History, Internment, Racism and Celebrity

Much has been written about the blog world lately. Critics say that bloggers, since they are not real journalists, they don't have to fact check or use real sources or stuff that real journalists do. Of course, the real journalists don't seem very good at those things either. Else we might have had more critical questions of our WMD-induced war.

But back to the blog world and how this unique forum can really make a contribution. And also back to the celebrity of "journalism." Michelle Malkin, for those unaware, is a very conservative columnist who's views are routinely posted on townhall.com and she frequently appears on Fox (natch). Her fame supports my observation that the media is not really either liberal or conservative, but is drawn to the stupid and the loud and the pretty. Malkin isn't stupid. But she is loud and decent looking. Shrill works where facts and measured discussion fail, or that is how our modern world seems to work. So, in the vein of Ann Coulter attempting to redeem McCarthy, Malkin has decided to redeem and justify the Japanese Internment with a new book. She argues, from what I can pick up, that internment evacuation was justified not on racist terms, but because the government had ample evidence that the Japanese government was actively recruiting people of Japanese ancestry to work for the Emporer against the US.

The good part of this little story is that this incendiary book is bringing out some really good blogging that underscores what this medium can accomplish. The bad part is that it gives Malkin more publicity, and given the politics of celebrity, that means more sales and more sense of justification for her.

But back to the bloggers. Eugene Volokh's Volokh Conspiracy, provides a great (moderate) commentary on law and politics (he is a professor of law). He has invited Eric Muller (another law prof) of Is that Legal (another blog) to guest blog on Malkin's book. Muller brings expertise to this issue, having published a book on Japanese American draft resisters in World War 2, and let me say that I have found this entire discussion fascinating. This is exactly the kind of discourse that we need. Not Malkin, of course, but the others are countering this incindiery book with facts and thoughtful rebuttal. Read Muller here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 or what he calls Part 4, the Robinson Rebuttal where he cites Professor Greg Robinson's cogent review of Malkin, part 65. And by all means read David Neiwert's take on the book here.

All of these point out just how flawed Malkin's methodology and reasoning are in this book. Turns out that the Japanese government did, of course, try to cultivate spies inside our country, but they tried to recruit both of Japanese and non-Japanese heritage, which might have justified the internment of all of California.

Malkin wants us to be able to discuss internment without political correct lenses, but of course, she really wants us to be able to discuss racial profiling and possible internment of Arab Americans. But, by all means, let's discuss internment openly. I think the facts will show that it was a mistake and a racist policy that did little to make us safer.

But, finally, let's hear no more of the blog bashing....