Smart Things Considered--A Transcript

**I’m Going Up the Country by Canned Heat fades out as Pile sings along**

Pile:

I’m going to the country, something something something.

Hello and Welcome everyone to another broadcast of Smart Things Considered, the radio show that has and will continue to consider all things smart. Today’s show is brought to you by generous donations from listeners like you and by a grant from The Patriot Act.

Sexy female vo:

The Patriot Act……protecting our libraries……from terrorists……libraries……terrorists……protecting……since 2001.

Pile:

On the show today we have Iraqwarwrong, the author of the blog Iraq War Was Wrong Blog, the blog that sets the standard for erudite dissent of the Iraq War.

But first we have some business to tend to. I am sure many of you are wondering where John from Wuzzadem is today. Well, not to worry, he is still an important part of the show; we are just working through what format works best for the show. In the first show it seemed like I was putting words in his mouth and then in the second it was almost as if he was putting words in mine.

All right let's get to our interview; Eric, is our guest on the line?

Eric from Vince Aut Morire:

Yes he is Mr. On.

Pile:

Please Eric, call me Pile. Iraqwarwrong, on behalf of the staff and management of Smart Things Considered I would like to thank you for agreeing to be on the show.

IWW:

Your welcome and glad to be here(metaphorically).

Pile:

You know, when I first saw your blog title I thought it was self-titled, but it isn’t. I mean it has a "was" in it, where your name doesn’t. Then I thought it was short for Iraq War Wrong, you know like when I was a kid and they called me Piley, short for Pile?

IWW:

You're right there's no was in iraqwarwrong and no myblog is not self-titled. It's just a simple littleblog about how The Iraq War was wrong. As you(hopefully?) know, The Iraq War was wrong, and well,mine's is a Blog about that.

Ergo, it's an Iraq WarWas Wrong *blog*. (Some people get tripped up here) There's other stuff I get into (and periodically I dotake it down a notch - it can't all be all Iraq Warall the time) but thats the main of it.

Pile:

Just so there is no confusion in the minds of our listeners, let’s clarify. Is it a blog about how the Iraq war was wrong, meaning right war wrong country? If we had started the Iraq war in another country it could have been right, or at least not wrong?

Or is it that the Iraq war was wrong, meaning it could be the right war another time, just not at the time that the Iraq war was?


IWW:

I'm not sure the jist of your question(s) but offhandI'd have to say all of the above(and yet nonesomehow). Or . Look all I mean is this. My blog canbe all thing's to some different people (Big Tent).

As long as they say know The Iraq War was wrong it'sall good. Alot of what you seem to be talking aboutis semantics(confusing). But there are bigger issuesto fry so I mean let's not get bog down.

Um LOL I just noticed something rediculous you said: You can't start an Iraq War in another country. That's a Category Error.

Pile:

Now who is getting bogged down with semantics? I mean the Battle of Waterloo wasn’t fought in Iowa now was it? Anyway, tell us why you started your blog?

IWW:

Some longtime reader's may have perceived that there'ssort of an alterior motive/subtext running underneathmuch of the blog and well, in admittance that iscorrect. I make no real secret of it but I may aswell explain that EVENTUALLY my ambition's/goal is tobe a bonaphide Pundit (praferably Wash. D.C.) so I canhelp set thing's straight in this country.

So, theblog serves the duel purpose of - (1) showing/sayingthat how The Iraq War was wrong, and (2)practice/honing my writing skills and establishing mybonaphides/writing abilities for future employers(internships?). In other words there's no better waythen to dive in with two feet and just get my handsdirty with experience and well, that's my blog.

Pile:

So why did you choose a blog as way to hone your pundit bonafides as opposed to say talk radio or Journalism school?

IWW:

Well, at the time I was mostly on AOL groups and IRC chat (alsoUnreal tournement/Quake communities ect) and whathappened was that as we I always discussed-bouncedaround political/current event's matters, someone (oneof those places) told me about or pointed me to these``blog`` things and said I should check them out/gothere instead/ I might like. So, I did.

Much to my shock (and chagrin) I found theblogsphere to be (almost) nothing but a bunch ofdhingers!

Pile:

For our listeners that don’t know, what is a dhinger?

IWW:

You don't know dhinger? I don't get it. Why dopeople have such problems with this. Dhinger. Youknow? Rightwing, dingbat, right-wing dingbat,wing-ding, winger-dinger, whinger-dhinger.... DHINGER. What's not to get. Do u want me to have to say thelonger versions all the time. Talk about pedantic. If listeners (lazy?) would just go to my blog they'dsee that I define ALL relevent term's like that(somewhere - check links on RHS right hand sidebar).

Or they could just Google it (right now I get 318 fordhingers, 588 for dhinger - and growing). It's notlike its not out there. Just because I'm an earlyadopter its no reason to gripe.

Pile:

Oh, I don’t mean to gripe, I just don’t want any confusion in my audience regarding any Anti-War jargon. Please continue to tell us about your decision to go into blogging.

IWW:

All it was was (seems to me) was a bunch of guys who was saying how The Iraq War was right yadda yadda all the time all day long 24/7. I couldn'tbelieve it. (I mean just try to imagine how you would of felt, discovering this echoe chamber of dhingers all at once)

Even the few islands/oasis of sanity that I found(Matthew Yglesias/Oliver Willis/Kos etc). From what Igleaned of they're blogs, They did *some* stuff on TheIraq War's wrongness (tipically no more than 50-75% ofthe posts, let's say) but, It all just left me so unsatisied.

Where was the REAL discussion of thewar's wrongness. Where was the person to Dissent and just flat out say "This war was wrong" and not let up.
(No quarter).

So that's where I came in. Basically (ironic to say)but just like the dhinger's SHOULD(if not hipocrisy) welcome/celebrate, I saw a market need (Niche) and Ifilled it. Simple as that.

Pile:

Okay, we have a little time left, let’s take a call from a listener.......Fred in Peoria you are on Smart Things Considered.

Fred in Peoria:

Thanks Pile, long time listener first time caller.

Pile:

Thanks Fred, do you have a question for our guest?

Fred in Peoria:

Yes, I would like to know if Iraqwarwrong likes pudding?

IWW:

It depends what kind. Chocolate-yes. Banana-no. Fred you can't just throw these broad questions at mewith no context/specificiaty. Where I go for lunch sometimes(weekends/near Walmart)they have tapioca and that's pretty good too if it'snot nasty/messed up. It just really depends. (Sorry - getting alittleflustered here, can we move on to the next questionpls).

Pile:

Well, the music is telling me that is all we have time for on this week's Smart Things Considered. I would like to thank our guest Iraqwarwrong, checkout his(?) blog at http://iraqwarwrong.blogspot.com/. Until next week, this is Pile On saying, if it's smart, we've considered it.