News Nuggets 315

Shengyang in China from the New York Times. See Paul Krugman's piece below.

How to Think About China from Time Magazine

"So it is worth asking: Who, exactly, will President Barack Obama be looking at in Washington as he sits down with China's President Hu Jintao during the coming nuclear-security summit? A friend? An enemy? The fact is that China is changing so fast, we don't really know yet."

It's a Global Century, Not an Asian Century (Editorial) from the Japan Times [in English]

This article reinforces my view that the "decline of America" meme has been way oversold -- another example of right-wing fear-mongering that has been VERY SUCCESSFUL so far.

"It is premature to proclaim an Asian Century. Perhaps the coastal areas of South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and China's eastern seaboard share some common cultural characteristics and a similar economic strategy. But much of central and western China is mired in poverty; Indonesia belongs to a different world culturally and economically; and India is a very different Asia as well. Nor does Asia cohere politically; parts of it are democratic, other parts are ruled by despots. Moreover, there is no "Asian" economic system."

Obama Targets the Bomb from the Editorial Board of the Toronto Star

“It is a decisive and healthy break with the Bush era's excessive reliance on the Bomb as an instrument of foreign policy in the hard years after September 11.”

After Years of Struggle, Churches Cheer Anti-Nuke Pact from the National Catholic Reporter

"When President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed in Prague today a new agreement on nuclear weapons, it marks one more step in the religious community's long campaign to reduce, if not end, the threat of nuclear war."

US Nuclear Review: Obama Aiming in the Right Direction from the Guardian [of London]

"It is at least valid to ask to what extent the nuclear posture review reflects the boldness of the vision that the president articulated in Prague. The answer is that a year on, that reflection has been dimmed by the many detailed concessions the president felt he had to make to his military. But for the first time a document which sets the framework for decisions on nuclear policy has started to push that policy in the right direction."

Obama Closing In On Us (Editorial) from Y-Net News [of Israel in English]

I think this commentator is largely correct.

"Israel now paying price for longtime efforts to get smart with America."

Building a Green Economy (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times Sunday Magazine

"Is it possible to make drastic cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions without destroying our economy? Like the debate over climate change itself, the debate over climate economics looks very different from the inside than it often does in popular media. The casual reader might have the impression that there are real doubts about whether emissions can be reduced without inflicting severe damage on the economy. In fact, once you filter out the noise generated by special-interest groups, you discover that there is widespread agreement among environmental economists that a market-based program to deal with the threat of climate change"

A VERY GOOD long-form article on the economics of carbon emissions regulation!

Joblessness: The Kids Are Not Alright (Daniel Henninger) from the Wall Street Journal

"This is not normal joblessness. As The Wall Street Journal reported in January, even when the recovery comes, some jobs will never return. But the aspect of this mess I find more disturbing is the numbers around what economists call "youth unemployment." The U.S. unemployment rate for workers under 25 years old is about 20%."

Anti-Catholic Bias Irrelevant to Scandal (Jonathan Zimmerman) from the Philadelphia Inquirer

"In 2005, a Philadelphia grand jury concluded that at least 63 priests in the city's archdiocese had sexually abused hundreds of children. The victims included an 11-year-old girl raped by her priest, who later took her to get an abortion; a fifth grader molested inside a confessional booth; and a 12-year-old boy who was told that his mother had consented to a priest's abuse of him. But to the archdiocese, it was the victim."

Why the Catholic Church's Excuses Ring Hollow (Editorial) from Politics Daily

"It is the behavior of a corrupt corporation, protecting its own. In the eyes of the hierarchy, the Catholic Church is under siege. In their eyes, the true victims -- young people robbed of their childhood, their faith, and left with nothing -- become mere supporting players."

Virginia Doesn't Know Much About Confederate History (Elie Mystal) from True/Slant

"I joined a minority of black people who said that it was okay for Virginia to make a Confederate History month, so long as “they do it objectively.” But then I read McDonnell’s proclamation; the man couldn’t get through one sentence before making me wish U.S. Grant would rise and beat the bag out of the whole damn state, again"

How the FBI Identified Murray's Caller from the New York Times

"They found a convenient way to get Mr. Wilson talking about the issue that seemed to be weighing so heavily on him. Special Agent Cory Cote of the F.B.I. called Mr. Wilson at his home number and, ..., “disguised himself as a representative of Patients United Now, a group that was ostensibly attempting to have the federal health care reform legislation repealed.”"

It is my sense that one of the benefits of the constant tea party haranguing that has gone on in the last year+ is that (I suspect) the FBI and the ATF have heavily infiltrated such groups.

Internal Grumbling Over Republican Healthcare Message Intensifies from The Hill

"Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are facing a mini-rebellion against their message on healthcare reform. Every GOP lawmaker rejected the Democrats’ bill last month, but the party is now split on whether to call for a full repeal of the new law. "

Prejudice, Discrimination, Exclusion in Mississippi - Sounds Familiar? from Alternet

"For those who need a refresher, the Itawamba County School District canceled prom upon learning that high school senior Constance McMillan wanted to wear a tuxedo and take her girlfriend as her date to the dance. McMillan contested the decision, and the Mississippi ACLU filed a legal complaint to have prom reinstated and to allow McMillan to attend in a tux and with a same-sex date. Upon review, a Mississippi Judge denied the request for a preliminary injunction."

Rubio War Chest, Speculation Over Crist Grow from the Miami Herald

I'm still highly skeptical that Crist will run as an independent -- but who knows? He's certainly done as a prospect for the GOP.

"Marco Rubio raised $3.6 million in the past 90 days, as Charlie Crist bucks the GOP Legislature, leading some to speculate Crist might run for Senate as an independent."

PITTSBURGH NUGGET!!

DA charges Sen. Orie, aide to Justice Melvin from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

"Orie accused of using state resources for campaigning."

FYI: Justice Melvin (R) is the KEY justice that allows the Republicans to guide the congressional redistricting in PA later this year.

HOLLYWOOD NUGGET!! [from 2000]

The Garbo Next Door from Vanity Fair

"A friendship with Greta Garbo had its many pleasures. But, as a noted producer recalls, Garbo’s celebrity and eccentricities produced some unusual moments, from a silent dinner with Mae West to a tense evening with Irene Dunne and Greer Garson to the unforgettable purchase of a $1.10 cream puff."

ANIMAL BOOKS NUGGET!!

Getting to Know Them (Book Review) from the New York Review of Books

A wide ranging review of several books that examine the human-animal relationship.