Saturday, December 11, 2004

All the Rage: Mr. Solomon, Say You’re Sorry

By Josh Frank

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  1. Ah, Norman, Norman “Haircut of the Year” Solomon!!!

    Posted by Ludwig von Gergen from  on  12/11  at  03:38 PM

  2. Very well said, Josh.  All of the Nader people can now say, “We told you so.” The Democrats made their fatal mistake early on, by nominating a pro-war candidate. Once that mistake was made, nothing else mattered.

    Posted by rosemarie jackowski from  on  12/11  at  04:01 PM

  3. Okay Josh. So, Solomon has an apology to make and there were some underhanded practices going on, big deal. We’ve all come to expect it in this great nation. That’s a problem.

    The real questions are was this election fixed, was the last election fixed, will there ever be an honest system not controlled by political parties and money? There are 30 million plus americans who are not convinced about the last election’s fairness. These are problems that are non-partisan. If all you want is a sucker punch, congratulations! Some of us have a better idea because we grew up after high school.

    Posted by Honest Media from California  on  12/11  at  05:37 PM

  4. In the film Hijacking Catastrophe (I could be mistaken, it could be Outfoxed or Uncovered or some such...been a while,) Solomon is widely interviewed, and one should acknowledge how googly-eyed, even cracked out he is.  It reminded me of one of McMoore’s funny old campaigns regarding Steve Forbes being an alien (never blinks.) Solomon did not blink once....we did a frame by frame on him cause he just cracked us up...he scared me, seriously.  He makes Joseph Stiglitz, who I once saw give a really long boring speech, seem animated.  He should regrow that molester mustache, as mulletsgalore.com used to call the specific style of stache he had.  At least that suited him.  He is up there with Lyle Lovett and Yuvschenko in terms of strange lookers.

    Posted by j cummings from  on  12/11  at  07:02 PM

  5. Norman “Haircut of the Year” Solomon = Virgin

    Posted by Ludwig von Gergen from  on  12/11  at  09:03 PM

  6. In response to Comments by Honest Media OF California,
    the guy seems to be so worried about the stolen elections. the point is In america the elections have long been stolen. the most famous stolen election is Lyndon Johnson’s senate election.  even Liberal king JOHN F KENNEDY’S presidency was stolen by his father.
    Both dems and repubs are experts in stealing elections. now it seems dems have fallen behind the repubs a little bit. 


    There is not a word by Honest Media or his ABB Cohorts about the insults poured on Nader. If they have any shame first they should apologise.
    as for stealing this election As Noam Chomsky said It doesn’t matter who becomes King as long as he is selected by Throwing Coin. whether the coin is biased or not people are not going to worry.
    Honest Media should ask whether an election which is free and fair and which allows third party independent candidates can contest without trouble by So called liberals and progressives.

    Posted by Ajit Hegde from India  on  12/12  at  01:46 AM

  7. I agree with Ajit’s comments.  Why should I be alarmed about how a fight was rigged in favor of one fighter, when the rules of the ring are rigged to preclude anyone else but the two fighters from entering it in the first place?  I’m more concerned about changing the rules of the ring than I am about an unfair byproduct of an unfair set of rules.

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  12/12  at  09:57 AM

  8. It’s good that Cobb, Badnarik, Jackson & co are keeping the heat on in Ohio.  It’s important that SOMEONE make the effort, since the mainstream media has all but ignored the situation.

    Still, Nader Rider and others make a good point.  It’s a bit disingenuous to create such a stir over “stolen elections” and voting irregularities without even acknowledging the despicable, underhanded and undemocratic campaign waged against Ralph Nader’s ballot access across the country by the Democrats.

    Mr. Solomon was a critical part of that campaign, as were his fellow media shills.  Just as it’s important for the Greens and others to hold to accountability the Ohio electoral system, it’s also important to expect that same accountability from the supposedly “alternative” media.  And I’m glad that Joshua Frank is taking them to task.  SOMEONE has to.

    Posted by Paladin from Michigan, USA  on  12/12  at  03:29 PM

  9. I recently heard Normon Solomon on Bob McChesney’s radio show on which he produced a ridiculously lame defense of his opposition to Nader. He said he didn’t question Nader’s right to run, but rather his wisdom.

    Well, if that rationale were to be adopted for sabotaging the opponent’s campaign, George W. could also use the same argument by saying he questions Kerry’s wisdom to run, since the nation is under attack from Islamic Terrorists.

    Posted by Muhammad Idrees Ahmad from Glasgow  on  12/12  at  08:04 PM

  10. Josh Frank is a scumbag, turncoat muckraker who
    tries to be a champion of the left, while always
    trashing fellow left writers more than he does
    right-wing politicans or columnists.

    At one time, he was said to be writing a book called “How the left destroys itself” or some
    tripe.

    Frank published a bunch of articles on Dissident Voice saying Howard Dean is a racist and other lies.

    He is not interested in progressive reforms
    but simply making a name for himself with ‘gotcha’
    articles based on total fabrication.

    Posted by John Fargy from Lake Winnebago, WI  on  12/13  at  05:37 PM

  11. Well said, Joshua. It’s good that somebody is taking Solomon to task for his words. I’ve really appreciate Solomon’s journalism over the years, but earlier this year, after it became clear that Solomon was going to be another shill for ABB pro-Democrat politics, I stopped running his column on Infoshop News. Solomon and the rest of the ABB alternative media really set back progressive politics this year. Alternet is the best example of this Democratic Party bootlicking. Let’s hope that Solomon comes clean publicly about his mistakes this year. Until then I hae no respect for him.

    Posted by Chuck Munson from Leawood, KS  on  12/13  at  06:14 PM

  12. Great article. Funny that John Fargy has a problem with it. I am assuming he didn’t have a problem with Solomon’s own “trashing” of fellow lefties, ie, Ralph Nader in 2004. Selective perception must be a gift.

    Posted by Travis from  on  12/13  at  10:09 PM

  13. Muckraking and Gotcha journalism are a good thing, going back to Ida Tarbell etc.  Some say the late great Gary Webb was a muckraker.  He was a hero though, absolutely..

    Josh’s book will show liberals who are ready to read it - as if the fac that their champ Howie Dean won’t make the DNC seat no matter how popular he is - that the fix is in, and true liberals, progressives and leftists should abandon any pretense of hope that change can be achieved through the Democratic party. 

    I truly believe (see my piece about Gephardt) that if Nader didn’t get so much shit from the left right from the beginning, than Kerry may have won the election - or Gephardt. Nader would have presumably not faced a fixed Green Party convention, and then the left - like Solomon and others, would not have had to resort to fear mongering, Nader would have gotten more support - and so woulkd Kerry..who would have had a blanket to state that he’s not “one of them” and to feel forced to move left on critical issues of war and social justice.

    Instead, Solomon - who is an admirable media theorist in many ways - chose to use his reputation and skilled rhetoric and street cred to argue against Nader running, as is pointed out, even before he announced. 

    The left will not have success until they realize that there is a lot of muck to rake, and a healthy progressive movement should have those that look at various figures on the left who purport to leadership and/or influence.  Chomsky certainly doesn’t wither like a hothouse flower when say, Slavoj Zizek points out accurately that the lack of theoretical background in his writing may give readers a false sense of “activity” when all the have is knowledge.  So Solomon can afford the slings and arrows.  After all he has foundation cash.

    Posted by j cummings from  on  12/13  at  10:42 PM

  14. To the folks who sold your souls to the Devil of ABB…

    why are you so surprised that you are being treated as someone who sacrificed your principles for the sake of expediency…

    when you did?

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  12/14  at  02:08 AM

  15. Norman Soloman doesn’t make a career out of trashing other Lefties and Democrats.

    Look where it got Nader, the bottom of the heap.

    Soloman goes after real establishment policy,
    the real curse of government.

    Go ahead and research Josh Franks articles on
    Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.

    Every single one is slander, heresay, and ‘crossfire’ type gossip.

    If you can’t see the fault in that, then you’re
    not a true progressive reformer, just a chump.

    Posted by John Fargy from Lake Winnebago, WI  on  12/14  at  02:54 PM

  16. I don’t dispute Fargy’s views or his right to hold them.  But writing about the dishonesty about certain left elements is vital for a healthy and honest radical movement.  Why Fargy does not see that is quizzical.

    I admire Norman Solomon, and will continue to admire him.  Yet he made a mistake, and deserves to be called on it.

    Posted by j cummings from  on  12/14  at  03:21 PM

  17. “Norman Soloman doesn’t make a career out of trashing other Lefties and Democrats.  Look where it got Nader, the bottom of the heap.” (John Fargy)

    For Ralph’s latest “thrashing” of the Dems, see Democracy Now!:

    When your objective is to turn the world upside down, the bottom of the heap is also where the top of the heap is… in a world turned upside down.

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  12/15  at  01:15 PM

  18. As a matter of fact, I believe people like Solomon and Chomsky actually contributed to W’s victory by helping elmininate people’s choices. Since a concerted effort was put into discrediting Nader’s campaign; since the contest was between a candidate who wanted war, and another who wanted war, who was there to voice the opinions of the large majority of the population who were actually against the war?

    When two candidates are speaking essentially the same language, marginal differences such as gay marriage, on which the candidate do differ, take prominence. Irony of the matter is, the only person, who actually has the will and integrity to have exposed the electoral fraud in Ohio, was taken off the ballot by the same Democrats who were all too eager to concede.

    Posted by Muhammad Idrees Ahmad from Glasgow  on  12/15  at  08:17 PM

  19. BTW, Joshua… kudos for your piece, “Voter Fraud as Fundraiser: David Cobb and the Ohio Recount”, which I just read on Dissident Voice.

    I’m glad to see you placing your incisive attention on nonduopoly political elements too.

    Posted by Nader Rider from  on  12/15  at  10:06 PM

  20. See some titles for Joshua Franks articles on
    Howard Dean to see what a scumbag he is,
    (and a regular on Democracy Now)

    “Howard Dean, anti-black and law breaking”

    “Dean’s White Following”

    you can find those on dissident voice or
    counterpunch by him.

    So the progressive movement has gone to race-baiting to attract attention, huh?

    You know damn well that isn’t journalism.

    Posted by John Fargy from  on  12/17  at  03:00 PM

  21. Interesting to note. Here’s quotes from the articles he refers to. Read for yourself. I don’t think much race baiting was going on.

    * Dean’s White Following

    “Deans’ reaction was long and muddled, but he ended by saying, “I’m the only white politician that ever talks about race in front of white audiences. Black folks have heard lectures from politicians for a long time. We always talk about race. White folks need to talk to white people in America about race.”

    Then Dean should start chatting with folks he hopes to bring to his camp.

    On October 30th, in a phone interview with the Des Moines Register, Dean said he “wants to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks."  Maybe Dean is the one that needs a little lesson in race relations.  Tossing around such hurtful and loaded symbolism is hardly the way to talk to white people in America about race? Then again, since “black folks have heard lectures” from white politicians for a long time—Dean won’t be including them in any upcoming “racial” discussion.

    * Howard Dean: Anti-Black and Law Breaking?

    “October was a rough month for Howard Dean. His Democratic challenger Rev. Al Sharpton upped his attack on the front-runner for Dean’s anti-affirmative action, pro-death penalty, pro-gun agenda. And the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch is fast making their case that Dean broke the law in Vermont by concealing Government records while in office.”

    Posted by TR from  on  12/17  at  06:16 PM

  22. Josh Frank - Scumbag.

    Posted by John Fargy from Lake Winnebago, WI  on  12/22  at  01:47 PM
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