June 27, 2006

A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: BILL KELLER AS EDITOR OF THE NYTIMES IN 1944

        Horsefeathers has argued that contemporary Liberalism is a childishly immature faith, rooted in utopian fantasies about human nature. Many have expressed shocked outrage at the NYTimes's self-appointment as defender of the public's "right to know" about secret war plans. Real American lives are at stake, but the NYTimes has its principles and Bill Keller will defend them to the last drop of his Bombay Sapphire Gibson. A hallmark of the immature mind is its devotion to abstract principles regardless of real life experience. "The public's right to know" is one such principle; in the real world, grown ups know such abstractions, if not tempered by experience, can lead to mass death and destruction. Not in Timesworld, where noble minded self flattery trumps reality.
        Horsefeathers was outraged, but not shocked by Bill Keller's decision to reveal secret war plans to our enemies, for we have long understood there is a strong unconscious alliance between utopian Islam and utopian Liberalism. For infantile liberals, the very notion that our government might practice deception, engage in spying, conduct secret operations, etc. offend their childish sensibilities. Thus Bill Keller assumes a stance of highmindedness in defense of his assisting the jihadis in their efforts to kill us infidels. What he does apologize for is his breach of 'etiquette'. How perfect! No apology for endangering real lives, but real regret for not personally answering all his emails. Gee Bill, we're sure Mommy taught you how to hold your knife and fork and how to graciously accept compliments when you sang 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' wearing your sister's dress.
        Now let's do a thought experiment and imagine Bill Keller, brimming over with his metrosexual, politically correct sensibilities back in 1944 when news of the Normandy invasion was held close to the vest. The horror! The duplicity! The barbarism!

        During World War II, Operation Bodyguard was the overall Allied strategic deception plan in Europe for 1944, carried out as part of the build-up to the invasion of Normandy. The major objective of this plan was to lead the Germans to believe that the invasion of northwestern Europe would come later than was actually planned, and to threaten attacks at other locations than the true objective, including the Pas de Calais, the Balkans, southern France, Norway, and Soviet attacks in Bulgaria and northern Norway.
        The name 'Bodyguard' was derived from a comment by Winston Churchill to Stalin at the Tehran Conference in 1943, saying, "In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." Roger Hesketh, who helped plan and carry out the operation while working at 'Ops B', the deception sector of SHAEF, recalled in his book the three main goals of Operation Bodyguard: To induce the German command to believe that the main assault and follow up will be in or east of the Pas de Calais, thereby encouraging the enemy to maintain or increase the strength of his air and ground forces and his fortifications there at the expense of other areas, particularly of the Caen area. To keep the enemy in doubt as to the date and the time of the actual assault. During and after the main assault to contain the largest possible German land and air forces in or east of the Pas de Calais for at least fourteen days.
        Operation Bodyguard was divided into three main sub-operations: Operation Fortitude, which had both a North component (designed to lead the Germans to expect an invasion of Norway) and a South component, designed to lead them to expect an invasion at the Pas de Calais. The third main sub-operation was Operation Zeppelin, to indicate landings on Crete or Roumania. There were also numerous smaller operations...

Posted at 04:20 PM by Stephen
• History

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The New York Times, like Hollywood, is not in it for the money (contrary to many beliefs). The Times is willing to take a financial hit and to see its stock fall precipitously (as it is already in freefall under Pinch Sulzberger's Reing of Error) in order to promote "the cause" - the cause being the destruction of the Bush administration. Hollywood is willing to make America bashing movies that do only medicore at the box office in order to get the message out.

Posted by: Ripper at June 28, 2006 08:43 AM

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