Bruce Kesler of Democracy Project catches the New York Times once again either ignorant of or covering up the nature of communist repression. This time it isn't covering up something major like Stalin's liquidation—by—famine of millions of Ukrainians (the paper got a Pulitzer Prize for Walter Durranty's cover—up of that communist crime against humanity). But the cover—up (or cluelessness) is nevertheless egregious because it enables a phony sneer at President Bush.

The New York Times' ace—snark David Sanger's report from Vietnam emphasized the turnout of Vietnamese for President Clinton, when he visited at the end of his administration, compared to little turnout in the streets for President Bush during his stop in Vietnam for the Asia—Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

David Sanger's nose for negative news about President Bush missed that,

Residents along the route from Tan Son Nhat airport to the New World have been ordered by the public security to stay in their homes before and after the arrival time.

David Sanger apparently was too engaged elsewhere to attend the telephone press conference of democracy dissidents, held despite arrests and intimidation.

Bruce notices that one newspaper did manage to cover the dissidents: The San Jose Mercury—News. Coincidentally, it is a newspaper with a substantial readership among Vietnamese immigrants, most of them refugees from communism, who might well be in touch with the reality of the scene in Hanoi.

No such tether to reality is necessary for the New York Times, apparently. Its readers know what they want to know, and the paper understands what they don't want to know.

Hat tip: Larwyn

Thomas Lifson  11 20 06

Update: Reader Bill Faith notes that Tan Son Nhat Airport is in Saigon. There appears to be some confusion in the report above.