A misty morning in Point Reyes, California. From National Geographic.
Yemen Leader May Accept Opposition Plan from Global Post
"Five-point plan calling for president's resignation at end of year unlikely to appease protesters."
With No End to Fighting, International Pressure Grows on Gadhafi from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"The international pressure on Libya continues to build. European countries are freezing Libyan assets and drawing up plans for a possible no-fly zone over the country, while the US is moving warships into the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, Libyan government sources have denied reports of government-backed attacks in the rebel-held east."
US Tightens Military Grip on Gaddafi from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Naval and air forces close in on Libya as David Cameron plans no-fly zone to protect civilians."
A No-fly Zone in Libya is a War Cry (Doyle McManus) from the Los Angeles Times
"Imposing a no-fly zone is an act of war, and we're already at war in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Rage Comes to Baghdad: Will Iraq's Recent Protests Lead to Revolt? (Raad Alkadiri) from Foreign Affairs
"Although the current protests in Iraq are unlikely to lead to the country's collapse, Iraqis’ patience with their government’s inadequacies is wearing thin. Should Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki be nervous?"
Is Syria the Next Domino (Editorial) from Project Syndicate
"With the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes gone and street protests roiling cities from Algiers to Tehran, many people are now wondering which domino might fall next. Syria, whose secular, militarized dictatorship most closely resembles the fallen regimes of Tunisia and Egypt, may not be next in line, but appears nonetheless to be approaching a tipping point."
America's End, or its Democratic Moment? (Michael Young) from the Daily Star [of Lebanon in English]
"The popular upsurges taking place throughout the Arab world, and which have wreaked havoc on Washington’s allies, compel the U.S. to reinvent its regional role."
Are America's Best Days Behind Us? (Fareed Zakaria) from Time Magazine
"Despite the hyped talk of China's rise, most Americans operate on the assumption that the U.S. is still No. 1. But is it?"
A compelling examination on the areas the US NEEDS to be focusing on.
Another view on the same topic:
U.S. Is First in Nobels, Trails in Alleyway Sex (Caroline Baum) from Bloomberg News Service
"Before you sell the house, auction the family heirlooms, gather up the kids and book passage on a boat to anywhere to escape the decline of the American Empire, take a deep breath. Things aren’t as bad as some would have you believe."
Over the Horizon: Sea Power and the Arab Spring (Robert Farley) from World Politics Review
"While these deployments do reflect genuine home country concerns about the safety of nationals stranded in Libya, they also provide an opportunity for the navies and government of India, China and South Korea to show off their reach and influence to both domestic and international audiences. "
Putin’s Palace (Reuben Johnson) from the Weekly Standard
"The pillars of Russian society—the schools and the military—are crumbling."
Soldier Faces 22 New WikiLeaks Charges from the New York Times
"The Army announced 22 additional charges on Wednesday against Pfc. Bradley Manning, the military intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking a trove of government files to WikiLeaks a year ago."
Special Report: Huntsman's Path to White House Starts in China from Reuters
"Jon Huntsman is a savvy operator who knows how to work a crowd. But it was someone in a crowd who worked Huntsman on a bitterly cold Sunday last month when the U.S. envoy to China was seen at a small anti-government protest in Beijing."
The Hollow Cry of ‘Broke’ from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"The federal deficit is too large for comfort, and most states are struggling to balance their books. Some of that is because of excessive spending, and much is because the recession has driven down tax revenues. But a substantial part was caused by deliberate decisions by state and federal lawmakers to drain government of resources by handing out huge tax cuts, mostly to the rich."
Four Pinocchios for the American Public on the Budget (Glenn Kessler) from the Washington Post
"Yet another depressing survey was released this week that attests to the failure of most Americans to understand the basics of the federal budget -- and why there is a soaring budget deficit."
And why is that? Because political blowhards from both sides have gone unchallenged by the MSM FOR DECADES. It will take decades (and a lot of budgetary pain) to even begin to set people straight.
Walker Tanks in New Poll (J.P. Greene) from the Democratic Strategist
"…the more he refuses to compromise, the more reasonable the protestors will appear to non-union voters. It's still early in his term, but his re-election is already in doubt."
GOP Faces Risk of Political Backlash on Budget Cuts: Poll from CNBC
"Congressional Republicans face a serious risk of political backlash from pressing their budget-cutting agenda at a time when Americans are more concerned about jobs, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll has found.
Focus Group: Palin is Unelectable; Healthcare Spells Major Trouble for Romney from the Iowa Republican
"The Iowa Republican.com, in conjunction with McClatchy newspapers, assembled a small group of conservative activists last week for a focus group. The main topic, naturally, was the upcoming 2012 Iowa Caucus. The group was unanimous, or near unanimous, on several topics. "
MOVIE NUGGET!!
Faith-Based Films Coming to a Theater Near You: 2011 Looks to be a Banner Year from the National Catholic Register
"For movie fans, this year looks to be a good one for faith-based films. Not only does it include films with Christian-based themes, but there are also a couple of movies that have been produced by churches."
This item may surprise some. I have long felt that the Hollywood studios have left religious Americans a deeply under-served audience. From the outside, it looks like the big studios simply WON'T make serious, religiously-inspired movies -- even though when they do, those films do remarkably well at the box office.
EDUCATION NUGGET!!
Is College for Everyone? from NPR's Radio Times program
"A new report from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Pathways to Prosperity, has ignited a contentious debate about if we should be preparing all high school students to go to college or providing alternative routes to job-preparedness including technical training, apprenticeship programs and work-based learning, for example."
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