Actually, for a newspaper story this one has a surprising and laudable depth of coverage compared with the 'sophisticated' journalism we're accustomed to in Seattle by the Times and the P-I. The reporter must have invested far more time than the Seattle counterparts normally do when digging up a few selected facts to bolster their opinions.

I hate free verse. It's much harder to fisk.

Aw, hell. Might as well give it a shot.

Seems somewhat reminiscent of the Klinghoffer opera -- Palestinian terrorists murder a crippled Jew and the muse pays a visit. Useful idiot dies accidentally helping Palestinians carry out a program to murder Jews, and here comes the muse again.

But Munger also forwarded the press release to several e-mail recipients, including a pro-Palestinian blogger apparently based in Tel Aviv, who proceeded to post five of Munger's e-mails on a high-traffic Web site with the following introduction:

"These days in faraway Alaska, there is an important event: the first performance of Philip Munger's Cantata to Rachel Corrie. The brilliant composer was immediately attacked by the local Jews. Even Alaska is not far enough!....

The "pro-Palestinian blogger" in question just happens to be a raving, paranoid, Jew-baiting bigot: That's right, folks, it's none other than that lovable old lunk, Israel Shamir a.k.a. Robert David.

http://www.argent.fr/rachelcantate.htm

If the composer is one of Shamir's email pen pals or an ideological fellow traveler, then one has great reason to be dubious of the intellectual and moral impulses behind this cantata.

Anybody know what an "Alascan Jew" is?

Interesting that Corrie's most famous photos did not accompany the article.

What evil lurks in the minds of men? Even "The Shadow" could not imagine the derenged insanity that exists.

Attack Corrie, she's dead.

Cheer the guy who drove the bulldozer than ran her over.

If someone had laid down their body to stop Bush from seizing private property to build ENRON FIELD (is it still called that?) in Texas and they had been run over by the bulldozer driver you would be cheering the governmental right of eminent domain.

Nobody in power in the Middle East wants the conflict to end.
1. Sharon & Likud are the party that gets votes when the conflict gets worse
2. Other Middle Eastern leaders can always mention Israel to change the focus of conversation about regional woes
3. Defense contractors

You and I would disagree on Arafat's motives, but I bet we could both find a reason to think he benefits from a continued crisis.

What does anyone get out of peace? There is no big fat contract to hand out.

Brilliant analysis, Mr. Jablome. Now all that's missing from your conspiracy theory is an explanation of why Ehud Barak didn't want peace, either, and opted instead to get himself and his own party voted out of office.

Unlike the lot of you, I have met Mr. Munger. I find it tremendously insensitive of you to refer to Corrie as a "terrorist cheerleader--" have some respect for the dead. She was fighting the Israeli effort to bulldoze Palestinian homes in the gaza strip, not offering support or assistance to suicide bombers. The houses she was protecting were the homes of regular Palestinian citizens, not the homes of suicide bombers or terrorists. Munger has poured his heart and soul into this work, and it is thoroughly inappropriate of you to attack him personally.