Hundreds of Thousands Protest Across the Mideast from the New York Times
"Protesters in Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain and Egypt demanded accountability from their leaders and expressed solidarity with Libya’s uprising on Friday."
The Last Days of a Desert Despot (Doug Saunders) from the Globe and Mail [of Toronto]
"As the circle of political and military support around him dwindles to an increasingly small and desperate rump and protesters take control of a growing swath of Libya, dictator Moammar Gadhafi has become increasingly erratic and unpredictable, alternating between brutal attacks and attempts at appeasement and co-operation."
Qaddafi's Collapsible Military (Robert Haddick) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Libya's army has completely disintegrated in recent days. It was supposed to."
Where are the Emerging Powers on Libya? (David Bosco) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The Western powers still feel interventionist even if the economic and strategic foundations of that interventionism have eroded. What's more, the West feels comfortable working the levers of international institutions like the Security Council in a way that Moscow, Beijing, Delhi and Brasília still don't."
I think Bosco misses some key pieces here. Given the alliance structures of western powers and other aspects of great power global politics, the pressure is on for SOMEONE to do SOMETHING -- and entities both in the Middle East and elsewhere look to western powers to act. Tell the truth: no one expects the BRIC countries to do anything -- no matter that they all have substantive relations with Libya and interests there worth defending. And given the extraordinary complexities and unknowns involved, I suspect BRIC country leaders are quite ambivalent about getting involved -- even behind the scenes.
In the Cradle of Libya’s Uprising, the Rebels Learn to Govern Themselves from the New York Times
"In the city where the Libyan uprising began, lawyers, prosecutors, judges and average citizens who oppose the rule of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi are adjusting to unfamiliar roles: they are keepers both of an evolving rebellion, as well as law and order in Libya’s second largest city."
A Peek at the Inner Workings of Gadhafi's Dictatorship from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"Moammar Gadhafi's grip on power has loosened, allowing the world a glimpse into the brutal methods he has long used to oppress his own people. Former prisoners tell stories of torture, army bases are open to the public and residents of Tobruk show the videos they made during last week's bloody uprising."
Ferry with Americans Aboard Finally Reaches Malta. Describe Ordeal from the New York Times
"After three days of delays, a U.S.-chartered ferry carrying Americans and other foreigners out of the chaos of Libya has finally arrived at the Mediterranean island of Malta."
For those who have been screaming that the US needed to intervene in Libya to stop the carnage, it was for the sake of THESE FOLKS that Obama was so silent -- along with the same folks from our NATO allies who are also trying to escape from Tripoli. Can you imagine the reaming Obama would have received (from many of the same "all-critical-all-the-time" talking heads) if he had declared a no-fly zone -- only to see Gadhafi promptly seize out embassy staff and other nationals.
Think I'm wrong? Now that the evac is largely complete, here is today's headline:
U.S. ratchets up pressure on Gaddafi from the Washington Post
"Moments after a charter aircraft departed Libya with all remaining U.S. diplomats there Friday, the Obama administration shuttered the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli and moved to freeze assets in this country belonging to leader Moammar Gaddafi, his family and his government."
In Yemen, a Wary Alliance of Students and Tribes (Haley Edwards) from the Atlantic
"Tribal support is needed for a revolution, but it could be fatal for democracy"
The Great Arab Revolt (Juan Cole) from the Nation
"Is the Middle East swinging back into a new liberal period?"
Arab Democracy and the Return of the Mediterranean World (Robert Kaplan) from the Washington Post
"With the toppling of autocratic regimes in Egypt and Tunisia - and other Arab dictators, such as Libya's, on the ropes - some have euphorically announced the arrival of democracy in the Middle East. But something more subtle may develop. The regimes that emerge may call themselves democracies and the world may go along with the lie, but the test of a system is how the power relationships work behind the scenes."
Egypt Isn’t Turkey (Norman Stone) from Newsweek
"If history is any guide, there will not be an Atatürk in Cairo."
FYI: Norman Stone is one of the better historians of World War I and should know about what he speaks.
Le Scandal (Eric Pape) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The Arab world's revolutions have exposed the moral bankruptcy of France's foreign policy."
France's? I don't know that any of the big western powers come out of this Libya crisis with anything but major egg on their faces.
Revolutions Mark Setback for Terror Group from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"Ben Ali has fled, Mubarak has been overthrown and Gadhafi is faltering, but al-Qaida is frustrated, because jihadists have played no role whatsoever in the great revolution in the Arab world. The terrorist organization has repeatedly tried to use propaganda to take credit for the revolts, but no one is listening."
Iran Reports a Major Setback at a Nuclear Power Plant from the New York Times
"Iran told atomic inspectors this week that it had run into a serious problem at a newly completed nuclear reactor that was supposed to start feeding electricity into the national grid this month, raising questions about whether the trouble was sabotage, a startup problem, or possibly the beginning of the project’s end."
Chinese Activists Continue Calls for Protests from the New York Times
"The push for quiet protests began last weekend and elicited only a tiny response, with a few dozen demonstrators in front of a McDonald’s in central Beijing. But this week, organizers — who seem to be based primarily overseas — have called for protests in 23 cities on Sunday, eliciting a relatively strong reaction from the Chinese government."
The New Virology (David Hoffman) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"From Stuxnet to biobombs, the future of war by other means."
Turning Tides in WI (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic
"It may be that high water-mark of the GOP tide has been reached in Wisconsin. … Increasingly, it seems to me, Scott Walker's political gamesmanship is discrediting the vital cause of tackling deficits and debt in the states. It's a classic case of over-reach."
Democratic Governor To Walker: 'You Are Cutting Your Own Throat' (Sam Stein) from the Huffington Post
"As for Walker's management style, "Every governor has to use his own model. But I don't know how this one ends in a good way," Schweitzer said. "How long do you think that CEO would keep his job and how successful do you think that business will be?" Other governors offered similar sentiments, though with a little less bravado than the outspoken Montanan."
The Real Political Math In Wisconsin (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"The real political math in Wisconsin isn't about the state budget or the collective-bargaining rights of public employees there. It is about which party controls governorships and, with them, the balance of power on the ground in the 2012 elections."
Wisconsin Police Association Urges Members to Join Sleep-in at Capitol from Raw Story
"The new restrictions on items and sleeping areas within the Capitol were to go into effect at 4 PM on Friday, and the protesters were to be removed from state offices and hearing rooms after business hours on Saturday. The head of Wisconsin's Professional Police Association, however, not only opposes the plan but has called on police to join the sleep-in."
Can the communication be any loader or clearer? Don't even THINK about using us to do your dirty work! We will JOIN the protesters, not evict them. With each passing day, the class warfare aspects of what's happening in WI are becoming more transparent.
The Politics of Obama's DOMA Decision (Erik Hayden) from the Atlantic
"The Obama administration is calculating that it will receive little political backlash for its decision to tell the Justice Department to stop prosecuting cases related to the Defense of Marriage Act. ... Here's an overview of political implications of the decision."
Should the GOP Pin Hopes on 2016? Some Contenders Wait from The Hill
"The GOP presidential field has weakened in recent weeks as Republicans seem to conclude they’d stand a better chance of winning the White House in 2016."
Roger Ailes' Sex-and-Lies Tale: There Is Something Different About Fox (David Corn) from Politics Daily
"If a television anchor were caught -- on tape! -- encouraging a colleague to lie to federal investigators in order to protect a high-profile friend, do you think he or she would still have a job? Probably not. But if you run a network and if it's Fox, well, then . . ."
SOVIET HISTORY NUGGET!!
Chernobyl, My Primeval, Teeming, Irradiated Eden from Outside Magazine
"Twenty-five years after the Soviet-era meltdown drove 60,000 people from their homes in the Ukraine, a rebirth is taking place inside the exclusion zone. With Geiger counter in hand, the author explores Europe's strangest wildlife refuge, an enchanted postapocalyptic forest from which entirely new species may soon emerge."
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY NUGGET!!
Thunderbolt: Next Big Thing or No Big Deal? from the Atlantic
"With a transfer rate of ten gigabits per second (fast enough to exchange a full length HD movie in under 30 seconds), Intel's new Thunderbolt connection port seemingly has the potential to send USB and FireWire the way of the floppy disk."
LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO NUGGET!!
Mugged: The Deal for WDUQ Could Leave Employees and Jazz Fans Feeling Robbed (Chris Young) from the [Pittsburgh] City Paper
"Once WDUQ officially changes hands later this year, the station will lose its call letters and be relocated to WYEP's South Side headquarters. It also seems likely to downplay jazz programming in favor of stepped-up local-news coverage."
ELEPHANT NUGGET!!
Angry Elephant Rams Car into Ditch (PHOTOS) from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"At first the massive mammal, named Amarula, went trunk-to-trunk with the grey car, before resting his weight right down on top of it. The boystrous elephant then flipped the vehicle over into a ditch like a toy car as the terrified occupants hung on for dear life."
BRITISH HISTORY NUGGET!!
Behind Every King: A Review of She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor from the New York Times Book Review
"Helen Castor examines the lives of four plucky royal consorts who struggled over the throne of England."
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