From: Rich Graves <llurch@networking.stanford.edu>
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 05:20:15 +0800
To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Subject: Re: Bravo, mostly (Re: Banned Zambian newspaper now on the Web)
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9602210322.A27606-0100000@well>
Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.91.960221111216.2872A-100000@Networking.Stanford.EDU>
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On Wed, 21 Feb 1996, Declan McCullagh wrote:

> You seem to be unduly critical of my report. *shrug* I don't expect
> everyone to agree with me, and I suppose I should be happy that you think
> I'm "95% right," whatever that means.

No, you shouldn't care what I think. You should care about being right. 

Which I think you are, at least 95% of the time. But calling for Chiluba's
ouster after a couple hours' reading is a little hasty IMO. I'd have
stopped at something like, "Chiluba again showed his lack of respect for
democratic institutions and the free press by censoring the newspaper
reproduced below. He has also been criticized by the US State Department
and Amnesty International, though Zambia's record is better than that of
many other Sub-Saharan African states, most notably Nigeria, Rwanda, and
Burundi (which you might consider small praise indeed)." 

He's no hero, but I'd reserve the "Get the hell out" rhetoric for complete
tyrants who kill people for fun, and tolerate no independent press at all. 
There's plenty of those around. You'll be taken more seriously (and I 
think you SHOULD be taken more seriously) if you don't overreact.

-rich