News Nuggets 516

A rare tropical Boxer Shrimp.  From the Huffington Post

MUST-SEE UP-FRONT VIDEO
Obama at Tucson Memorial Service at University of Arizona January 12, 2011 from CNN via UTube
A deeply moving tribute to the living and the fallen from our President.

Some reactions to Obama's speech and the memorial service:
Why the Tucson Speech Succeeded (James Fallows) from the Atlantic
"Obama turned this into a celebration -- of the people who were killed, of the values they lived by, and of the way their example could bring out the better in all of us and in our country. "

As We Mourn from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"The president’s words were an important contrast to the ugliness that continues to swirl in some parts of the country. The accusation by Sarah Palin that “journalists and pundits” had committed a “blood libel” when they raised questions about overheated rhetoric was especially disturbing, given the grave meaning of that phrase in the history of the Jewish people."

Obama: Consoler in Chief (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"The most touching parts of the speech, for me, came near the end, when he talked about how families react on losing a parent or a spouse -- when he said that "in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -- but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better.""

The Washington Post had lots of other interesting reactions from Joel Achenbach, Adam Serwer, Marc Thiessen, E.J. Dionne, and Jennifer Rubin.

In response, Palin's idiotic video looks even more incredible:
Obama and Palin, A Tale of Two Speeches (Michael Shear) from the New York Times
"Wednesday was bookended by two remarkable — and remarkably different — political performances that demonstrated the vast expanse of America’s political landscape."

Palin Comes Out Swinging, and Misses (Doyle McManus) from the Los Angeles Times
"Sarah Palin had a chance with her statement on the Tucson tragedy to show voters she's equal to the demands of the presidency. But her video reflected her chosen role as lightning rod of the right."

Palin Knew What She Was Saying (Matthew Cooper) from National Journal
"'Blood Libel' comment was likely used to fire up pro-Israel evangelicals."

Taking Sarah Palin Seriously (Robert Shrum) from The Week
"I used to joke about her. But I won't anymore."

Nancy Pelosi Was in Room When Gabrielle Giffords Opened her Eyes from Politico
"Surrounded in her hospital room by her husband, her parents, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Arizona Democrat lifted her lids for the first time since a would-be assassin fired a bullet into through her brain Saturday during a rampage that killed six people in her native Tucson."

Back to our regular nuggets:
Freedom Gone South (Joshua Keating) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Why Mexico -- and the rest of the world -- is getting less democratic."
This has been one of the biggest (and least reported) stories of the last 10 years: liberal democracy's retreat around the world.  During the 1990s, liberal democracy seemed to be winning everywhere.  No longer.  Instead, what we get is faux democracy like what we've seen in Iraq and in Gaza, where people vote, only to then be condemned for the choices they made.  Indeed, with the rise of China and Russia -- and the weakening of liberal democratic values and institutions in the US, Europe and elsewhere, messy authoritarianism seem to be on the ascent.  I wish people would wake up.

Daniel Twining gets it in a column in today's Washington Post:
Political Reform: China's Next Modernization? (Daniel Twining) from the Washington Post
"As President Hu Jintao prepares to visit Washington next week, his country's model of authoritarian development looks unstoppable - with troubling implications for American primacy in world affairs."

Tunisia Rioters Overwhelm Police Near Capital from the New York Times
"Social media appeared to play a strong role in organizing the violence, as it has throughout the three weeks of demonstrations and riots that have threatened the government of the authoritarian president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The unrest spread this week to the capital, Tunis."

The Dangerous Chip on China's Shoulder (Fareed Zakaria) from Time Magazine
"Asia is booming because it is at peace, with broad political stability. But China's rise is changing the structure of Asian geopolitics. Washington remains the most powerful political and military player in Asia and thus has a vital role in helping to manage this changing balance of power."

Public Strongly Opposes Debt Level Increase: Reuters/Ipsos Poll from Reuters News Service
"The U.S. public overwhelmingly opposes raising the country's debt limit even though failure to do so could hurt America's international standing and push up borrowing costs, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday."
The GOP and others have demagogued this issue for decades.  Now, as the vote on the debt limit approaches, we'll get to see who the grownups are -- and who will play this for a momentary bump in their poll numbers.

WikiLeaks: Julian Assange claims to have Rupert Murdoch 'insurance files' from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Founder claims WikiLeaks has more than 500 US diplomatic cables on one broadcasting organization."
Sad.  Not much of the high-flying rhetoric on the wonders of transparency.  Assange seems at heart to be nothing but self-absorbed blackmailer.

Dispatches from the Bush Posse! 
[boy, it's been a while since these folks made an appearance at this blog!]
Will Bush's Torture Memo Team Face Justice in Spain? from the Nation
"Here, our previous president is enjoying terrific sales for a memoir where he boasts about having authorized waterboarding.  … But perhaps there will be justice in Spain. This past Friday, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed papers urging Judge Eloy Velasco to do what the United States will not: prosecute the "Bush Six," the group of senior Bush-era government lawyers led by then–Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, for violating international law…"

Health Care Reform Contains Major Expansion of Access to Mental Health Service from the Huffington Post
"The health care law that Republicans are targeting for repeal provides significant assistance and options for people with mental illness, an issue that has received increased attention as details emerge about the alleged shooter in Arizona on Saturday."