The continental trench as it looks off of Silfa, Iceland. From National Geographic.
Let's Not Make a Deal (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"It’s all or nothing, they say: all the Bush tax cuts must be extended. What should Democrats do? The answer is that they should just say no. If G.O.P. intransigence means that taxes rise at the end of this month, so be it."
Yes, Mr. Krugman -- and when was the last time you got some legislation through Congress? Krugman's column so showcases for me the essence of the liberal critique against Obama right now -- liberals want a party leader who will go to the mat for their principles. While understandable, what is missed in this equation is a simple fact often lost in the current hyper-partisan environment: someone has to govern! The extension on jobless benefits is essential right now! Given the unprecedented economic, military and other unprecedented crises the country faces right now, the demand to place governance over partisan or ideological street fights has never been greater! In our system, this means compromising. With justification, liberals are mad as hell about the outcomes of the mid-terms. But this doesn't change the fundamental condition the US is in right now. It seems clear to me that Obama has decided that he is going to give precedence to governing. It also seems that right now he is routinely the only one in the room who is doing this.
Obama's Korea Gambit Might Just Pay Off (Gerald Seib) from the Wall Street Journal
"In early November, President Barack Obama ended a trip to South Korea without a much-anticipated free-trade deal—and with the prospects of a broader free-trade agenda sliding rapidly downhill. Last week, a South Korean trade delegation came to Washington and agreed to the deal on terms the Koreans wouldn't even discuss, much less accept, in Seoul. The rapid change wasn't just startling. It was one of the most important international economic developments in recent years."
Iran and the Bomb (Hendrik Hertzberg) from the New Yorker
"In the past decade, we have been drawn into two wars on Muslim soil. Neither has ended. We cannot afford a third…"
Not Dead Yet (Christopher Dickey) from Newsweek
"One of the great ironies of the latest WikiLeaks dump, in fact, is that the industrial quantities of pilfered State Department documents actually show American diplomats doing their jobs the way diplomats should, and doing them very well indeed."
Shell Shocked (Ron Moreau) from Newsweek
"U.S. troops aren’t the only ones in Afghanistan who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. It also afflicts Afghan civilians—and the Taliban, too."
Leaks Backfire by Exposing Hidden US Virtue (Al Hunt) from Bloomberg News Service
"WikiLeaks is one of those stories where the passions of the moment blind us to the more important lesson. … All miss the mark. … Still, rather than exposing ineptitude, the secret documents actually reflect well on U.S. policy and diplomacy."
I don't like the word "virtue" in this context -- but otherwise Hunt is on the mark here.
Early Struggles of Soldier Charged in Leak Case from New York Times
"…while that dispute rages on, with the Pentagon having recently demanded that WikiLeaks remove all secret documents from the Internet and hand over any undisclosed materials in its files, Private Manning is being held in solitary confinement at Quantico, Va., under suicide watch."
HERE's the original story announcing Pfc Manning's arrest back in June from Wired Magazine.
Read Cables and Red Faces from the Economist [of London]
"… experts also miss a larger point: they themselves are part of the elite inner-circle that WikiLeaks wants to break open so that Everyman can judge for himself. … But any gains will come at a high cost. In a world of WikiLeaks, diplomacy would no longer be possible. The secrecy that WikiLeaks despises is vital to all organisations, including government—and especially in the realm of international relations."
What Repeal of DADT Will Mean (Eve Conant) from Newsweek
"Critics worry that the policy change could affect unit cohesion and be a distraction at a time of war. So it’s worth asking: what would repeal really entail? A quick guide:"
This is a good inquiry -- if a bit premature. I'm quite skeptical that supporters of repeal have the necessary clout right now to achieve it anytime soon.
Saudi Women's Veil Versus Modernity from Emirates 24-7 [of the UAE in English]
"Mufleh and Mohammed are among many Saudi men who have never seen the face of their wives as they insist on sticking to ancient tradition of keeping their face covered even in front of their relatives or husbands in defiance of ongoing changes brought about by the advent of oil and a massive foreign influx."
I am not one to leap to accusations of misogyny -- but this behavior strikes me as somewhere beyond misogyny to a culture-specific type of gender nihilism. Whacked. I don't know what else to say!
Sarah Palin versus Republican 'Blue Bloods' from the Christian Science Monitor
Is the establishment GOP ganging up on Sarah Palin? In the ongoing drama that is Palin’s political reality show, score this past week “Blue bloods 3, Palin zip.”
CIVIL WAR NUGGETS!!
Buchanan: Too Little, Too Late (Jamie Malanowski) from the New York Times
If you have an interest in Civil War history, the Opinionator column of the NY Times has had as a regular feature a really GOOD series of articles on the coming of the Civil War -- al as part of the 150th anniversary of the war! This is the latest item -- but I urge you to check out the entire series. They're only into the end of the Buchanan administration -- so there will be hundreds of columns to come!
WHALING NUGGET!!
Sea Shepherd Departs for Seventh Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign: Operation No Compromise from Sea Shepherd News
"After months of preparation, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has officially set sail for their 2010-11 Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign, Operation No Compromise. This year’s fleet is the strongest to date including veteran vessels the Steve Irwin and Bob Barker, with the addition of the newly-acquired trimaran Gojira, Japanese for Godzilla, with the necessary speed and power to outrun the whalers and put an end to their shameful activities. Sea Shepherd will also deploy a more capable helicopter this year."
ANOTHER WHALING NUGGET!!
Has the Japanese Whaling Fleet Surrendered? from the Sea Shepherd News
"Could the whale wars be over? Things are looking very good in that direction! The whalers may be close to capitulation. It is December 1st, at least on the Japanese and Australian side of the International Date Line, but the Japanese whaling fleet remains in port."
BOOK NUGGET!!
Book Review: 'Going Home to Glory' by David Eisenhower with Julie Nixon Eisenhower from the Los Angeles Times
"David Eisenhower's graceful memoir is both a warm personal recollection of his grandfather and a cogent summary of Dwight D. Eisenhower's place in the American political spectrum."
RUSSIAN HISTORY NUGGET!!
Rare Window Into Life of Tsarist Russia from the BBC
"A rare window into life in imperial Russia is due to open on Monday, when hundreds of letters, postcards, photographs and even menus from the court of Tsar Alexander III are put up for auction in Geneva."
No comments:
Post a Comment