The Top Ten Lessons of the Global Economic Meltdown (Walter Russell Mead) from the American Interest
"Even if we don’t yet know where the economy is headed, we’ve already learned some important lessons about where we stand and where we are headed. Here are the ten most important so far:"
The Greeks Get It (Chris Hedges) from Truthdig
"Here’s to the Greeks. They know what to do when corporations pillage and loot their country. They know what to do when Goldman Sachs and international bankers collude with their power elite to falsify economic data and then make billions betting that the Greek economy will collapse. ... Call a general strike. Riot. Shut down the city centers. Toss the bastards out. Do not be afraid of the language of class warfare... . The Greeks, unlike most of us, get it."
Inside the Mind of Kim Jong Il (Editorial) from the Brookings Institution
"I am puzzled by the Americans' response. I had expected Obama to back down from his firm stance of last year and beg us to re-engage. After Bill Clinton was here, I was sure that we were on the way to the bilateral talks I have always preferred and to more American aid. But it didn't happen. I had hoped that Cheonan would cause a split between the Americans and the South, but that didn't happen either. Obama has more backbone than I thought."
As Ugly as it Gets (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"Turkey and Brazil are both nascent democracies that have overcome their own histories of military rule. For their leaders to embrace and strengthen an Iranian president who uses his army and police to crush and kill Iranian democrats — people seeking the same freedom of speech and political choice that Turks and Brazilians now enjoy — is shameful."
As Free Market Democracies Fail, Watch Out for China (Ian Bremmer) from USA Today
"What do all these countries have in common? They're free-market democracies in various stages of economic trouble. Where do we go to find a popular government? How about China? Three decades of double-digit economic growth can buy a government plenty of popular goodwill."
I think the author is off-base here in saying that the Chinese gov't is genuinely popular. I've read a lot of analyses that suggest the opposite. The real point here is that what the US and others really have to fear from China is an attractive governing structure that combines the worst features of capitalism with the worst features of totalitarianism. In my view, this IS what they have right now -- and other regimes around the world are watching. There are, however, many indicators that strongly suggest that China cannot sustain what they are doing for much longer.
Islamists to the UN: Grant Death for Blasphemy (Editorial) from the Indian Express [of India in English]
"Demanding a permanent ban on Facebook, over two dozen Pakistani religious groups working under the umbrella of the JuD have decided to contact the UN for enacting a global law "against blasphemy of prophets and awarding death penalty to violators.""
Great. Just great.
Hillary Clinton to Defense? How About VP? A Musical Chairs Scenario (Eleanor Clift) from Politics Daily
"Obama's loyalty only goes so far. He is proving to be one of the least sentimental chief executives, dispatching people once they're no longer useful. Plus, he could argue that the talents of each player are better utilized with Hillary in the White House. As the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden would be a natural at the State Department. He has long coveted the job of secretary of state and could argue it is a step up that takes full advantage of his background."
An interesting speculation.
BP Engineers Prepare 'Top Kill' Attempt to Stop Oil Flow Into the Gulf from the Washington Post
"Now the equipment for the top kill is in place at the sea bottom and engineers are beginning a set of diagnostic tests on the five-story-tall blowout preventer that sits atop the wellhead. By probing conditions inside the blowout preventer, BP will learn how much pressure must be overcome when the drilling mud is injected into the well."
Prediction: This will not work.
A Promise Kept (Jonathan Alter) from Newsweek
"As the finishing touches are being put on a major revision of "don't ask, don't tell," it's not yet time for opponents of the 17-year-old discriminatory policy to rejoice; the Pentagon hasn't completed its review. But the signs are good that DADT will be effectively dead soon."
How They Did It (Part Five) (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic
"This is the final installment of a five-part series explaining, in remarkable detail, how Obama and the Democrats came to pass health care reform."
Deportation Nightmare: Eduardo Caraballo, US Citizen Born In Puerto Rico, Detained As Illegal Immigrant from Huffington Post
"Despite presenting identifying documents and even his birth certificate, Caraballo was held by federal immigration authorities over the weekend and threatened with deportation, according to an NBC Chicago report. He was only released when his congressman, Luis Gutierrez -- a vocal supporter of immigration reform -- intervened on his behalf."
So it begins.
What Rand Really Believes (Joe Conason) from the New York Observer
"So considering Dr. Paul’s background, extremism is a reasonable concern—and the only way to find out what he really believes is for him to start answering a lot of questions."
Scott Brown Falls Out of Favor With Tea Party from Raw Story
"During his fight to win Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts, Scott Brown was hailed as the Tea Party candidate. Now the newly elected junior senator is under fire from the very groups that are credited with his victory."
Quite predictable. I would say the more he distances himself from those folks the better his chances of getting re-elected in MA.
Sarah Palin's Fact-Free Commentary on Paul and BP (Ruth Marcus) from the Washington Post
"Has Sarah Palin learned anything since she was plucked from obscurity almost two years ago? Not that I can tell."
Sarah Palin's Strange, Unprofessional and Paranoid Grudge (David Weigel) from the Washington Post
"Sarah Palin took to her Facebook account today to inform her readers that Joe McGinniss, an award-winning reporter and author, had rented the house next door. I saw Ben Smith flag this earlier today but did not really appreciate how strange and, frankly, immature Palin's post was until I read it."
AIRPLANE NUGGET!!
MIT-Designed Futuristic Airplanes Use 70% Less Fuel Than Current Models from Treehugger.com
"The goal was to look 3 generations ahead of the current planes (that's around the 2035 timeframe) and improve substantially on current tech in the areas of fuel-efficiency, noise, NOx emissions, safety, etc. Two plane designs came out of the research project"
No comments:
Post a Comment