Off the beaten path ...

I know that one of the weaknesses of this blog early on was my fanatical inability to focus on a single issue. Having logged entries on Caravaggio and Eminem videos, it would be a understatement to say that the content was "all over the place." So, with the help of DogOfTheSouth, Rank has for the most part focused its attention on Taiwan.

Yet occasionally there are things of such importance that they seem to transcend the need for focus, and this piece is one of them. An American journalist writes about how, by attempting to be more than a stenographer for the US military in Iraq, she can no longer rely on the support of her own government, and what's more she's viewed with suspicion by insurgents, ordinary Iraqis and US officials. It's a compelling piece.

I cadged the link off Eschaton, but thought for those of you who don't look at that site, this shouldn't be missed. If anything, it's refreshing to see that there are still journalists who understand the importance of telling both sides of the story, who strive for balance and who are willing to put themselves at risk in order to broaden our understanding of the serried conflicts of the world.