The Empire State Building in New York City. From National Geographic.
Indian Bonhomie from the National Interest
"Are the United States and India destined to become strategic partners?"
Obama's Diplomatic Masterstroke in India (David Rothkopf) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"In a single, unexpected stroke President Barack Obama may have made his trip to India one of the most important of his presidency. By announcing his support for Indian permanent membership in the U.N. Security Council, Obama advanced a number of important goals."
Obama's India Trip: What US May Get in Return from Time Magazine
"Obama then exceeded the Indian government's expectations for the trip and delivered the two most important items on India's wish list: he endorsed India's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and used strong language toward Pakistan, saying he would "insist to Pakistan's leaders that terrorist safe havens within their borders are unacceptable." Here's what the U.S. can look for in return."
Delusion Points (Stephen Walt) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Don't fall for the nostalgia -- George W. Bush's foreign policy really was that bad."
A New Bush, a Lot Like the Old One from the New York Times
"He said he still felt sickened that no weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq. Yet former President George W. Bush said that his worst moment in the Oval Office came when the rap star Kanye West claimed that the president didn’t care about black people."
The Real Choice Turkey Has to Make When it Comes to Israel (Michael Singh) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Israel is involved in another diplomatic standoff whose consequences may be just as dire for the future of the Middle East. The impasse in question is between Turkey and Israel -- erstwhile allies whose deteriorating relations undermine the security of the entire region. This conflict -- more than Ankara's outreach to Iran or tensions with the EU -- calls starkly into question the role Turkey will play in regional politics and peacemaking."
Can We Trade Yudhoyono for Obama? (Editorial) from the Jakarta Post [of Indonesia in English]
"Many Americans, who have been outraged at Obama for defending the construction of an Islamic center near the Ground Zero site in New York City, will love Yudhoyono, who most likely would have refrained from making any comment that would upset the majority opinion if he was in Obama’s position. Many Indonesians, on the other hand, who feel that Yudhoyono has failed to protect the rights of religious minorities, would welcome someone like Obama to stand firmly by his principle of defending freedom of religion."
The Impossible Dream (Bob Herbert) from the New York Times
"What’s needed now is the same thing that has been needed for the past two years and more, a bold plan to put millions of Americans back to work and paying taxes, and a careful, thoughtful, strategic but unequivocal withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq."
Boehner's Army (John Heilmann) from New York Magazine
"The Republican revolutionaries have problems with authority—and that may provide Obama an opening."
Boehner will Fail, and Democrats will Pounce in 2012 (Markos Moulitsas) from the Christian Science Monitor
"Republicans didn't sweep these elections for grand ideological reasons, but because not enough of the Democratic base showed up to vote. Exit polls also show that angry voters who flocked to Republicans will end up disappointed in their actual policies. And in 2012, Democrats will be ready."
Hope so. We'll see.
Democrats Consoled by Latino Vote in Republican `Game Changer' from Bloomberg News Service
"For Democrats, exit polling of voters in the Nov. 2 elections confirmed this positive trend for the party: For the third straight election, Latinos picked Democrats over Republicans by a ratio of about 2-to-1, strengthening the party’s hold on this increasingly important voting bloc."
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Would Play Rough with GOP (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"All this seems to badly miss what one of the most important roles of the new minority leader will be: to draw a very sharp line against GOP efforts to roll back Obama's accomplishments."
In Alaska, a Preview of the GOP's Future (Anne Applebaum) from the Washington Post
"The hypocrisy at the heart of the Republican Party is starkest in Alaska."
SCULPTURE NUGGET!!
Sculptural Witnesses to Nazi Lunacy Go on Display from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Modernist sculptures confiscated for being 'degenerate' appear in exhibition after being unearthed on a Berlin building site."
CUTE BEAR NUGGET!!
Tagging Bears in Algonquin Park (VIDEO) from Americablog
"How amazing would that be to participate in such an event? The bear cubs are completely adorable though I can imagine how nervous the host must have been as they approached the den."
FIRST LADY NUGGET!!
Michelle Obama Travels in Style from the Washington Post
A WONDERFUL series of pictures of Barack and Michelle (mostly Michelle) on their Asian trip!
No comments:
Post a Comment