Dr. Michael A. Weinstein says America is making previously rejected concessions to the UN and North Korea, because of problems in Iraq.
"The two American concessions reported on June 24 mark steps along the path to a loosening of American power to successful external pressure to return the United States to a player that must make compromises in international institutions. They are likely to be followed by many other efforts along the same lines. Any new stable configuration of world politics is a long way off, but readjustment of the balance of power is underway. At present, that readjustment is being driven by powers around the world that believe that their interest is to craft policies tailored solely to their own particular aims -- apart from American interest -- and perceive that they have the opportunity to do so. They can be expected to use international institutions when it is to their advantage to do so and to abandon them when it is not.
"The other powers do not have a shared model of world politics to replace American dominance; they have similar and sometimes competing interests in filling the vacuum that has appeared with the erosion of American power. The prospects are high for general global instability."
Link tip from Eurasianet.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
40th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act
Michael Barone says America should celebrate the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We agree. You can read his essay in OpinionJournal.
Quote: "The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stands as a shining example of politics changing our culture for the better."
Quote: "The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stands as a shining example of politics changing our culture for the better."
Howard Stern v. President Bush
A reader emails that President Bush might need to worry about Howard Stern...
"Michael Moore won't change a single vote, in my opinion. The real cultural disaster for George Bush is Howard Stern, who has millions of loyal listeners, who is a true independent voter, and who supported Bush in 2000 and supported the war. But now Stern has fully mobilized himself -- using his daily show and website -- to rally his followers to vote AGAINST Bush, all because of the FCC campaign against him. These are former Bush votes that are turning to Kerry, and to make matter s worse, Bush could have fixed it any number of times after the initial FCC broadside . . . but he chooses not to or doesn't realize what's at stake. No one seems to notice that Stern has just been reinstated by Infinity Broadcasting in stations in FLORIDA, a swing state.
"If Bush loses, it will be because between 2000 and 2004 he lost Howard Stern, his natural supporter, not because Michael Moore hates him."
"Michael Moore won't change a single vote, in my opinion. The real cultural disaster for George Bush is Howard Stern, who has millions of loyal listeners, who is a true independent voter, and who supported Bush in 2000 and supported the war. But now Stern has fully mobilized himself -- using his daily show and website -- to rally his followers to vote AGAINST Bush, all because of the FCC campaign against him. These are former Bush votes that are turning to Kerry, and to make matter s worse, Bush could have fixed it any number of times after the initial FCC broadside . . . but he chooses not to or doesn't realize what's at stake. No one seems to notice that Stern has just been reinstated by Infinity Broadcasting in stations in FLORIDA, a swing state.
"If Bush loses, it will be because between 2000 and 2004 he lost Howard Stern, his natural supporter, not because Michael Moore hates him."
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Disney v. Lion Song Composer
"A poor South African family is taking US entertainment giant Disney to court for unpaid royalties from the hit song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", originally a Zulu tune composed by their late father, lawyers said on Friday...Linda was a Zulu migrant worker and entertainer who composed the song "Mbube" (lion) in Johannesburg in 1939 and recorded it with a singing group called the Evening Birds. "Mbube" was an instant hit and would later become one of the most famous melodies from Africa.
"Folk singer Pete Seeger came across the song in New York in 1949, and in his autobiography relates how he transcribed it "note for note" and called it "Wimoweh" from the Zulu "uyiMbube" which means "He is a lion". In 1961, the Tokens recorded the song and added the English lyrics starting with "In the jungle, the mighty jungle".
"Since then, the song has been recorded by more than 150 different artists and features in at least 15 movies and stage musicals."
From the South Africa Sunday Times , thanks to Artsjournal.
"Folk singer Pete Seeger came across the song in New York in 1949, and in his autobiography relates how he transcribed it "note for note" and called it "Wimoweh" from the Zulu "uyiMbube" which means "He is a lion". In 1961, the Tokens recorded the song and added the English lyrics starting with "In the jungle, the mighty jungle".
"Since then, the song has been recorded by more than 150 different artists and features in at least 15 movies and stage musicals."
From the South Africa Sunday Times , thanks to Artsjournal.
Quo Vadis William F. Buckley?
He just retired and turned over his stock in National Review, but in this interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, his successor as publisher of National Review says William F. Buckely isn't finished quite yet.
Zeyad on Saddam Hussein's Trial
"Maybe the new government is gauging the reaction of the Iraqi street, but a live public and transparent trial was promised, though I doubt anything is going to convince the enemies of the new Iraq who are now clinging to human rights excuses. They say the court is illegitimate. Where they legitimate under Saddam? If yes, then Saddam is going to be judged by his own Revolutionary Command Council amended laws, according to which he should face the death penalty for desertion and abandoning the battlefield when he was General Commander of Armed Forces last April. "
From Healing Iraq.
From Healing Iraq.
Victor Davis Hanson on Michael Moore
In his essay, Fantasyland, he argues that American elites are going mad because of President Bush's failure to explain the war in Iraq:
"Indeed, we have the will, military power, and economic resources to crush our enemies--should we choose to. Rather the rub was always the lack of communication by our leaders who have a responsibility each day to counter popular superstition, half-truths, and misconception--and to do so with unapologetic audacity.
"They do try. But so far it has simply not been enough. And the result of this Dukakis-like paralysis is that a half-educated, vindictive buffoon like Michael Moore and all the ignorance that he stands for have captivated a foolish cultural elite. Let us face it: the Left in this country has gone absolutely crazy. Without worries of rebuke or censure, the dinosaurs of the 1960s really do wish us to give one final gift of their wisdom and humanity--and so does its best to bring us a repeat of American choppers fleeing the embassy roof, circa 1975, with millions left behind awaiting death, reeducation camps, and exile."
"Indeed, we have the will, military power, and economic resources to crush our enemies--should we choose to. Rather the rub was always the lack of communication by our leaders who have a responsibility each day to counter popular superstition, half-truths, and misconception--and to do so with unapologetic audacity.
"They do try. But so far it has simply not been enough. And the result of this Dukakis-like paralysis is that a half-educated, vindictive buffoon like Michael Moore and all the ignorance that he stands for have captivated a foolish cultural elite. Let us face it: the Left in this country has gone absolutely crazy. Without worries of rebuke or censure, the dinosaurs of the 1960s really do wish us to give one final gift of their wisdom and humanity--and so does its best to bring us a repeat of American choppers fleeing the embassy roof, circa 1975, with millions left behind awaiting death, reeducation camps, and exile."
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Last night watched again John Ford's 1962 Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). There was so much that I missed when I was younger, especially the fact that Vera Miles was in love with both John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, respectively representing force and law. One moral, perhaps, is that you can't have law without force. Likewise, you can't have force without law. Thought-provoking, especially in view of what is going on in Iraq. A timeless classic worth renting.
Brando's Role in Israel's Birth
According to the Wyman Institue:
"In the summer of 1946, barely a year after the liberation of the Nazi death camps, 22 year-old Brando co-starred in 'A Flag Is Born,' an explosive play authored by Ben Hecht, the famed Hollywood screenwriter and Jewish activist. Set in a cemetery in postwar Europe, 'Flag' focuses on two elderly Holocaust survivors, Tevya (Paul Muni) and Zelda (Celia Adler), who encounter Brando's character, a distraught young Treblinka survivor named David who is on his way to British-ruled Palestine. Through the conversations between Tevya and David, Hecht articulates the Jewish right to the Holy Land and the need for a Jewish state. "
"In the summer of 1946, barely a year after the liberation of the Nazi death camps, 22 year-old Brando co-starred in 'A Flag Is Born,' an explosive play authored by Ben Hecht, the famed Hollywood screenwriter and Jewish activist. Set in a cemetery in postwar Europe, 'Flag' focuses on two elderly Holocaust survivors, Tevya (Paul Muni) and Zelda (Celia Adler), who encounter Brando's character, a distraught young Treblinka survivor named David who is on his way to British-ruled Palestine. Through the conversations between Tevya and David, Hecht articulates the Jewish right to the Holy Land and the need for a Jewish state. "
Brando's Nebraska Roots
The late actor was a son of the American Midwest.From the Fremont, Nebraska's Community Newspaper:
"Young Brando was first exposed to theater through his mother. Dorothy Brando founded the Omaha Community Playhouse in 1924 along with Harriet Fonda - the mother of actor Henry Fonda - and Sara Joslyn - whose family also found Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum, said Tim Schmad, executive director of the theater."
"Young Brando was first exposed to theater through his mother. Dorothy Brando founded the Omaha Community Playhouse in 1924 along with Harriet Fonda - the mother of actor Henry Fonda - and Sara Joslyn - whose family also found Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum, said Tim Schmad, executive director of the theater."
Bill Cosby Blasts Bad Language--Again
Maybe Dr. Cosby might have a word with Vice-President Cheney? You can read his latest comments here.
Friday, July 02, 2004
Turkey on the Rise
"Other commentators have also noticed the change. Erdogan is rejecting the fanatic attitude of a part of the Islamic world.
"He is openly condemning the kidnappers in Iraq. He attacks those who kill in the name of Islam. He is saying that Islam can exist but needs to change. He went even further at the NATO summit and described NATO as "us," demonstrating that he now viewed Turkey as part of NATO. All this is happening because of the domestic (increasing votes) and international (signals coming from the international community) support he is receiving. Turkey is changing at a very fast pace. A portion of the nation is insisting on following the same tenets, but the rest is going in a different direction.
"I hope no one misunderstands. The road is not towards anti-secularism, but just the opposite, towards an EU that will strengthen secularism..."
Writes Mehmet Ali Birand in the Turkish Daily News.
"He is openly condemning the kidnappers in Iraq. He attacks those who kill in the name of Islam. He is saying that Islam can exist but needs to change. He went even further at the NATO summit and described NATO as "us," demonstrating that he now viewed Turkey as part of NATO. All this is happening because of the domestic (increasing votes) and international (signals coming from the international community) support he is receiving. Turkey is changing at a very fast pace. A portion of the nation is insisting on following the same tenets, but the rest is going in a different direction.
"I hope no one misunderstands. The road is not towards anti-secularism, but just the opposite, towards an EU that will strengthen secularism..."
Writes Mehmet Ali Birand in the Turkish Daily News.
Turkish Al Qaeda Leader's Wife Wants A Divorce
From the Pakistan Daily Times :
ISTANBUL: The wife of an alleged ringleader of a Turkish Al Qaeda cell believed to have plotted last year's deadly suicide bombings in Istanbul told a court that her husband was a murderer and she wanted a divorce, newspapers reported on Thursday.
ISTANBUL: The wife of an alleged ringleader of a Turkish Al Qaeda cell believed to have plotted last year's deadly suicide bombings in Istanbul told a court that her husband was a murderer and she wanted a divorce, newspapers reported on Thursday.
Washington Post Columnist Cool to Farenheit 9/11
Bush-bashing Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen is jumping ship on Michael Moore. He concludes:
"It is so juvenile in its approach, so awful in its journalism, such an inside joke for people who already hate Bush, that I found myself feeling a bit sorry for a president who is depicted mostly as a befuddled dope..."
Welcome to the club.
"It is so juvenile in its approach, so awful in its journalism, such an inside joke for people who already hate Bush, that I found myself feeling a bit sorry for a president who is depicted mostly as a befuddled dope..."
Welcome to the club.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Arabic TV in English
Thanks to a tip from Little Green Footballs, we found this site where one may watch clips from Arabic TV with English subtitles, at MEMRI TV.
The Charges Against Saddam Hussein
From The Guardian:
The seven preliminary charges against Saddam Hussein
Here are the seven preliminary charges the deposed Iraqi leader faces:
� Invading Kuwait, 1990
� Suppressing Kurdish and Shi'ite uprisings, 1991
� Anfal ethnic cleansing campaign against Kurds, 1987-88
� Gassing Kurdish villagers in Halabja, 1988
� Killing political activists over 30 years
� Killing religious figures, 1974
� Killing thousands of the Kurdish Barzani clan, 1983
The seven preliminary charges against Saddam Hussein
Here are the seven preliminary charges the deposed Iraqi leader faces:
� Invading Kuwait, 1990
� Suppressing Kurdish and Shi'ite uprisings, 1991
� Anfal ethnic cleansing campaign against Kurds, 1987-88
� Gassing Kurdish villagers in Halabja, 1988
� Killing political activists over 30 years
� Killing religious figures, 1974
� Killing thousands of the Kurdish Barzani clan, 1983
Future of Iraq
What's happening in Iraq? The Future of Iraq Portal has some links that might give a clue...
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes
Here's a 2002 Guardian article about an opera based on Amin Malouf's The Crusades Through Arab Eyes. Will we see this show at the Kennedy Center or the Met?
British Losers on PBS
Last night, saw the second installment of PBS Rebels and Redcoats: How Britain Lost America on our local PBS station. It was well-crafted and interesting. But very one-sided, biased, and misleading. Not honest history, but special pleading for the British "and their Hessian allies."
Some tipoffs can be found in the narration. When the Americans lose a battle, they "scarper," "retreat," "scatter." When the British lose, they "withdraw" or "find their way to safety." The Americans commit "lynchings," "massacres," "atrocities." The British only "alleged" misdeeds. Etc.
Watching the show made me happy that we still have American troops stationed in Britain, otherwise, they might still want us doffing our caps to them, bowing and scraping, and so forth.
As the PBS website says, "REBELS AND REDCOATS: HOW BRITAIN LOST AMERICA tells the story of the American Revolution from an unusual point of view - that of the British losers."
In a way, the silver lining might be that the broadcast demonstrates what a tolerant and truly liberal country America is; that in the middle of a war, after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, a government television network airs anti-American propaganda to celebrate Independence Day.
Some tipoffs can be found in the narration. When the Americans lose a battle, they "scarper," "retreat," "scatter." When the British lose, they "withdraw" or "find their way to safety." The Americans commit "lynchings," "massacres," "atrocities." The British only "alleged" misdeeds. Etc.
Watching the show made me happy that we still have American troops stationed in Britain, otherwise, they might still want us doffing our caps to them, bowing and scraping, and so forth.
As the PBS website says, "REBELS AND REDCOATS: HOW BRITAIN LOST AMERICA tells the story of the American Revolution from an unusual point of view - that of the British losers."
In a way, the silver lining might be that the broadcast demonstrates what a tolerant and truly liberal country America is; that in the middle of a war, after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, a government television network airs anti-American propaganda to celebrate Independence Day.
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