Valleys of fog in the Adirondacks. From National Geographic.
Libya Inspires the Arabs (Marc Lynch) from Foreign Policy Magazine
For anyone looking for a RICH assortment of deeper analysis of the Libya rebellion, Foreign Policy Magazine's website is FILLED with many great items today.
".I don't see how anybody watching al-Jazeera, following Arab social media networks, or talking to people in the region could fail to appreciate the interconnected nature of Arab struggles. It's the same sense of shared fate and urgency that those who follow the Arab public sphere could feel in February and March. I supported the NATO intervention in Libya in large part because of that powerful Arab popular demand and the likely impact of the outcome in Libya across the region."
'It's Game Over, Gaddafi': Tripoli's Citizens See Violent Birth of a New Libya from the Guardian [of the UK]
It's apparent this morning that Gaddafi was reserving his best troops for some final inner-city fighting, something that may drag out for a time -- and that he seems to think that he's played a nice little trick ... on someone. Make no mistake, he and his regime are toast. There's very much a "Hitler in his bunker" mentality here with the "great leader" seeing ephemeral armies surging forward to destroy the rebels and propel him to ultimate victory. Not happening.
"Most residents of the Libyan capital welcomed the rebels, but some had mixed feelings. And where was Gaddafi?"
Obama Trumps Libya Critics (Tara McKelvey) from the Daily Beast
"Republicans and intellectuals, united in their denunciation of Obama’s modest intervention against Gaddafi, are now taking a second look. But they’re not apologizing, says Tara McKelvey."
Top Ten Myths about the Libya War (Juan Cole) from juancole.com
FYI: Juan Cole is a noted Middle East scholar and liberal blogger.
" I hate war, having actually lived through one in Lebanon, and I hate the idea of people being killed. ... But here I agree with President Obama and his citation of Reinhold Niebuhr. You can’t protect all victims of mass murder everywhere all the time. But where you can do some good, you should do it, even if you cannot do all good."
Lessons of the Libya Intervention (Shadi Hamid) from the Atlantic
"The rebels looked hopeless until America and NATO acted"
More lessons -- for a slightly different constituency:
The Dictator's Survival Guide: Seven Lessons the World's Remaining Autocrats Can Learn from Qaddafi's Mistakes (Micah Zenko) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"... on the night of Aug. 21, he was reduced to issuing impotent, rambling audio messages as his former subjects closed in around him. We know now that it has all gone horribly wrong for Africa's longest-serving dictator. But what, exactly, went wrong?"
What Would Gaddafi’s Fall Mean for Oil Prices? (Brad Plumer) from the Washington Post
"Earlier this morning, markets showed some early signs of optimism, with Europe’s Brent crude index dropping more than 2 percent. ... But energy analysts warn that optimism might be premature."
First Thoughts: What Libya Means for Obama from MSNBC
"The fall of Tripoli, and likely eventual ouster of Moammar Khaddafy -- a thorn in American presidents’ sides for more than a generation -- is welcome news to a White House in need of good news."
The Reluctant War President from Politico
"Once again, there will be no flight suit photo-op or “Mission Accomplished” banner for Barack Obama. The ouster of Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi represents yet another military victory for a president long cast as a gun-shy liberal uncomfortable with the use of force."
Libya a Victory for 'Leading from Behind'? from Politico
"...the low-profile, inexpensive ouster of Col. Muammar Qadhafi marks an important milestone for the administration, foreign policy analysts say — perhaps the most concrete evidence that the more modest American foreign policy approach that has become Obama’s hallmark and perhaps his biggest area of contrast with his more interventionist predecessor might actually work."
Dissent in Syria Emerges as Front Line of Arab Uprisings (Anthony Shadid) from the New York Times
"...In eight months, three strongmen have fallen in a region renowned for decades for its leaders dying on their thrones. While Libya and Syria have little in common beyond their repression, the arithmetic of the region seems to be betting against authoritarian rule that fails to reform."
Sharma to Step Down as S&P President from the Financial Times [of the UK]
That was fast! Did the Standard and Poore's president really screw things up for the ratings agency? Makes you wonder what those Congressional investigators are going to find?
"The McGraw-Hill board made the decision to replace Mr Sharma at a meeting on Monday, where it also discussed an ongoing strategic review."
Homeowners Need Help from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"Tens of millions of Americans are being crushed by the overhang of mortgage debt. And Congress and the White House have yet to figure out that the economy will not recover until housing recovers — and that won’t happen without a robust effort to curb foreclosures by modifying troubled mortgage loans."
The Hidden Costs of Higher Ed (Noah Bernstein) from the New York Times
"It’s not just the economy’s fault: even as they publicize lavish financial aid packages, colleges and universities are making it harder for average American families to afford higher education, while making it easier for the wealthy."
Path to White House is a Dirt Road from Politico
"Obama won’t win the traditionally conservative rural vote. He doesn’t need to. He only needs to keep Republican support low enough that the traditionally left-leaning urban vote can put him over the top."
The GOP is Fed Up with its Choices (Eugene Robinson) from the Washington Post
"In theory, Democrats should be nervous about Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to enter the presidential race. In practice, though, it’s Republicans who have zoomed up the anxiety ladder into freak-out mode."
Rick Perry Should Stop and Think (Richard Cohen) from the Washington Post
"It’s not his thinking that’s scary. It’s the lack of any at all."
Give Obama a Break (David Frum) from CNN
A GREAT come-back on the Obama vacation vitriol.
"Almost nothing in American politics drives more people to say more ridiculous things than the subject of presidential summer vacations. ... The president of the United States never gets a vacation, not really. The nuclear football follows wherever the president goes. He receives the daily intelligence briefing every morning, including Christmas. The decisions never stop, the cares of state never lighten, the burden of responsibility is never lifted. When a president goes "on vacation," here's what happens:"
RAILROAD FANTASY NUGGET!!
Report: Tunnel Linking US to Russia Gains Support from MSNBC
"'The greatest railway project of all time' would enable trains to travel from NYC to London, England."
MOVIE PREVIEW NUGGET!!
Horseplay: Laura Jacobs and photographer Jason Bell salute the film adaptation of War Horse from Vanity Fair
"Joey—the stoic, “red bay” voice of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, of 1982—has joined the pantheon of maned-and-tailed storytellers with a moral message. Joey is witness to World War I, the last major war to employ cavalry and cart. ... This December, Joey leaps to the big screen in a movie directed by none other than Steven Spielberg."
This SOUNDs like it could be a really great movie!
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