Four Myths about Drone Strikes (Shehzad H. Qazi & Shoaib Jillani) from The Diplomat
"The killing of senior al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi means drone strikes in Pakistan have made headlines again. But there’s plenty people are getting wrong."
Firepower Bristles in South China Sea as Rivalries Harden (David Lague) from Reuters
"... more than three decades after paramount leader Deng launched his reforms, that policy has seemingly lapsed or simply become unworkable as China's military muscle becomes too expansive to conceal and its ambitions too pressing to postpone. The current row with Southeast Asian nations over territorial claims in the energy-rich South China Sea is a prime manifestation of this change."
The Macroeconomics of Chinese Kleptocracy from Bonte Capital
"China is a kleptocracy of a scale never seen before in human history. ... I have chatted with – and many of the ideas are not original. Thesynthesis however is mine. Some sources do not want to be quoted. The macroeconomic effects of the Chinese kleptocracy and the massive fixed-currency crisis in Europe are the dominant macroeconomic drivers of the global economy."
Markets Relieved at Spain Bailout Deal; Financial World Still Worried (Zachary Karabell) from the Daily Beast
"Stock markets are up on the news of a $125 billion agreement to bail out Spain, but the financial commentators aren’t convinced—and are still gearing up for economic Armageddon. They’re wrong to panic, says Zachary Karabell."
Wealth of U.S. Families Drops 40 Percent, Fed Says (Ylan Q. Mui) from the Washington Post
"Families’ median wealth plunged from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010, putting them on par with median wealth in 1992, according to new government data."
Obama And The Future (Andrew Sullivan) from the Daily Beast
"So what Obama has to do - what he can only do - is focus on the specifics of what must happen before the end of the year."
The Second Term (Ryan Lizza) from the New Yorker
"Congressional Republicans aren’t Iranian mullahs or five-star generals, but Obama’s approach to them is beginning to look familiar, as coöperative idealism gives way to hard-nosed realism. As his first term ebbs and threatens to take him with it, Obama seems to be learning how to be a forceful President."
Why, Even After Four Years, Pundits Cannot Seem to Fit Barack Obama into a Convenient Box (Todd S. Purdum) from Vanity Fair
"... a fundamental flaw in the various prevailing strains of criticism of the commander-in-chief. Because it’s not possible—logically, practically, psychologically—that Obama could be simultaneously a wimp and a cold-eyed dealer of death, any more than he could be simultaneously the scourge of Wall Street and a tool of Wall Street, or a liberation theologian and a radical Muslim."
Medicaid Changes Have Providers Pulling Teeth (Erika Beras) from Essential Public Radio [of Pittsburgh]
"Medicaid takes care of the poor and disabled but it varies by state. Most states don’t cover any dental care under the plan. Now, in Pennsylvania for adult Medicaid patients, Marcia Esters’ scenario is the norm. In September, the Corbett administration reduced coverage for Pennsylvania’s two million adult Medicaid patients to only having basic dental care, eliminating root canals, periodontal disease work and limiting the numbers of dentures a patient can receive. The plan now only covers cleanings, fillings and extractions."
No two ways about it, a devastating indictment of the program as it is now configured.
Queers as Folk (Mark Regnerus) from Slate
"Does it really make no difference if your parents are straight or gay?"
The Geography of Abortion in America (Richard Florida) from the Atlantic
"Mapping data on the issue reveals some surprising truths."
Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Obama Birth Certificate Challenge from the Huffington Post
"The Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal challenging President Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship and his eligibility to serve as commander in chief."
It's a sad commentary on the US Supreme Court that this decision actually surprises me.
Stranger Danger: Are Parents Too Paranoid About Safety? from Time Magazine
"When a childless man decided to sip his coffee on a bench in a Washington, D.C., playground, nervous parents dashed off emails and called the cops. Was it overreaction? Either way, one mother has a suggestion for controlling the chaos: create a family password to help kids better assess threats."
TV NUGGET!!
Why HBO Is Once Again TV’s Most Relevant Network (Dan Frankel) from Time Magazine
"...it was just one more incremental move for HBO, as the premium cable company — the leading edge of parent Time Warner’s effort to move the traditional pay TV model into the IP-device world — re-establishes itself as television’s most relevant programming brand."
GLACIER NUGGET!!
Power and Beauty: The Stunning Ice Caves Lying Deep Beneath Alaska's Glaciers from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"The sheer power of glaciers to carve out new landscapes is well documented. But less so is their ability to produce stunningly intricate and beautiful scenes beneath deep their surface."
ARCHITECTURE NUGGET!!
Giant Man-made 'Supertrees' Illuminate City as Part of Huge £350 Million Gardens Project to Make Singapore 'Botanical Capital of the World' from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
These look AMAZING!! They are really going to put Singapore on the map!
"Trees as tall as skyscrapers have giant steel and concrete trunks and thousands of thick wire rods for branches. They are fitted with solar panels, hanging gardens and rainwater catches, and will be used to display plants from across the globe."
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