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You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Readership Capture / Ali Funeral Open Thread

Reader Interactions

60Comments

  1. 1.

    germy

    What the Pentagon learned from Muhammad Ali

    Matt Taibbi takes to Rolling Stone to tell us about the lessons that the US military learned from the powerful bruising it received from Muhummad Ali’s refusal to fight in Vietnam: namely, that America should fight its wars with all-volunteer armies whose ranks were disproportionately drawn from the poor and desperate, which dissipated the political pressure that arose from drafting the rich, the powerful and the famous to fight.

  3. 3.

    Brachiator

    @germy:

    Matt Taibbi takes to Rolling Stone to tell us about the lessons that the US military learned

    Tabibbi was born in 1970 and yet claims that he and his buddies grew up with Ali as their champion. I don’t buy it. And he drastically oversimplifies the US military’s switch to an all volunteer army.

  5. 5.

    Gin & Tonic

    It may be just me, but this kind of passive-aggressive posting (“There”) may be appropriate when some random asshole makes a comment about lack of a hoops thread, but I’d think you could do a little better to honor Ali and your readers who were, I’d bet, really in love with the man.

  6. 6.

    JMG

    Tiabbi, a writer I enjoy, is just wrong. We went to a volunteer military because the Army damn near disintegrated in Vietnam. Draftee armies don’t do well in colonial wars. In democracies, they cost pols votes. In dictatorships, they can cause system collapse, as with the Soviets in Afghanistan.

  9. 9.

    Botsplainer, Cryptofascist Tool of the Oppressor Class

    Am in Yum Center now. The international outpouring of affection is HUGE! We went by the makeshift memorial in front of the Ali Center (been doing it all week) and it brings me nearly to tears every time.

  12. 12.

    germy

    @The Golux: I think that’s what confused me. I think I merged father and son into one person in my mind… someone born in the late ’40s.

    I’m old enough that I consider anyone who was ten years old when Lennon was shot to be a young person, no matter how much time has passed.

    EDIT: Speaking of Lennon, I read somewhere that Ali met with John &Yoko and a promoter who was trying to reunite the Beatles for a charity event. Lennon & Ali had a mutual admiration thing going on.

  13. 13.

    Elizabelle

    @Botsplainer, Cryptofascist Tool of the Oppressor Class: Glad you are there. Can you send some pics, after the fact?

    Muhammed Ali looks so good and honest and strong, looking back from 50 years forward. Rare, somewhat, in that aspect.

    We must do a Louisville meetup one of these days. L’ville and Asheville are on the radar for post-Barcelona life.

  17. 17.

    Elizabelle

    @Punchy: Please, no. Not Ali G’s time yet.

    He has much outrage still to commit.

    Plus two kinda tiny kids (for now).

  19. 19.

    Dork

    “Ali Funeral Open Thread” sounds like a post devoted to the bloviations involving a golf or tennis tournament honoring Ali’s passing.

  22. 22.

    Betty Cracker

    @Amir Khalid: I don’t think any disrespect was intended; my guess is he’s slightly annoyed because one of the first responses to a fairly lengthy post he had just put up was, “Can we have an Ali funeral thread”?

    Nothing wrong with that, per se, and I’m sure it wasn’t meant this way, but having experienced that myself, it’s a bit like presenting guests with a lovely platter of food and having them immediately demand pie.

  23. 23.

    Face

    it’s a bit like presenting guests with a lovely platter of food the same old HRC v. BS B.S. that we discuss every damn day and having them immediately demand pie a special thread for a special day for a special man.

    FTFY.

  24. 24.

    bystander

    If I run into any recipes that require a bushel of tender feefees, I know where to find them.

  27. 27.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @JMG: This.Right.Here.

    The Vietnam experience profoundly shook up the Army. When I was commissioned in 1979, it was still reeling from that experience and it touched on almost every aspect of day-to-day military life.

  29. 29.

    muddy

    @Gin & Tonic: I found it a little on the snotty side too. But we must remember that John’s knickers are still in an almighty twist from the last post, so he’s not his usual sweet self.

  31. 31.

    Quinerly

    @eclare:
    Exactly what I thought at first but Hatch is giving a nice eulogy. I’m smiling. I never smile about Hatch.

  34. 34.

    Quinerly

    @eclare:
    Ali was a big Reagan supporter. There’s a famous quote. I won’t remember it exactly but when asked about why he was supporting Reagan he said that Reagan was keeping God in the classrooms and that was good enough for him. I’ll leave it at that. I don’t want to get started?

  36. 36.

    lamh36

    @eclare: Orrin Hatch…hm reminded of article that posed the question, what if Disease hadn’t essentially silenced Ali would “they” luv him still?

  37. 37.

    gbbalto

    @raven: L’ville paper says Hatch has been a friend for decades (who knew?) and was invited by his widow.

  39. 39.

    Quinerly

    @gbbalto: @gbbalto:

    Nice eulogy by Hatch. Ali sought him out 28 years ago he said. We have to remember that Hatch and Teddy Kennedy were best buddies. That always amazed me.

  40. 40.

    gbbalto

    @raven: Got it. Curious about Hatch’s friendship, tho.
    ETA – Thanks, Quinerly. Not able to listen myself just now.

  41. 41.

    Quinerly

    Friendship with Senator Hatch seemed to have been faith based….love of God. Muslim meets Mormon? What would Deadbeat Donnie say?

  43. 43.

    MomSense

    I’m sorry I couldn’t watch. My grandmother loved him so and would have been glued to her television today.

  46. 46.

    Quinerly

    Pres Clinton, Billy Crystal, and family members up soon. I think NPR is carrying it. CNN was broadcasting it from the beginning. Think MSNBC started late.

  47. 47.

    lamh36

    @bjacques: ESPN has been showing it all day. TVONE also.

    NBC national is showing it now as well.

    If anything else, that should tell you the impact that Muhammad Ali had on folks internationally.

    The all inclusive public ceremony was planned by Ali and his family for almost 10 years, according to reports. Ali apparently thought of it as an “educational” experience it’s multicultural, multi-faith, multi-political affair. Ali understood that this occasion may just be watched by millions and was an opportunity to teach.

  55. 55.

    MazeDancer

    Joining all those mentioning Billy Crystal. Brilliance. Magic woven words. Clearly he and Ali loved each other.

    Hope vids are available soon.

  56. 56.

    hovercraft

    I lived the story about Ali asking Crystal at Howard Cosell’s funeral if he thought he was wearing his hairpiece in the closed casket, and them giggling like two school boys in church.

  58. 58.

    muddy

    @Betty Cracker: Only that wasn’t a really a lovely platter of food, it was just another extended scolding. I too would ask hopefully for pie if offered another plate of that.

  59. 59.

    Betty Cracker

    @muddy: Y’all feel free to tell Cole how to run his blog. I was just trying to explain to Amir why I don’t think he meant any disrespect to Ali.

  60. 60.

    J R in WV

    I loved Ali, understood his positions, except for the boxing on after he was wealthy.

    But, really, I understand that too, it was something he could do better than everyone else. He must have loved that…

    The Champion of all time.

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