MEMRI and charlatanism. People don't know that MEMRI is predicated on a simple principle (or two): 1) that "we"--they-- aim our products at the ignorant out there; 2) "we" cater to those who don't know the language from which what we translate and who can't compare to the original media and who can't evaluate our terms of reference. Today, with great fanfare and glowing headline: MEMRI sent out one of its products. It is an article--according to MEMRI--by "the editor-in-chief of the leading Arabic reform website." The dude's name is Omran Salman. Now if you find an Arab (here in the US or anywhere in the world) who has heard of this guy's name, you should earn a blender for yourself. The spin of MEMRI is simple: make advocates of Bush to appear as very popular and famous, and make advocates of Bin Laden appear as if they represent the rest of Arab public opinion. In reality: the public is neither with Bush nor with Bin Laden. You really can learn more on the Middle East here than from MEMRI.