News Nuggets 653

Crowds in Yemen's capital Sanaa celebrating the departure of Ali Abdullah Saleh for Riyadh.  From Al Jazeera English.

Arab Summer: How Unstable Will the Middle East's New Democracies Be? (Fred Kaplan) from Slate
"Revolutions tend to be messy and protracted, and the political revolutions stirring the Middle East and northern Africa have gone on now for barely four months—an eternity in cable news land but less than a finger snap in the storybook of history. No wonder, then, that the narrative threads are jutting every which way, their courses, much less outcomes, uncertain."
Our on-the-money pundit of the day!!

The Momentous Return of the Arab Citizen (Rami G. Khouri) from the Daily Star [of Lebanon in English]
"...the concept of “the consent of the governed” is now operational in Egypt, as “people power” has become the legitimate source of authority and governance, but without ideological expression or anchorage."

Wounded Yemeni President in Saudi Arabia, Huge Crowds Celebrate from Al Jazeera English
"Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Riyadh for treatment amid speculation over his rule, two days after he was injured in attack."

Syrian Protesters Get Smart (Dan Ephron) from the Daily Beast
"Their movement against Bashar al-Assad's regime began in the daylight, but four months and 1,000 deaths later, Syrian demonstrators have taken a page from other insurrections and taken their organizing to the shadows, reports Dan Ephron."

NATO Helicopters Ratchet Up Pressure on Gaddafi from Reuters News Service
"British and French attack helicopters struck inside Libya for the first time overnight on Saturday, hitting targets in the oil port of Brega as NATO forces stepped up their air war against Muammar Gaddafi."

Top Jihadist Leader Killed, Followers Say from CNN
"The man described by counterterrorism officials as al Qaeda's "military brain," Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in a drone strike Friday night in Pakistan, a spokesman for his group, the jihadist Harakat-ul-Jihad-Islami, said."
The NY Times has more detail HERE and the Daily Beast HERE.

US-Israel: Do the American People Support the 'Special Relationship?' (Stephen M. Walt) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"...what of his more basic claim that the "special relationship" between the United States and Israel is really a reflection of "the public's overwhelming sympathy?" There are at least three big problems with this assertion."

Our Fantasy Nation? (Nicholas Kristof) from the New York Times
"With Tea Party conservatives and many Republicans balking at raising the debt ceiling, let me offer them an example of a nation that lives up to their ideals."

Live and Learn: Debating the Value of College in America (Louis Menand) from the New Yorker
"IIn a society that encourages its members to pursue the career paths that promise the greatest personal or financial rewards, people will, given a choice, learn only what they need to know for success. They will have no incentive to acquire the knowledge and skills important for life as an informed citizen, or as a reflective and culturally literate human being."
Cultural literacy vs. career pathway.  Increasingly (and sadly), this is ONE of the bigger disconnects that is happening between how colleges and universities think about themselves and how parents and students think about colleges and universities.  It poses the question: how would higher ed ALTER its basic approach if the core mission of colleges and universities was .. to prepare students for "successful careers" [broadly defined]?

Weak Economy May Hurt GOP Worse Than Dems (Eli Lehrer) from Frum Forum
"It’s pretty simple: a strong recovery would help all incumbents and strengthen parties in places where they are naturally strong. In this kind of environment, Republicans would easily retain control of the House and almost certainly take the Senate even if Obama wins reelection. (There are currently eight Democratic seats Republicans can plausibly compete for and only two Republican-held seats where Democrats have a chance.) A weakening economy, on the other hand, is likely to hurt anyone in power."
I'm skeptical of this take -- but it is interesting nonetheless.

SlutWalks and the Future of Feminism (Jessica Valenti) from the Washington Post
"More than 40 years after feminists tossed their bras and high heels into a trash can at the 1968 Miss America pageant — kicking off the bra-burning myth that will never die — some young women are taking to the streets to protest sexual assault, wearing not much more than what their foremothers once dubbed “objects of female oppression” in marches called SlutWalks."

Watch it: Coming soon to a college or university near you:
Climate of Fear: Climate Scientists Face Death Threats from the Canberra Times [of Australia]
"''These hurtful attacks are intended to intimidate scientists, to scare them off and stop them from participating in public discussions on climate change. They are the antithesis of democratic debate,'' Professor Chubb said."

The Dove in the Room: A New Breed of Anti-war Republican Awaits Its Champion (Jason Zengerle) from New York Magazine
"In a 1976 vice-presidential debate, Bob Dole infamously branded the World Wars “Democrat wars”; as a candidate, George W. Bush declared, “I’m not so sure the role of the United States is to go around the world and say, ‘This is the way it’s got to be.’ ” Considering how Bush’s world-historical flip-flop on that issue turned out, it’s little wonder Republicans are coming around to his original way of thinking."

Fiscal False Choices (Charles Blow) from the New York Times
"This is part of the modern doctrine of a compassion-free conservatism that’s using the fog of the fiscal crisis to push a program of perverse wealth inequality as sound economic policy: The only way to jump-start the economy is to slash taxes on the wealthy and on companies; the only way to compensate for the deficits that those tax cuts exacerbate is to slash benefits to the poor and vulnerable. It would be comical if it weren’t so callous."

Conservative Republicans Largely Abstain From Obama Rally from Gallup
"Americans overall have viewed the president more positively since then, the event moved conservative Republicans much less than other Americans to see Obama in a better light. ... Thus, it appears there is little Obama can reasonably do that would dramatically increase his support among conservative Republicans. That is one reason Obama's approval ratings have been among the most polarized of recent U.S. presidents."

Hubris and Humility: Sarah Palin and Robert Gates on Tour (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post
"The week’s dueling tours of Gates and Palin show the best and worst in American public life. Both call themselves Republicans, but he comes from the best tradition of service while she is a study in selfishness. He’s self-effacing; she’s self-aggrandizing. He harmonized American foreign policy; she put bullseyes on Democratic congressional districts and then howled about “blood libel.” It says something about the infirmity of our politics that Gates can’t wait to go home while Palin is again being taken seriously as a prospective presidential candidate."

Magical Mystery Palin: A Beaming and Unpredictable Problem for the Republican Party from the Economist [of London]
"By hook, crook and presumably her own design, the media have caught up with her at every stop, where she smiles and giggles and is coy, but invariably finds something newsworthy to say, and by doing so keeps a nation guessing. Unlike many Republican candidates, Mrs Palin can afford this slow dance of the seven veils."

Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney Talk ‘Moral Crises’ at Conference (Elizabeth Tenety) from the Washington Post
"Talking about his two adopted daughters, the former governor of Utah and ambassador to China touted his pro-life credentials, saying: “There is something more essential than politics. And that’s life, especially a child’s life.”"
I think there is a "moral crisis" in our society -- but it is one characterized by an astonishing level of indifference to anyone who suffers.  This latter group includes the poor, the sick, the old, the unemployed, those who face intense discrimination, and men, women, children and families who look to the future with dread and hopelessness.  This indifference cuts a broad swath from lawmakers of all stripes to liberals to religious conservatives of almost all denominations.  Example: with their obsession with abortion, evangelical conservatives seem to have given themselves a "get-out-of-hell" free card for the extraordinary indifference (even hatred) they show in their policy prescriptions for the poor and disadvantaged in our society.  I don't let liberals off the hook either.  In the current recession, I am amazed at how most so-called "liberal" or "progressive" lawmakers and activists have walked away from the issue of unemployment.  If rank cowardice in the face of suffering is a sin, then their sins are legion!  Right now, of those in any position to *do anything about unemployment,* they are doing virtually nothing.

11 Bizarrely Wrong Beliefs Americans Have About Themselves (Chris Danello) from the Atlantic
"Below are ten further surprising survey results revealing some of Americans' mistaken beliefs about their country -- and countrymen."

Muslim Billboard Campaign that Declares Jesus a 'Prophet of Islam' Causes Outrage from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"A provocative billboard advertising campaign launched by an Australian Muslim group claiming that Jesus was a prophet of Islam has outraged Christians in Sydney. The group, Mypeace, says its aim is to inform, not to offend, with Islamic awareness campaign, featuring four different slogans.
But one Catholic bishop said the assertions - made on roadside hoardings - are 'a direct assault on Christian beliefs'."
I LOVE IT!!

CLASSIC TV NUGGET!!
What Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Eden Wrought from the New York Times
"The latter broadcast an era-and-mind-scrambling mixture of reruns — a daily delirium wherein “The Honeymooners” might rub shoulders with “The Avengers,” “The Rifleman” was just a shot away from “That Girl,” and a mad parade of castaways, cowboys, talking horses, detectives, bewitching witches, doctors, avuncular Martians, fugitives and flying nuns followed “Route 66” straight into “The Twilight Zone.” Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Eden became household names in the 1960s and fixtures in syndication long afterward, ubiquitous personalities who embedded themselves in our psyches whether we invited them there or not."

ANOTHER CLASSIC TELEVISION NUGGET!!
Selling J. R., Lock, Stock and Swagger from the New York Times
"The smirking “Dallas” oil baron J. R. Ewing always knew how to make an entrance. And Larry Hagman, who brought that infamous TV villain to life, apparently still has the touch."

MORE WEINER HUMOR NUGGET!!
Anthony Weiner Addresses Twitter Scandal from the Colbert Report
Since I started this blog in 2008 it has been fairly rare that I post much from Comedy Central -- but this last week with Weinergate, Jon Stewart has been on FIRE!!  Today, I thought we'd check in with Stephen Colbert, and sure enough, he's been having his own field day!  Check this one out!