A long-nosed cusimanse, a species of dwarf mongoose. From Americablog.
Next Year's Wars : The 16 Brewing Conflicts to Watch for in 2011 from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Across the globe today, you'll find almost three dozen raging conflicts, from the valleys of Afghanistan to the jungles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the streets of Kashmir. But what are the next crises that might erupt in 2011? Here are a few worrisome spots that make our list."
Obama's Foreign Policy Spine (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"For a world that feared (and in some cases, cheered) the prospect of American decline, this holiday season has been bracing. It showed that despite U.S. political and economic difficulties, President Obama is still able to rally support at home and abroad for a strong foreign policy."
Breaking Away: Obama’s War on Terror is Not “Bush Lite” (David Cole) from the New Republic
"Obama has in fact introduced critically important changes in U.S. counterterrorism policy, and these changes merit recognition. Where he has continued Bush’s policies, he has generally sought to remove their most objectionable features in order to conform them to the law. He has, to be sure, fallen regrettably short in certain areas, most notably transparency and accountability. But acknowledging the substantive changes he has made is an important step in ensuring that the mistakes of the Bush administration are not repeated."
I have long been annoyed at those who view Obama's counter-terrorism strategy as basically a continuation of Bush. It's good to see someone actually looking at key differences.
War in Afghanistan: A 'Breeze of Change' Blows in Helmand from the Telegraph [of the UK]
"As British troops spend their 10th Christmas in Afghanistan, Thomas Harding reports on growing signs of success in the fight against the insurgency."
I'm highly skeptical of the picture portrayed here -- but it would be nice if it were true.
How the War Looks From Al Qaeda’s Perspective (Jordan Michael Smith) from the Progressive Policy Institute
"Bergen points to a larger truth about the vast majority of commentary and analysis about Al Qaeda: most of it focuses not on Al Qaeda but on us. Our blunders, our costs, our misguided decisions and our weaknesses. Very little looks at developments from Al Qaeda’s point of view. And from Al Qaeda’s point of view, things don’t look so pretty."
It's Over for Benjamin Netanyahu (Aluf Benn) from Al Haaretz [of Israel in English]
"Instead of initiating and leading, Netanyahu will engage in fruitless holding actions until he falls from power."
Now, I'll have to say that Netanyahu has *extraordinary* staying power. But I suspect the general trajectory described here is how it will go. I wouldn't be surprised if Obama engages in some subtle maneuvers to "hurry him along."
Iran Doesn't Have Capability for Nuclear Weapon from the Jerusalem Post [in English]
"Deputy PM says that within 3 years, Teheran will be able to create nuclear bomb; Egypt, Jordan fear West Bank take over by Hamas."
So … we went from Iran getting the bomb in one year year - to three. Anyone for four?
Oppression Born of Fear: Telegraph View: There is Fear at the Heart of the Chinese and Russian Systems from the Telegraph [of the UK]
"An over-mighty state crushes those whom it deems its opponents. Yet in doing so it exposes its weakness. Take the cases of Liu Xiaobo, who yesterday marked his 55th birthday in prison in China, and Mikhail Khodorkovsky, currently on trial in Russia. The reaction of the Chinese government earlier in the year to the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mr Liu was hysterical. Because the dissident and his family were not permitted to attend the ceremony, the prize was placed on an empty chair, a potent symbol of the oppressive nature of the Communist Party; in short, a diplomatic disaster. The relentless pursuit of Mr Khodorkovsky has likewise further tarnished Russia's image."
Russia: The World's Largest Dying Power (Editorial) from the Moscow Times [in English]
"As 2010 and the first decade of the 21st century wind to a close, the dominant social, political and economic trends of the year raise serious doubts about Russia’s future survival as a sovereign country. Chinese analysts, who have been closely observing Russia for the past 20 years, perhaps put it best: Russia is the world’s largest dying power. If Russia continues down its current path of autocracy, monopolization, corruption and overall economic, political, cultural and technological degradation, it may prove the Chinese correct in their terminal diagnosis."
The Chinese are not idle observers in Russia's decline. They have a vested interest in pushing Russia over the edge. I've been reading a lot of credible sources lately arguing that Chinese leaders have been eying the under-populated Russian far east for eventual annexation and settlement for their own burgeoning populations. This sooo reminds me of Germany's fixation on Lebensraum (living space) first under Kaiser Wilhelm II and later under Hitler. A rising, economically dynamic -- but deeply insecure -- power dismissing sovereignty issues in pursuit of a misguided view of "entitlement," cultural superiority and global self-aggrandizement. This could get scary in the next several decades.
Cut Here. Invest There (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"I’ll be in a better mood when I see our two parties cooperating to do something hard. Borrowing billions more from China to give ourselves more tax cuts does not qualify. Make no mistake, President Obama has enacted an enormous amount in two years. It’s impressive. But the really hard stuff lies ahead: taking things away."
Obama Returns to End-of-Life Plan that Caused Stir from the New York Times
"When a proposal to encourage end-of-life planning touched off a political storm over “death panels,” Democrats dropped it from legislation to overhaul the health care system. But the Obama administration will achieve the same goal by regulation, starting Jan. 1."
Good for the administration!
One for the Books (Ronald Brownstein) from the National Journal
"This Congress will enter the history books for the magnitude of both its political losses and its legislative victories."
Danger Ahead for the GOP (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"It's been not quite two months since Republicans won a sweeping midterm victory, and already they seem divided, embattled and - not to mince words - freaked out. For good reason, I might add."
Neil Abercrombie Aiming to release Proof in Battle Against Birthers from the Associated Press via Huffington Post
"Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie wants to find a way to release more information about President Barack Obama's Hawaii birth and dispel conspiracy theories that he was born elsewhere. Abercrombie was a friend of Obama's parents and knew him as a child, and is deeply troubled by the effort to cast doubt on the president's citizenship."
Right-Wing Groups Abandon Conservative Forum For Inviting Gay Conservatives To Participate from Think Progress
"The religious right has grown apoplectic over what it sees as the harbingers of its demise: gay conservatives. The emergence of the GOProud, a right-wing group of conservatives that support gay rights, is spurring a civil war between conservative bigwigs."
MORTALITY NUGGET!!
Five Political Corpses in 2011 from the National Interest
"Some may die in 2011. But even if this does not happen, their physical weakness creates political weakness that will force their countries to go through complicated and unpredictable power shifts. The ripple effects of these transitions will reach beyond the borders of their nations."
ENVIRONMENT NUGGET!!
A New Day for Wilderness from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"[Bush's] “no more wilderness” policy did more than threaten some of Utah’s most fragile wild lands. What it said, in effect, was that none of the lands administered by the department’s Bureau of Land Management, about 250 million acres, mostly in the Rocky Mountain West, would be considered for wilderness designation. Last week, in a very welcome move, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reversed the Norton/Leavitt agreement on the Utah lands while reaffirming his department’s right to preserve other public lands in their natural state for future generations."
MOVIE NUGGET!!
Ten Most Overlooked Movies of 2010 from the Daily Beast
"For every Black Swan, there’s an ugly duckling that unfortunately fails to connect with audiences. From vampires to a Saturday Night Live spin-off, Marlow Stern brings you 10 films that didn’t get their due this year."
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