69 million page views

Credible Punditry, capitalist style

Reader comment on item: Arafat's Failure May Offer Seeds of Hope

Submitted by Barry Gottesman (United States), May 7, 2002 at 13:28

In the financial world, a pundit or a guru who goes out on a limb and makes a claim, bears a certain amount of reponsibility. If one continues to push a stock or a sector that collapses, obviously it is understood that the hustler is not trusted any more. Clearly, he or she was wrong and will not to be trusted further.
What I find remarkable is that when it comes to foreign affairs and geo-politics, the same pundits can be wrong again and again and without any accountability for their mistakes. The same "experts" who were so clear about how there would be a morass of death and destruction in Afghanistan have no shame going on the telly again talking about what a Vietnam Iraq will be. Don't the media have any shame at all?
The same is true with regard to the Israeli/Arab situation: how many liberal "terrorism experts" have said that following the so-called "Operation Defensive Shield" there would be a manifold increase in shahidic bombings? Nu? as we say here in Canada, where are they.?
Getting back to the article that Daniel wrote: A clear analysis has been made. Barring an unexpected outside shock (e.g. the collapse of Jordan, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia - or an revolution in Iran) there will be a collapse of the "Al Aqsa Intifada".
Let's go back in a year from now when all the Edward Saids, and Yossi Beilins will be trying to explain why the jihad collapsed (peace talks, political horizons etc...) and remember it started with the crushing of the infrastructure, the humiliation of the leadership and the "castration" of the Palestinian psyche.

What needs to happen is the introduction of a capitalist style type of responsibility in analysis of geo-politics. Hey, maybe a true capitalist media will be a good thing.
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (26) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
What is the world thinking????? [43 words]MassimoNov 14, 2005 14:0928366
To commenter Mirko Badul [49 words]LeslieDec 9, 2002 20:104500
Time will tell [43 words]A. NimmerSep 26, 2002 07:512654
After Likud vote, lets take another look at it. [571 words]Jay BeaMay 14, 2002 20:50361
The Shadow of the Palestinian National Charter [133 words]Eva GoldmanMay 9, 2002 18:09326
Time for Arafat to Go [39 words]Robert SpitalnickMay 9, 2002 16:44324
No reason to give Palestinians a state [105 words]Jay BeaMay 9, 2002 10:26317
Understand Arafat's Goal [18 words]Greg OfieshMay 9, 2002 00:07309
Compromising on Terror will bring annihilation of the West [157 words]R. CrockettMay 8, 2002 16:55307
The UN and Israel [60 words]William J. SturmMay 8, 2002 08:47305
Misunderstood Nature of Palestinian War [176 words]Donald VogelMay 8, 2002 01:06303
Credible Punditry, capitalist style [300 words]Barry GottesmanMay 7, 2002 13:28254
No Historical Reconcilliation Until Arafat is Out [465 words]Natalie HassmanMay 7, 2002 05:39244
Seeds of hope [19 words]Muhammad SiddiquiMay 7, 2002 03:11242
So what's the next move? [251 words]Sally VeeMay 7, 2002 02:30241
Relinquish the Right of Return [216 words]Ron FinkelMay 7, 2002 02:28240
Pertinent analysis, wishful conclusion [285 words]Victor TordjmanMay 7, 2002 01:27239
Action Pays Off! [236 words]William J. SturmMay 7, 2002 00:26238
The Peace Process Fantasy [154 words]Lawrence KammMay 6, 2002 20:35236
Liars Never Win! [588 words]Les LiebermanMay 6, 2002 20:20235
Counterproductive Arafat [53 words]Aram PaquinMay 6, 2002 17:55233
Seeds of hope? [457 words]Yehudit HirschMay 6, 2002 17:43232
Seeds of Hope Will Turn Out to be Pits [165 words]Steven HessMay 6, 2002 17:35231
Call it the 'Oslo War' [106 words]Elisa SilvermanMay 6, 2002 17:08230
Suicide bombings will lead to total defeat [126 words]Mirko BodulMay 6, 2002 16:56229
Americans & Brits aren't jailers any more [170 words]Don MintzMay 6, 2002 16:55228

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)