OriginalSpin

Here's the link. And a quote:

There are dozens of initiatives President Obama could undertake to strengthen our economic security. Here is one: He should enter into closed-door negotiations with Chinese leaders to write off the $1.14 trillion of American debt currently held by China in exchange for a deal to end American military assistance and arms sales to Taiwan and terminate the current United States-Taiwan defense arrangement by 2015. 

This would be a most precious prize to the cautious men in Beijing, one they would give dearly to achieve. After all, our relationship with Taiwan, as revised in 1979, is a vestige of the cold war.

Wow. As if abandoning our allies and strategic commitments without cause or explanation weren't abhorrent enough, to suggest doing so in exchange for cash fundamentally demeans our country's values and ideals. (Imagine if he'd suggested selling Israel in exchange for a trillion in free oil?)

Ironically, the writer, Paul Kane, is an Iraq War vet. Thanks for your service, Mr. Kane, but you learned the wrong lesson from that misguided adventure....which will have cost us three times your bargain-label price for Taiwan by the time we finally leave.

James Fallows's equally aghast take here: Is This NYT Op-Ed a Joke? Selling Taiwan to the Bankers of Beijing—The Atlantic

And, of course, the Taiwanese animators of NMA:

(It should be noted that this conversation occurred after Schugel had sent his undercover "I-Team" crew to New York, where they investigated the premises with a hidden camera and, naturally, found no trace of dogs being consumed, butchered or sold.)

Now, those of you who are familiar with Chinese accents already know what's going on here. Yep, the worker was saying that they sold "duck" meat — ducks, "not for pets, but for eating." Because what kind of an idiot would go to a butcher shop to buy a pet? 

But that didn't stop Schugel and WCCO from highlighting the piece as a major story both on broadcast and on the web — until the real story came out and the station hastily pulled the online stream. The Asian American Journalists Association's Minnesota chapter has asked the station and reporter for an apology and explanation; none has so far been forthcoming. 

As usual, there's a much bigger concern here than just a single erroneous report. This is a case of a journalist going into a story with a clear agenda in mind: He wanted to uncover proof of dogs being eaten by Chinese people. Probably not because of any desire to slander Chinese; to give him the benefit of the doubt, he was likely motivated by the desire to "break" a big and shocking story. But the rationale for Schugel's lack of appropriate journalistic skepticism is moot. The fact is, when an initial — and expensive — foray didn't obtain the evidence he wanted, he pushed until he got support for the conclusion that would generate the most reaction.

Did he consult with experts in Chinese culture, cuisine or immigrant communities? Doesn't seem like it. And given the obvious probability that a language barrier would exist between the Kansas City, MO-raised Schugel and his prospective source, did he seek out the services of a translator to communicate in his over-the-phone interview? Nope. 

It's a no-brainer to point out that a station with reasonable diversity at all levels of the newsroom would probably have an Asian American individual capable of raising questions about both Schugel's reporting and conclusions before he and the station embarrassed themselves so badly.

But really, all it would have taken here is for a news director to engage a garden-variety B.S. detector: Even assuming a Chinese market were illegally importing dogs from another state to sell as meat, would they be idiotic enough to admit it, matter of factly, over the phone to a non-Chinese stranger? 

(It should be noted that, despite numerous rumors and unfounded allegations, no one's ever found a legit case of dogs being butchered and sold or served in the U.S. as meat. Really. Never. Here's a column I wrote about it, years ago: Putting On the Dog)

Schugel needs to be suspended from the investigative beat, and WCCO news director Mike Caputa — who was promoted to that position just this June — needs to go on the record explaining why the decision was made to air this story, given its massive holes. And let me be clear — this isn't a race thing, it's a journalism thing. Bad reporting needs to be censured, regardless of what its subject is.

That said, when bad reporting contributes to racial slanders that have (ahem) dogged a community since the dawn of immigration, and when it threatens the livelihood of innocent immigrant businessmen and workers (not just in New York, but in every Chinatown in the nation), the repercussions need to be real, and they need to be redressed quickly and publicly.

WCCO's failure to do so is the biggest embarrassment of all. 

Sidenote: While WCCO's fast fingers have pulled the original report off the web, the Taiwanese animators over at NMA-TV have been equally quick to fill the hole. Here's their take on the debacle:

So you may or may not know that I've been liveblogging the GOP Debates for WNYC's "It's a Free Country" as their Pop & Politics correspondent. In practice, this has meant pounding beers while watching the cavalcade of insanity that passes for the GOP candidates slate, and doing my best to simultaneously peck out snide commentary.

Anyway, with just a few thousand more debates left in this cycle, I've decided to start posting transcripts of my posts (here's a transcript of the actual debate itself, which was hosted by CNBC and titled "Your Money, Your Vote" — hilarious that CNBC misspelled its own anchor's name as "John Hardwood," you totes know that's his porn name, right people?) The highlights of last night's debate: 1. Jon Huntsman's back, did anyone miss him? 2. Herman Cain calling Nancy Pelosi "Princess Nancy" 3. Rick Perry #epicfail. 

And now, your debate, in 60 seconds. 

The debate's about to begin! My fearless predictions on the top three GOP debate ideas to fix the economy: 1—Cut taxes 2—End Medicare/Social Security 3—Ban abortion. 

Oops—the numbering got messed up. Should be 9—Cut taxes 9—End Medicare/Social Security 9—Ban abortion

Uh...was that Food Network's Alton Brown being interviewed as an expert for this debate?

Ha! @BorowitzReport GOP Debate Preview: Michele Bachmann will say that from the moment an egg is fertilized, it has the right to own a gun

Huntsman's back! I totally feel like he should be standing there behind a cardboard box

"Just like 60 minutes is an hour, a dollar is a dollar." #CainsFirmGraspOnObvious

Romney takes a sideswipe at Newt? "I've been married to the same woman for 42 years"

Rick Perry looks intensely focused on the five inches in front of his forehead.

Did Perry just call for the breakup of the banks? Like Newt did, earlier today?

The 40% corporate tax rate is driving jobs out of the country? How does Bachmann explain the huge percentage of companies that pay 0% taxes?

Santorum's 0% taxes for manufacturing makes zero sense. Banks will start setting up basketweaving divisions.

Whoa—the question. Maria B. raises Cain's lady problems: "Why should the U.S. people hire a president with character issues?"

Cain: "And if you'd like to talk about this later, Maria, in private..."

Now a question on Occupy Wall Street. 76% of Americans believe that the economy tilts toward the wealthy.

And Huntsman gets his first question, and answers: I want to be president of the 99%. And the 1%.

Newt: "Occupy Wall Street doesn't have a clue about history". Unlike the Tea Party, which is at least costume-appropriate.

Santorum wants to drill the Marcellus Shale while training coal miners how to program in C++. Or something.

Cain says 999! Everybody drink.

Bachmann: "Freedom should cost at least $10 for every taxpayer, the cost of 2 Happy Meals." It's tax policy via Groupon!

Romney: "Allow this economy to reboot." Romney to America: CTRL ALT DELETE

Newt plays the DeNiro card: You askin' me?

All of a sudden, all the GOP candidates are in favor of breaking up the big banks. Did a check not clear?

Perry's solution to the healthcare crisis: "I guarantee we'll solve it, and we'll save a ton of money."

Calling Minority Leader Pelosi "Princess Nancy," huh? Cain's just really racking up the gender credibility here 

Uh, Newt—Romney said MEDICARE, not MEDICAID should be sent to the states. Medicaid is already run by the states.

Michelle wondering where promised cost savings are from "Obamacare," which will not exist until 2014. #JustgohomealreadyMichelle

I really, really wish Romney would just say "we need to repeal Obamacare and replace it with Romneycare"

Romney stumbles like a drunken sailor all around question related to individual mandate.

RT @benschwartzy: Cain campaign now issuing statement that Pelosi is a "troubled woman" who asked to be called "Princess Nancy."”

Tied for face you most just feel like slapping: Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich 

Romney did not want to remind audience that he collaborated with Ted Kennedy on his healthcare plan. Ha.

"We must have a president who puts the country in front of getting elected" And Romney disqualifies entire Republican field in one swoop

Perry forgets what department he's going to eliminate. "Education, Commerce...uh..." Wow. #EndofLineforPerry

Props to Ron Paul for trying to give Perry hints, though. "EPA?" "No...it's not the EPA."

Gingrich calls for privatizing Social Security, e.g. putting it in the hands of the same people who brought us the global economic meltdown 

Bachmann has no idea what she's talking about, demographically OR economically, when she's talking about SocSecurity.

Huntsman: Obama sucks as a leader. See, a good leader wouldn't hire backstabbing weasels for key positions in his administration

Paul: "Pay for college the way you pay for cellphones!" Um...have the provider give it to you for free with a 2-year subscription?

Perry will "stand up for the young people" by getting rid of the federal student loan program. Our hero, saving kids from debt 

Oh here's the "China sucks" portion of the debate.

And Cain's answer to winning! vs. China? 999. Like it is to everything. #NounVerband999 

Romney: I'll crack down on China—those cheaters! I'll label them. And then they'll copy the labels and sell 'em at half price.

Newt cites Boston Consulting while standing right next to Bain alum Romney. Getting him back for his wife remark.

Romney's position on China is reminiscent of Reagan's joke "I've just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever."

And now pit boss Jim Cramer is reading a quote about the markets being a casino....

I think that if Jim Cramer traded some of his medication for some of Rick Perry's, both would be better off.

If I'm running the GOP debates, it's 3 frontrunners I'd reduce the field to: Romney, Cain & the um, who's the third one there? Um...oops.

That's it! Until the next one...good night, everyone!

Right-wing blogger Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit is getting a lot of traffic for his posting of a list of the 18 countries whose Standard & Poor's credit rating is now equal to or higher than that of the U.S. — from Australia to the Swiss Confederation — with the simple, one-line caption: "Thank you, Obama. Thank you, Democrats."

Just...wow. It's hard to get surprised by the irresponsibility and dishonesty of the modern Right these days, but this effort to pin the downgrade on the President and the Left is particularly staggering — given that the debt-limit deal that led to the drop included "98%" of what Speaker of the House John Boehner wanted, leading S&P to specifically call out the adamant unwillingness of the Right to compromise on raising revenues as a primary reason for its decision. (God knows where our credit rating would be today if the Speaker got 100% of what he wanted.)

That said, the blogging Right generally trips over its own intellectual shallowness, and this is no exception. A closer look at the 18 countries called out by Hoft reveals a story that the Right probably doesn't want people to hear, which is that these 18 countries:

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NOTE: I should have included the parameters I used for this list: Basically, to be included, a group has to have an Asian American lead vocalist who identifies publicly as Asian American (which can mean embracing his/her Asian identity in interviews, performing at Asian American events or with Asian American collaborators, or otherwise indicating that he or she wants to be represented as such — degree of heritage is irrelevant). The group also has to be on Spotify, of course...which is surprisingly comprehensive but still has some black holes. Where's Julie Plug?

And here's a link to the actual playlist on Spotify itself, of course: http://orsp.in/theasianamplayl​ist

Cataloguing Asian American Music

What do you do when a literary idol decides to take a huge metaphorical dump on the culture and civilization from whence your ancestors emerged? I'm not sure I've figured out the answer to that question yet, but I'm grappling with it.

You see, master mock-and-droller David Sedaris, who's unequivocally one of the great essayists of our time and a personal favorite of mine, has chosen to take his parodic talent and point it at China, its people and its food. Except the piece he's written for the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper is less amusing than it is venomous, xenophobic and dissipated.

Which, to be fair, describes many of his genuinely funny essays as well.

The difference, I think, is that in his adventures in France, Japan and, well, Raleigh, North Carolina, he is usually as self-deprecating as he is other-; he comes off as a general, equal-opportunity misanthrope in the classic Molièrean vein. He also actually bothers to create human characters and enliven them with dialogue, and often wit — they become his comic foils, or he theirs, in a widening outspiral of mannered absurdity.

Not so here. Sedaris announces from the outset that he dislikes Chinese food — "I'll eat it if the alternative means starving" — and thinks of visiting China itself as an unpleasant prospect: "'I have to go to China.' I told people this in the way I might say, 'I need to insulate my crawl space' or, 'I've got to get these moles looked at.' That's the way it felt, though. Like a chore."

But he goes anyway, after spending a week in vastly more civilized (but no less exotic) Tokyo — which he extolls as being sublime, delicate and sanitary. And then, China. China, as described by Sedaris, is a land of phlegm-hawking savages who eat animals that no right thinking person would consume, and eat parts of those animals that no sane person would consider, preparing and presenting them in the most foul and revolting fashion possible. Also, Chinese people shit everywhere, they practically bathe in the stuff, and of course they have no problem eating shit, or at least things that eat shit. 

In fact, shit, in its many forms — stinking, floating, abandoned, stepped in or, in his mind, coyly tucked into entrees — ends up being the closest thing Sedaris finds to the satirical counter his prose always seeks out. He and shit engage in a kind of capoiera-like martial ballet throughout the 2700-odd word piece (though mucus and urine do occasionally enter the fray); by the middle of the essay, Sedaris's preoccupation has become less shocking than annoying, and by its final throes, less annoying than tedious. (He's brilliantly noted before that "Shit is the tofu of cursing and can be molded to whichever condition the speaker desires"; the larding-up of his narrative here with shit references points to what this essay really is, e.g., bulk filler with limited taste and nutritional value.)

So look, David: Chinese people eat weird food. There is a saying that "Chinese will eat anything with its back to the sky," and another that says "Chinese will eat anything with legs but a table and anything with wings but an airplane." These are Chinese sayings, I might point out — a sign that Chinese aren't exactly unaware that the "delicacies" that send prim Westerners to their fainting couches are a little off the beaten path.

But Chinese are far from the only culture that eats weird food, and fuck, given that you're from North Carolina, have you looked at what American Southerners traditionally eat? No? Chitlins! Possum! Muskrat! Bull testicles! Oh wait, you're from suburban Raleigh, so probably not, given that most of the more exotic dishes in Southern cuisine, like in many culinary traditions, was the offspring of necessity — invention midwived by destitution. If you're hungry enough, rodents will start to look tasty, as will chicken claws, stray innards and balls. And once you've eaten them long enough, all these things evolve into nostalgic signifiers — especially after you've pulled yourself out of poverty. They go from things you have to eat all the time to things you choose to eat once in a while, to remind yourself you don't have to eat them all the time. 

And this is what's truly ugly about your piece, David: For someone who's spent a lot of your career puncturing middle-class aspiration and self-delusion, your essay is unpleasantly blind to the fact that all of China is just a few generations removed from dire, desperate want, and that many people, like the peasant family you had such a bad experience sharing a meal with, continue to subsist on an annual income that's a tiny fraction of what a sophisticated awesome American literary superstar like you loses in his sofa. And in a country of 1.3 billion people, even having braised pig's stomach to occasionally go with your daily rice is a fucking luxury.

But you should note: Those 1.3 billion people have a standard of living that's skyrocketing upward. They're crawling up and out of the economic muck, while we seem determined to drag ourselves down into it. And more and more of them are learning English and traveling abroad and reading international newspapers like the Guardian. So, just sayin': The next time you're eating at a fancy New York restaurant near a table of tourists from Shanghai...maybe you shouldn't turn your back on your Coke.

Nothing irritates me quite so much in lifestyle journalism than the breathless Consumption Red Alert feature — that "investigative health reporting" staple in which a statistics-blind editorialist takes a survey or study out of context, misinterprets or inappropriately frames its conclusions, and backs it up with irrelevant quotes and facts or deliberate distortions in order to warn of some terrifying phenomenon. This article is a prime example. As Simone Walters writes for FYILiving: OH NOES MSG MAY CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN! CHINESE FOOD "WORSE THAN MCDONALD'S!"

How many ways can I rip this article a new one? Let's go line by line:

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