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April 7, 2004
Condoleezza Rice, This is Your Life

One of Kevin Drum's interns dug up this gem, just in time for tomorrow's testimony -- a review of Rice's first book, written in 1984. (I wish I had an intern. Or, like, a job even.)

The history professor who reviewed it apparently thought Condi was a man, so the pronouns are all wrong, but it's what's between the pronouns that's really good.

Rice's selection of sources raises questions, since he frequently does not sift facts from propaganda and valid information from disinformation or misinformation. He passes judgments and expresses opinions without adequate knowledge of facts. It does not add to his credibility when he uses a source written by Josef Hodic; Rice fails to notice that this "former military scientist" (p. 99) was a communist agent who returned to Czechoslovakia several years ago.

....Rice's generalizations reflect his lack of knowledge about history and the nationality problem in Czechoslovakia. For example....Rice's discussion of the "Czechoslovak Legion" that was "born during the chaotic period preceding the fall of the Russian empire" (pp. 44-46) is ridiculous. (It was "born" on September 28, 1914.) He is clearly ignorant of the history of the military unit as well as of the geography of the area on which it fought.

http://vulgo.org/index.php?option=news&task=viewarticle&sid=1102

Kevin sums it up perfectly:

Let's review: Problems distinguishing facts from propaganda. Too quick to pass judgment without adequate knowledge. Failure to properly assess sources who have an obvious axe to grind. Ignorance of regional history.

Does any of this sound familiar?

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_04/003639.php

UPDATE: Apparently Eric Alterman had this tidbit a few months ago.

Posted by ahecht at April 7, 2004 3:26 PM
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