Osama Bin Laden Death Top News Story Of 2011 from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"The killing of Osama bin Laden during a raid by Navy SEALs on his hideout in Pakistan was the top news story of 2011, followed by Japan's earthquake/tsunami/meltdown disaster, according to The Associated Press' annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors."
Obama’s Win-Win on Iraq (Christopher A. Preble) from the National Interest
"The end of the Iraq war is a rare win-win situation for President Obama. So far, he has played his hand skillfully. And it is a fair bet that he will continue to do so."
I'm not nearly so optimistic as this author. I suspect Iraq is going to go to hell in a hand basket very quickly. How that collapse gets spun will dictate whether it's a win or not. Whether Iraq goes off a cliff or not, I suspect a majority of Americans stopped caring about what was happening there years ago -- and thus, sad to say, it won't matter in the world of US domestic politics.
Taking Leave of Iraq from the Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times
"It takes nothing away from the heroism of U.S. forces to observe that the war in Iraq was the ultimate war of choice, and the choice was a bad one. "
Why the Arab Spring Is Here to Stay (by Christopher Dickey) from the Daily Beast
"No matter how desperately the remnants of the old regimes may try, the arab awakening cannot be reversed. Here’s why."
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il Dies from the BBC
"Mr Kim, who has led the communist nation since the death of his father in 1994, died on a train while visiting an area outside the capital, the announcement said. He suffered a stroke in 2008 and was absent from public view for months. His designated successor is believed to be his third son, Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s."
Hang onto your seats. God only knows how the struggle for power is going to play out. Just what the world needs right now -- more instability. Check out the Atlantic's amazing photo collection of recent scenes from North Korea.
Help Wanted Around the Globe (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"We are present again at one of those great unravelings — just like after World War I, World War II and the cold war. But this time there was no war. All of these states have been pulled down from within — without warning. Why?"
Economic Lessons from Europe (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"Basically, European experience is very consistent with a Keynesian view of the world, and radically inconsistent with various anti-Keynesian notions of expansionary austerity and flexible prices. ... The crisis really has settled some major issues in economics. Unfortunately, too many people — including many economists — won’t accept the answers."
Republican Candidates Can’t Run From Iraq War (Jonathan Alter) from Bloomberg News Service
"All U.S. ground troops will be out of Iraq by Dec. 31, and soon this sorry conflict will fade quietly into the past, the second-dumbest war in American history. Yet the Iraq War has been missing in action during the Republican presidential campaign."
Pope Benedict XVI Seen As Tired, Weak from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"Pope Benedict XVI seems worn out. People who have spent time with him recently say they found him weaker than they'd ever seen him, seemingly too tired to engage with what they were saying. He no longer meets individually with visiting bishops. A few weeks ago he started using a moving platform to spare him the long walk down St. Peter's Basilica."
He looks terrible. Not surprising given how much tumult his papacy has gone through in just a few short years.
The Next Roe v. Wade?: Jennie McCormack's Abortion Battle (Nancy Haas) from the Daily Beast
"Jennie McCormack was arrested for terminating her pregnancy with an abortion pill. The case that could transform the reproduction wars."
The Faith (and Doubts) of Our Fathers from the Economist [of London]
"What did the makers of America believe about God and religion? The subject is stirring the very rancor they wanted to avoid."
Worst Year in Washington (Chris Cillizza) from the Washington Post
"A four-part series (all printed today) on the winners and runners-up for the most lamentable 12 months inside the Beltway."
Obama Hasn't Forgotten Iowa (Mark Z. Barabak) from the Los Angeles Times
"The campaign operation that launched his path to the White House four years ago never really shut down. An extensive volunteer network and paid staffers are working phone banks, hosting house parties and urging voters to show up at the caucuses."
Interview: Newt Gingrich's Activist Sister (Molly Ball) from the Atlantic
"The GOP front-runner's gay younger sister has defined her life and career in opposition to Gingrich's politics -- but they still love each other like family."
Callista Gingrich: A Force Behind the Scenes for Newt from Politico
"Often seen but rarely heard from, she occupies a central position on the Gingrich team. The former House speaker credits her with saving him from the dog days of summer, when his campaign was on the skids and roughly $1 million in debt."
CHRISTMAS MUSIC NUGGET!!
The Glorious History of Handel's Messiah (Jonathan Kandell) from Smithsonian Magazine
"A musical rite of the holiday season, the Baroque-era oratorio still awes listeners 250 years after the composer's death."
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY BOOK NUGGET!!
Escape into Whiteness: A Review of The Invisible Line: Three American Families and the Secret Journey from Black to White by Daniel J. Sharfstein from the New York Review of Books
"The Invisible Line constructs a nuanced history of racial crossing—carrying the reader from the pre-Revolutionary period to the present day—through the stories of three families."
ODD EUROPEAN CULTURE NUGGET!!
In Holland, Santa Doesn’t Have Elves. He Has Slaves (Jessica Olien) from Slate
"The racist Christmastime tradition Dutch people have begun fighting about."
As some of you I'm sure know, the comic David Sedaris did a ripping send-up of this odd Dutch tradition several years back.
WORLD WAR II NUGGET!!
Vivid New 'Battle of the Bulge' Photos Offer Never-before-seen Look at the War-weary Soldiers Braving the Frigid Weather as They Fight Off Nazi Germany's Last Major Offensive of World War II from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Breathtaking new photographs, including several vivid full-color images, offer a never-before-seen look at the war-weary soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge who fought through the frozen Ardennes Forest in a mountainous region of Belgium in the dead of winter. "
AMAZING PICTURES!!
FROG NUGGET!!
Smallest Frogs Found—Each Tinier Than an M&M (PHOTO) from National Geographic News
"Two new species discovered in Papua New Guinea forest."
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