In a Moscow talk, Vladimir Putin lashed out at US support for Chechen terrorism:
"Speaking to western policy experts and journalists just days after hundreds of children died in the Beslan school siege, the Russian president said mid-level officials in the U.S. government were supporting Chechen separatists, whom he compared to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, CNN reported. "You find it possible to set some limitations in your dealings with these bastards, so why should we talk to people who are child-killers?" Reuters quoted Putin as saying. The president said that each time Russia complained to the Bush administration about meetings held between U.S. officials and Chechen separatist representatives, the U.S. response has been "we'lll get back to you" or "we reserve the right to talk with anyone we want," CNN quoted him as saying. Putin blamed what he called a 'Cold War mentality' on the part of some U.S. officials, but likened their demands that Russia negotiate with the Chechen separatists to the U.S. talking to al Qaeda."
Putin is right, on this point at least. There are a lot of Chechen supporters in America, not just in the mid-level offices of the State Department. I saw Richard Holbrooke and Zbignew Brzezinski attacking Russia on behalf of the Chechens at a Library of Congress symposium a few months ago. The only one who appeared to have any sympathy for Russia's dilemmas was James Billington. And anti-Russian views domintate the major media, as well. For example, the New York Times editorial on the day after the school massacre in Beslan blamed Russia, not the terrorists, for the killings. Despite Peter Baker's superb reporting from Beslan, editorials and op-eds in the Washington Post have tended to be anti-Russian. As has NPR, which made the Chechen terrorists sound like they were in a guerrilla insurgency against a military target. I still haven't seen a major newspaper investigation that clearly connects the Chechen terrorism to 9/11--despite a great deal of evidence that both fronts are part of a worldwide jihad against the West (see the link below about Mohammed Atta being on his way to Chechnya before he decided to attack the World Trade Center). It is pretty clear that the terrorists see Russia, the US, the UK, and Israel in much the same way that the Nazis saw the Allies during World War II (of course, these countries are allies from World War II). Most experts in Washington think-tanks also hew to an anti-Russian line. In fact, evenhanded analysis of the Chechen conflict from people like Leon Aron at the American Enterprise Institute (scroll down for the link),is a rarity as far as I am aware. Aron, a biographer of Yeltsin, appears to be alone even in Republican policy circles right now. Of course, blogs like Winds of Change and Little Green Footballs have connected the dots between the Chechen terrorists and those who attacked the US.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Monday, September 06, 2004
Burt Herman on the Beslan Massacre
I met Burt Herman when I was in Tashkent two years ago. Now he is in Beslan, covering the recent school massacre for the Associated Press:
"BESLAN, Russia - Funeral processions filled the rainy streets of this southern Russian city Monday, carrying coffins large and small, as townspeople buried scores of victims of a carefully planned school siege that prosecutors linked to a Chechen rebel leader.Desperate families searched for those still missing from the siege at School No. 1, while others buried 120 victims during the first of two days of national mourning across Russia, which has seen more than 400 people killed in violence linked to terrorism in the past two weeks. Reports emerged that the attackers apparently planned the school seizure months ago, sneaking weapons into the building in advance. There also were signs that some of the militants did not know they were to take children hostage and may have been killed by their comrades when they objected."
"BESLAN, Russia - Funeral processions filled the rainy streets of this southern Russian city Monday, carrying coffins large and small, as townspeople buried scores of victims of a carefully planned school siege that prosecutors linked to a Chechen rebel leader.Desperate families searched for those still missing from the siege at School No. 1, while others buried 120 victims during the first of two days of national mourning across Russia, which has seen more than 400 people killed in violence linked to terrorism in the past two weeks. Reports emerged that the attackers apparently planned the school seizure months ago, sneaking weapons into the building in advance. There also were signs that some of the militants did not know they were to take children hostage and may have been killed by their comrades when they objected."
BBC's "State of the Union"
Here's the program the BBC is running to replace Alistair Cooke's "Letter from America." It's called State Of The Union.
Jan Morris on the New South
A fascinating account of the British author's recent return visit to Charleston, South Carolina in OpinionJournal - Extra.
An Uzbek Arts Blog
One of my students from Uzbekistan has created this new blog dedicated to the arts, in English, Russian, and French:ART, Entertainement, Interesting Facts and Ideas.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Abdel Rahman al-Rashed on Terrorism
In an article in the Telegraph, reprinted from Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, entitled 'Innocent religion is now a message of hate' Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, general manager of the Al-Arabiya channel, writes about terrorism and Islam [link from DanielPipes.com]:
"Bin Laden is a Muslim. The majority of those who manned the suicide bombings against buses, vehicles, schools, houses and buildings, all over the world, were Muslim. What a pathetic record. What an abominable 'achievement'. Does all this tell us anything about ourselves, our societies and our culture? These images, when put together, or taken separately, are shameful and degrading. But let us start with putting an end to a history of denial. Let us acknowledge their reality, instead of denying them and seeking to justify them with sound and fury signifying nothing. For it would be easy to cure ourselves if we realise the seriousness of our sickness. Self-cure starts with self-realisation and confession. We should then run after our terrorist sons, in the full knowledge that they are the sour grapes of a deformed culture."
"Bin Laden is a Muslim. The majority of those who manned the suicide bombings against buses, vehicles, schools, houses and buildings, all over the world, were Muslim. What a pathetic record. What an abominable 'achievement'. Does all this tell us anything about ourselves, our societies and our culture? These images, when put together, or taken separately, are shameful and degrading. But let us start with putting an end to a history of denial. Let us acknowledge their reality, instead of denying them and seeking to justify them with sound and fury signifying nothing. For it would be easy to cure ourselves if we realise the seriousness of our sickness. Self-cure starts with self-realisation and confession. We should then run after our terrorist sons, in the full knowledge that they are the sour grapes of a deformed culture."
There They Go Again...
The Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, which is funded by the Ohio Arts Council, which is in turn funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, is having a retrospective celebrating the "Culture Wars" of the 1990s, including the famous NEA 4 and Robert Mapplethorpe. From the Contemporary Arts Center website:
"The following is a partial list of artists to be represented: Artist and Homeless Collaborative, Ross Bleckner, Karen Finley, Gran Fury, Group Material, Guerilla Girls, Hans Haacke, Keith Haring, Lynn Hershman, Deborah Kass, Mike Kelley, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Louise Lawler, Sherrie Levine, Robert Longo, Robert Mapplethorpe, Allan McCollum, Richard Prince, Tim Rollins + KOS, Martha Rosler, David Salle, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Haim Steinbach, David Wojnarowicz, and Krystof Wodiczko."
There's an article about the show in the Sunday New York Times. Just one way the "arts community" shows gratitude to President Bush and Congressman Ralph Regula (R-OH) for increasing the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts...
"The following is a partial list of artists to be represented: Artist and Homeless Collaborative, Ross Bleckner, Karen Finley, Gran Fury, Group Material, Guerilla Girls, Hans Haacke, Keith Haring, Lynn Hershman, Deborah Kass, Mike Kelley, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Louise Lawler, Sherrie Levine, Robert Longo, Robert Mapplethorpe, Allan McCollum, Richard Prince, Tim Rollins + KOS, Martha Rosler, David Salle, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Haim Steinbach, David Wojnarowicz, and Krystof Wodiczko."
There's an article about the show in the Sunday New York Times. Just one way the "arts community" shows gratitude to President Bush and Congressman Ralph Regula (R-OH) for increasing the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts...
Mark Steyn on the Beslan Massacre
Thanks to Instapundit for this link to Mark Steyn in The Australian:
"So the particular character of this "insurgency" does not derive from the requirements of "asymmetrical warfare" but from . . . well, let's see, what was the word missing from those three analyses of the Beslan massacre? Here's a clue: half the dead "Chechen separatists" were not Chechens at all, but Arabs. And yet, tastefully tiptoeing round the subject, The New York Times couldn't bring itself to use the words Muslim or Islamist, for fear presumably of offending multicultural sensibilities. In the 1990s, while the world's leaders slept – or in Bill Clinton's case slept around – thousands of volunteers from across the globe passed through terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and were then dispatched to Indonesia, Kosovo, Sudan . . . and Chechnya. Wealthy Saudis – including members of the royal family – invested millions in setting up mosques and madrassas in what were traditionally spheres of a more accommodationist Islam, from the Balkans to South Asia, and successfully radicalised a generation of young Muslim men. It's the jihadist component – not the asymmetrical one, not the secessionist one – that accounts for the mound of undersized corpses, for the scale of the depravity."
"So the particular character of this "insurgency" does not derive from the requirements of "asymmetrical warfare" but from . . . well, let's see, what was the word missing from those three analyses of the Beslan massacre? Here's a clue: half the dead "Chechen separatists" were not Chechens at all, but Arabs. And yet, tastefully tiptoeing round the subject, The New York Times couldn't bring itself to use the words Muslim or Islamist, for fear presumably of offending multicultural sensibilities. In the 1990s, while the world's leaders slept – or in Bill Clinton's case slept around – thousands of volunteers from across the globe passed through terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and were then dispatched to Indonesia, Kosovo, Sudan . . . and Chechnya. Wealthy Saudis – including members of the royal family – invested millions in setting up mosques and madrassas in what were traditionally spheres of a more accommodationist Islam, from the Balkans to South Asia, and successfully radicalised a generation of young Muslim men. It's the jihadist component – not the asymmetrical one, not the secessionist one – that accounts for the mound of undersized corpses, for the scale of the depravity."
Arianna on Bernard Levin
In Arianna Online, a relationship recalled:
"I first met Bernard Levin on a 'Face the Music' panel. I was there as a curiosity -- a woman with a foreign accent, elected president of the Cambridge Union. He was there as a celebrated columnist for the London Times, an intellectual with an encyclopedic knowledge of music. It was 1971. I was 21, he was 42. He knew nothing about me. I had had a major intellectual crush on him ever since I discovered his writings while at Girton. I had devoured his book 'The Pendulum Years,' and would meticulously cut his columns, underline them, and save them in a file (no, I did not put pressed flowers in the file, but might as well have). So when I found out that he was on the panel, I was reduced to a bundle of inarticulateness. I'm still amazed that in my fog, I actually managed to recognize Schuman's Fourth Symphony. "
"I first met Bernard Levin on a 'Face the Music' panel. I was there as a curiosity -- a woman with a foreign accent, elected president of the Cambridge Union. He was there as a celebrated columnist for the London Times, an intellectual with an encyclopedic knowledge of music. It was 1971. I was 21, he was 42. He knew nothing about me. I had had a major intellectual crush on him ever since I discovered his writings while at Girton. I had devoured his book 'The Pendulum Years,' and would meticulously cut his columns, underline them, and save them in a file (no, I did not put pressed flowers in the file, but might as well have). So when I found out that he was on the panel, I was reduced to a bundle of inarticulateness. I'm still amazed that in my fog, I actually managed to recognize Schuman's Fourth Symphony. "
Fire at Weimar Library
From the BBC , an account of the fire at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library last Thursday:
"Among the works saved were the travel papers of naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt, rescued by people forming a chain to get the books out of the building. "
"Among the works saved were the travel papers of naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt, rescued by people forming a chain to get the books out of the building. "
The Economist's Top Universities
Thanks to ArtsJournal for this item on The Economist's ranking of the world'sbest universities. It's kind of interesting. The Top Twenty are not terribly surprising. In order, they are: Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Berkeley, MIT, Cal Tech, Princeton, Oxford, Columbia, University of Chicago, Yale, Cornell, UC San Diego, Tokyo University, University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, UC San Francisco, University of Wisconsin, and the University of Michigan.
The Economist's source is Chinese: a study from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. A footnote states the rankings are "biased against universities focusing on the humanities and social sciences."
The Economist's source is Chinese: a study from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. A footnote states the rankings are "biased against universities focusing on the humanities and social sciences."
Art World Mobilizes Against Bush
This article in The Art Newspaper indicates the art world doesn't seem particularly grateful that President Bush increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts:
"Art dealers are typically cautious not to offend their clientele by taking strong positions on controversial topics. This year, however, the rules have changed. Dealers and artists in New York have become visibly politicised and have been actively raising funds and campaigning for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the run up to the US presidential election on 2 November."
"Art dealers are typically cautious not to offend their clientele by taking strong positions on controversial topics. This year, however, the rules have changed. Dealers and artists in New York have become visibly politicised and have been actively raising funds and campaigning for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the run up to the US presidential election on 2 November."
More on the Beslan Massacre
From Harry's Place:
"We have been here before. Then, as now, there were some who were unable or unwilling to face the hard choices but some knew then - and we all know now -that the struggle had to be carried out. When it was all finished, the world vowed 'Never Again'. The analogy with the enemy that faced Europe and the world in the 1930's is not an exact one but it remains valid. Ask yourselves when was the last time gunmen filled with hate fired into the backs of fleeing children? When was the last time that women and children were herded into buildings, treated with callous inhumanity and then slaughtered?"
"We have been here before. Then, as now, there were some who were unable or unwilling to face the hard choices but some knew then - and we all know now -that the struggle had to be carried out. When it was all finished, the world vowed 'Never Again'. The analogy with the enemy that faced Europe and the world in the 1930's is not an exact one but it remains valid. Ask yourselves when was the last time gunmen filled with hate fired into the backs of fleeing children? When was the last time that women and children were herded into buildings, treated with callous inhumanity and then slaughtered?"
My Brother Assassins
This review of Mohamed Sifaoui's expose of life inside an Al Qaeda cell, by Camille Pecastaing in Foreign Affairs, provides some international context for Russia's tragedy:
"Sifaoui warns, nonetheless, that European cities still harbor many who could contract the Islamist fever and take up arms in Chechnya, Kashmir, or Iraq. Having probed the world of al Qaeda sympathizers in Paris and in London's Finsbury Park mosque, he sounds the alarm in defense of democracy and liberalism -- perhaps too violently. Sifaoui's book leaves no hope of ever narrowing the fault line that separates Muslims who reject the West from those, like him, who embrace it."
Sifaoui's book has been translated into English by George Miller, as Inside Al Qaeda: How I Infiltrated the World's Deadliest Terrorist Organization.
"Sifaoui warns, nonetheless, that European cities still harbor many who could contract the Islamist fever and take up arms in Chechnya, Kashmir, or Iraq. Having probed the world of al Qaeda sympathizers in Paris and in London's Finsbury Park mosque, he sounds the alarm in defense of democracy and liberalism -- perhaps too violently. Sifaoui's book leaves no hope of ever narrowing the fault line that separates Muslims who reject the West from those, like him, who embrace it."
Sifaoui's book has been translated into English by George Miller, as Inside Al Qaeda: How I Infiltrated the World's Deadliest Terrorist Organization.
A Chechnya- 9/11 Connection
From a 2002 story on the BBC :
"Mr Motassadek is the first man to stand trial over the 11 September attacks. He is accused of being an accessory to more than 3,000 murders in New York and Washington, and of belonging to an al-Qaeda cell in Hamburg. He told the court that four alleged al-Qaeda men - hijackers Mohammed Atta, Marwan al-Shehi, Ziad Jarrah and suspect Ramzi bin al Shaibah - had all wanted to go to Chechnya..."
"Mr Motassadek is the first man to stand trial over the 11 September attacks. He is accused of being an accessory to more than 3,000 murders in New York and Washington, and of belonging to an al-Qaeda cell in Hamburg. He told the court that four alleged al-Qaeda men - hijackers Mohammed Atta, Marwan al-Shehi, Ziad Jarrah and suspect Ramzi bin al Shaibah - had all wanted to go to Chechnya..."
"...To rebuff them or to begin obeying their orders..."
You can read the full text of Vladimir Putin's speech here:
"We winked at our own weakness, and it is the weak who are always beaten up. Some want to tear away [some] piece of our wealth, while others help these aspirants in so doing. They still believe that Russia poses a threat to them as a nuclear power. That is why this threat must be eliminated, and terrorism is just another instrument in implementing their designs. As I said, we encountered crises, revolts, and terrorist acts on many occasions, but what happened this time is a terrorist crime, the cruelty of which stands beyond precedence. This is not a challenge to the President, Parliament, or cabinet of ministers; this is a challenge to the entire Russian state and its people. This is aggression against us. The terrorists believe they are stronger than ourselves, that their cruelty will intimidate us, paralyze our will and degenerate our society. Here we have a seeming alternative -- to rebuff them or to begin obeying their orders. The second means to give in and to let them partition Russia in a hope that they will somehow let us alone. As President of the Russian state, a person who gave an oath to defend the nation and its territorial integrity, and last but not least, as a Russian citizen, I am confident that we have no such alternative. "
"We winked at our own weakness, and it is the weak who are always beaten up. Some want to tear away [some] piece of our wealth, while others help these aspirants in so doing. They still believe that Russia poses a threat to them as a nuclear power. That is why this threat must be eliminated, and terrorism is just another instrument in implementing their designs. As I said, we encountered crises, revolts, and terrorist acts on many occasions, but what happened this time is a terrorist crime, the cruelty of which stands beyond precedence. This is not a challenge to the President, Parliament, or cabinet of ministers; this is a challenge to the entire Russian state and its people. This is aggression against us. The terrorists believe they are stronger than ourselves, that their cruelty will intimidate us, paralyze our will and degenerate our society. Here we have a seeming alternative -- to rebuff them or to begin obeying their orders. The second means to give in and to let them partition Russia in a hope that they will somehow let us alone. As President of the Russian state, a person who gave an oath to defend the nation and its territorial integrity, and last but not least, as a Russian citizen, I am confident that we have no such alternative. "
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Bloggers and the Election
In the Wall Street Journal, Glenn Harlan Reynolds (aka Instapundit) says bloggers are making a difference in this election campaign:
"With accredited bloggers at both conventions, this can fairly be called the first presidential election to be blogged. And that just might matter--though if it does, it will be as much because of big-media vices as it is of bloggers' virtues."
One interesting angle not mentioned in the Wall Street Journal: Reynolds wrote in his own blog that he skipped President Bush's convention speech to play poker with friends.
Of course, I'm not criticizing Glenn for his decision. Poker was the wiser choice, I'm sure. I missed Bush's speech too. We were watching the 1959 Russian film classic based on Nobel prize-winner Mikhail Sholokhov's tragic novel, Destiny of a Man (Sudba Cheloveka).
"With accredited bloggers at both conventions, this can fairly be called the first presidential election to be blogged. And that just might matter--though if it does, it will be as much because of big-media vices as it is of bloggers' virtues."
One interesting angle not mentioned in the Wall Street Journal: Reynolds wrote in his own blog that he skipped President Bush's convention speech to play poker with friends.
Of course, I'm not criticizing Glenn for his decision. Poker was the wiser choice, I'm sure. I missed Bush's speech too. We were watching the 1959 Russian film classic based on Nobel prize-winner Mikhail Sholokhov's tragic novel, Destiny of a Man (Sudba Cheloveka).
Build A Wall Around Chechnya
First published in the aftermath of the Nord-Ost hostage crisis in Moscow, this analysis in Russian Outlook is among the most interesting overviews of the Russian-Chechen situation. In his essay, Leon Aron ties the conflict to a number of factors, including the Israeli-Palestinian situation, noting that in Russia there is also sentiment for a physical separation:
"Immediately after the Nord-Ost hostage takeover, most of the friends in Moscow whom I spoke with over the phone advocated stena, a wall along the border with Chechnya. Interviewed several days later by an American reporter, a middle-class Muscovite, too, 'believed [that] the possible solution ... may well be 'to build a Chinese wall' around Chechnya, trapping the people and the problem inside, where it can't infect the rest of Russia.' [32] But the Russian stena for Chechnya is hardly more practical than a similar plan in Israel: an estimated 800,000 Chechens live in Russia outside Chechnya (40,000- 400,000 in Moscow). "
"Immediately after the Nord-Ost hostage takeover, most of the friends in Moscow whom I spoke with over the phone advocated stena, a wall along the border with Chechnya. Interviewed several days later by an American reporter, a middle-class Muscovite, too, 'believed [that] the possible solution ... may well be 'to build a Chinese wall' around Chechnya, trapping the people and the problem inside, where it can't infect the rest of Russia.' [32] But the Russian stena for Chechnya is hardly more practical than a similar plan in Israel: an estimated 800,000 Chechens live in Russia outside Chechnya (40,000- 400,000 in Moscow). "
Clueless About Chechnya
Nikolai Zlobin says America does not have a Chechnya policy:
"...the American political elite has no clue about how to resolve the Chechen problem, and no desire to deal with it. One could say without exaggeration that the United States has no policy toward the North Caucasus as a whole, excepting general political stances on the war against terrorism and the relationship with Russia
"...the American political elite has no clue about how to resolve the Chechen problem, and no desire to deal with it. One could say without exaggeration that the United States has no policy toward the North Caucasus as a whole, excepting general political stances on the war against terrorism and the relationship with Russia
Putin Visits Survivors
The Chinese News Service has some photos of Vladimir Putin visiting children in the hospital, along with a roundup of the latest news on the Chechen hostage crisis.
Synetic Theater
We saw "Host and Guest" last night, another energetic production by our local Synetic Theater, recently returned from New York's "Fringe Festival."
The play--actually, more than a play, it is a sort of pantomime or quasi-ballet, with very few words --is based on verses by Georgian poet Vazha Pshavela. The production had a Caucasian feeling, flashes of frightening violence and passion. As the horrifying news arrived from the Russian school hostage crisis, the action on stage seemed particularly poignant, that tragedy is inevitable, which is something we Americans find very difficult to accept.
The story of "Host and Guest" is simple. A Christian and Muslim are deer-hunting in a forest on a mountainside. Rather than kill one another, they shoot the deer and the Mulsim invites the Christian into his home to butcher and share the spoils. This is in keeping with their tradition of hospitality to visitors.
However, the village Imam discovers what is going on and denounces an infidel in their midst, as a killer of their brothers. That night, the guest is dragged out and put to death, his throat slit as a sacrifice, after his host, who had defended his guest, has been thrown off a mountain.
News of the killing reaches the Christian village, who raid the Muslims in a bloody battle that leaves everything destroyed. It is not a happy ending.
Director Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographer Irina Tsikurishivili (his wife) have a gift for dramatic staging and movement. The wild ride by enraged Christian horsemen--staged in pantomime by actors wearing only black leotards--is both cinematic and terrifying. No doubt their experience in the Rustaveli theatre in Tblisi provides some special insight into the Georgian mentality, which they are able to convey even in suburban Washington, DC.
Strange, powerful, affecting, tragic, and sadly relevant to today's headlines, "Host and Guest" is a must-see production. It runs until October 16th, at the Rosslyn Spectrum. Tickets are available online from the Synetic Theater box office.
The play--actually, more than a play, it is a sort of pantomime or quasi-ballet, with very few words --is based on verses by Georgian poet Vazha Pshavela. The production had a Caucasian feeling, flashes of frightening violence and passion. As the horrifying news arrived from the Russian school hostage crisis, the action on stage seemed particularly poignant, that tragedy is inevitable, which is something we Americans find very difficult to accept.
The story of "Host and Guest" is simple. A Christian and Muslim are deer-hunting in a forest on a mountainside. Rather than kill one another, they shoot the deer and the Mulsim invites the Christian into his home to butcher and share the spoils. This is in keeping with their tradition of hospitality to visitors.
However, the village Imam discovers what is going on and denounces an infidel in their midst, as a killer of their brothers. That night, the guest is dragged out and put to death, his throat slit as a sacrifice, after his host, who had defended his guest, has been thrown off a mountain.
News of the killing reaches the Christian village, who raid the Muslims in a bloody battle that leaves everything destroyed. It is not a happy ending.
Director Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographer Irina Tsikurishivili (his wife) have a gift for dramatic staging and movement. The wild ride by enraged Christian horsemen--staged in pantomime by actors wearing only black leotards--is both cinematic and terrifying. No doubt their experience in the Rustaveli theatre in Tblisi provides some special insight into the Georgian mentality, which they are able to convey even in suburban Washington, DC.
Strange, powerful, affecting, tragic, and sadly relevant to today's headlines, "Host and Guest" is a must-see production. It runs until October 16th, at the Rosslyn Spectrum. Tickets are available online from the Synetic Theater box office.
Friday, September 03, 2004
Classic Arts Showcase
Speaking of music, Classic Arts Showcase is one of my favorite cable channels...
Pop Stars Should Not Write Classical Music!
That's the view of composer Daniel Felsenfeld, who objects to Elvis Costello's latest symphonic ballet. Writing in New Music Box, Felsenfeld throws down the gauntlet:
"And all of us need to consider this: perhaps walls are important. Maybe it is how people differentiate, and when everything is 'classical' music, nothing is. As for Elvis: he deserves to be taken as seriously as anyone is, no less (and no more). Yes, his rock star status got him to Lincoln Center, but at some point the lights dimmed, the orchestra began to play, and Elvis or not, something musical happened. If we are going to judge it, it is by those standards alone. We owe him that�and I hope that one day, when Mr. Costello is sitting in an audience waiting to hear one of my pieces, he does me the same courtesy. "
[Link from Artsjournal.com]
"And all of us need to consider this: perhaps walls are important. Maybe it is how people differentiate, and when everything is 'classical' music, nothing is. As for Elvis: he deserves to be taken as seriously as anyone is, no less (and no more). Yes, his rock star status got him to Lincoln Center, but at some point the lights dimmed, the orchestra began to play, and Elvis or not, something musical happened. If we are going to judge it, it is by those standards alone. We owe him that�and I hope that one day, when Mr. Costello is sitting in an audience waiting to hear one of my pieces, he does me the same courtesy. "
[Link from Artsjournal.com]
Andrew Sullivan Gives Bush an "A"
On AndrewSullivan.com :
"A SUPERB SPEECH: It was the second best speech I have ever heard George W. Bush give - intelligently packaged, deftly structured, strong and yet also revealing of the president's obviously big heart. The speech writers deserve very high grades for pulling it off, to find a way to get the president to deal substantively with the domestic issues he is weak on and to soar once again on the imperatives of freedom in the Middle East... "
"A SUPERB SPEECH: It was the second best speech I have ever heard George W. Bush give - intelligently packaged, deftly structured, strong and yet also revealing of the president's obviously big heart. The speech writers deserve very high grades for pulling it off, to find a way to get the president to deal substantively with the domestic issues he is weak on and to soar once again on the imperatives of freedom in the Middle East... "
Bush Gets a "Gentleman's C"
John LeBoutillier liked half of it:
"Last night's speech by the President was actually two speeches melded into one: A) A State of the Union type laundry list of new initiatives; and B) a rousing and patriotic political speech to end the convention.The laundry list was a bit too long and included too many new ideas to expand the role of the federal government. That old 'compassionate conservatism' was back; I wish it wasn't. When the GOP thinks the Federal Government can help people, we have already lost.
"The patriotic speech was excellent and invoked the selfless heroism of our troops overseas.The result of this speech and the four-day Republican National Convention? A two-point lead for Bush/Cheney in the new Zogby poll: 46%-44% with 9% undecided."
"Last night's speech by the President was actually two speeches melded into one: A) A State of the Union type laundry list of new initiatives; and B) a rousing and patriotic political speech to end the convention.The laundry list was a bit too long and included too many new ideas to expand the role of the federal government. That old 'compassionate conservatism' was back; I wish it wasn't. When the GOP thinks the Federal Government can help people, we have already lost.
"The patriotic speech was excellent and invoked the selfless heroism of our troops overseas.The result of this speech and the four-day Republican National Convention? A two-point lead for Bush/Cheney in the new Zogby poll: 46%-44% with 9% undecided."
A Letter from New York City
Our New York correspondent, a, Democrat for Kerry, has this report on protests outside the Republican National Convention:
Friday dawns glorious--the day of our liberation from the Republicans and it is not even that hot.
For those without the time to read through the reams of text I seem to be producing, this is the executive summary: in the 17 hours I spent on the street in the last week, ending last night at 11:00, I have an unbroken record of never being around when there was trouble (and with 1800 arrests over the week that took some luck).
When we left this saga on Sunday night, I was sunburned and tired, had a notebook full of drawings of streets with police locations, badge numbers, police car license plates etc.
Monday, to my amazement, I was still able to walk and showed up at 3:00 pm for my next shift. By now all of midtown was blocked and the Civil Liberties Union storefront was in the heart of the lock-down area. I passed the National Guard at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. These guys were in fatigues and armed to the hilt. It reminded me of Guatemala in the early 80's.
A couple of girls in their early 20's were manning a table for Bush/Cheney outside the Protecting Protest Storefront. They had the sweetly glazed look of cult members as they offered me literature. I wanted to ask if their parents had signed them up for de-programming yet.
Then, join the Civil Liberties Union and see New York-off to the the "March for Life" Rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at 47th and First Avenue (right near the UN). This time I am paired with Jenny, who has a law degree from Golden Gate Law School in California but never practiced and became a graphic artist. She has a video camera and goes right to work checking access to the park--now surrounded by barricades and a flotilla of police. I go to work drawing the scene and wandering past police officers to record names etc. At 4:00 there are about 100 demonstrators and about 400 police. There are police in vans, shoulder to shoulder at the barricades, walking around in groups of 2 or 3, police on scooters at the end of the block (47th and Second Avenue, undercover police--these would be the guys with the very clipped haircuts, the chinos, the gray or gray green golf shirts worn outside their pants to cover their guns (this does not always work). And when one of the captains bounds up to say hello and shake hands all round, this definitely blows their cover.
I leave Jenny videotaping as protesters drift in and ajourn to a convenient spot to sit across the street (for that longer perspective). I am not the only one.
Dozens are lounging on the granite barriers surrounding the Trump World Towers, an apartment building with apartments that must sell for at least
$1 million. The rally is a protest against poverty.
Hours tick by, more protestors, more police, more civil liberties types. The protesters are negotiating a deal with the police to march without a permit. The weather is good --nice and cool. I hop up from my seat from time to time to check on police car movements. I study police uniforms. I never get the system with stars/hierarchy down and am now noting the police as "wniforms, white shirts, and undercover".
Finally the organizers get permission to move--they are to stay on one side of the street and move down 2d Avenue to 23rd street, then over to 8th Avenue and up to Madison Square Garden. We start to trail them downtown and my shift ends. The later group has shown up and I peel off. Later I learn that there was considerable trouble as the group approached MSG and that the police have been netting and arresting protesters. This was the case at other protests around the City, including one of the Veterans groups against the war, who thought they had a deal with the police to march.
Thursday morning and the news reports 1800 protesters being held in the piers at the Hudson River. The newspapers are reporting that the sweeps around the Public Library have netted a number of pedestrians. Protesters are all over the City heckling the convention delegates --who are a conspicuous lot. For example, the Texans all were walking around with red white and blue shirts in a graphic combination of color blocks and stars that would be equally appropriate for those who still support the Confederacy. And of course, cowboy hats.
Thursday afternoon and I show up for my shift with the uneasy conviction that my smooth ride as a monitor is over. Now I am reading the instructions on what to do if arrested. So far none of the Civil Union monitors have been arrested but at least a dozen of the National Lawyers Guild members have gone been picked up.
I get sent with my new group to 29th and 8th Avenue, where there will be a rally for some hours as the Convention winds down with the Bush speech. We get into position early and check access in and out of the rally pens. The police are audibly counting down the time before this is all over. The press are out in force on the west side of 29th and a couple are commenting that they thought that tonight would not be quiet. The police are pouring into the area and their are police on all the surrounding rooftops (except the housing complex on the west side of the street that was established by the Garment Workers Union--the elderly leftists in the building are on the sidewalk in lawnchairs).
The word comes through that a New York City judge has threatened the City with a large fine and a payment to each protester of $1000 if the City does not either charge or release the people being held in violation of the time limits for prosecutorial action. Protesters start to move into the pens. One of the best signs--"The Last Time We Listened to a Burning Bush We Spent 40 Years in the Desert." The police begin to close off sidewalk access to the space around pens 1 and 2 and Pen 3 begins to fill--this time with infiltrating Republicans--who have suspiciously professional looking signs--the others are mostly a handlettered lot. The newcomers are aggressive and the police quickly put them in a pen of their own, setting up some barricades to separate them from the rest of the group.
The protesters are chanting--"March, march, march, march and straining the barricades and more riot troops move into position. A firetruck arrives and the firemen leap out in fire-fighting mode. The press surges forward. Then, the police start moving the barricades so that the people in pen 2 can move into pen 1 and vice versa. The firemen are reported to have made some comments on not enough access.
Tension dissipates as the groups start to mingle.
At 10 o'clock the organizers pack up their soundstage and move their protesters peaceably south.
My fellow monitors, none of whom is older than 30, are eager to continue to monitor the protesters as they disperse, one of them suggesting ( a little hopefully) that there could be trouble later.
I go home--my record as a pacifying influence is intact.
Friday dawns glorious--the day of our liberation from the Republicans and it is not even that hot.
For those without the time to read through the reams of text I seem to be producing, this is the executive summary: in the 17 hours I spent on the street in the last week, ending last night at 11:00, I have an unbroken record of never being around when there was trouble (and with 1800 arrests over the week that took some luck).
When we left this saga on Sunday night, I was sunburned and tired, had a notebook full of drawings of streets with police locations, badge numbers, police car license plates etc.
Monday, to my amazement, I was still able to walk and showed up at 3:00 pm for my next shift. By now all of midtown was blocked and the Civil Liberties Union storefront was in the heart of the lock-down area. I passed the National Guard at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. These guys were in fatigues and armed to the hilt. It reminded me of Guatemala in the early 80's.
A couple of girls in their early 20's were manning a table for Bush/Cheney outside the Protecting Protest Storefront. They had the sweetly glazed look of cult members as they offered me literature. I wanted to ask if their parents had signed them up for de-programming yet.
Then, join the Civil Liberties Union and see New York-off to the the "March for Life" Rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at 47th and First Avenue (right near the UN). This time I am paired with Jenny, who has a law degree from Golden Gate Law School in California but never practiced and became a graphic artist. She has a video camera and goes right to work checking access to the park--now surrounded by barricades and a flotilla of police. I go to work drawing the scene and wandering past police officers to record names etc. At 4:00 there are about 100 demonstrators and about 400 police. There are police in vans, shoulder to shoulder at the barricades, walking around in groups of 2 or 3, police on scooters at the end of the block (47th and Second Avenue, undercover police--these would be the guys with the very clipped haircuts, the chinos, the gray or gray green golf shirts worn outside their pants to cover their guns (this does not always work). And when one of the captains bounds up to say hello and shake hands all round, this definitely blows their cover.
I leave Jenny videotaping as protesters drift in and ajourn to a convenient spot to sit across the street (for that longer perspective). I am not the only one.
Dozens are lounging on the granite barriers surrounding the Trump World Towers, an apartment building with apartments that must sell for at least
$1 million. The rally is a protest against poverty.
Hours tick by, more protestors, more police, more civil liberties types. The protesters are negotiating a deal with the police to march without a permit. The weather is good --nice and cool. I hop up from my seat from time to time to check on police car movements. I study police uniforms. I never get the system with stars/hierarchy down and am now noting the police as "wniforms, white shirts, and undercover".
Finally the organizers get permission to move--they are to stay on one side of the street and move down 2d Avenue to 23rd street, then over to 8th Avenue and up to Madison Square Garden. We start to trail them downtown and my shift ends. The later group has shown up and I peel off. Later I learn that there was considerable trouble as the group approached MSG and that the police have been netting and arresting protesters. This was the case at other protests around the City, including one of the Veterans groups against the war, who thought they had a deal with the police to march.
Thursday morning and the news reports 1800 protesters being held in the piers at the Hudson River. The newspapers are reporting that the sweeps around the Public Library have netted a number of pedestrians. Protesters are all over the City heckling the convention delegates --who are a conspicuous lot. For example, the Texans all were walking around with red white and blue shirts in a graphic combination of color blocks and stars that would be equally appropriate for those who still support the Confederacy. And of course, cowboy hats.
Thursday afternoon and I show up for my shift with the uneasy conviction that my smooth ride as a monitor is over. Now I am reading the instructions on what to do if arrested. So far none of the Civil Union monitors have been arrested but at least a dozen of the National Lawyers Guild members have gone been picked up.
I get sent with my new group to 29th and 8th Avenue, where there will be a rally for some hours as the Convention winds down with the Bush speech. We get into position early and check access in and out of the rally pens. The police are audibly counting down the time before this is all over. The press are out in force on the west side of 29th and a couple are commenting that they thought that tonight would not be quiet. The police are pouring into the area and their are police on all the surrounding rooftops (except the housing complex on the west side of the street that was established by the Garment Workers Union--the elderly leftists in the building are on the sidewalk in lawnchairs).
The word comes through that a New York City judge has threatened the City with a large fine and a payment to each protester of $1000 if the City does not either charge or release the people being held in violation of the time limits for prosecutorial action. Protesters start to move into the pens. One of the best signs--"The Last Time We Listened to a Burning Bush We Spent 40 Years in the Desert." The police begin to close off sidewalk access to the space around pens 1 and 2 and Pen 3 begins to fill--this time with infiltrating Republicans--who have suspiciously professional looking signs--the others are mostly a handlettered lot. The newcomers are aggressive and the police quickly put them in a pen of their own, setting up some barricades to separate them from the rest of the group.
The protesters are chanting--"March, march, march, march and straining the barricades and more riot troops move into position. A firetruck arrives and the firemen leap out in fire-fighting mode. The press surges forward. Then, the police start moving the barricades so that the people in pen 2 can move into pen 1 and vice versa. The firemen are reported to have made some comments on not enough access.
Tension dissipates as the groups start to mingle.
At 10 o'clock the organizers pack up their soundstage and move their protesters peaceably south.
My fellow monitors, none of whom is older than 30, are eager to continue to monitor the protesters as they disperse, one of them suggesting ( a little hopefully) that there could be trouble later.
I go home--my record as a pacifying influence is intact.
Fasten Your Seatbelts
It's going to be a rocky election season, says Victor Davis Hanson:
"Almost every day, al Qaeda suspects or affiliated terrorists are arrested somewhere in the world. Islamic fascists blow up Israelis, behead Nepalese, murder Russians children in schools and on the street, and kidnap French journalists (so much for appeasement). They want to destroy trains in New York as they did in Madrid. They seek to ruin democracy in Kabul and Baghdad and take down Russian airliners. Nearly each week they are caught forming cells in Europe and the United States--all akin in their desire for theocracy, incoherent demands, partiality for barbarous methods of killing civilians, and hatred of Western-style liberalism and freedom. Now we learn that they may well turn their attention to targeted assassinations here at home--in the manner in which Osama bin Laden took out General Massoud of the Northern Alliance on the eve of the September 11 attacks, and like the various efforts to incinerate General Musharraf in Pakistan. The problem is not only that such efforts would be aimed at short-circuiting the nerve center of the United States, but also that previous reckless talk on the part of some cultural elites at home would only accentuate the turmoil. "
"Almost every day, al Qaeda suspects or affiliated terrorists are arrested somewhere in the world. Islamic fascists blow up Israelis, behead Nepalese, murder Russians children in schools and on the street, and kidnap French journalists (so much for appeasement). They want to destroy trains in New York as they did in Madrid. They seek to ruin democracy in Kabul and Baghdad and take down Russian airliners. Nearly each week they are caught forming cells in Europe and the United States--all akin in their desire for theocracy, incoherent demands, partiality for barbarous methods of killing civilians, and hatred of Western-style liberalism and freedom. Now we learn that they may well turn their attention to targeted assassinations here at home--in the manner in which Osama bin Laden took out General Massoud of the Northern Alliance on the eve of the September 11 attacks, and like the various efforts to incinerate General Musharraf in Pakistan. The problem is not only that such efforts would be aimed at short-circuiting the nerve center of the United States, but also that previous reckless talk on the part of some cultural elites at home would only accentuate the turmoil. "
Russians Storm School Ending Chechen Hostage Crisis
From Reuters:
"Russian troops stormed a school Friday in a chaotic battle to free hundreds of parents, teachers and children who had been held hostage for two days by Chechen separatists. Naked and screaming children ran for safety amid machinegun fire and explosions while attack helicopters clattered overhead. The Tass and Interfax news agencies spoke of over 300 wounded, mostly children. Rebels fled with soldiers in pursuit. Witnesses at the scene in Beslan, in the North Ossetia region near Chechnya, saw several bodies on stretchers and Russian news agencies said at least seven people had been dead on arrival at hospital. Half- or fully naked children gulped from bottles of water after two days without drink in a stiflingly hot and crowded school. Some lay on stretchers. There was no definite toll, although Tass quoted an unidentified official as saying most of the hostages were alive."
You can read more at Yahoo News.
"Russian troops stormed a school Friday in a chaotic battle to free hundreds of parents, teachers and children who had been held hostage for two days by Chechen separatists. Naked and screaming children ran for safety amid machinegun fire and explosions while attack helicopters clattered overhead. The Tass and Interfax news agencies spoke of over 300 wounded, mostly children. Rebels fled with soldiers in pursuit. Witnesses at the scene in Beslan, in the North Ossetia region near Chechnya, saw several bodies on stretchers and Russian news agencies said at least seven people had been dead on arrival at hospital. Half- or fully naked children gulped from bottles of water after two days without drink in a stiflingly hot and crowded school. Some lay on stretchers. There was no definite toll, although Tass quoted an unidentified official as saying most of the hostages were alive."
You can read more at Yahoo News.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
The Economist Remembers Dr. Kubler-Ross
In this obituary:
"Though poets and philosophers might write ardently of the soul and of immortality, doctors could not possibly describe these as fact. Plato, Plotinus and Shelley might describe the winged spirit struggling from the body, and 'the abode where the Eternal are'; but scientists, however hazy their understanding of human consciousness, could have no truck with theories based neither on reason nor on observable evidence. Her colleagues increasingly murmured about Dr Kubler-Ross, and edged away. Disastrously, she then went much further. She began to fill her lectures with tales of her out-of-the body experiences, including travelling through space at the speed of light. She fell in with Jay Barham, a charlatan from Arkansas who practised 'channelling', 'spiritual cloning' and batty sorts of religio-sexual therapy. Four 'spooks' from the spirit world called Salem, Ankh, Mario and Willie became her guides and mentors. Her husband, horrified by her antics, divorced her. By the 1980s her healing centres in Virginia and California were being shot at and burned down. Although the best parts of her work had taken hold--there are now more than 2,500 hospices in America--her reputation was in ruins."
"Though poets and philosophers might write ardently of the soul and of immortality, doctors could not possibly describe these as fact. Plato, Plotinus and Shelley might describe the winged spirit struggling from the body, and 'the abode where the Eternal are'; but scientists, however hazy their understanding of human consciousness, could have no truck with theories based neither on reason nor on observable evidence. Her colleagues increasingly murmured about Dr Kubler-Ross, and edged away. Disastrously, she then went much further. She began to fill her lectures with tales of her out-of-the body experiences, including travelling through space at the speed of light. She fell in with Jay Barham, a charlatan from Arkansas who practised 'channelling', 'spiritual cloning' and batty sorts of religio-sexual therapy. Four 'spooks' from the spirit world called Salem, Ankh, Mario and Willie became her guides and mentors. Her husband, horrified by her antics, divorced her. By the 1980s her healing centres in Virginia and California were being shot at and burned down. Although the best parts of her work had taken hold--there are now more than 2,500 hospices in America--her reputation was in ruins."
The End of Classical Music
Norman Lebrecht announces the death of the classical musice business [thanks to ArtsJournal.com for the link]:
A Columbia boss signing himself “God”' (his name was Goddard Lieberson) gave Leonard Bernstein carte blanche to record anything he liked. God also got Stravinsky to preside over the recording of every note he ever wrote - 20 volumes of it. Herbert von Karajan convinced two labels to let him record the Beethoven symphonies five times over. Beethoven was a brand. Buy him in a box. By the 1980, the record business was making more boxes than the match industry. I recently cleared my Brahms shelf, unsentimentally throwing out sets by Böhm, Haitink, Solti, Bernstein, Karajan (two boxes) and Sawallisch - and that still left me with three indispensable cycles (Furtwängler, Abbado, Jansons) plus six working copies of every single symphony. Madness. It had to end. At the start of 2004 I predicted that this would be the industry's last year. Well, I was over-cautious. No need to wait for Christmas: it's over now.
A Columbia boss signing himself “God”' (his name was Goddard Lieberson) gave Leonard Bernstein carte blanche to record anything he liked. God also got Stravinsky to preside over the recording of every note he ever wrote - 20 volumes of it. Herbert von Karajan convinced two labels to let him record the Beethoven symphonies five times over. Beethoven was a brand. Buy him in a box. By the 1980, the record business was making more boxes than the match industry. I recently cleared my Brahms shelf, unsentimentally throwing out sets by Böhm, Haitink, Solti, Bernstein, Karajan (two boxes) and Sawallisch - and that still left me with three indispensable cycles (Furtwängler, Abbado, Jansons) plus six working copies of every single symphony. Madness. It had to end. At the start of 2004 I predicted that this would be the industry's last year. Well, I was over-cautious. No need to wait for Christmas: it's over now.
FBI v. AIPAC
So says Laura Rozen:
"Both of these articles would seem to indicate that not Franklin but AIPAC is more the center of this larger investigation; and that Franklin, who apparently has been cooperating with the Bureau for several weeks, may have been used by the FBI to gather further evidence in that case. The political implications of the allegation that AIPAC was the real target of the FBI investigation would seem to be very serious."
"Both of these articles would seem to indicate that not Franklin but AIPAC is more the center of this larger investigation; and that Franklin, who apparently has been cooperating with the Bureau for several weeks, may have been used by the FBI to gather further evidence in that case. The political implications of the allegation that AIPAC was the real target of the FBI investigation would seem to be very serious."
Gennady Gudkov Analyzes Hostage Standoff
FSB reserve general and Russian Duma deputy Gennady Gudkov has strong views on the current crisis:
"Today they pose as Chechen separatists; tomorrow they support al-Qaeda; the day after tomorrow they assume some other guise. Yet, they all belong to the same group. "
"Today they pose as Chechen separatists; tomorrow they support al-Qaeda; the day after tomorrow they assume some other guise. Yet, they all belong to the same group. "
Russia's Hostage Crisis: What Next?
An analysis from The Moscow Times:
"The hostage-taking drama evolving in North Ossetia has put forth a deadly serious dilemma for President Vladimir Putin, of whether to continue his policy of refusing to negotiate with radical groups in the North Caucasus, or to soften his line and meet some of the hostage-takers' demands, given that the lives of more than 100 children are at stake in this standoff.
The tactic that Russian police and security agencies have pursued in similar situations is to try to negotiate the release of as many hostages as possible, while giving commandos time to prepare for a storming."
"The hostage-taking drama evolving in North Ossetia has put forth a deadly serious dilemma for President Vladimir Putin, of whether to continue his policy of refusing to negotiate with radical groups in the North Caucasus, or to soften his line and meet some of the hostage-takers' demands, given that the lives of more than 100 children are at stake in this standoff.
The tactic that Russian police and security agencies have pursued in similar situations is to try to negotiate the release of as many hostages as possible, while giving commandos time to prepare for a storming."
Zell Miller, Music Lover
He introduced Beethoven for Babies in Georgia:
"In January 1998, then-Gov. Zell Miller went to the Georgia Legislature armed with a tape player and a new idea. Miller told lawmakers he wanted $105,000 to pay for a CD of classical music that would be distributed to parents of newborns across Georgia. Miller cited early childhood research touting the benefits of music in developing babies' brains and the link between music and math. To hit home his point, Miller pulled out his tape player and let lawmakers listen to a few minutes of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy.' Now don't you feel smarter already? Smart enough to vote for this budget item, I hope,' Miller told them. But before lawmakers could decide whether to pay for the 'Beethoven for Babies' program, Sony Music announced that it would provide the CDs for free. And in July 1998, Georgia hospitals began distributing the CD to new parents. "
"In January 1998, then-Gov. Zell Miller went to the Georgia Legislature armed with a tape player and a new idea. Miller told lawmakers he wanted $105,000 to pay for a CD of classical music that would be distributed to parents of newborns across Georgia. Miller cited early childhood research touting the benefits of music in developing babies' brains and the link between music and math. To hit home his point, Miller pulled out his tape player and let lawmakers listen to a few minutes of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy.' Now don't you feel smarter already? Smart enough to vote for this budget item, I hope,' Miller told them. But before lawmakers could decide whether to pay for the 'Beethoven for Babies' program, Sony Music announced that it would provide the CDs for free. And in July 1998, Georgia hospitals began distributing the CD to new parents. "
Mama and the Marines
They made Zell Miller who he is, according to an official biography:
"Throughout his career, Senator Miller has credited two major influences for his success: his strong mother and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Born Feb. 24, 1932, in Young Harris, Georgia, Miller followed his parents' footsteps into the teaching profession and into politics. He was raised by his single mother after his father died when Miller was only 17 days old.
Miller gets his work ethic and his appreciation for the arts from Birdie Miller, an art teacher and one of Georgia's first female mayors. She hauled stones from a mountain creek to build the family home that Miller still lives in today. Though he never knew his father, Stephen Grady Miller, Senator Miller followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a University of Georgia graduate, a history professor at Young Harris College and a state senator.
Governor Miller accepts a check for $1.1 billion from Georgia Lottery Director Rebecca Paul. Miller used the lottery to pay for HOPE scholarships and his Pre-K program. (1996)
Miller's passions are history, baseball and music. He is a walking baseball encyclopedia who is equally at home at the Grand Ole Opry or Symphony Hall. He has written six books, including 'A National Party No More: The Conscience of A Conservative Democrat' and 'Corps Values: Everything You Need To Know I Learned in the Marines.'"
"Throughout his career, Senator Miller has credited two major influences for his success: his strong mother and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Born Feb. 24, 1932, in Young Harris, Georgia, Miller followed his parents' footsteps into the teaching profession and into politics. He was raised by his single mother after his father died when Miller was only 17 days old.
Miller gets his work ethic and his appreciation for the arts from Birdie Miller, an art teacher and one of Georgia's first female mayors. She hauled stones from a mountain creek to build the family home that Miller still lives in today. Though he never knew his father, Stephen Grady Miller, Senator Miller followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a University of Georgia graduate, a history professor at Young Harris College and a state senator.
Governor Miller accepts a check for $1.1 billion from Georgia Lottery Director Rebecca Paul. Miller used the lottery to pay for HOPE scholarships and his Pre-K program. (1996)
Miller's passions are history, baseball and music. He is a walking baseball encyclopedia who is equally at home at the Grand Ole Opry or Symphony Hall. He has written six books, including 'A National Party No More: The Conscience of A Conservative Democrat' and 'Corps Values: Everything You Need To Know I Learned in the Marines.'"
Tolstoy on Chechnya
You can read his 1911 novella, Hadji Murad, about Russia's earlier Chechen war, online:
"'What vitality!' I thought. 'Man has conquered everything and destroyed millions of plants, yet this one won't submit.' And I remembered a Caucasian episode of years ago, which I had partly seen myself, partly heard of from eye-witnesses, and in part imagined. The episode, as it has taken shape in my memory and imagination, was as follows."
"'What vitality!' I thought. 'Man has conquered everything and destroyed millions of plants, yet this one won't submit.' And I remembered a Caucasian episode of years ago, which I had partly seen myself, partly heard of from eye-witnesses, and in part imagined. The episode, as it has taken shape in my memory and imagination, was as follows."
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Lileks on Schwarzenegger
From The Bleat:
"Now, Arnold. Odd. Either the audience is undermiked or they're 88% thrilled to see him. He's beaming, waiting for the applause to die down. It seems forced. 'This is like winning the Oscar.'
Like I would know, I say in an Ahnold voice.
'As if I would know,' he said. Or something like that. Joke two: 'True Lies' movie reference. Lame, but we have to get these out of the way. Making reference to his movies is for Arnie what referencing cheapness or violin-playing was to Jack Benny. It simply must be done. Joke three: a man said he was as good a governor as he was an actor. What a cheap shot. The delivery lacked, but it's the sort of self-deprecating thing we like from the ol' brute. Is this going to work? He can connect with millions through the lens uf de cahmera, and he's good on the stump, but maybe he's not the kind of speaker who scales well to an arena.
I love the accent: 'Medicine Square Godden.'
Okay, he gets better. A good Arnold speech is not full of subtle rhetoric, cozening shifts in vocal tone, facial nuance. It's like watching a strong man chop an oak tree: the last blow will be just like the first. (Except that after the last one, something falls on someone's head.) Very simple cadences; you could actually read this speech in a Kennedy voice, and it would sound Kennedyesque. Paging Vaughn Meader; Mr. Meader to the desk.
'Fear of the Soviet Boot.' Yep.
Holy Crow, he's just endorsed DICK FRICKIN' NIXON. Only Arnie can go to China. "
"Now, Arnold. Odd. Either the audience is undermiked or they're 88% thrilled to see him. He's beaming, waiting for the applause to die down. It seems forced. 'This is like winning the Oscar.'
Like I would know, I say in an Ahnold voice.
'As if I would know,' he said. Or something like that. Joke two: 'True Lies' movie reference. Lame, but we have to get these out of the way. Making reference to his movies is for Arnie what referencing cheapness or violin-playing was to Jack Benny. It simply must be done. Joke three: a man said he was as good a governor as he was an actor. What a cheap shot. The delivery lacked, but it's the sort of self-deprecating thing we like from the ol' brute. Is this going to work? He can connect with millions through the lens uf de cahmera, and he's good on the stump, but maybe he's not the kind of speaker who scales well to an arena.
I love the accent: 'Medicine Square Godden.'
Okay, he gets better. A good Arnold speech is not full of subtle rhetoric, cozening shifts in vocal tone, facial nuance. It's like watching a strong man chop an oak tree: the last blow will be just like the first. (Except that after the last one, something falls on someone's head.) Very simple cadences; you could actually read this speech in a Kennedy voice, and it would sound Kennedyesque. Paging Vaughn Meader; Mr. Meader to the desk.
'Fear of the Soviet Boot.' Yep.
Holy Crow, he's just endorsed DICK FRICKIN' NIXON. Only Arnie can go to China. "
What is Enlightenment?
The Wall Street Journal reviews Gertrude Himmelfarb's comparison of French, British, and American Enlightenment thinkers:
"Ever since Immanuel Kant posed his famous question in 1784--'What is Enlightenment?'--critics and commentators have searched for an answer, and they still do. For it is to the Enlightenment--a particular set of 18th-century ideas--that many thinkers trace the political and intellectual origins of the modern world. To pose Kant's question is to ask nothing less than who we are."
"Ever since Immanuel Kant posed his famous question in 1784--'What is Enlightenment?'--critics and commentators have searched for an answer, and they still do. For it is to the Enlightenment--a particular set of 18th-century ideas--that many thinkers trace the political and intellectual origins of the modern world. To pose Kant's question is to ask nothing less than who we are."
Are Blogs Better than Newspapers?
Glenn Reynolds seems to think so [link from Instapundit]:
"With accredited bloggers at both conventions, this can fairly be called the first presidential election to be blogged. And that just might matter -- though if it does, it will be as much because of big-media vices as it is of bloggers' virtues."
"With accredited bloggers at both conventions, this can fairly be called the first presidential election to be blogged. And that just might matter -- though if it does, it will be as much because of big-media vices as it is of bloggers' virtues."
Is Bush a Wimp?
FromThe Jerusalem Post :
"Arguably, any gain in the 'fear factor' brought about by the US overthrow of Saddam is being eroded. Those who argue, in the words of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini two decades ago, that the US cannot do a 'damn thing' are having that feeling reinforced today. The Iraq war's outcome has undermined the credibility of US power no matter how long American forces remain in Iraq. Indeed, one could argue that the longer they remain, the worse the problem will become."
"Arguably, any gain in the 'fear factor' brought about by the US overthrow of Saddam is being eroded. Those who argue, in the words of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini two decades ago, that the US cannot do a 'damn thing' are having that feeling reinforced today. The Iraq war's outcome has undermined the credibility of US power no matter how long American forces remain in Iraq. Indeed, one could argue that the longer they remain, the worse the problem will become."
Roger L. Simon on Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pat Buchanan
Roger L. Simon from his convention blog:
"But first a note of surrealism. I watched Arnold on a television set next to Pat Buchanan. This happened because I was getting agoraphobia/claustrophobia on the convention floor. A few of us bloggers had been escorted down into that terra interdita by the nice volunteer who is helping us. I visited with a friend in the California delegation. I had intended to watch the Governator from there, but I didn't have a seat and the crush was getting too much for me. I retreated to a media area when, earlier than I had expected, Arnold began speaking. I headed for the nearest TV to watch. Suddenly I realized someone was standing behind me. It was Pat. He had a scowl on his face. As we know, Schwarzenegger does not represent Buchanan's Republican Party. Nothing seems to make Pat happy these days. As Arnold began to lead the chant of 'four more years,' Buchanan spun on his heels as if repelled and stalked off, heading for the nearest microphone.
Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger, the first Republican I ever voted for, was not as inspiring as I had hoped. Maybe my own expectation game was too high. He hit the notes but that was about it. And the girlie men joke, even delivered in self-mockery, is getting a little tiresome. Still, I think Arnold's doing a good job as governor -- and that's more important than how great a speech he delivers at a convention. And I'm sure others reacted differently. I'm still thinking about McCain and, even more, Giuliani. He gave the speech of the year so far."
"But first a note of surrealism. I watched Arnold on a television set next to Pat Buchanan. This happened because I was getting agoraphobia/claustrophobia on the convention floor. A few of us bloggers had been escorted down into that terra interdita by the nice volunteer who is helping us. I visited with a friend in the California delegation. I had intended to watch the Governator from there, but I didn't have a seat and the crush was getting too much for me. I retreated to a media area when, earlier than I had expected, Arnold began speaking. I headed for the nearest TV to watch. Suddenly I realized someone was standing behind me. It was Pat. He had a scowl on his face. As we know, Schwarzenegger does not represent Buchanan's Republican Party. Nothing seems to make Pat happy these days. As Arnold began to lead the chant of 'four more years,' Buchanan spun on his heels as if repelled and stalked off, heading for the nearest microphone.
Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger, the first Republican I ever voted for, was not as inspiring as I had hoped. Maybe my own expectation game was too high. He hit the notes but that was about it. And the girlie men joke, even delivered in self-mockery, is getting a little tiresome. Still, I think Arnold's doing a good job as governor -- and that's more important than how great a speech he delivers at a convention. And I'm sure others reacted differently. I'm still thinking about McCain and, even more, Giuliani. He gave the speech of the year so far."
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Ooops.
John LeBoutillier says Bush's Freudian slip during the Republican Convention is a big boost for John Kerry:
"Day - and Night - One of the GOP Convention in New York was devoted to extolling President Bush’s conduct of the post-9/11 War on Terror. That is why former NYC Mayor Rudi Giuliani and Senator John McCain were selected by the convention organizers as the main speakers. But then something unexpected happened: President Bush told Matt Lauer on the TODAY SHOW that, on the very same topic - the War on Terror- 'I don’t think we can win it.'
"Can’t 'win' it?
"In Mr. Bush’s standard stump speech every day he talks about what we are doing to win the War on Terror! But suddenly he let his hair down and admitted we 'can’t win it.' By last night the Kerry/Edwards ticket - down for weeks due to the Swift Boat attacks - were re-energized. ABC’s NIGHTLINE lat night was devoted to this incredible misstatement/admission/blunder. It is unbelievable to think that on the very day of the Convention devoted to the War on Terror, GW Bush contradicts himself and thus undercuts the very premise of his re-election campaign!
"You can bet that John Kerry tomorrow in Nashville when he addresses the American Legion National Convention will use this blunder against President Bush. And you can bet that the Democrats will go on a full offensive with this “can’t win” statement.
"Their rejoinder?
"“We must win the War on Terror and we are going to win this war.”"
"Day - and Night - One of the GOP Convention in New York was devoted to extolling President Bush’s conduct of the post-9/11 War on Terror. That is why former NYC Mayor Rudi Giuliani and Senator John McCain were selected by the convention organizers as the main speakers. But then something unexpected happened: President Bush told Matt Lauer on the TODAY SHOW that, on the very same topic - the War on Terror- 'I don’t think we can win it.'
"Can’t 'win' it?
"In Mr. Bush’s standard stump speech every day he talks about what we are doing to win the War on Terror! But suddenly he let his hair down and admitted we 'can’t win it.' By last night the Kerry/Edwards ticket - down for weeks due to the Swift Boat attacks - were re-energized. ABC’s NIGHTLINE lat night was devoted to this incredible misstatement/admission/blunder. It is unbelievable to think that on the very day of the Convention devoted to the War on Terror, GW Bush contradicts himself and thus undercuts the very premise of his re-election campaign!
"You can bet that John Kerry tomorrow in Nashville when he addresses the American Legion National Convention will use this blunder against President Bush. And you can bet that the Democrats will go on a full offensive with this “can’t win” statement.
"Their rejoinder?
"“We must win the War on Terror and we are going to win this war.”"
"Thank God that George Bush is Our President"
From CNN, a transcript of Rudy Giuliani's speech to the Republican convention.
Lileks on Giuliani
In The Bleat:
"But what Giuliani did was completely typical: aggressive graciousness. It's why people who disagree with many of his positions admire him greatly, and why he spoke Monday night. And dang: he was good. He was hard: first time I've heard someone get up and slam Arafat by name in such a context. A sharp elbow at Germany. A Kerry section played mostly for laughs. An amazing last 10 minutes - dodged nothing. It was like watching a blacksmith at work while he whistled opera "
"But what Giuliani did was completely typical: aggressive graciousness. It's why people who disagree with many of his positions admire him greatly, and why he spoke Monday night. And dang: he was good. He was hard: first time I've heard someone get up and slam Arafat by name in such a context. A sharp elbow at Germany. A Kerry section played mostly for laughs. An amazing last 10 minutes - dodged nothing. It was like watching a blacksmith at work while he whistled opera "
Did the KGB Kill Lord Mountbatten?
From Mosnews:
"The Committee for State Security (KGB) of the Soviet Union was involved in the assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten, cousin of the British Queen, Vlast weekly magazine writes... Lord Mountbatten was killed on August 27, 1979. He went fishing on a boat with his relatives near his Irish estate. The bomb, weighing 50 pounds, was put into a box with lobsters. The lord, one of his twin grandsons, Nicholas, 14, and a 15-year-old Irish youth employed as a boat boy, Paul Maxwell, were killed. The assassins were soon found. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) admitted carrying out the attack. However, the bomb was given to them by KGB officials, the weekly wrote quoting former security members. The KGB had links with the secretary general of the Irish Communist Party, Michael O'Riordan, who was connected with the IRA. It was well-known already that the USSR had helped the IRA and its communist wing. Joseph Stalin said once that "the Irish movement against British imperialism is a democratic movement--and that the Soviet Union m'ust support this movement.'"
"The Committee for State Security (KGB) of the Soviet Union was involved in the assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten, cousin of the British Queen, Vlast weekly magazine writes... Lord Mountbatten was killed on August 27, 1979. He went fishing on a boat with his relatives near his Irish estate. The bomb, weighing 50 pounds, was put into a box with lobsters. The lord, one of his twin grandsons, Nicholas, 14, and a 15-year-old Irish youth employed as a boat boy, Paul Maxwell, were killed. The assassins were soon found. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) admitted carrying out the attack. However, the bomb was given to them by KGB officials, the weekly wrote quoting former security members. The KGB had links with the secretary general of the Irish Communist Party, Michael O'Riordan, who was connected with the IRA. It was well-known already that the USSR had helped the IRA and its communist wing. Joseph Stalin said once that "the Irish movement against British imperialism is a democratic movement--and that the Soviet Union m'ust support this movement.'"
From the Archives of Rudolph W. Giuliani
It was a very impressive speech that Rudy Giuliani gave on behalf of George Bush last night. He must have been a heck of a prosecutor in court, a real performance. Sometimes he didn't seem to fully believe everything he was saying, yet still he said it with tremendous panache. It certainly should help Bush. Too bad that Giuliani isn't at the top of the ticket, himself. Most notable were his repeated references to support for Israel as an important ally in the global war on terrorism. Giuliani went out of his way to talk about the Munich Olympics in 1972, the Achille Lauro hijacking, the failures of the European response, and the need for a consistently strong anti-terrorist stance. It's not a new position. Here's an old speech along similar lines from the Archives of Rudolph W. Giuliani .
Monday, August 30, 2004
France Stands Firm on Headscarf Ban
Won't give in to hostage-takers, says TurkishPress.com:
"Asked if there was any chance of the headscarf ban being suspended, Cope told Canal Plus television: "That is not the way to look at the problem. Our aim is to reject any link between the two issues and to emphasize the fact that the values of the French republic are a reference for the world... French newspapers gave blanket coverage to the hostage-taking on Monday, many stressing the sense of national unity that the crisis has provoked. 'War is ugly. But the absurd terrorism that today threatens Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot is something else -- monstrous and indescribable. It is an entire vision of the world -- the freedom to speak, to describe, to inform -- that is at stake,' said Le Figaro in an editorial."
"Asked if there was any chance of the headscarf ban being suspended, Cope told Canal Plus television: "That is not the way to look at the problem. Our aim is to reject any link between the two issues and to emphasize the fact that the values of the French republic are a reference for the world... French newspapers gave blanket coverage to the hostage-taking on Monday, many stressing the sense of national unity that the crisis has provoked. 'War is ugly. But the absurd terrorism that today threatens Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot is something else -- monstrous and indescribable. It is an entire vision of the world -- the freedom to speak, to describe, to inform -- that is at stake,' said Le Figaro in an editorial."
David Frum on the Franklin Case
From National Review :
"Somebody sold CBS News, NBC, and the Washington Post a grand conspiracy theory of sinister Zionist influence in the Pentagon based on -- well on what really? The theory alleges that
a) Two years ago, some Pentagon planners wrote a draft memo suggesting that the US adopt a tougher policy toward Iran; b) One of those planners then supposedly informed a friend at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee about the memo -- who in turn informed the Israeli embassy. Can we pause to consider what an amazing non-story all of this is? The memo in question - a draft of a proposed presidential policy directive for Iran - was essentially rejected. The Bush administration has opted since 2001 for a policy of engagement and attempted compromise with Iran. For all practical purposes, the memo was an expression of something close to a purely personal opinion. And even if the memo had been adopted, it involved no spycraft, no technical secrets. It simply offered a vision of what US policy toward Iran ought to be: a series of policy options. Discussing policy options with knowledgeable people -- and even with allied governments -- is not espionage. Which is why, after 18 months of investigation, the investigators were about to drop the matter. It looks as if whoever leaked the story of the investigation leaked it precisely because he or she was annoyed that the investigators were concluding that the whole thing was much ado about nothing. "
"Somebody sold CBS News, NBC, and the Washington Post a grand conspiracy theory of sinister Zionist influence in the Pentagon based on -- well on what really? The theory alleges that
a) Two years ago, some Pentagon planners wrote a draft memo suggesting that the US adopt a tougher policy toward Iran; b) One of those planners then supposedly informed a friend at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee about the memo -- who in turn informed the Israeli embassy. Can we pause to consider what an amazing non-story all of this is? The memo in question - a draft of a proposed presidential policy directive for Iran - was essentially rejected. The Bush administration has opted since 2001 for a policy of engagement and attempted compromise with Iran. For all practical purposes, the memo was an expression of something close to a purely personal opinion. And even if the memo had been adopted, it involved no spycraft, no technical secrets. It simply offered a vision of what US policy toward Iran ought to be: a series of policy options. Discussing policy options with knowledgeable people -- and even with allied governments -- is not espionage. Which is why, after 18 months of investigation, the investigators were about to drop the matter. It looks as if whoever leaked the story of the investigation leaked it precisely because he or she was annoyed that the investigators were concluding that the whole thing was much ado about nothing. "
High School is Harder Than Ever
Instead of hanging out at the drugstore soda fountain, kids today are publishing research in scholarly journals. From The Washington Post:
"Across the country, new emphasis on rigorous college-preparation programs has resulted in thousands of high school students succeeding at the kinds of scholarly research that master's degree candidates tackle, educators say, even as some worry about the strain placed on 17-year-olds. A leading indicator is the growing number of high schools using the International Baccalaureate program, which includes a 4,000-word paper, called an extended essay, among its requirements. About 10,000 of these papers were written this year in the United States, six times as many as in 1990. In the Washington region, at least 20 public high schools have IB programs, and several more public and private schools are encouraging long research papers in selected classes."
"Across the country, new emphasis on rigorous college-preparation programs has resulted in thousands of high school students succeeding at the kinds of scholarly research that master's degree candidates tackle, educators say, even as some worry about the strain placed on 17-year-olds. A leading indicator is the growing number of high schools using the International Baccalaureate program, which includes a 4,000-word paper, called an extended essay, among its requirements. About 10,000 of these papers were written this year in the United States, six times as many as in 1990. In the Washington region, at least 20 public high schools have IB programs, and several more public and private schools are encouraging long research papers in selected classes."
Happy Birthday to the Internet
The Internet is 35-years old, according to this story from the Associated Press [via Matt Drudge]:
"Thirty-five years after computer scientists at UCLA linked two bulky computers using a 15-foot gray cable, testing a new way for exchanging data over networks, what would ultimately become the Internet remains a work in progress. University researchers are experimenting with ways to increase its capacity and speed. Programmers are trying to imbue Web pages with intelligence. And work is underway to re-engineer the network to reduce spam and security troubles. All the while threats loom: Critics warn that commercial, legal and political pressures could hinder the types of innovations that made the Internet what it is today. Stephen Crocker and Vinton Cerf were among the graduate students who joined UCLA professor Len Kleinrock in an engineering lab on Sept. 2, 1969, as bits of meaningless test data flowed silently between the two computers. By January, three other "nodes" joined the fledgling network."
"Thirty-five years after computer scientists at UCLA linked two bulky computers using a 15-foot gray cable, testing a new way for exchanging data over networks, what would ultimately become the Internet remains a work in progress. University researchers are experimenting with ways to increase its capacity and speed. Programmers are trying to imbue Web pages with intelligence. And work is underway to re-engineer the network to reduce spam and security troubles. All the while threats loom: Critics warn that commercial, legal and political pressures could hinder the types of innovations that made the Internet what it is today. Stephen Crocker and Vinton Cerf were among the graduate students who joined UCLA professor Len Kleinrock in an engineering lab on Sept. 2, 1969, as bits of meaningless test data flowed silently between the two computers. By January, three other "nodes" joined the fledgling network."
The World Wide Web of Classical Music
From The Philadelphia Inquirer[link via Artsjournal]:
"While music lovers here and in other major cities weep at the decline of classical radio, something more stimulating has popped up when backs were turned: Web radio. In these dog days of August, a click of the mouse takes you to veteran pianist Alfred Brendel playing his final BBC Proms concert at Royal Albert Hall, Simon Rattle conducting the Wagner opera Das Rheingold with historically accurate instruments, and Audra McDonald singing an electrifying monologue from John Adams' still-in-progress opera, Doctor Atomic. And that's only London's BBC Radio 3. RAI 3 in Rome, RTBF Musique 3 in Brussels, and Radio France France-Musiques in Paris all generate their own distinctive programming, but also share among themselves, which means the BBC Rheingold you missed on a Thursday turns up weeks or months later in a Webcast from Lugano, Switzerland. There's so much music rattling around in this huge, global rotation that, with the proper home equipment, you can even access Placido Domingo in Poland - on video. And then there are the radio stations in Brazil. And Russia. As with shortwave radio, you can eavesdrop on the world."
"While music lovers here and in other major cities weep at the decline of classical radio, something more stimulating has popped up when backs were turned: Web radio. In these dog days of August, a click of the mouse takes you to veteran pianist Alfred Brendel playing his final BBC Proms concert at Royal Albert Hall, Simon Rattle conducting the Wagner opera Das Rheingold with historically accurate instruments, and Audra McDonald singing an electrifying monologue from John Adams' still-in-progress opera, Doctor Atomic. And that's only London's BBC Radio 3. RAI 3 in Rome, RTBF Musique 3 in Brussels, and Radio France France-Musiques in Paris all generate their own distinctive programming, but also share among themselves, which means the BBC Rheingold you missed on a Thursday turns up weeks or months later in a Webcast from Lugano, Switzerland. There's so much music rattling around in this huge, global rotation that, with the proper home equipment, you can even access Placido Domingo in Poland - on video. And then there are the radio stations in Brazil. And Russia. As with shortwave radio, you can eavesdrop on the world."
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Why Bush Will Win
By Mark Steyn:
"So the most likely outcome this November is an increased Republican majority in the House, a couple of extra Senate seats, and a second term for Bush. I might be wrong. Anything is possible. But the reluctance of the British press to admit the possibility that Bush isn't a loser suggests that they too have over-invested in John Kerry's very weak hand."
"So the most likely outcome this November is an increased Republican majority in the House, a couple of extra Senate seats, and a second term for Bush. I might be wrong. Anything is possible. But the reluctance of the British press to admit the possibility that Bush isn't a loser suggests that they too have over-invested in John Kerry's very weak hand."
Defeat Bush, Save the GOP
Niall Ferguson declares a Bush victory would paradoxically only help Democrats, in OpinionJournal :
"It is doubtless not the most tactful question to ask on the eve of the Republican convention, but might it not be better for American conservatism if George W. Bush failed to win a second term?"
"It is doubtless not the most tactful question to ask on the eve of the Republican convention, but might it not be better for American conservatism if George W. Bush failed to win a second term?"
Michael Ledeen on the Franklin Case
In Newsweek:
"NEWSWEEK's efforts to reach Franklin or a lawyer representing him were unsuccessful. But a close friend, Michael Ledeen of the American Enterprise Institute, said he believes the charges against Franklin are 'nonsensical.' Officials say that Franklin began cooperating about a month ago, after he was confronted by the FBI. At the time, these officials say, Franklin acknowledged meetings with the Israeli contact. Law-enforcement officials say they have no evidence that anyone above Franklin at the Pentagon had any knowledge of his activities."
"NEWSWEEK's efforts to reach Franklin or a lawyer representing him were unsuccessful. But a close friend, Michael Ledeen of the American Enterprise Institute, said he believes the charges against Franklin are 'nonsensical.' Officials say that Franklin began cooperating about a month ago, after he was confronted by the FBI. At the time, these officials say, Franklin acknowledged meetings with the Israeli contact. Law-enforcement officials say they have no evidence that anyone above Franklin at the Pentagon had any knowledge of his activities."
Franklin Case Background: The 'Dual Loyalty' Charge
Nathan Guttman explains:
"If the case of a 'mole' in the U.S. Department of Defense turns out to be true, it would be the most grievous blow to the American Jewish community in years. As depicted Friday evening on the CBS television network, the story managed to touch all the most sensitive aspects of the status of Jews in America and Israel's role in the machinery of American foreign policy considerations. It breathes new life into the assertion that Israeli and not American interests led to the war in Iraq. It revives the old charge that Israel is not an ally but a treacherous country, and the old saw that American Jews have a 'divided loyalty' problem in their preference for Israeli over American interests.
"A major Jewish figure said Saturday he felt positively relieved when he learned that Larry Franklin, the suspect in the case, is not actually Jewish. At least the charge that Jews in key positions are not sufficiently loyal won't stand up in this case."
"If the case of a 'mole' in the U.S. Department of Defense turns out to be true, it would be the most grievous blow to the American Jewish community in years. As depicted Friday evening on the CBS television network, the story managed to touch all the most sensitive aspects of the status of Jews in America and Israel's role in the machinery of American foreign policy considerations. It breathes new life into the assertion that Israeli and not American interests led to the war in Iraq. It revives the old charge that Israel is not an ally but a treacherous country, and the old saw that American Jews have a 'divided loyalty' problem in their preference for Israeli over American interests.
"A major Jewish figure said Saturday he felt positively relieved when he learned that Larry Franklin, the suspect in the case, is not actually Jewish. At least the charge that Jews in key positions are not sufficiently loyal won't stand up in this case."
Franklin Case Targets Wolfowitz?
So says Haaretz :
"'A government official who has been briefed on the investigation said that F.B.I. officials had earlier expressed an interest in interviewing two of Mr. Franklin's superiors, Douglas Feith, the under secretary of defense for policy, and Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary...'"
"'A government official who has been briefed on the investigation said that F.B.I. officials had earlier expressed an interest in interviewing two of Mr. Franklin's superiors, Douglas Feith, the under secretary of defense for policy, and Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary...'"
More on the Franklin Case: CIA v. DoD?
By Laura Rozen, et al, in The Washington Monthly
"Alarm bells about the December 2001 meeting began going off in U.S. government channels only days after it occurred. On December 12th 2001, at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, America's newly-installed Ambassador, Mel Sembler, sat down for a private dinner with Ledeen, an old friend of his from Republican Party politics, and Martino, the Italian defense minister. The conversation quickly turned to the meeting. The problem was that this was the first that Ambassador Sembler had heard about it.
"According to U.S. government sources, Sembler immediately set about trying to determine what he could about the meeting and how it had happened. Since U.S. government contact with foreign government intelligence agencies is supposed to be overseen by the CIA, Sembler first spoke to the CIA station chief in Rome to find out what if anything he knew about the meeting with the Iranians. But that only raised more questions because the station chief had been left in the dark as well. Soon both Sembler and the Rome station chief were sending anxious queries back to the State Department and CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, respectively, raising alarms on both sides of the Potomac."
"Alarm bells about the December 2001 meeting began going off in U.S. government channels only days after it occurred. On December 12th 2001, at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, America's newly-installed Ambassador, Mel Sembler, sat down for a private dinner with Ledeen, an old friend of his from Republican Party politics, and Martino, the Italian defense minister. The conversation quickly turned to the meeting. The problem was that this was the first that Ambassador Sembler had heard about it.
"According to U.S. government sources, Sembler immediately set about trying to determine what he could about the meeting and how it had happened. Since U.S. government contact with foreign government intelligence agencies is supposed to be overseen by the CIA, Sembler first spoke to the CIA station chief in Rome to find out what if anything he knew about the meeting with the Iranians. But that only raised more questions because the station chief had been left in the dark as well. Soon both Sembler and the Rome station chief were sending anxious queries back to the State Department and CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, respectively, raising alarms on both sides of the Potomac."
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Laura Rozen on the Larry Franklin Spy Case
From War and Piece:
"For months, I have been working with my colleagues Paul Glastris and Josh Marshall on a story for the Washington Monthly about pre-war intelligence. In particular, the component I have been focusing on involves a particular series of meetings involving officials from the office of the undersecretary of defense for Policy Doug Feith and Iranian dissidents.
"As part of our reporting, I have come into possession of information that points to an official who is the most likely target of the FBI investigation into who allegedly passed intelligence on deliberations on US foreign policy to Iran to officials with the pro-Israeli lobby group, AIPAC, and to the Israelis, as alleged by the CBS report. That individual is Larry Franklin, a veteran DIA Iran analyst seconded to Feith’s office.
"Here is what I was told in the days before the FBI investigation came to light.
"A source told me that some time in July, Larry Franklin called him and asked him to meet him in a coffee shop in Northern Virginia. Franklin had intelligence on hostile Iranian activities in Iraq and was extremely frustrated that he did not feel this intelligence was getting the attention and response it deserved. The intelligence included information that the Iranians had called all of their intelligence operatives who speak Arabic to southern Iraq, that it had moved their top operative for Afghanistan, a guy named Qudzi, to the Iranian embassy in Baghdad, that its operatives were targeting Iraqi state oil facilities, and that Iranian agents were infiltrating into northern Iraq to target the Israelis written about in a report by Seymour Hersh. According to my source, Franklin passed the information to the individual from AIPAC with the hope it could reach people at higher levels of the US government who would act on it. AIPAC presented the information to Elliot Abrams in the NSC. They also presented the part that involved Israelis who might be targeted to the Israelis, with the motivation to protect Israeli lives.
"A couple weeks ago, my source told me, he was visited by two agents of the FBI, who were asking about Franklin. My source couldn’t tell if Franklin was being investigated for possible wrongdoing, or if the FBI was visiting him because Franklin required some sort of higher level security clearance or clearance renewal, perhaps in order to get some sort of new position or posting abroad. My source soon after ran into another official from Feith's office, the polyglot Middle East expert and Bernard Lewis protege, Harold Rhode. My source mentioned the FBI meeting and asked Rhode if Franklin was in trouble. 'It's not clear,' Rhode allegedly told my source..."
You can read Rozen's whole story here.
"For months, I have been working with my colleagues Paul Glastris and Josh Marshall on a story for the Washington Monthly about pre-war intelligence. In particular, the component I have been focusing on involves a particular series of meetings involving officials from the office of the undersecretary of defense for Policy Doug Feith and Iranian dissidents.
"As part of our reporting, I have come into possession of information that points to an official who is the most likely target of the FBI investigation into who allegedly passed intelligence on deliberations on US foreign policy to Iran to officials with the pro-Israeli lobby group, AIPAC, and to the Israelis, as alleged by the CBS report. That individual is Larry Franklin, a veteran DIA Iran analyst seconded to Feith’s office.
"Here is what I was told in the days before the FBI investigation came to light.
"A source told me that some time in July, Larry Franklin called him and asked him to meet him in a coffee shop in Northern Virginia. Franklin had intelligence on hostile Iranian activities in Iraq and was extremely frustrated that he did not feel this intelligence was getting the attention and response it deserved. The intelligence included information that the Iranians had called all of their intelligence operatives who speak Arabic to southern Iraq, that it had moved their top operative for Afghanistan, a guy named Qudzi, to the Iranian embassy in Baghdad, that its operatives were targeting Iraqi state oil facilities, and that Iranian agents were infiltrating into northern Iraq to target the Israelis written about in a report by Seymour Hersh. According to my source, Franklin passed the information to the individual from AIPAC with the hope it could reach people at higher levels of the US government who would act on it. AIPAC presented the information to Elliot Abrams in the NSC. They also presented the part that involved Israelis who might be targeted to the Israelis, with the motivation to protect Israeli lives.
"A couple weeks ago, my source told me, he was visited by two agents of the FBI, who were asking about Franklin. My source couldn’t tell if Franklin was being investigated for possible wrongdoing, or if the FBI was visiting him because Franklin required some sort of higher level security clearance or clearance renewal, perhaps in order to get some sort of new position or posting abroad. My source soon after ran into another official from Feith's office, the polyglot Middle East expert and Bernard Lewis protege, Harold Rhode. My source mentioned the FBI meeting and asked Rhode if Franklin was in trouble. 'It's not clear,' Rhode allegedly told my source..."
You can read Rozen's whole story here.
More Evidence of a Power Struggle?
Here's a 2003 newspaper article about Larry Franklin mentioning antagonism between Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld:
"Administration officials said at least two Pentagon officials working for the Undersecretary of Defence for Policy, Douglas Feith, have held 'several' meetings with Manucher Ghorbanifar, the Iranian middleman in United States arms-for-hostage shipments to Iran in the mid-1980s. The officials who disclosed the secret meetings said the talks with Mr Ghorbanifar were not authorised by the White House and appeared to be aimed at undercutting sensitive negotiations with Iran's Government. A senior Administration official said the US Government had learned about the unauthorised talks by accident.
"The senior official and another Administration source said the ultimate objective of Mr Feith and a group of neo-conservative civilians inside the Pentagon is change of government in Iran. The immediate objective appeared to be to 'antagonise Iran so that they get frustrated and then by their reactions harden US policy against them'. The official confirmed that the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, complained directly to the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, several days ago about Mr Feith conducting missions that went against US policy.
"A spokesman for Mr Feith's Near East, South Asia and Special Plans office, which sources said played a key role in contacts with Mr Ghorbanifar contacts, ignored an emailed inquiry about the talks. The senior Administration official identified two of the defence officials who met Mr Ghorbanifar as Harold Rhode, Mr Feith's top Middle East specialist, and Larry Franklin, a Defence Intelligence Agency analyst on loan to the undersecretary's office..."
"Administration officials said at least two Pentagon officials working for the Undersecretary of Defence for Policy, Douglas Feith, have held 'several' meetings with Manucher Ghorbanifar, the Iranian middleman in United States arms-for-hostage shipments to Iran in the mid-1980s. The officials who disclosed the secret meetings said the talks with Mr Ghorbanifar were not authorised by the White House and appeared to be aimed at undercutting sensitive negotiations with Iran's Government. A senior Administration official said the US Government had learned about the unauthorised talks by accident.
"The senior official and another Administration source said the ultimate objective of Mr Feith and a group of neo-conservative civilians inside the Pentagon is change of government in Iran. The immediate objective appeared to be to 'antagonise Iran so that they get frustrated and then by their reactions harden US policy against them'. The official confirmed that the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, complained directly to the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, several days ago about Mr Feith conducting missions that went against US policy.
"A spokesman for Mr Feith's Near East, South Asia and Special Plans office, which sources said played a key role in contacts with Mr Ghorbanifar contacts, ignored an emailed inquiry about the talks. The senior Administration official identified two of the defence officials who met Mr Ghorbanifar as Harold Rhode, Mr Feith's top Middle East specialist, and Larry Franklin, a Defence Intelligence Agency analyst on loan to the undersecretary's office..."
Who is Larry Franklin?
Here's the entry from Co-Operative Research on the man the FBI has accused of being an Israeli spy at the Pentagon:
"June 2003: Complete Iraq timeline: The Pentagon Office of Special Plans sends two Defense officials, Harold Rhode and Larry Franklin, to Paris where they secretly meet with Manucher Ghorbanifar, an Iranian arms trader who had been a central figure in the Iran-Contra affair. Michael Ledeen of the American Enterprise Institute is said to have arranged the meeting, which is not authorized by the White House. [Newsday, 8/9/03; Washington Post, 8/9/03 Sources: A senior official interviewed by Newsday] It appears that the purpose of the meeting is to undermine a pending deal that the White House is negotiating with the Iranian government. Iran is considering turning over five al-Qaeda operatives in exchange for Washington dropping its support for Mujahadeen Khalq, an Iraq-based rebel Iranian group listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department. The Office of Special Plans is reportedly interested in using this group to help destabilize Iran?s government. [Newsday, 8/9/03; Inter Press Service, 8/7/03] When Secretary of State Colin Powell gets wind of its activities, he complains directly to the office of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying that Feith's missions are against US policy. [Newsday, 8/9/03; Washington Post, 8/9/03] People and organizations involved: Michael Ledeen, Manucher Ghorbanifar, Larry Franklin, Harold Rhode."
What does this mean? Perhaps that these spying charges are part of a power struggle within the Bush administration over Iran policy...
"June 2003: Complete Iraq timeline: The Pentagon Office of Special Plans sends two Defense officials, Harold Rhode and Larry Franklin, to Paris where they secretly meet with Manucher Ghorbanifar, an Iranian arms trader who had been a central figure in the Iran-Contra affair. Michael Ledeen of the American Enterprise Institute is said to have arranged the meeting, which is not authorized by the White House. [Newsday, 8/9/03; Washington Post, 8/9/03 Sources: A senior official interviewed by Newsday] It appears that the purpose of the meeting is to undermine a pending deal that the White House is negotiating with the Iranian government. Iran is considering turning over five al-Qaeda operatives in exchange for Washington dropping its support for Mujahadeen Khalq, an Iraq-based rebel Iranian group listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department. The Office of Special Plans is reportedly interested in using this group to help destabilize Iran?s government. [Newsday, 8/9/03; Inter Press Service, 8/7/03] When Secretary of State Colin Powell gets wind of its activities, he complains directly to the office of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying that Feith's missions are against US policy. [Newsday, 8/9/03; Washington Post, 8/9/03] People and organizations involved: Michael Ledeen, Manucher Ghorbanifar, Larry Franklin, Harold Rhode."
What does this mean? Perhaps that these spying charges are part of a power struggle within the Bush administration over Iran policy...
Chalmers Roberts' Life and Death Decision
Long-time Washington Post Correspondent Chalmers Roberts reflects on why he decided not to have a major operation. From The Washington Post:
"I could be dead when you read this. But I thought it might be worthwhile to put down my thoughts about how I decided to skip a lifesaving heart operation. I am a 93-year-old man with congestive heart failure. The operation I'm skipping would replace a heart valve that has given up on me with a new pig's valve..."
"I could be dead when you read this. But I thought it might be worthwhile to put down my thoughts about how I decided to skip a lifesaving heart operation. I am a 93-year-old man with congestive heart failure. The operation I'm skipping would replace a heart valve that has given up on me with a new pig's valve..."
Friday, August 27, 2004
Happy Birthday Instapundit
And he's stopping blogging because of it:
"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, which means no more blogging today unless something rather major happens. If you're bored tonight, check out the InstaWife's TV show Snapped on the Oxygen Channel. If you happen to be a Nielsen family, please invite several dozen of your friends to watch with you. . . ."
"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, which means no more blogging today unless something rather major happens. If you're bored tonight, check out the InstaWife's TV show Snapped on the Oxygen Channel. If you happen to be a Nielsen family, please invite several dozen of your friends to watch with you. . . ."
Do Americans Cover Up Terrorist Acts Better Than Russians?
Canada's National Post says American Airlines Flight 587 was a victim of terrorism, although the US denies it:
"'In discussions, Abu Abdelrahman mentioned AL QAIDA was responsible for the assassination of Massoud, the Northern Alliance leader,' the report says. 'According to the source, Abu Abdelrahman added that the 12 November 2001 plane crash (btb American Airlines flight 587) in Queens, New York was not an accident as reported in the press but was actually an AL QAIDA operation."
"'In discussions, Abu Abdelrahman mentioned AL QAIDA was responsible for the assassination of Massoud, the Northern Alliance leader,' the report says. 'According to the source, Abu Abdelrahman added that the 12 November 2001 plane crash (btb American Airlines flight 587) in Queens, New York was not an accident as reported in the press but was actually an AL QAIDA operation."
Saving Strauss from the Straussians
Thomas G. West argues that Washington neo-conservatives are not true Straussians:
"Quite a few of President Bush's critics maintain that since some prominent members of the administration and their defenders are known to be former students of Leo Strauss or of Straussians, one can trace Bush's foreign policy to Strauss's political ideas. Straussians in Washington tend to be neoconservatives, and, in foreign policy, prominent neocons like William Kristol and Robert Kagan advocate a policy of 'benevolent hegemony.' In their argument, a benign American imperialism is justified for two reasons. First, it provides security against foreign attack; that is, it delivers 'strategic benefits.' But their real enthusiasm is reserved for its second purpose, which is democratic reform of the rest of the world. That stance, they argue, not only serves American interest; it is a moral imperative. The policy of benevolent hegemony will 'relish the opportunity for national engagement, embrace the possibility of national greatness, and restore a sense of the heroic.' Kristol and Kagan also argue that their view is supported by the principles of the American founding: 'For conservatives to preach the importance of upholding the core elements of the Western tradition at home, but to profess indifference to the fate of American principles abroad, is an inconsistency that cannot help but gnaw at the heart of conservatism.' My impression as an outside observer is that Straussian influence in the administration has been grossly exaggerated. But let us assume for discussion's sake that it is strong. Since Strauss has been wildly accused of everything from being an admirer of Hitler to being a devotee of Wilsonian progressivism, I think it high time to clarify Strauss's understanding of foreign policy. I shall argue that although there is some common ground, Strauss's overall approach is quite different from that of Kristol, Kagan, and other prominent neoconservatives in and out of the administration."
"Quite a few of President Bush's critics maintain that since some prominent members of the administration and their defenders are known to be former students of Leo Strauss or of Straussians, one can trace Bush's foreign policy to Strauss's political ideas. Straussians in Washington tend to be neoconservatives, and, in foreign policy, prominent neocons like William Kristol and Robert Kagan advocate a policy of 'benevolent hegemony.' In their argument, a benign American imperialism is justified for two reasons. First, it provides security against foreign attack; that is, it delivers 'strategic benefits.' But their real enthusiasm is reserved for its second purpose, which is democratic reform of the rest of the world. That stance, they argue, not only serves American interest; it is a moral imperative. The policy of benevolent hegemony will 'relish the opportunity for national engagement, embrace the possibility of national greatness, and restore a sense of the heroic.' Kristol and Kagan also argue that their view is supported by the principles of the American founding: 'For conservatives to preach the importance of upholding the core elements of the Western tradition at home, but to profess indifference to the fate of American principles abroad, is an inconsistency that cannot help but gnaw at the heart of conservatism.' My impression as an outside observer is that Straussian influence in the administration has been grossly exaggerated. But let us assume for discussion's sake that it is strong. Since Strauss has been wildly accused of everything from being an admirer of Hitler to being a devotee of Wilsonian progressivism, I think it high time to clarify Strauss's understanding of foreign policy. I shall argue that although there is some common ground, Strauss's overall approach is quite different from that of Kristol, Kagan, and other prominent neoconservatives in and out of the administration."
The Straussian Conspiracy
Harry Jaffa defends Leo Strauss in the Claremont Review::
"Hillary Clinton's 'vast right wing conspiracy' seems to have undergone a metamorphosis into a 'vast Straussian neo-con conspiracy,' judging from the outpouring of articles, letters, and radio and television interviews denouncing President Bush's foreign policy as a war-crazed Straussian neo-con plot."
"Hillary Clinton's 'vast right wing conspiracy' seems to have undergone a metamorphosis into a 'vast Straussian neo-con conspiracy,' judging from the outpouring of articles, letters, and radio and television interviews denouncing President Bush's foreign policy as a war-crazed Straussian neo-con plot."
Have Democrats Lost Their Marbles?
Charles Krauthammer, a practicing psychiatrist, says so in today's Washington Post:
"Upon losing a game at the 1925 Baden-Baden tournament, Aaron Nimzowitsch, the great chess theoretician and a superb player, knocked the pieces off the board, jumped on the table and screamed, 'How can I lose to this idiot?' Nimzowitsch may have lived decades ago in Denmark, but he had the soul of a modern American Democrat. After all, Democrats have been saying much the same -- with similar body language -- ever since the erudite Adlai Stevenson lost to the syntactically challenged Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. They said it again when they lost to that supposed simpleton Ronald Reagan. Twice, would you believe? With George W. Bush, they are at it again, and equally apoplectic."
"Upon losing a game at the 1925 Baden-Baden tournament, Aaron Nimzowitsch, the great chess theoretician and a superb player, knocked the pieces off the board, jumped on the table and screamed, 'How can I lose to this idiot?' Nimzowitsch may have lived decades ago in Denmark, but he had the soul of a modern American Democrat. After all, Democrats have been saying much the same -- with similar body language -- ever since the erudite Adlai Stevenson lost to the syntactically challenged Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. They said it again when they lost to that supposed simpleton Ronald Reagan. Twice, would you believe? With George W. Bush, they are at it again, and equally apoplectic."
Winners & Losers in Najaf
From Juan Cole:
"I think the big losers from the Najaf episode (part deux) are the Americans. They have become, if it is possible, even more unpopular in Iraq than they were last spring after Abu Ghuraib, Fallujah and Najaf Part 1. The US is perceived as culturally insensitive for its actions in the holy city of Najaf. The Allawi government is also a big loser. Instead of looking decisive, as they had hoped, they ended up looking like the lackeys of neo-imperialists.The big winner is Sistani, whose religious charisma has now been enhanced by solid nationalist credentials. He is a national hero for saving Najaf. For Muqtada, it is a wash. He did not have Najaf until April, anyway, and cn easily survive not having it. His movement in the slums of the southern cities is intact, even if its paramilitary has been weakened."
"I think the big losers from the Najaf episode (part deux) are the Americans. They have become, if it is possible, even more unpopular in Iraq than they were last spring after Abu Ghuraib, Fallujah and Najaf Part 1. The US is perceived as culturally insensitive for its actions in the holy city of Najaf. The Allawi government is also a big loser. Instead of looking decisive, as they had hoped, they ended up looking like the lackeys of neo-imperialists.The big winner is Sistani, whose religious charisma has now been enhanced by solid nationalist credentials. He is a national hero for saving Najaf. For Muqtada, it is a wash. He did not have Najaf until April, anyway, and cn easily survive not having it. His movement in the slums of the southern cities is intact, even if its paramilitary has been weakened."
Olympics 2004 Betting Odds
In case you've got money riding on the Athens games, here's the link for OddsChecker's Olympics 2004 Betting Odds.
CNN's Final Insult
Using footage fed by a Hezbollah propaganda network to cover Iraq. CNN founder Reese Schonfeld explains the problem:
"CNN is crediting Al Manar for some of the footage it is using on the Kufa, Najaf story. Al Manar is an Iranian funded, Hezbollah network--the most anti- U.S. network in the world. It applauds terrorism, recruits terrorists and attacks the United States constantly. Showing Al Manar tape is the equivalent of using Joseph Goebels material during the Second World War. But since the new Iraqi government closed down Al Jazeera, western networks have been forced to use Hezbollah tape from areas where western crews cannot operate. Al Jazeera is a legitimate news network. Al Manar is racism and hate but American television has given it legitimacy."
"CNN is crediting Al Manar for some of the footage it is using on the Kufa, Najaf story. Al Manar is an Iranian funded, Hezbollah network--the most anti- U.S. network in the world. It applauds terrorism, recruits terrorists and attacks the United States constantly. Showing Al Manar tape is the equivalent of using Joseph Goebels material during the Second World War. But since the new Iraqi government closed down Al Jazeera, western networks have been forced to use Hezbollah tape from areas where western crews cannot operate. Al Jazeera is a legitimate news network. Al Manar is racism and hate but American television has given it legitimacy."
Containing Terrorism
Robert L. Hutchings, who head President Bush's National Intelligence Council, argues George Kennan's containment strategy towards the USSR can defeat Al Qaeda. (Thanks to Foreign Policy magazine for the link):
"That brings me to my core conclusion: we should not assume that 'we' and 'they' have nothing in common. Usama bin Laden and his followers deplore what they perceive as the depravity and vacuity of modernity. So do many in the West. Terrorists and their supporters rage against the inequities and degradation brought on by globalization. So do many thoughtful critics who would not dream of resorting to terrorism to achieve their goals.
"Many of the grievances that terrorists express and exploit -- economic disadvantage, alienation brought on by globalization, a sense of cultural humiliation, and others -- are remediable, at least potentially. It was one of the core failings of Communist ideology that Marx failed to see that many of the class antagonisms he identified could be--and were--overcome by peaceful means rather than the class struggle he took to be inevitable. (I learned this at the feet of the late Lewis Feuer right here on this campus.)
"Our frame of mind -- even as we are waging a resolute campaign against international terrorism -- should be that we are not engaged in a fight to the finish with radical Islam. This is not a clash of civilizations but rather a defense of our shared humanity and a search to find common ground, however implausible that may seem now. Such an effort is no more possible with Usama bin Laden than it was with Stalin back when Kennan was writing, and it will be an elusive goal for years to come, but we have reason to be optimistic if we take the longer view, as Kennan did.
"Let me conclude, as I began, by citing the X-Article:
The issue...is in essence a test of the overall worth of the United States as a nation among nations. To avoid destruction the United States need only measure up to its own best traditions and prove itself worthy of preservation as a great nation.
"If these words sound somewhat melodramatic, I ask you to remember how vulnerable, uncertain, and fearful we felt as a nation on September 11, 2001. We have come a long way since then, but we still have a long way to go before we can recover the security and tranquility that was so brutally shattered that bright morning two and a half years ago."
"That brings me to my core conclusion: we should not assume that 'we' and 'they' have nothing in common. Usama bin Laden and his followers deplore what they perceive as the depravity and vacuity of modernity. So do many in the West. Terrorists and their supporters rage against the inequities and degradation brought on by globalization. So do many thoughtful critics who would not dream of resorting to terrorism to achieve their goals.
"Many of the grievances that terrorists express and exploit -- economic disadvantage, alienation brought on by globalization, a sense of cultural humiliation, and others -- are remediable, at least potentially. It was one of the core failings of Communist ideology that Marx failed to see that many of the class antagonisms he identified could be--and were--overcome by peaceful means rather than the class struggle he took to be inevitable. (I learned this at the feet of the late Lewis Feuer right here on this campus.)
"Our frame of mind -- even as we are waging a resolute campaign against international terrorism -- should be that we are not engaged in a fight to the finish with radical Islam. This is not a clash of civilizations but rather a defense of our shared humanity and a search to find common ground, however implausible that may seem now. Such an effort is no more possible with Usama bin Laden than it was with Stalin back when Kennan was writing, and it will be an elusive goal for years to come, but we have reason to be optimistic if we take the longer view, as Kennan did.
"Let me conclude, as I began, by citing the X-Article:
The issue...is in essence a test of the overall worth of the United States as a nation among nations. To avoid destruction the United States need only measure up to its own best traditions and prove itself worthy of preservation as a great nation.
"If these words sound somewhat melodramatic, I ask you to remember how vulnerable, uncertain, and fearful we felt as a nation on September 11, 2001. We have come a long way since then, but we still have a long way to go before we can recover the security and tranquility that was so brutally shattered that bright morning two and a half years ago."
Iraq: What Went Wrong?
Coalition Provisional Authority advisor Larry Diamond tries to explain, in Foreign Affairs:
"It now seems unlikely that the weak and besieged new Iraqi government will have the will or capacity to enforce the demobilization plan. In fact, the new Iraqi state is caught in a Catch-22: to be viable, it must build up its armed forces as rapidly as possible. But the readiest sources of soldiers and police are the most powerful militias, which will probably allow their fighters to join the new military only if their command structures remain intact. Thus, if the fledgling Iraqi state hopes to truly defeat the militias, it may have to go to war with itself. That seems hard to imagine. Yet if Iraq tries to hold elections while the militias remain intact (in one guise or another), the campaign is likely to become a very bloody and undemocratic affair. Candidates will face assassination, weaker political opponents will be run out of town, and the electoral machinery will be hijacked by those with the most guns.
"Even if the security situation improves enough to allow elections to go forward on time, Iraq could still get into further trouble if it follows the UN's recommendation and uses a national-list system, apportioning seats in parliament on the basis of nationwide voting, since this would give the big regional and religious parties an added incentive to inflate their numbers through force and fraud. Should that occur, the biggest winners will be the best-armed and most-organized forces-the Kurds in the far north and the Iranian-backed Islamist parties in the Shiite south. The American occupation could wind up paving the way for the 'election' of an Iranian-linked Islamist government in Baghdad."
"It now seems unlikely that the weak and besieged new Iraqi government will have the will or capacity to enforce the demobilization plan. In fact, the new Iraqi state is caught in a Catch-22: to be viable, it must build up its armed forces as rapidly as possible. But the readiest sources of soldiers and police are the most powerful militias, which will probably allow their fighters to join the new military only if their command structures remain intact. Thus, if the fledgling Iraqi state hopes to truly defeat the militias, it may have to go to war with itself. That seems hard to imagine. Yet if Iraq tries to hold elections while the militias remain intact (in one guise or another), the campaign is likely to become a very bloody and undemocratic affair. Candidates will face assassination, weaker political opponents will be run out of town, and the electoral machinery will be hijacked by those with the most guns.
"Even if the security situation improves enough to allow elections to go forward on time, Iraq could still get into further trouble if it follows the UN's recommendation and uses a national-list system, apportioning seats in parliament on the basis of nationwide voting, since this would give the big regional and religious parties an added incentive to inflate their numbers through force and fraud. Should that occur, the biggest winners will be the best-armed and most-organized forces-the Kurds in the far north and the Iranian-backed Islamist parties in the Shiite south. The American occupation could wind up paving the way for the 'election' of an Iranian-linked Islamist government in Baghdad."
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Che Guevara Remembered
From The Spectator:
"He was undaunted by the deaths he had ordered and the errors he had made. He had larger dreams than the fate of the Cuban economy. He was excited by the vision of a grand, global confrontation between imperialism and socialism, and he viewed the prospect of nuclear war with equanimity. Speaking to the First Latin American Youth Congress, in July 1959, he stated: ‘These people [of Cuba] you see today tell you that even if they should disappear from the face of the earth because an atomic war is unleashed in their names ...they would feel completely happy and fulfilled....’ During the Cuban missile crisis, Che wanted to fire the missiles at the United States, and was furious that Khrushchev backed down in the face of US pressure."
"He was undaunted by the deaths he had ordered and the errors he had made. He had larger dreams than the fate of the Cuban economy. He was excited by the vision of a grand, global confrontation between imperialism and socialism, and he viewed the prospect of nuclear war with equanimity. Speaking to the First Latin American Youth Congress, in July 1959, he stated: ‘These people [of Cuba] you see today tell you that even if they should disappear from the face of the earth because an atomic war is unleashed in their names ...they would feel completely happy and fulfilled....’ During the Cuban missile crisis, Che wanted to fire the missiles at the United States, and was furious that Khrushchev backed down in the face of US pressure."
British Library, Eton College in Anthony Powell Papers Row
From The Guardian (thanks to Artsjournal for the tip):
"Eton College was quietly asked last year to hand over the manuscript collection to the British Library while both bodies put in bids to become the permanent custodians of Powell's work. Michael Meredith, Eton's librarian, personally took the manuscripts to the British Library to hand them over to Christopher Wright, the head of manuscripts."
"Eton College was quietly asked last year to hand over the manuscript collection to the British Library while both bodies put in bids to become the permanent custodians of Powell's work. Michael Meredith, Eton's librarian, personally took the manuscripts to the British Library to hand them over to Christopher Wright, the head of manuscripts."
Republican Bloggers to Cover NYC Convention
From The Wall Street Journal (thanks to Instapundit for the tip):
"Republican Web loggers are getting ready for their shot at posting convention news and commentary, and they say they've learned from their left-leaning counterparts' experience five weeks earlier. At Madison Square Garden, the official blogger group will number about 15, a tiny fraction of the estimated 15,000 journalists expected, and less than half the size of the accredited Boston blogger set. 'That's just the number we landed on,' said convention spokeswoman Alyssa McClenning. She wouldn't discuss how convention planners chose the group, but said the bloggers 'reflected a mix of ideologies.' Adding to the blend are some delegates and traditional journalists who also plan to blog from the convention. In the accreditation process, Republican convention organizers invited particular bloggers, while the Democrats used applications. But the result is the same: a lot of home-team support. Most Boston bloggers were solidly in the John Kerry camp, while most New York bloggers plan to vote for President Bush. A handful of centrist bloggers are attending both."
"Republican Web loggers are getting ready for their shot at posting convention news and commentary, and they say they've learned from their left-leaning counterparts' experience five weeks earlier. At Madison Square Garden, the official blogger group will number about 15, a tiny fraction of the estimated 15,000 journalists expected, and less than half the size of the accredited Boston blogger set. 'That's just the number we landed on,' said convention spokeswoman Alyssa McClenning. She wouldn't discuss how convention planners chose the group, but said the bloggers 'reflected a mix of ideologies.' Adding to the blend are some delegates and traditional journalists who also plan to blog from the convention. In the accreditation process, Republican convention organizers invited particular bloggers, while the Democrats used applications. But the result is the same: a lot of home-team support. Most Boston bloggers were solidly in the John Kerry camp, while most New York bloggers plan to vote for President Bush. A handful of centrist bloggers are attending both."
Controversy Swirls Over National Anthem
From The Washington Post:
"Peter Breiner, whose 204 arrangements of the world's national anthems are being performed at the Athens Olympics, had no intention of wandering into the blue-state/red-state thickets when he arranged 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' But that hasn't slowed critics from reading political philosophy into his genteel, romanticized orchestration of the famous tune. A 'Europe-friendly version of the anthem,' designed 'to play down the notion of the U.S. as a chest-thumping, butt-kicking, jingoistic powerhouse,' sniffed a writer in the Wall Street Journal, quoting an unnamed musician. 'Even our warlike national anthem has been transformed, from blaring horns to peaceful, soothing strings' wrote Maureen Dowd in the New York Times, in a column about the toning-down of U.S. bravado at the Athens games."
"Peter Breiner, whose 204 arrangements of the world's national anthems are being performed at the Athens Olympics, had no intention of wandering into the blue-state/red-state thickets when he arranged 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' But that hasn't slowed critics from reading political philosophy into his genteel, romanticized orchestration of the famous tune. A 'Europe-friendly version of the anthem,' designed 'to play down the notion of the U.S. as a chest-thumping, butt-kicking, jingoistic powerhouse,' sniffed a writer in the Wall Street Journal, quoting an unnamed musician. 'Even our warlike national anthem has been transformed, from blaring horns to peaceful, soothing strings' wrote Maureen Dowd in the New York Times, in a column about the toning-down of U.S. bravado at the Athens games."
Blame Spreads for Abu Ghraib Torture Scandal
From The Washington Post:
"Still, the Schlesinger report, which examined problems throughout the system of U.S.-run prisons in Iraq and, Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said that about one-third of the substantiated cases of prisoner abuse took place during interrogations. It also disclosed a sharp rise in the number of cases of alleged abuse -- up to 300, 66 of which have been confirmed so far. Yesterday's findings by Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones and Maj. Gen. George R. Fay also helped to substantiate a major pillar of the defense offered by the military guards already facing charges. They have asserted that their actions came at the direction of military intelligence personnel.Although self-serving, these claims do have some basis in fact,' Fay said in his portion of the report."
"Still, the Schlesinger report, which examined problems throughout the system of U.S.-run prisons in Iraq and, Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said that about one-third of the substantiated cases of prisoner abuse took place during interrogations. It also disclosed a sharp rise in the number of cases of alleged abuse -- up to 300, 66 of which have been confirmed so far. Yesterday's findings by Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones and Maj. Gen. George R. Fay also helped to substantiate a major pillar of the defense offered by the military guards already facing charges. They have asserted that their actions came at the direction of military intelligence personnel.Although self-serving, these claims do have some basis in fact,' Fay said in his portion of the report."
"Swift Boat Veterans Have Cheapened All Our Service"
Writes August Keso:
"The Swift Boat people have cheapened all our service. What our Commanding Officers and branch of service thought of our performance twenty, thirty, forty and fifty years ago means nothing today. If Kerry’s military records cannot be trusted, neither can mine, nor can yours! Thanks, to the Swift Boat people our honorable service has been denigrated – and when the folks get back from Iraq and Afghanistan, what will their service be worth? They had all better hope that they don’t offend anybody while serving because if they do, nothing their official military records contain will amount to anything. "
"The Swift Boat people have cheapened all our service. What our Commanding Officers and branch of service thought of our performance twenty, thirty, forty and fifty years ago means nothing today. If Kerry’s military records cannot be trusted, neither can mine, nor can yours! Thanks, to the Swift Boat people our honorable service has been denigrated – and when the folks get back from Iraq and Afghanistan, what will their service be worth? They had all better hope that they don’t offend anybody while serving because if they do, nothing their official military records contain will amount to anything. "
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
France Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Liberation
From Yahoo News :
"Parisians turned out to see French and US military columns roll through their capital in an exuberant re-enactment of the day 60 years ago when Allied forces liberated the city from German occupation. 'Vive la France,' cried many of the onlookers lining the streets as the parades -- made up of World War II-era vehicles and extras in period dress and uniforms -- rumbled by to the sound of orchestras playing 1940s tunes. The scenes were colourful highlights of commemorations recalling August 25, 1944 when first French then US troops drove into Paris to take it from German forces who had been battling a week-long uprising by residents and Resistance fighters."
"Parisians turned out to see French and US military columns roll through their capital in an exuberant re-enactment of the day 60 years ago when Allied forces liberated the city from German occupation. 'Vive la France,' cried many of the onlookers lining the streets as the parades -- made up of World War II-era vehicles and extras in period dress and uniforms -- rumbled by to the sound of orchestras playing 1940s tunes. The scenes were colourful highlights of commemorations recalling August 25, 1944 when first French then US troops drove into Paris to take it from German forces who had been battling a week-long uprising by residents and Resistance fighters."
What's Happening At the Olympics (continued)?
From Yahoo News:
"ATHENS, Greece - A windsurfer whose first name means 'wave' in Hebrew gave Israel its first Olympic gold medal ever Wednesday, taking a plunge in the Saronic Gulf to celebrate. Gal Fridman sailed a remarkably consistent regatta, never finishing worse than eighth in the 11-race series. He placed second in Wednesday's decisive race. After Fridman crossed the finish line, he took a victory dip and then wrapped himself in an Israeli flag when he came out of the water."
"ATHENS, Greece - A windsurfer whose first name means 'wave' in Hebrew gave Israel its first Olympic gold medal ever Wednesday, taking a plunge in the Saronic Gulf to celebrate. Gal Fridman sailed a remarkably consistent regatta, never finishing worse than eighth in the 11-race series. He placed second in Wednesday's decisive race. After Fridman crossed the finish line, he took a victory dip and then wrapped himself in an Israeli flag when he came out of the water."
Gwen Ifill on the Abu Ghraib Torture Report
From The NewsHour:
"GWEN IFILL: Was there an overall view that there should be a tougher effort made to break these prisoners, to get to toughen the interrogation against them after Major Gen. Jeffrey Miller came to visit from Guantanamo and advised them on the tactics that had been used on al-Qaida prisoners there and Taliban prisoners there? And now a new memo has surfaced which I believe the wording was that military intelligence officers said the gloves are coming off, gentlemen, regarding these detainees. We want these individuals broken. Was that an atmosphere that was created that brought this about, as well?"
"GWEN IFILL: Was there an overall view that there should be a tougher effort made to break these prisoners, to get to toughen the interrogation against them after Major Gen. Jeffrey Miller came to visit from Guantanamo and advised them on the tactics that had been used on al-Qaida prisoners there and Taliban prisoners there? And now a new memo has surfaced which I believe the wording was that military intelligence officers said the gloves are coming off, gentlemen, regarding these detainees. We want these individuals broken. Was that an atmosphere that was created that brought this about, as well?"
The Five Pillars of Democracy: Towards an Islamic Reformation
From the RAND Review:
"What the roiling ideological ferment requires from the West is both a firm commitment to fundamental Western values and a sequence of flexible postures suited to different Islamic contexts, populations, and countries. This approach could help to develop civil, democratic Islam while giving the West the versatility to deal appropriately with different settings. The following outline describes what such a strategy might look like. It rests on 'five pillars of democracy' for the Islamic world. The pillars correspond to the postures that the West should take toward the four ideological groups and toward ordinary citizens in Muslim countries.
1. Support the modernists first, promoting their version of Islam by equipping them with a broad platform to articulate and to disseminate their views. It is tempting to choose the traditionalists as the primary agents for fostering democratic Islam, and this appears to be the course that the West is inclined to take. However, some very serious problems argue against taking such a course..."
"What the roiling ideological ferment requires from the West is both a firm commitment to fundamental Western values and a sequence of flexible postures suited to different Islamic contexts, populations, and countries. This approach could help to develop civil, democratic Islam while giving the West the versatility to deal appropriately with different settings. The following outline describes what such a strategy might look like. It rests on 'five pillars of democracy' for the Islamic world. The pillars correspond to the postures that the West should take toward the four ideological groups and toward ordinary citizens in Muslim countries.
1. Support the modernists first, promoting their version of Islam by equipping them with a broad platform to articulate and to disseminate their views. It is tempting to choose the traditionalists as the primary agents for fostering democratic Islam, and this appears to be the course that the West is inclined to take. However, some very serious problems argue against taking such a course..."
The "New Russians"
At the same dinner party in the item below, we heard about the "New Russians" from a Moscow family visiting the United States. Where once science, technology, education, culture were at the heart of Russian life, today it is business. We found this article online that explains, interestingly, some of today's business leaders are in fact scientists:
"In the idealistic '60s, they made up the nucleus of the dissident movement, which resisted the regime. The movement was launched by the mathematician Aleksandr Yesenin-Volpin, inaugurated with a scandal that involved 99 engineers and mathematicians, and was led largely by the physicist Andrei Sakharov. In the repressive '70s, when much of the intelligentsia sought refuge in nonpolitical activities, the tekhnari made two of them into full-fledged fads: mountain climbing and folk singing. The first Moscow concert of Vladimir Vysotsky, the folk-singing popular hero of the '70s, took place in the Culture Hall at the Kurchatov Institute of theoretical physics, the birthplace of the Russian A-bomb. In 1981, the same hall hosted Moscow's first rock concert.
Over a decade later, tekhnari lead the way in conquering the newest frontier: business. The man now reputed to be the country's richest, Sergey Mavrodi, is a computer scientist-cum-stock market shark; the country's second-largest bank, Tver Inkombank, was founded by physicists; and small- and medium-size businesses seem downright dominated by the tekhnari. No one has done a statistical breakdown of Russian entrepreneurs by profession, but Ivan Kivalidi, president of the Russian Business Roundtable, an association of entrepreneurs, confirms the impression that business is dominated by tekhnari."
"In the idealistic '60s, they made up the nucleus of the dissident movement, which resisted the regime. The movement was launched by the mathematician Aleksandr Yesenin-Volpin, inaugurated with a scandal that involved 99 engineers and mathematicians, and was led largely by the physicist Andrei Sakharov. In the repressive '70s, when much of the intelligentsia sought refuge in nonpolitical activities, the tekhnari made two of them into full-fledged fads: mountain climbing and folk singing. The first Moscow concert of Vladimir Vysotsky, the folk-singing popular hero of the '70s, took place in the Culture Hall at the Kurchatov Institute of theoretical physics, the birthplace of the Russian A-bomb. In 1981, the same hall hosted Moscow's first rock concert.
Over a decade later, tekhnari lead the way in conquering the newest frontier: business. The man now reputed to be the country's richest, Sergey Mavrodi, is a computer scientist-cum-stock market shark; the country's second-largest bank, Tver Inkombank, was founded by physicists; and small- and medium-size businesses seem downright dominated by the tekhnari. No one has done a statistical breakdown of Russian entrepreneurs by profession, but Ivan Kivalidi, president of the Russian Business Roundtable, an association of entrepreneurs, confirms the impression that business is dominated by tekhnari."
Daniel Barenboim's Quest
Last night we were at a dinner party, and a Palestinian Israeli pianist told us about her admiration for Daniel Barenboim, teaching music to encourage Arab-Israeli peace. At a recent ceremony at the Israeli Knesset, Barenboim explained his project:
"I have always believed that there is no military solution to the Jewish Arab conflict, neither from a moral nor a strategic one and since a solution is therefore inevitable I ask myself : Why wait? It is for this very reason that I founded with my late friend Edward Said a workshop for young musicians from all the countries of the Middle East - Jews and Arabs.
"Despite the fact that, as an art, music cannot compromise its principles, and politics, on the other hand, is the art of compromise, when politics transcends the limits of the present existence and ascents to the higher sphere of the possible, it can be joined there by music. Music is the art of the imaginary par excellence, an art free of all limits imposed by words, an art that touches the depth of human existence, and art of sounds that crosses all borders. As such music can take the feelings and imagination of Israelis and Palestinians to new unimaginable spheres."
"I have always believed that there is no military solution to the Jewish Arab conflict, neither from a moral nor a strategic one and since a solution is therefore inevitable I ask myself : Why wait? It is for this very reason that I founded with my late friend Edward Said a workshop for young musicians from all the countries of the Middle East - Jews and Arabs.
"Despite the fact that, as an art, music cannot compromise its principles, and politics, on the other hand, is the art of compromise, when politics transcends the limits of the present existence and ascents to the higher sphere of the possible, it can be joined there by music. Music is the art of the imaginary par excellence, an art free of all limits imposed by words, an art that touches the depth of human existence, and art of sounds that crosses all borders. As such music can take the feelings and imagination of Israelis and Palestinians to new unimaginable spheres."
Were Russian Jets Terrorist Targets?
To soon to tell, but suspicions run high that yesterday's crashes may be related to the Chechen conflict, although the government is playing down that possibility. For more, see this AP story:
" Officials made conflicting statements about whether the signal from the other jet indicated a hijacking or another severe problem on the aircraft. The Interfax and ITAR-Tass news agencies later quoted an unnamed law enforcement source as saying that the signal was an SOS and that no other signals were sent. Oleg Yermolov, deputy director of the Interstate Aviation Committee, said that it is impossible to judge what is behind the signal, which merely indicates "a dangerous situation onboard" and can be triggered by the crew during a hijacking or a potentially catastrophic technical problem. Sibir airlines, however, seemed to hint at foul play, saying on its Web site that it "does not rule out the theory of a terrorist attack."
" Officials made conflicting statements about whether the signal from the other jet indicated a hijacking or another severe problem on the aircraft. The Interfax and ITAR-Tass news agencies later quoted an unnamed law enforcement source as saying that the signal was an SOS and that no other signals were sent. Oleg Yermolov, deputy director of the Interstate Aviation Committee, said that it is impossible to judge what is behind the signal, which merely indicates "a dangerous situation onboard" and can be triggered by the crew during a hijacking or a potentially catastrophic technical problem. Sibir airlines, however, seemed to hint at foul play, saying on its Web site that it "does not rule out the theory of a terrorist attack."
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Top US Officials Responsible for Torture
According to this AP report:
"The Pentagon's most senior civilian and military officials share a portion of blame for creating conditions that led to the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, according to a new report. The report, by a commission appointed by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, was presented to Rumsfeld Tuesday in advance of a Pentagon news conference to release the details. The commission was headed by James Schlesinger, a former secretary of defense. A person familiar with the report said it implicitly faulted Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, by finding that those responsible for the military prison system in Iraq were operating under confusing policies on allowable interrogation techniques. The person discussed some aspects of the report on condition of anonymity."
"The Pentagon's most senior civilian and military officials share a portion of blame for creating conditions that led to the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, according to a new report. The report, by a commission appointed by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, was presented to Rumsfeld Tuesday in advance of a Pentagon news conference to release the details. The commission was headed by James Schlesinger, a former secretary of defense. A person familiar with the report said it implicitly faulted Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, by finding that those responsible for the military prison system in Iraq were operating under confusing policies on allowable interrogation techniques. The person discussed some aspects of the report on condition of anonymity."
Presidential Race Neck & Neck
According to Charlie Cook, here are the latest poll numbers:
Numbers: Bush Approval/Disapproval: Bush Kerry Nader Bush Lead: Bush Kerry Bush Lead (in percentage points)
Aug 3-4 Fox News/Opinion Dyn 43/48: 42 46 2 -4: 43 46 -3
Aug 9-11 CNN/USA Today/Gal 51/46: 46 45 5 1: 48 47 1
Aug 15-18 CBS News 46/45: 45 46 1 -1: 44 47 -3
Numbers: Bush Approval/Disapproval: Bush Kerry Nader Bush Lead: Bush Kerry Bush Lead (in percentage points)
Aug 3-4 Fox News/Opinion Dyn 43/48: 42 46 2 -4: 43 46 -3
Aug 9-11 CNN/USA Today/Gal 51/46: 46 45 5 1: 48 47 1
Aug 15-18 CBS News 46/45: 45 46 1 -1: 44 47 -3
What's Happening in Iraq?
Zeyad reports :
"In the south, Al-Mahdi and Sadr followers are wreaking havoc and seriously threatening to cripple Iraqi economy. After setting the Al-Halfaya oil field south of Ammara ablaze, they broke into SOC (South Oil Company) headquarters at Al-Asma'i in downtown Basrah. The whole second floor was set to fire after the building was looted. This is deeply troubling, especially when the SOC police station is less than 200 metres from the building and the British base is about 5 kilometres away. Al-Mahdi have threatened to kill SOC employees if they show up at work. The same in Ammara, where governmental employees have been prevented from going to work for days.
"A group of militiamen broke into the Ammara prison setting hundreds of prisoners free under the eyes and noses of Iraqi and British forces. A convoy of 70 trucks loaded with rice and flour sacks belonging to the Ministry of Trade heading to Baghdad from southern ports in Basrah have been held by Al-Mahdi in the city since Saturday. The minister pathetically called Sadr followers in an interview published in Azzaman to return the trucks. Makes you wonder who controls this country, Sadr or the Iraqi government. This country is in deep s*** if somebody doesn't put an end to this farce."
"In the south, Al-Mahdi and Sadr followers are wreaking havoc and seriously threatening to cripple Iraqi economy. After setting the Al-Halfaya oil field south of Ammara ablaze, they broke into SOC (South Oil Company) headquarters at Al-Asma'i in downtown Basrah. The whole second floor was set to fire after the building was looted. This is deeply troubling, especially when the SOC police station is less than 200 metres from the building and the British base is about 5 kilometres away. Al-Mahdi have threatened to kill SOC employees if they show up at work. The same in Ammara, where governmental employees have been prevented from going to work for days.
"A group of militiamen broke into the Ammara prison setting hundreds of prisoners free under the eyes and noses of Iraqi and British forces. A convoy of 70 trucks loaded with rice and flour sacks belonging to the Ministry of Trade heading to Baghdad from southern ports in Basrah have been held by Al-Mahdi in the city since Saturday. The minister pathetically called Sadr followers in an interview published in Azzaman to return the trucks. Makes you wonder who controls this country, Sadr or the Iraqi government. This country is in deep s*** if somebody doesn't put an end to this farce."
Why Johnny Can't Write: Harvard Business School
So says alumna Paula Throckmorton Zakaria who appears to be married to Newsweek International editor and Harvard alumnus Fareed Zakaria (see his endorsement of Kerry below):
"Part of the ordeal of a meritocracy is constantly having to prove yourself worthy, especially to gatekeepers who stand ready to exclude you from the Next Big Step Up. Any number of twentysomethings, for instance, may feel qualified to attend Harvard Business School, to learn all that its prestigious faculty has to teach about making a huge success of life. But only a very few will get in. What is the secret of their admissions success?
"Impressive test scores and grades help, of course. But something more is required, something self-promoting and yet modestly revealing, something beyond mere numbers--in short, a personal essay. Even the next Bill Gates might pause at this point in the application process and wonder: What if I am a colorless writer who just cannot make a story come alive? What if I don't really have that much to say?
"The answer to such questions is essentially: not a problem. The proof is "65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays," a collection pulled together by staff members of the Harbus, the school's daily newspaper. "Upon graduating from college," one essay begins, "everyone expected me to join my father's business because I had been working for him part-time since the age of twelve. However a year before graduation the firm started experiencing financial difficulties that could lead to bankruptcy."
"Balzac this is not. The word "dull" even comes to mind. As for the prose itself, it doesn't take an editor to replace "been working for him" with "worked" and "started experiencing financial difficulties" with "had financial difficulties."
"And yet, the system works. HBS probably did the right thing to admit the guy who wrote that essay and most of the others in the book. The business school isn't looking for stylish and amusing writers; it is looking for good businessmen."
"Part of the ordeal of a meritocracy is constantly having to prove yourself worthy, especially to gatekeepers who stand ready to exclude you from the Next Big Step Up. Any number of twentysomethings, for instance, may feel qualified to attend Harvard Business School, to learn all that its prestigious faculty has to teach about making a huge success of life. But only a very few will get in. What is the secret of their admissions success?
"Impressive test scores and grades help, of course. But something more is required, something self-promoting and yet modestly revealing, something beyond mere numbers--in short, a personal essay. Even the next Bill Gates might pause at this point in the application process and wonder: What if I am a colorless writer who just cannot make a story come alive? What if I don't really have that much to say?
"The answer to such questions is essentially: not a problem. The proof is "65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays," a collection pulled together by staff members of the Harbus, the school's daily newspaper. "Upon graduating from college," one essay begins, "everyone expected me to join my father's business because I had been working for him part-time since the age of twelve. However a year before graduation the firm started experiencing financial difficulties that could lead to bankruptcy."
"Balzac this is not. The word "dull" even comes to mind. As for the prose itself, it doesn't take an editor to replace "been working for him" with "worked" and "started experiencing financial difficulties" with "had financial difficulties."
"And yet, the system works. HBS probably did the right thing to admit the guy who wrote that essay and most of the others in the book. The business school isn't looking for stylish and amusing writers; it is looking for good businessmen."
What's Going On At The Olympics (continued)?
Reuters reports:
"An Uzbekistan woman shot putter and an Indian female weightlifter have become the first athletes to test positive in tests held since the Olympic Games (news - web sites) started, the IOC (news - web sites) said on Friday."
"An Uzbekistan woman shot putter and an Indian female weightlifter have become the first athletes to test positive in tests held since the Olympic Games (news - web sites) started, the IOC (news - web sites) said on Friday."
You Sure Do Talk Funny!
From Far Outliers, a map of American dialects:
"Like so many of the old Anglo-immigrant stock along the coasts from Cape Cod to Chesapeake Bay, I say ahnt and peeKAHN. I alternate between UMbrella when I'm not thinking about it and umBRELLA when I stop to think. And, although I pronounce poem in two syllables, my reduced vowel ('barred i') always elicits correction from my daughter. What these dialect survey results show is how mixed-up, scattered about, and network-based U.S. dialects really are. The old regions overlap all over the place."
"Like so many of the old Anglo-immigrant stock along the coasts from Cape Cod to Chesapeake Bay, I say ahnt and peeKAHN. I alternate between UMbrella when I'm not thinking about it and umBRELLA when I stop to think. And, although I pronounce poem in two syllables, my reduced vowel ('barred i') always elicits correction from my daughter. What these dialect survey results show is how mixed-up, scattered about, and network-based U.S. dialects really are. The old regions overlap all over the place."
Big Media in the Kerry Camp
So says Jeff Jacoby [link from Jim Romenesko]:
"With the exception of the Fox News Channel, the liberal tilt of the mainstream media - the major newspapers, the networks, National Public Radio, the news magazines - has long been a fact of American life. No one observing the coverage of this year's presidential campaign with both eyes open can have much doubt that the media establishment is pulling heavily for the Democratic ticket."
"With the exception of the Fox News Channel, the liberal tilt of the mainstream media - the major newspapers, the networks, National Public Radio, the news magazines - has long been a fact of American life. No one observing the coverage of this year's presidential campaign with both eyes open can have much doubt that the media establishment is pulling heavily for the Democratic ticket."
What's Going On At The Olympics (continued)?
From Channelnewsasia.com:
"It seems everyone involved is peeved at someone, feeling slighted or robbed, and not even gold medallists are above being caught in the fray of a sport where judging woes abound and even loyal ticket buyers have lost their patience. Competition came to a merciful end here Monday after spectators booed so loudly and so long that they halted the concluding horizontal bar event for almost 10 minutes, upset at low scores for 2000 Olympic winner Alexei Nemov."
"It seems everyone involved is peeved at someone, feeling slighted or robbed, and not even gold medallists are above being caught in the fray of a sport where judging woes abound and even loyal ticket buyers have lost their patience. Competition came to a merciful end here Monday after spectators booed so loudly and so long that they halted the concluding horizontal bar event for almost 10 minutes, upset at low scores for 2000 Olympic winner Alexei Nemov."
What's Going On At The Olympics?
From the Athens Olympic Games Blog:
"A member of the Greek judo team who fell from her third-floor apartment balcony following a quarrel with her boyfriend has died. Eleni Ioannou had been hospitalized in critical condition for more than for two weeks. The Red Cross hospital said Ioannou, 20, died Tuesday in the intensive care unit where she had been treated since Aug. 7 for multiple fractures to her head and body.
"Ioannou, a competitor in the 172-pound-plus class, fell from the balcony after an argument with her boyfriend, 24-year-old Giorgos Chrisostomides. Police questioned Chrisostomides and released him. Relatives and neighbors said he was inconsolable, and jumped from the same balcony two days later. He remains hospitalized in critical condition at Athens' Evangelismos hospital.'"
"A member of the Greek judo team who fell from her third-floor apartment balcony following a quarrel with her boyfriend has died. Eleni Ioannou had been hospitalized in critical condition for more than for two weeks. The Red Cross hospital said Ioannou, 20, died Tuesday in the intensive care unit where she had been treated since Aug. 7 for multiple fractures to her head and body.
"Ioannou, a competitor in the 172-pound-plus class, fell from the balcony after an argument with her boyfriend, 24-year-old Giorgos Chrisostomides. Police questioned Chrisostomides and released him. Relatives and neighbors said he was inconsolable, and jumped from the same balcony two days later. He remains hospitalized in critical condition at Athens' Evangelismos hospital.'"
Mark Steyn on Kerry's War Record
From The Telegraph:
"I've never quite understood the preferred formulation of big-time Democrats – that "of course" they support our troops even though they oppose this war. But in practice they "support our troop" – singular – just Lieut Kerry and the handful of Swiftees willing to appear in public with him. The rest can go to hell and any of 'em impertinent enough to question the Senator are just "sleazoids" wading through their own backed-up latrine. I wonder if the Kerry campaign and its media cheerleaders have really thought this one through.
"Nothing the "sleazoids" say about Kerry is as bad as what he said about them 33 years ago in his testimony to Congress, when he informed the world that his comrades – his "band of brothers" – had "personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads" etc, throughout their time in Vietnam...
"...I said a couple of weeks back that John Kerry was too strange to be President, and a week or two earlier that he was too stuck-up to be President. Since I'm on an alliterative roll, let me add that he's too stupid to be President. What sort of idiot would make the centrepiece of his presidential campaign four months of proud service in a war he's best known for opposing?
"I wouldn't stand for Parliament on a family values platform because I know someone's bound to bring up the 123 gay porn movies I had a bit part in back in Amsterdam in the 1970s.
"How cocooned from reality do you have to be to think you can transform one of the most divisive periods in American history – in which you were largely responsible for much of the divisiveness – into a sappy, happy-clappy, soft-focus patriotic blur without anybody objecting? Most Vietnam veterans of my acquaintance loathe John Kerry, and, if he wasn't aware of that, he's too out of it to be President."
"I've never quite understood the preferred formulation of big-time Democrats – that "of course" they support our troops even though they oppose this war. But in practice they "support our troop" – singular – just Lieut Kerry and the handful of Swiftees willing to appear in public with him. The rest can go to hell and any of 'em impertinent enough to question the Senator are just "sleazoids" wading through their own backed-up latrine. I wonder if the Kerry campaign and its media cheerleaders have really thought this one through.
"Nothing the "sleazoids" say about Kerry is as bad as what he said about them 33 years ago in his testimony to Congress, when he informed the world that his comrades – his "band of brothers" – had "personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads" etc, throughout their time in Vietnam...
"...I said a couple of weeks back that John Kerry was too strange to be President, and a week or two earlier that he was too stuck-up to be President. Since I'm on an alliterative roll, let me add that he's too stupid to be President. What sort of idiot would make the centrepiece of his presidential campaign four months of proud service in a war he's best known for opposing?
"I wouldn't stand for Parliament on a family values platform because I know someone's bound to bring up the 123 gay porn movies I had a bit part in back in Amsterdam in the 1970s.
"How cocooned from reality do you have to be to think you can transform one of the most divisive periods in American history – in which you were largely responsible for much of the divisiveness – into a sappy, happy-clappy, soft-focus patriotic blur without anybody objecting? Most Vietnam veterans of my acquaintance loathe John Kerry, and, if he wasn't aware of that, he's too out of it to be President."
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