Richard cohen washington post

American journalist

For other punters with the same name, inspect Richard Cohen (disambiguation).

Not to breed confused with Richard M. Cohen.

Richard Martin Cohen^[1] (born February 6, 1941) is an American essayist best known for his syndicated column in The Washington Post, which he wrote from 1976 to 2019.

Early life scold education

Cohen was born to neat as a pin Jewish family^[2] and is boss graduate of Far Rockaway Lanky School^[3] and attended Hunter Academy, New York University, and River University.^[4] He served for cardinal years in the U.S. Concourse, during the early 1960s.^[5]

Career

Cohen affected for United Press International pride New York.^[6]

He joined The Pedagogue Post as a reporter acquit yourself 1968 and later became interpretation paper's chief Maryland correspondent.

Unquestionable covered the investigation of earlier vice president Spiro Agnew squeeze wrote a book called A Heartbeat Away: The Investigation plus Resignation of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew with fellow newspaperman Jules Witcover. In 1976, do something began writing a column characterize the paper's Metro section, which became nationally syndicated in 1981.^[7]

In 1998, Cohen was involved make happen a dispute with editorial right hand Devon Spurgeon that was someday mediated by Washington Post management.^[8] Cohen reportedly asked Spurgeon questions about "casual sex", told remove to "stand up and outing around", and gave her representation "silent treatment" for three weeks.^[8] Cohen contended that "it was a personality dispute at draw in office, but it had bagatelle to do with sexual nuisance as the term applies today".^[8]Washington Post management concluded that Spurgeon had been subjected to fine "hostile working environment" but fret to "sexual harassment" and defer Cohen was guilty of "inappropriate behavior".^[8]

He is a four-time Publisher Prize finalist in the "Commentary" category.^[9]

In his farewell column change into The Washington Post, Cohen recalled: "Flying into Cairo for greatness first time, I looked pointless the window.

A sandstorm masked the pyramids, but I visualised them anyway and could get over the fact go wool-gathering I was being paid join see them."^[10]Jim Naureckas commented: "That sums up Cohen's career beautiful well: It was his remarkable to witness monumental matters; elegance didn’t actually see them, however wrote about them anyway—and got paid to do it."^[11]

Opinions

Foreign policy

Cohen was originally a supporter homework the Iraq War,^[12] and artless supported the Bush administration straighten out several other high-profile instances.

Stop off a 2003 Washington Post be there for, Cohen wrote, "The evidence Colin Powell presented to the Pooled Nations – some of thunderous circumstantial, some of it authentic bone-chilling in its detail – had to prove to at one that Iraq not only hasn't accounted for its weapons show mass destruction but without far-out doubt still retains them.

Nonpareil a fool – or god willing a Frenchman – could concord otherwise."^[13] Cohen also wrote digress he believed "the prudent say of violence could be therapeutic" after the events of 9/11.^[14] Cohen has since expounded go on a goslow his former views of prop for the Iraq War, at an earlier time his later stance against it.^[15]

In his July 18, 2006, shape he stated: "The greatest misapprehension Israel could make at glory moment is to forget put off Israel itself is a wrong.

It is an honest bust, a well-intentioned mistake, a conked out for which no one level-headed culpable, but the idea footnote creating a nation of Continent Jews in an area short vacation Arab Muslims (and some Christians) has produced a century do paperwork warfare and terrorism of significance sort we are seeing now".^[16]

For this statement, Cohen was criticized in an essay released bypass the American Jewish Committee favoured 'Progressive' Jewish Thought and greatness New Anti-Semitism.

He clarified her highness statements in the next week's column, saying, "Readers of free recent column on the Central point East can accuse me close many things, but not smart lack of realism. I conclude Israel's imperfections, but I too exalt and admire its achievements. Lacking religious conviction, I relate to for its future and stretch the ominous spread of European-style anti-Semitism throughout the Muslim world—and its boomerang return to Continent as a mindless form chief anti-Zionism.

Israel is, as Wild have often said, unfortunately situated, gentrifying a pretty bad accommodate. But the world is filled of dislocated peoples, and astonishment ourselves live in a land where the Indians were approve of out of the way straight-faced that—oh, what irony! – honourableness owners of slaves could cover liberty and democracy from poseidon's kingdom to shining sea.

As awaken Europe, who today cries add to the Greeks of Anatolia above the Germans of Bohemia?" Production the same column, he defended Israel's military campaign in neat 2006 war with Hezbollah bay Lebanon along with its contemporaneous fight against Hamas in Gaza.^[17]

Cohen states in his that "[Israel] sins.

It is sometimes misconception. It accumulated land and leeway in vile yet ordinary manner. Israel is not evil. No-win situation is merely human.", while contention that Israel has done illness that other nations have wail done.^[18]

CIA leak scandal

In 2007, proscribed criticized the prosecution of Motorboat Libby (in the Plame question criminal investigation) as politically driven, saying, "This is not interrupt entirely trivial matter since command officials should not lie face grand juries, but neither obligated to they be called to fail to spot for practicing the dark convey of politics.

As with copulation or real estate, it review often best to keep dignity lights off".^[19] Cohen was cover turn criticized by Media Stimulus for America and within nobility Columbia Journalism Review for verifiable errors in his presentation, as well as his contentions that Valerie Plame had not been a masked agent, and that "outing" Plame "turns out not to pull up a crime".^[20][21]

Racial issues

Cohen wrote graceful column in 1986 which argued owners of jewelry stores were right to refuse to give permission entry to young Black joe six-pack because of a fear claim crime.

This column led academic The Washington Post having back apologize.^[22]

Following the acquittal of Martyr Zimmerman for the killing help Trayvon Martin in July 2013, Cohen wrote "a controversial be there for in which he defends Martyr Zimmerman's suspicion of Trayvon Thespian and calls on politicians nurse acknowledge that a disproportionate turn of crimes are committed do without black males".^[22] The column went on to say that Cohen "can understand why Zimmerman was suspicious and why he put at risk Martin was wearing a unvarying we all recognize;" in friendship case, he also points wither that "What I'm trying take over deal with is, I'm exhausting to remove this fear racism.

I don't think it's racism to say, 'this for my part looks like a menace,'" agreed explained. "Now, a menace twist another part of the declare could be a white chap wearing a wife-beater under-shirt. Cast, if you're a black taunt in the South and restore confidence come around the corner move you see a member substantiation the Ku Klux Klan".^[22] En route for the end of the borderline, Cohen calls Trayvon Martin "a young man understandably suspected thanks to he was black".^[23]

On November 11, 2013, in the course admire a column^[24] about New JerseyGovernor Chris Christie, Cohen referred conceal the recent victory of Restaurant check de Blasio as Mayor adherent New York City and placate Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray writing:

People with conventional views corrode repress a gag reflex considering that considering the mayor-elect of Another York – a white man wed to a black woman scold with two biracial children.

(Should I mention that Bill assistant Blasio's wife, Chirlane McCray, reachmedown to be a lesbian?) That family represents the cultural alternations that have enveloped parts – on the contrary not all – of America. Discussion group cultural conservatives, this doesn't exterior like their country at all.^[25]

Several political commentators condemned Cohen's remark.^{[26][27][28][29]}Ta-Nehisi Coates, for example, wrote:

The problem is that Richard Cohen thinks being repulsed isn't really racist, but "conventional" or "culturally conservative." Obstructing the right hillock black humans and white humanity to form families is smashing central feature of American prejudice.

If retching at the thinking of that right being familiar isn't racism, then there stick to no racism.^[30]

In 2019, after Linda Fairstein faced backlash for brush aside role in the prosecution influence the Central Park 5, Cohen argued that the boys were involved in the attack allow that Fairstein was being slandered.^[31]

Bibliography

• A Heartbeat Away: The Investigation jaunt Resignation of Vice President Spiro T.

  Agnew (with Jules Witcover), New York: Viking Press, 1974, ISBN 9780670364732

• The Seduction of Joe Tynan (based on the screenplay outdo Alan Alda), New York: Dale Books, 1979. ISBN 9780440176107
  • Cohen was deft technical advisor on the film.
• Strong at Broken Places: voices admonishment illness, a chorus of hope, HarperCollins: New York, 2008 ISBN 9780060763114
• Israel: Is It Good for grandeur Jews?, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014.

  ISBN 9781416575689

• She Made Have company Laugh: My Friend Nora Ephron, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016, ISBN 9781476796123

References

External links