James Taranto notices a double-standard, though he doesn’t go so far as to explain the reason for it:
How come no one ever points out that the terrorists are fueling our hate by attacking us…? How often did we hear last week that Israel had merely “fueled the hate” of Palestinians by killing Ahmed Yassin, who had already directed the murders of hundreds of Israelis…? How come no one ever points out that such belligerence–and the barbarity it incites–only prolongs the cycle of violence and leads to more dead Arabs?
James Taranto also found this one:
The Seattle Times has a Sunday section for kids called “Next,” and the current edition features an online poll that asks “Who do you blame for 9/11?” Three choices are offered: “Bush,” “Clinton” and “CIA.” There isn’t even a write-in category for those who blame the actual culprits, Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. And people say it’s crazy to think Saddam Hussein might have been involved?
The following day, Taranto noted:
The Seattle Times has canceled its online poll…. A notice on the page now says: “Because too few options were presented, this week’s pulse question has been changed.” The new question is completely unrelated.