Beauchamp lives

Its been a year since I first wrote about the now infamous fablist Scott Thomas Beauchamp, and now he figures it’s safe to stick his head up again. Spencer Ackerman, a former writer for The New Republic tries to lend credence to Beauchamp’s fables and to defend The New Republic at the same time. I guess they both figured no one was paying attention anymore when Radar Magazine agreed to publish “Notes on a Scandal“. I’d take the time to slice it up, but Bob Owens did such a fine job at Pajamas Media ahead of me.

In “Notes on a Scandal,” Ackerman interviews Scott Beauchamp and Elspeth Reeve — and no one else — and shockingly comes to the conclusion that the magazine that fired Ackerman for his anti-war views was wrong to pull its support for a series of articles (”Shock Troops” was just one of three Beauchamp stories) that reinforced those views.

How did Ackerman conduct this investigation? He hung out with Beauchamp and Reeve at a bar and later communicated with them via email. What he did not do is present any evidence to support the contention that Beauchamp’s claims are true, or that Franklin Foer was wrong to pull support for stories that still lack on-the-record evidence of any kind.

Ackerman still relies on everyone to stop paying attention so he can get away with lying and not presenting any new evidence to support his side. It’s beyond me why they still think they can hide behind their “evil Army bullies” story that supposedly prevents them from proving their side. I’ll also never understand why they’re so willing to defend this single liar and continue throwing themselves on the grenade for him. Beauchamps certainly didn’t do them any favors.

Last October, on the word of Michael Yon, I gave Beauchamp a free pass because his chain of command said he was soldiering. Well all bets are off, since he wants to stand by his stories again. (h/t Ace of Spades)

Category: Media, Phony soldiers