Amber Larson, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly; Amy Goodman, Aaron Mate (democracynow)
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| A conscience will cost you in the Army |
June 17th marks the first anniversary of the [assassination] of investigative journalist Michael Hastings. Just 33 years old, Hastings died in a [mysterious] car crash at a time when he was considered of one of the country’s most daring young reporters.
His dispatches from Iraq and Afghanistan unveiled the hidden realities of war. His 2010 Rolling Stone article on General Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, sparked a political controversy after McChrystal and his aides were quoted making disparaging remarks about top administration officials.
The article exposed longstanding government discord over the U.S. War on Afghanistan’s direction and led to McChrystal’s firing. One year after his death, Hastings’ reporting has made waves once again.
In 2012, Hastings wrote a major investigation for Rolling Stone on the American prisoner of war, Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdhal. At the time, Hastings thought it was the most important story of his career.
But it has only recently earned widespread attention after Bergdahl’s release in an exchange for five "Taliban" members sparked a political firestorm. In his report, Hastings revealed Berghdal was profoundly disillusioned with the War on Afghanistan and may have walked away from his base (as he and others regularly did) as a result. With Berghdal still silent as he recovers from five years in Taliban captivity and torture, Hastings’ article remains the definitive account of the young soldier’s story.
Today another major work from Michael Hastings is upon us: The Last Magazine, a posthumous novel and scathing satire of the corporate news media based on Hastings’ time at Newsweek. Democracy Now! are joined by Hastings’ widow, Elise Jordan, who brought the book to life after coming across the manuscript following her husband’s death. More
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