"If a senator calls me up and asks me what should we do in Iraq, I'm happy to talk to him."

Because I studied with Huntington and my mentor is Kissinger, I know what to do. If a heart surgeon calls me up and asks me how to splice arteries, I'm happy to talk to him. When NASA gets tired of exploding space shuttles, they call me up and I just tell them what to do. When Yo-Yo Ma gets all confused with exotic scales and what not, whom does he call? Yours truly.

But my specialty is Iraq! You see, the Brits colonized India and it worked out really well for me. The Yanks are the new Brits. That's why I love them and I love that war so much! Maybe more Iraqis will have a chance to go to Yale and Harvard thanks to me. And who are you to deny an Iraqi a chance to be the new me?

Sorry, Dr K is on the line. Gotta go.

Fareed Zakaria went to STUTTS! Like ME! And like everyone I know!

I'm soooooo proud.....

Hey, I am an expert, just ask me and I will tell you so.

How odd it is, when you look at Stone's picture, that he does not resemble the classic example of the stoic hero, broad of bicep, jutting of jaw, deeply tanned and beautiful to behold. Thus another given bites the dust and the phony Hollyweird heroes diminish to a dot, a mote of dust hovering near the horizon in the presence of a true giant like I.F. Stone.

Compare and contrast is always good and this one is a marvel of bottom feeder versus integrity.

If Yo-Yo Ma is confused over exotic scales I would tell him that there are really only twelve notes in Western music and that he should study John Coltrane the legendary tenor saxophonist who inspired two generations of musicians with his infusion of Eastern music into the Jazz medium. See? I am an expert and I will tell you so.

Seriously though when I listen to Coltrane's Giant Steps the hair on my neck still stands up and the same goes for Bird's solo on Now's the Time where Bird takes the blues format, turns it inside out and upside down and caused a generation of alto saxophonists to throw their horns into a river in their despair.

But I digest.

What would we do without Tom Friedman, Michelle Malkin, David Brooks and the rest whose expertise convinced a nation that stupidity is a viable solution to problems that never existed?

Rob: naima on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbM7oAz3bS8&mode=related&search=

and if that mysteriously fails to send shivers down your spine, this will:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFsL9EwplNo

Bernard,

Thanks so much for the links, what a nice way to start the day. All those guys, Trane, Ben Webster and Bird have been an inspiration in my life for many years and it was a great pleasure to see them on video, what a nice treat. Bird Lives!

Great comments! They make the point so well. I am finding myself wondering more and more how these people can be so incredibly self-assured. They really think nothing of sitting around in secrecy, shmoozing up 'strong pro-war' arguments for a report no common citizen ever got to see. They claim no responsibility for the deaths of this war. And they really seem to feel guilt-free, too. I guess it's just a kind of game for them.

This story made me remember something that I think got started when my children were first going to school -- the whole 'being an expert' thing. My husband and I went to some back-to-school meeting when our boys were in elementary school; one of the teachers was talking about giving kids the opportunity to do projects and become an 'expert' on a topic. Anyone can be an 'expert', she said brightly.

Aunt Deb,

The sad part is that there were some bona fide experts that our lunatic leaders could have accepted into their inner circle but instead chose these self styled experts instead as they told them what they wanted to hear.

I find this almost as disquieting as the news that Ahmed Chalabi was not a modern day Bolivar. But what are you gonna do?

You're right, Rob. And when such people were asked to testify, like Scott Ritter, look how they and their testimony were treated. I think one of the more astounding things about this era is the way the Republicans have made expertise suspect. For example, it's pretty clear that one of the premises that Cheney and Wolfowitz operate on is that people who associate with the Enemy are subverted by that exposure. So linguists, academics and analysts who have spent years acquiring knowledge and understanding are automatically suspect of having gone native.

I think this goes beyond the standard anti-intellectualism and elite-bashing. This is saying you can't understand the problem properly and will not be permitted to work the problem unless you share the bias of those in power.