Alexander Cockburn 1941-2012

I remember talking on the phone with him and as we're both Irish, it went on a bit and I said,"well, if I keep you it will only be good for some polluter." Alexander's death is great news for polluters, sweatshop owners, corrupt politicians, coup regimes, armed bigots, war criminals, deceptive columnists, and the many others that fear the free press or at least think of it as a minor annoyance. He left some memoirs but not enough for my taste. I look forward to the many reflections on him that are to come, which can't help but be an assessment of the state of journalism itself.