A sunset (and moonrise) over Cape Alava off of Washington State. From National Geographic.
The Egyptian Citizen Won’t Stay Silent (Rami G. Khouri) from the Daily Star [of Lebanon in English]
"The resurgence of public demonstrations in Egypt during the past week should surprise no one who has correctly grasped the underlying dynamics of the citizen revolts across the Arab world that comprise a veritable Arab awakening. This is because the return of thousands of Egyptians to the street to challenge government decisions – or government inaction – represents an important core component of this awakening: the birth of the Arab citizen."
Pakistan’s Spies Tied to Slaying of a Journalist from the New York Times
"New classified intelligence obtained before the May 29 disappearance of the journalist, Saleem Shahzad, 40, from the capital, Islamabad, and after the discovery of his mortally wounded body, showed that senior officials of the spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, directed the attack on him in an effort to silence criticism, two senior administration officials said."
More evidence that the Pakistani authorities are becoming unhinged. But -- the story within the story here is: why are US sources leaking this to the Times now? Smells of payback.
Western Mountain Rebels Launch Offensive Southwest of Tripoli (Peter Graff) from Reuters via RealClearWorld
"Hundreds of Libyan rebels launched a massed offensive in the mountains southwest of Tripoli Wednesday to seize a village held by Muammar Gaddafi's forces and push the front line closer to the capital."
Moody's: Chinese Local Debt Understated by $540 Billion from Reuters
"China's local government debt burden may be 3.5 trillion yuan ($540 billion) larger than auditors estimated, putting banks on the hook for deeper losses that could threaten their credit ratings, Moody's said on Tuesday."
More funny numbers out of China. Minxin Pei of The Diplomat has more analysis on this HERE.
Chinese Communist Party Sees Mismatch Between Capitalism and Democracies (Frank Ching) from the China Post [of Taiwan in English]
"...the Communist Party is now challenging the very concept of democracy, not only in China but in the West as well. The Xinhua article cited political turmoil, economic difficulties and social disorder in some countries as evidence that democracy does not work."
More of the "dictators of the world unite" meme that, I suspect, will increasingly shape China's foreign policy.
U.S. Army Testing Real Life 'Iron Man' Exoskeleton That Gives Soldiers Super Strength from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"The appropriately named Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, is a wearable exoskeleton that allows soldiers to carry up to 200 pounds for over 12.4 miles on a single battery charge."
Check out the pictures -- very sci-fi!
No Apologies Over DSK (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"Revelations that Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s accuser has serious credibility problems is no reason for us to be embarrassed about how U.S. authorities handled the case, says Peter Beinart."
For the most part, I agree with Beinart's view: the US justice system did just fine under the circumstances.
Why Obama Should Go Rogue (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"Some say Obama shouldn’t raise the debt ceiling without congressional approval. But in Michael Tomasky’s view, that’s exactly what the president should do."
I hate to say it -- but I LIKE IT! Make no mistake though -- this is a perilous path for Obama to take, one with LOTS of unknowns, particularly when it comes to how the GOP might spin such a decision by the President.
The Tea Party Splinters Over Debt (Patricia Murphy) from the Daily Beast
"Republicans are under fierce pressure from the movement not to raise the debt ceiling. But Patricia Murphy finds a serious split among activist groups that is muddying the debate."
The Mother of All No-Brainers (David Brooks) form the New York Times
"A normal Republican Party would seize the opportunity to put a long-term limit on the growth of government. It would seize the opportunity to put the country on a sound fiscal footing. It would seize the opportunity to do these things without putting any real crimp in economic growth. ... But we can have no confidence that the Republicans will seize this opportunity. That’s because the Republican Party may no longer be a normal party."
A related view here:
Republican Zeal Runs Amok (Harold Meyerson) from the Washington Post
"By holding out for more when they’ve already attained plenty, they run the risk of coming away with nothing for themselves or inflicting avoidable calamity on everyone else. As Daniel Bell once said of American socialists, they act as if they’re in but not of the world."
Obama to Ask Cuomo to be 2012 Running Mate: Sources (Fredric Dicker) from the New York Post
"A Prominent Republican is joining a prominent Democrat in predicting that Gov. Cuomo will become President Obama's running mate for vice president next year."
An interesting speculation -- and I don't buy it. The WH denies the story HERE. Moreover, it's not that Obama WON'T choose Cuomo. I just don't get that this guy's sources really know anything.
Obama Won’t Dump Biden (Mark McKinnon) from the Daily Beast
"So “insiders” say the president will drop Biden for Andrew Cuomo in 2012? They’re wrong. Mark McKinnon says the loyal, labor-friendly Joe isn’t going anywhere—unless Obama loses the election."
The only way I see this rumor panning out is if Hillary steps down from State (which she has said she will do) and Obama is able to convince Biden to move over to State, thus leaving the VP slot empty. But I don't get that either McKinnon or Dicker have any real sources in the executive branch that would disclose anything like this with them.
Perry Breaks With a Fellow Texan: Bush from the New York Times
"Mr. Perry’s public statements exposed a long-simmering rivalry that had been little known outside the political fraternity here but underscores the rightward drift of the Republican Party since Mr. Bush was president. More acutely, Mr. Perry’s criticism holds potential peril and benefit for him should he decide to mount a presidential campaign..."
GLOBALIZATION & CULTURE NUGGET!!
Research Backs English as Key to Development from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Data indicates speakers can earn 25% more but high-value language remains preserve of elites."
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