William Arkin is a national security reporter whose work I was familiar with in the past. I hadn’t read much of his stuff since he movd to Gawker, but I won’t have to worry about that anymore. That’s because he was forced into accepting a buyout late last week, also known as being fired, or the phrase I usually use here on the site, shitcanned.
Thankfully, Mr. Arkin decided not to go quietly, and instead released an epic rant comparing Gawker to ISIS and deranged Charleston shooter Dylann Roof. I thought about writing on it earlier, but demurred. Now that Mediaite has picked up the story, I figured why the fuck not? It is pretty hilarious, although I suppose somewhat sad considering Arkin’s termination. I’m sure he will be better off, though. Plus it looks like the email he fired off almost certainly made him feel better.
Here’s more from the Mediaite report:
Part of the new Gawker relaunch was apparently firing national security writer William Arkin, who shot off a retaliatory email Monday describing the website as “miserable” and “cowardly,” comparing it to the terrorist group ISIS.
“Two Fridays ago, when I read a story posted on Gawker that seemed to senselessly out a nobody for soliciting a gay porn prostitute, I immediately thought someone should be fired,” Arkin wrote in an email on archive site Cryptome. “I never thought it would be me.”
“[L]ike social media as a whole, it is also a miserable place, so driven by its own feverish pursuit that it has no clue what kind of world it inhabits and thus helps build.”
“I hate to be hyperbolic, but want to understand ISIS or the Tea Party or Occupy or Charleston or [Charleston shooter Dylann Roof]? Look no further than Gawker and its ilk, which means look no further than Twitter or your own so-called smartphone: We are making the world a miserable place. I’m glad I can withdraw and think about it.”
(archive link to full Arkin email)
Well, that’s certainly one way to go out. It’s hard to argue with the man. Gawker is fucking disgusting and always has been, as Milo recently pointed out. The fact that they’re “starting a conversation” on the new kind of place they want to be is a complete joke. They only started this convo after getting their asses handed to them on several different fronts. GamerGate hit Gawker hard, and the Hogan suit has pushed them to the brink. Now it looks like they’re leaked sealed evidence in an attempt to smear The Hulkster and taint the jury pool. I hesitate to call anyone terrorist, since that’s a favorite SJW tactic. But Gawker certainly deserves to be held in utter contempt, regardless of the name you want to use.
