Sandhill cranes gathering on the Platte River in Nebraska. From National Geographic.
Egypt Inspires People in U.S. and Around the World from Al Messa [of Egypt in English]
"Everyone recognizes the change that Egyptians have achieved. The situation has gone so far that the West has begun to hold Egypt up as an example. Recently in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, protests were held opposing a bill limiting the rights of trade unions. What was so astonishing was that the protesters held up signs reading: 'One World, One People, Inspired By Egypt', 'Egypt=18 days ... Wisconsin=???,' and 'Egypt is Our Inspiration.'"
Mideast Uprisings Show the Power of the Weak (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"The weak have a new power in the modern media age: Their suffering is visible to millions of well-intentioned people around the world who are likely to support humanitarian intervention to rescue them from their plight. But there’s a dangerous corollary to this new power of the weak: It can lead disorganized groups to start fights with established authorities that they can’t finish — unless they are rescued by larger powers. In this sense, the media attention emboldens the very actions that can lead to slaughter and repression."
In the main, I agree with what Ignatius is saying -- but the column concludes with how this info is useful for dictators. What about future presidents of the US? And American voters? Do we ignore the weak who try to topple their authoritarian regimes? I understand the issues -- but what's the game plan being proffered?
Race Against Time: Deadly Force Won't Save Syrian Regime from the Editorial Board of the Daily Star [of Lebanon in English]
"Syrian President Bashar Assad appears to be seriously underestimating the nature of the protests shaking his nation, taking actions on the ground that undermine the regime’s public stance that it is ready to enact reforms."
Just within the last 72 hours, I think events have started to turn decisively against Assad's regime. I DON'T predict that things will end nicely here, however. There's a high probability that Syria will descend into a bloody black hole and more resemble an even darker version of Lebanon in the 1980s rather than the relatively up-beat Egypt of 2011. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Security Forces in Yemen Open Fire on Protesters from the New York Times
"Security forces opened fire, said witnesses, in the first direct assault on protesters in the capital since snipers killed 52 protesters more than three weeks ago. The shooting follows a week of violence in a central city, Taiz, where security forces and men in plain clothes have fatally shot about 20 protesters."
Grading China’s Military Plans (Gabe Collins and Andrew Erickson) from The Diplomat
"A number of specific military developments cause significant concern to China’s Asian neighbours, as well as the United States."
This article provides a clear picture of the areas where Americans should have some concern concerning China's military rise.
China: On the Defensive from the Economist [of London]
"A bad attack of the jitters among Chinese leaders, and dissidents pay the price."
In Russia, Growing Rumblings of Discontent (Masha Lipman) from the Washington Post
"For three months the approval ratings of Russia’s top leaders have declined — a trend that is generating talk here of a looming political crisis. Recently, two thinkers from the prominent Center for Strategic Research, Mikhail Dmitriev and Sergei Belanovsky, joined the ranks of the critics, calling for reforms that would generate a competitive political environment, restore public trust and improve economic policies."
I think this author is overstating the level of discontent in Russia -- history suggests that it takes A LOT to get Russians genuinely worked up about the quality of their governance to the point where they actually take action. They aren't even close to being there yet.
Concessions and Tension, Then a Deal from the New York Times
"At one crucial moment in the game of chicken over a looming shutdown of the United States government, President Obama and the House speaker, John A. Boehner, faced off in the Oval Office. Mr. Boehner, a Republican heavily outnumbered in the room by Democrats, was demanding a provision to restrict financing to Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide abortions. Mr. Obama would not budge. “Nope. Zero,” the president said to the speaker."
Concerning the budget deal, my initial take is that Boehner and the GOP got slightly the better in the deal -- but the REAL battles are the ones to come concerning the debt ceiling and next year's budget battle. Make no mistake -- the House Republicans will be lining up behind the Ryan plan as their STARTING POINT! Wall Street and Club-for-Growth types are already pressuring Republicans to sign a pledge to this effect -- and there's every indication that most of them will. My take-away is that the Dems MUST get their own plan (a la Paul Ryan's) on the table ASAP! And that plan should include ALL the priorities the Dems have concerning a big budget battle: tax INCREASES for corporations and the wealthy, the end to oil and ag subsidies, substantial cuts in defense spending, the end to the Bush tax cuts, some sensible restructuring of medicare and medicaid. Who knows? If they were being as "brave" as Paul Ryan, they could even throw in a value-added tax. Starting from THIS PLACE will give them a powerful place to stand vis-a-vis the House GOP. Otherwise they risk getting rolled -- and if that happens the consequences will be MUCH MORE SERIOUS both politically and on the merits!
'Long Dance' that Ended in a Deal from Politico
"“It’s been a long dance,” said an Obama aide involved in the talks. The tense negotiations have been less a high-stakes game of chicken — like most budget wrangling — than an effort to jerry-rig a deal that would be acceptable to House conservatives, Senate Democrats and a president intent on proving he could pull off a bipartisan deal for the second time in five months."
In Budget Deal, Signs of Obama’s Path to the Middle from the New York Times
President Obama opened the week by calling on Democrats to embrace his re-election campaign. He closed it by praising Republicans for forging a compromise to cut spending this year and avert a government shutdown. The juxtaposition made clearer than ever the more centrist governing style Mr. Obama has adopted since his party’s big losses in November and his recapture-the-middle strategy for winning a second term."
The Brave and Serious Mr. Ryan (James Fallows) from the Atlantic
"I mentioned earlier that if asked to choose an adjective to describe the budget plan presented by Rep. Paul Ryan, I would suggest "partisan" or "gimmicky," as opposed to "serious" or "brave." Most budget proposals are both partisan and gimmicky, so this is no particular knock against Rep. Ryan. But it's worth mentioning because so much of the pundit-sphere (excluding the Atlantic's Derek Thompson) has received the plan as a dramatic step forward in clear thinking about our fiscal future. I think this view is wrong."
Farm Subsidies: Sacred Cows No More from the Wall Street Journal
"The hunt for cuts has come to this: Even agriculture subsidies—billions in spending both parties have embraced for years—are on the table. With the farm economy booming and Washington on a diet, a program set up in the 1990s that cuts checks to farmers could be trimmed or eliminated next year when Congress writes a new five-year farm bill. A group of conservative lawmakers has set its sights on these direct payments, and even farm-state Democrats who like the program say high crop prices make the outlays of about $5 billion a year harder to justify."
Wisconsin Election Bombshell: How Plausible? (Mark Blumenthal) from Huffington Post
"... the originally reported Tuesday turnout for Waukesha County was lower than the its 2010 vote totals would have suggested. The new votes added in the revised count brings the county's turnout number for this week more closely into line with the statewide pattern."
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