Posted 9:57 AM by Gene

Apparently the terrible death of David Halberstam in a car accident has caused another of those collective nervous breakdowns in the news biz. We can see the masses of six-figures calling him "legendary" -- they don't know better. Likewise we can see Anthony Lewis calling him the greatest JERNALIST of his generation; judging from his declining op-eds he didn't know better. But when everybody praises somebody in that knee-jerk lockstep style something's up, and it can flatten even the most meritorious of reputations. And it seems Halberstam ENDED AN UNJUST WAR. This, of course, is the sort of daydreaming news hacks do when they're not telling the truth, or else making their big salaries. Whether one news hack ENDED the war is doubtful, and of course it would never occur to the hacks to ask themselves if it was the right thing, they always being right. That said we are not terribly familiar with Halberstam; our judgment is of an exceptionally diligent reporter who was long-winded, very long-winded, and often those qualities that might raise suspicions in the peons raise the hallelujahs in the news hacks. Certainly the man was curious, an attribute to be greatly encouraged in every reporter. He died on his way to work, which was fitting, and we fervently hope it wasn't a drunken driver.