air Force Instruction, i.e., the same as a regulation). So I Googled AFI36-2605 and voilá! Here it is. This instruction implements Air Force Policy Directive 36-26, Military Force Management, and Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 7280.3, Special Pay for Foreign Language Proficiency. It prescribes all procedures for administering the Air Force Military Personnel Testing System and Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) program. Which is to say, this publication has nothing to do with flight physicals.
From all this I conclude that the Killian-signed documents are forgeries, forged by someone without a very good knowledge of military correspondence or Air Force publications or procedures. Based on the Air Force's own online library of current and obsolete publications, I conclude that there never was an Air Force Manual 35-13, although there was an AF Regulation by that number. But a lieutenant colonel would never have made such a fundamental error as using "AFM" twice when he meant AFR.
As TV lawyers would say, the documents were fake because there was no Air Force Manual 35-13 and it had nothing to do with physical examinations. The analysis of Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs, on the other hand, was based on the technical characteristics of the 60 Minutes documents themselves. He convincingly showed that the 1973 document was produced on Word for Windows by the simple expedient of "proof by construction" -- by exactly duplicating the document in Winword and superimposing both using Photoshop. Poor Kevin Drum dismissed these demonstrations by arguing from authority. "Powerline appears to be the central clearinghouse for amateur discussion of typefaces, terminology, signatures, etc. For what it's worth, I spoke to someone a few minutes ago who's familiar with how the documents were vetted, and the bottom line is that CBS is very, very confident that the memos are genuine."
Here was the dismissal of amateurs in favor of the genuine CBS branded product. But in fact it was doubtful that the "experts" at CBS stood a ghost of a chance against the "amateurs" who ripping their story apart. Here's was Charles Johnson's matter of fact reply.
I actually received two emails from people questioning my expertise to examine and criticize the documents shown in the entries immediately below. Can you believe it? So here’s the skinny.
I’ve been involved with desktop publishing software and scalable software fonts (as opposed to hot lead type) almost since their inception. I’m a former West Coast editor of a popular computer magazine for a now-orphaned computer, the Atari ST/TT. I also co-owned a software publishing firm, CodeHead Technologies, for whom I designed and laid out packaging and manuals for more than a dozen products (in addition to developing most of those products, using 680x0 assembly language). We used a combination of DTP and traditional typesetting techniques for these jobs, and I cut my teeth on some of the first serious DTP software ever created for personal computers—including Aldus Pagemaker and Aldus Freehand on the Mac, and less recognizable titles available for Atari computers (anyone still using Calamus or Pagestream out there?).
My software company also marketed a word processing program (Calligrapher, written by a developer in Britain) that had the ability to import and use Postscript Type 1 fonts. And I had early experience with some of the dinosaur-like dedicated word processors that were available in the 70s/80s. I’m not boasting like this just to pump up my lizardoid ego; it’s to let you know that I have an extensive background in these subjects—and when I tell you that there’s no way the CBS News documents were created on any machine available in 1972/1973, I ain’t just whistlin’ Dixie.
While there is no doubt that there are competent professionals at CBS News, how many of them have extensive experience in the arcana of military forms or writing DTP software in assembler? None of this is to argue that the mainstream media is always wrong or that the blogosphere will always be right. Blogs, including this one, are often wrong. But there is no reason why bloggers should ipso facto be dismissed as amateur analysts when compared to the Mainstream Media (MSM). The traditional news model is collapsing. It suffers from two defects. The "news object" can no longer be given sealed attributes in newspaper backrooms. The days when the press was the news object foundry are dying. Second, the news industry is suffering from its lack of analytic cells, which are standard equipment in intellgence shops. Editors do some analysis but their focus is diluted by their attention to style and the craft of writing. The blogosphere and other actors, now connected over the Internet, are filling in for the missing analytic function. And although the news networks still generate, via their reporters, the bulk of primary news, they generate a pitiful amount of competent analysis. Put another way, the classic media outlet generates data and entertainment but they don't generate much information. Because of this, the MSM will stumble into these pitfalls time and again. The Andrew Gilligan and Jayson Blair fiascos were indicators that something was really wrong, but no one was listening then. Maybe there is no point to listening now.
Bump
Points well taken, thanks.
good one bump
btt
As I recall, the 35 series regs and manual in the AF had to do with personnel issues, as is alluded to in this article. For example, AFR 35-10 had to do with the dress code.
Excellent.
This is really important. Not just because these documents are going to be proved to be forged.. but because its going to show the main stream media that they can't lie to us anymore... or at least when they do they very likely will get caught.
The amateurs were military loathing, truth loathing operatives CBS and the DNC.
“Under the scrutiny of thousands of analysts, the CBS story began to melt down. “
It didn’t melt, it was exposed
“…to the conclusion that the documents which Dan Rather relied on …
Gunga Dan, failed Marine wannabe, didn’t ‘rely’. He was responsible. He screwed up. He is the big cheese. He gets the big money. He takes the fall. Come on Dan, front and center
“While there is no doubt that there are competent professionals at CBS News…”
No doubt? I doubt they have any professionals, except expert hack, bumrim lickers.
“… amount of competent analysis. Put another way, the classic media outlet generates data and entertainment but they don't generate much information. “
I have been saying this for decades, as a matter of basic fact. Someone, please, answer me these questions. How can a institution which employs almost entirely people who know nothing, be competent to report on anything? What do journalist know? I know that they are ignorant, unschooled, uneducated, unskilled and have no practical experience in science, history, math, industry, engineering, manufacturing, military history/tactics/strategy/weapons, literature, trades, medicine……. They have been pedaling a rank bill of fare forever. Their goods suck. Always have, always will. Journalist are people, by and large, who are too stupid to go into medicine, too lazy to be a lawyer, too unimaginative to write novels or screenplays, too weak to be a productive tradesman, too cowardly to be in the military or a cop or a fireman
I am entering my mid seventies and I have never seen anything like this. I note on Imus this a.m. the imbroglio is mentioned but then it is on to Hurricane Ivan and some novel. The MSM is no match for FR and the blogosphere!
Belmont Club perpetuates a myth I think. The first post alleging forgery was posted not on Powerline but on Free Republic by Buckhead:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210662/posts?page=47#47
Documents Suggest Special Treatment for Bush in Guard
...
AND...regarding "60 Seconds"... Ben Barnes' daughter has come forward and said "I love my father BUT, he's lying about helping Bush get in the guard."! He told her so in 2000!!! 2 stories bashing Bush absolutely shot down in flames.
Thanks for the post. Illuminating.
The money in the business of journalism is in entertainment, not truth. It is that imperative to entertain which produces the perspective of journalism.And that journalism does indeed have a perspective is demonstrated every day in what it considers a good news story, and what is no news story at all. Part of that perspective is that news must be new--fresh today--as if the events of every new day were of equal importance with the events of all other days. So journalism is superficial. Journalism is negative as well, because the bad news is best suited to keep the audience from daring to ignore the news. Those two characteristics predominate in the perspective of journalism.
Why Broadcast Journalism isJournalism is far too busy arguing from authority - "authority" which is merely self-hype - to trouble itself with taking criticism seriously. Journalism claims to be objective, but that is the same as claiming to be wise. It is merely a declaration that it is foolish to argue with them because their mind (and indeed they only have one mind; to have individual minds would take courage) is made up.
Unnecessary and Illegitimate
I want to send a special thanks and job well done to all who exposed this FRAUD! The MSM as egg on there face and not just CBS. All news services need to wake up and do real investigative work before repeating stories. But there tilt to left won't allow it. This will come back to haunt Kerry. Of course it depends on how well this "part" of tht story is reported.
GOOD JOB PEOPLE!!!!!!!! FREE REPUBLIC ROCKS!!
Ok, so how long before CBS tries to blame the forgeries on the RNC? I'm thinking by Sunday. Also, isn't CBS scheduled to run a segment on Sunday with the guy who claims to have helped Bush get a Guard slot?
BTTT!!!!!!!
Excellent!
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