As we ramp up our Prime longform offerings, one of the biggest challenges is finding just the right people to commission to report and write the pieces we’re most interested in publishing. So I’m starting this Josh’s Assignment Desk feature. Basically here are articles we’re looking to publish. Who are the best reporters out there who could tackle them? Here are two I want to publish.
1. We know all about the in-rush off violent, extremist jihadi youth streaming into the Islamic state. But there’s a smaller stream coming in on the other side. Some of this is ethnic Kurds from Europe, Anatolia or other parts of the Middle East coming in to fight with Peshmerga. Some are simple mercenaries. But there are others who have no ethnic or ancestry connection to the region who are going to fight against the Islamic State either because of its simple brutality or because of its efforts to extinguish what remains of the Christian and other non-Islamic communities of northern Iraq. Some of you have probably seen this Reuters article from this weekend about a small group of Americans who have joined a small Christian militia, Dwekh Nawsha. At least some of these men are there not just to defend a brutalized underdog but specifically because of their Christian commitment. They’re there quite literally as holy warriors. Many seem to be ex-US military and most appear to have had earlier military deployments in Iraq.
“Brett”, 28, was asked how his experience compared to his formal military deployment in 2006. “It’s very different. Here I’m fighting for a people and for a faith, and the enemy is much bigger and more brutal.”
On the one hand, it is inspiring and righteous to see these men and women putting their lives on the line to fight against the really horrific brutalities and expulsions visited on the north’s Christians and Yazidis. On the other hand, you can see this patch of land transforming into a latter day Spanish Civil War, where in place of fascism, republicanism and communism you have people streaming in to fight out violence inflamed sectarianism.
In any case, I’d love to commission a piece on this for Prime. Are you interested? And more to the point who would be the best reporter to tackle it?
2. ALEC. There’s been no shortage of reporting on ALEC in progressive-leaning publications. But I think there’s probably still a lot more to say on the matter. As you may or may not have picked up over the years, I’m sort of a money in politics skeptic. I think the role of money – especially in high profile races – can be easily overstated. That doesn’t mean it’s not important. It’s always important. A really big money advantage in a presidential race may building in a 2 or 3 point advantage. And since our presidential races tend to be fairly close that is a big, big deal. But I do not think money is going to decisively overturn the popular will in a high profile national race.
The same can’t be said though down at the state level. Down at the state level, money can mean almost everything. And even though most political conversation is about high profile stuff at the national level, a huge amount of basic architectonic structuring of the state (in the generic sense of the term) happens down at the state level. And that’s going to be the case on steroids over at least the next two years as Republicans have complete control in a huge amount of states.
In any case, I’d love to commission a piece on this for Prime. Are you interested? And more to the point who would be the best reporter to tackle it?
