Our ON-THE-MONEY Pundit of the Day!!
Obama Speaks Truth About Power (Philip Stephens) from the Financial Times [of London]
Barack Obama's crime has been to see the world as it is rather than as many Americans would like it to be. The president’s foreign policy acknowledges the limits as well as the reach of US power. In the age of rising states, America cannot presume it will always get its own way. To own up to as much does not make for great domestic politics."
Iran Ready for Nuke Talks from the Atlantic
An interesting review of what might be going on behind the scenes concerning Iran's wiliness to resume talks.
From the "Mysterious Doings" Department:
Russia, US Conduct Joint Afghan Drug Raid from the Telegraph [of the UK]
"Russia and the United States destroyed four drug laboratories in their first joint anti-drug operation in Afghanistan, Russia's top drug control official has revealed."
Just yesterday I posted an item concerning Russian troops returning to Afghanistan. In combination with this missive, I have to ask "WHAT has shifted over in Moscow?!" I know they have a serious heroin problem in Russia -- but there has to be more to it than that.
Russia vs. Its History (Op-Ed) from the New York Times
"Dealing with the past is first and foremost a challenge for the Russians themselves. We must show that we can deal with our past. The West has other problems, and former Soviet republics can justify their history by blaming Russia. We don’t have this luxury."
Five Reasons Americans Are So Wrong About Major Economic Facts (Derek Thompson) from the Atlantic
"According to a new Bloomberg poll, six in ten Americans think most of the money spent to rescue banks will be lost forever. Six in ten think the economy shrunk over the past year. One in two think federal income taxes have gone up in the past two years. Wrong. Wrong. And wrong."
Voters, Beware a Bum's Rush (George McGovern) from the Los Angeles Times
Before voters decide whom to vote for on Tuesday, they should consider the sources of our soaring deficits and national debt."
Most Troops Wouldn't Oppose Serving with Gays from the Washington Post
"A majority of active-duty and reserve service members surveyed by the Defense Department would not object to serving and living alongside openly gay troops, according to multiple people familiar with the findings."
COLD WAR HISTORY NUGGET!!
Wrong Turns in Korea (Robert Dallek) from American Heritage Magazine
"Miscalculations and blunders by world leaders precipitated the Korean War 60 years ago."
PHOTOGRAPHY NUGGET!!
Colorized Daguerreotype Brings Out Details, Additional People from the Atlantic
"Shot by Daguerre in 1838 in Paris, the image clearly shows one man on the sidewalk near the bottom left corner getting his shoes shined. … By colorizing the photograph to help distinguish one item from another, Charles Leo believes he may have identified some additional people as well as the time of day and season during which it was taken.
PLANET MARS NUGGET!!
Mars Rover Spirit Finds Evidence of Water from Discovery News
"Stuck in the sands of Mars, the grounded Spirit rover unearthed evidence of subsurface water in the planet's recent past."
BOOK REVIEW NUGGET!!
A New Generation's Washington: A Review of George Washington: A Life from the Boston Globe
"The challenge facing his biographers, even those as acclaimed and talented as Ron Chernow, is embodied in the phrase “everything that can be said has been, though not everyone has said it.’’ Chernow rises to the challenge."
I've been a Ron Chernow fan for years!!
ANOTHER BOOK NUGGET!!
The Worst of the Madness: A Review of Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder and Stalin’s Genocides by Norman M. Naimark from the New York Review of Books
"Miłosz explained, “the man of the East cannot take Americans [or other Westerners] seriously.” Because they hadn’t undergone such experiences, they couldn’t seem to fathom what they meant, and couldn’t seem to imagine how they had happened either. “Their resultant lack of imagination,” he concluded, “is appalling.”
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