Thread:

Dear @RobertWrighter:

I
have benefited in past from @BloggingHeads, so it is disturbing that the platform was handed over for 90 minutes to an activist pushing misinformation on #Syria, primarily to attack #WhiteHelmets and to deny #ChemicalAttacks.

In 90 minutes, the activist offered almost no reliable information. Instead, he used @BloggingHeads for a series of misrepresentations and sometimes falsehoods.

1. He claims "journalistic malpractice" in BBC Radio 4 documentary #Mayday w/o citing single example.

#Syria
2. His only "evidence" on #Douma #ChemicalAttack is a misrepresentation of tweets by @DalatRM and an incorrect claim about Robert Fisk.

3. He misrepresents creation of #WhiteHelmets

4. He falsely claims WH "took part in executions".

#Syria
5. He misrepresents #WhiteHelmets "celebrating w Al Qa'eda" in a "town in #Idlib Province" (not realizing that it is Idlib city)

6. He claims WH "ties with jihadists" w no evidence

7. His claims are ill-informed, at best, about start & course of #Syria conflict.
8. Specifically, he is ignorant re intervention by #Iran and #Hezbollah & how and why it occurred.

9. He distorts audit findings re #WhiteHelmets and #JamesLeMesurier (adding ad hominem v. LeMesurier).

10. W no evidence, he claims 2013 #EastGhouta sarin attack was "false flag".
11. He misrepresents #OPCW process & findings on #Douma (using assertions fed to him by 1 ex-OPCW staffer, personal view of 1 other ex-staffer, and no other evidence).

12. His only other "evidence" is that an #OPCW official "says 'like' a lot".
So @robertwrighter, you could have reached out to #Syria specialists who have done detailed research & analysis, discussing their evidence. You might have tried interviewing @ChloeHadj about #Mayday. You might have talked w those documenting #ChemicalAttacks.

#Syria
At least you could have pressed activist about unsupported and distorted claims, given he has been unable to answer v. 1st challenging questions on #Twitter re #WhiteHelmets and #Douma.
This is not a question of "balance". You cannot balance misinformation/misrepresentation.

It is a question of doing justice to #Syria and Syrians with a starting point of reliable information and analysis. I think that's the least you can do for viewers.

Best --- Scott

More from For later read

Excited we finally have a draft of this paper, which attempts to provide a 'unifying theory' of the long economic divergence between the Middle East & Western Europe

As we see it, there are 3 recent theories that hit on important aspects of the divergence...

1/


One set of theories focus on the legitimating power of Islam (Rubin, @prof_ahmetkuru, Platteau). This gave religious clerics greater power, which pulled political resources away form those encouraging economic development

But these theories leave some questions unanswered...
2/

Religious legitimacy is only effective if people
care what religious authorities dictate. Given the economic consequences, why do people remain religious, and thereby render religious legitimacy effective? Is religiosity a cause or a consequence of institutional arrangements?

3/

Another set of theories focus on the religious proscriptions of Islam, particular those associated with Islamic law (@timurkuran). These laws were appropriate for the setting they formed but had unforeseeable consequences and failed to change as economic circumstances changed

4/

There are unaddressed questions here, too

Muslim rulers must have understood that Islamic law carried proscriptions that hampered economic development. Why, then, did they continue to use Islamic institutions (like courts) that promoted inefficiencies?

5/

You May Also Like

प्राचीन काल में गाधि नामक एक राजा थे।उनकी सत्यवती नाम की एक पुत्री थी।राजा गाधि ने अपनी पुत्री का विवाह महर्षि भृगु के पुत्र से करवा दिया।महर्षि भृगु इस विवाह से बहुत प्रसन्न हुए और उन्होने अपनी पुत्रवधु को आशीर्वाद देकर उसे कोई भी वर मांगने को कहा।


सत्यवती ने महर्षि भृगु से अपने तथा अपनी माता के लिए पुत्र का वरदान मांगा।ये जानकर महर्षि भृगु ने यज्ञ किया और तत्पश्चात सत्यवती और उसकी माता को अलग-अलग प्रकार के दो चरू (यज्ञ के लिए पकाया हुआ अन्न) दिए और कहा कि ऋतु स्नान के बाद तुम्हारी माता पुत्र की इच्छा लेकर पीपल का आलिंगन...

...करें और तुम भी पुत्र की इच्छा लेकर गूलर वृक्ष का आलिंगन करना। आलिंगन करने के बाद चरू का सेवन करना, इससे तुम दोनो को पुत्र प्राप्ति होगी।परंतु मां बेटी के चरू आपस में बदल जाते हैं और ये महर्षि भृगु अपनी दिव्य दृष्टि से देख लेते हैं।

भृगु ऋषि सत्यवती से कहते हैं,"पुत्री तुम्हारा और तुम्हारी माता ने एक दुसरे के चरू खा लिए हैं।इस कारण तुम्हारा पुत्र ब्राह्मण होते हुए भी क्षत्रिय सा आचरण करेगा और तुम्हारी माता का पुत्र क्षत्रिय होकर भी ब्राह्मण सा आचरण करेगा।"
इस पर सत्यवती ने भृगु ऋषि से बड़ी विनती की।


सत्यवती ने कहा,"मुझे आशीर्वाद दें कि मेरा पुत्र ब्राह्मण सा ही आचरण करे।"तब महर्षि ने उसे ये आशीर्वाद दे दिया कि उसका पुत्र ब्राह्मण सा ही आचरण करेगा किन्तु उसका पौत्र क्षत्रियों सा व्यवहार करेगा। सत्यवती का एक पुत्र हुआ जिसका नाम जम्दाग्नि था जो सप्त ऋषियों में से एक हैं।