EPCOT ON THE TIGRIS

INTERVIEW: Swimming against the mainstream (Christopher Horton, 7/26/03, Asia Times)

Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the man widely considered as the top investigative journalist in the United States is persona non grata in his own country's media. For Greg Palast, an accidental journalist, this is not upsetting. "Our news is like Pravda," he stated matter-of-factly from his New York office in a recent interview with Asia Times Online.

Palast is content to continue his investigative reports into what he perceives as an American oligarchy - a nexus between politicians and corporations in which the line between the two is increasingly blurred - an endeavor which he pursues across the Atlantic in the British media. However, he is gradually being "discovered" by Americans tired of channel surfing only to find the same version of events coming out of the mouths of different talking heads. [...]

Finished with the book tour, and working on an edited US version of his investigation into the Bush dynasty which aired on the BBC under the name "Bush Family Fortunes" ("America can't take it straight up," he said), what is Palast up to next?

"I have a document from before the war, an official State Department document about the plan for Iraq's economy. This includes the privatization of the oil industry. The plan is essentially to turn Iraq into a corporate Disneyland," Palast said.

There's a great scene in Tony Horwitz's Baghdad Without a Map, where he's stuck in the street during the chaotic funeral rally for the Ayatollah Khomeini:

One of the demonstrators peeled off to rest by the curb, and I edged over to ask him what the mourners were shouting.

'Death to America,' he said.

'Oh.' I reached for my notebook as self-protection and scribbled the Farsi transliteration : Margbar Omrika.

'You are American?' he asked.

'Yes. A journalist.'  I braced myself for a diatribe against the West and its arrogant trumpets.

'I must ask you something,' the man said.  'Have you ever been to Disneyland?'

'As a kid, yes.'

The man nodded, thoughtfully stroking his beard.  'My brother lives in California and has written me about Disneyland,' he continued.  'It has always been my dream to go there and take my children on the tea-cup ride.' With that, he rejoined the marchers, raised his fist and yelled 'Death to America!' again.

Our biggest problem in Iraq isn't the rather desperate resistance of the Ba'ath remnants and a few imported Islamicists, but that the great majority who are glad we're there seem to think we can turn it into Disneyland. If Mr. Palast has seen the plans, maybe there's hope. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 29, 2003 8:43 AM