Read this Protein Wisdom post, especially of you think the left blogosphere is all about free thinking. And then read this if you think Republicans march in lockstep.
Read this Protein Wisdom post, especially of you think the left blogosphere is all about free thinking. And then read this if you think Republicans march in lockstep.
Juan Cole is pretty much a worthless twit. He’s a Middle East scholar, but he’s so dishonest that his scholarly insights don’t amount to anything. But he occasionally screws up and says something worthwhile in the course of delivering his anti-American and anti-Bush rants. He lapses into good sense for a few paragraphs in the … Continue reading “Winning the war on terror”
Juan Cole is pretty much a worthless twit. He’s a Middle East scholar, but he’s so dishonest that his scholarly insights don’t amount to anything. But he occasionally screws up and says something worthwhile in the course of delivering his anti-American and anti-Bush rants. He lapses into good sense for a few paragraphs in the top entry on his blog today, when he explores the common thread uniting the UK terror-bombers:
What then do they have in common? They got the software installed in their minds. Why? Because they met the installer, and were susceptible to his worldview. That’s all they have in common…
The software is of course a hugely distorted view of the universe. It lets the young man see Israeli atrocities, but not those of Hamas or the Aqsa Brigades. It lets him see American atrocities but not those of Saddam Hussein, Izzedin al-Duri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The software is fatally one-sided. It also exaggerates. The Muslim world is not in danger of being destroyed, least of all by the United States, a warm friend of most Muslim countries. But the software configures a dire crisis, almost apocalyptic, which can only be averted by an ethical hero who is willing to sacrifice himself. The software hides from the convert that he is to become a monster and kill innocents. It tells him he is a noble soldier, and his victims are wicked enemy soldiers, that there are no innocent civilians.
So how do you fight this form of terror? You disrupt the installation of the software in more and more minds. You adopt policies that make the story the software tells implausible. And you reach out to make sure people hear the implausibility.
Of course, his solution is only part of the story: you also have to be prepared to kill them before they can kill you, because you’re never going to completely prevent the software from being installed anywhere at all. Some people are just plain crazy.
The thing I find interesting about this post is the fact that at least some of this distorted software is produced by the elitist, anti-American and anti-Western elements of the mainstream media, from people like, well, Cole, who insist on spinning Western policies in a devious light. I don’t think he meant to ‘fess up to his role.
Cole’s analysis suggests that those of us who do intellectual battle with the propagandists of terror are helping, in our small way, to win this war. That shouldn’t be overlooked.
Thomas Frank, the populist who wrote a book claiming that the people are hopelessly stupid, is quite mysteriously nostalgic for the glorious day when Democrats had ideas: Democrats, I always point out, used to have a really quality identity: They were the party that believed we could do something about the world around us; that … Continue reading “Nostalgic for the Great Depression”
Thomas Frank, the populist who wrote a book claiming that the people are hopelessly stupid, is quite mysteriously nostalgic for the glorious day when Democrats had ideas:
Democrats, I always point out, used to have a really quality identity: They were the party that believed we could do something about the world around us; that we could use the state and other institutions to achieve economic security, to win “freedom from want.” Beginning in the 1930s, they were the party of mastery over drift.
Times of overwhelming economic insecurity like the present ought to be times when Democrats of this variety prosper, when their values and their message find enthusiastic audiences around the country. And, indeed, polls confirm that the public strongly supports key elements of old-style Democratic program, national health insurance, good schools, etc. But Dems aren’t prospering. Why not? Because, I think, too many Democrats are unwilling to embrace their dynamic heritage.
But nobody else looks for a return to the Great Depression, so following this reasoning is a prescription for failure on the part of the Dems.
(note: He’s doing this today because I wacked him good yesterday.)
The IRA claims to have given up on its terrorism campaign, ordering its jihadis to stand down: Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, said the British and Irish governments had worked for 11 years for today’s outcome. He said: “The war is over, the IRA’s armed campaign is over, paramilitarism is over and I believe … Continue reading “IRA orders end to terrorism”
The IRA claims to have given up on its terrorism campaign, ordering its jihadis to stand down:
Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, said the British and Irish governments had worked for 11 years for today’s outcome. He said: “The war is over, the IRA’s armed campaign is over, paramilitarism is over and I believe that we can look to the future of peace and prosperity based on mutual trust and reconciliation and a final end to violence.”
Mr Ahern added: “If the IRA words are borne out by the verified action it will be a momentous and a very historic development.”
Mr Adams called it an “emotional day” and, flanked by senior members of Sinn Féin, spoke directly to IRA volunteers, telling them: “National liberation struggles have different phases – a time for struggle … a time for war, and also a time to engage, to put the war behind us all – this is that time.”
I’ll believe it when I see it, but meanwhile those who supported the terrorist campaign by raising money in the US (Ted Kennedy, Tom Hayden, Peter King) still need to be prosecuted.
With yesterday’s victory by the A’s and loss by the evil Anaheims, our boys are only four games out of first place. This is a milestone because it puts them in single-series range of the bad guys. Their best pitcher couldn’t beat the Blue Jays, and the A’s best is starting at home against the … Continue reading “Breathing down the necks of the Angels”
With yesterday’s victory by the A’s and loss by the evil Anaheims, our boys are only four games out of first place. This is a milestone because it puts them in single-series range of the bad guys. Their best pitcher couldn’t beat the Blue Jays, and the A’s best is starting at home against the Tigers Friday. By this time next week, the scales of justice could once more be in balance.
In other sports news, you can forget about the Detroit Pistons next year: Larry Brown is officially with the Knicks.
I can’t say I find this very surprising: Air America is being investigated in New York for diverting federal/local funds–possibly “hundreds of thousands of dollars”–meant for inner-city kids and senior into the station’s coffers. It follows the same pattern as VAWA (post below): progressive activists enriching themselves at the expense of the downtrodden. It’s inhumane.
I can’t say I find this very surprising:
Air America is being investigated in New York for diverting federal/local funds–possibly “hundreds of thousands of dollars”–meant for inner-city kids and senior into the station’s coffers.
It follows the same pattern as VAWA (post below): progressive activists enriching themselves at the expense of the downtrodden.
It’s inhumane.
The Violence Against Women Act, well-intentioned as it may be, has created a network of federally-funded anti-male advocacy groups around the country, and failed in its primary purpose. Cathy Young suggests it has room for improvement: Here are two modest proposals for reauthorizing the measure. First, give the legislation a gender-neutral title such as “The … Continue reading “Fixing VAWA”
The Violence Against Women Act, well-intentioned as it may be, has created a network of federally-funded anti-male advocacy groups around the country, and failed in its primary purpose. Cathy Young suggests it has room for improvement:
Here are two modest proposals for reauthorizing the measure. First, give the legislation a gender-neutral title such as “The Family Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Act.” Second, abolish the special role of feminist-dominated domestic violence coalitions in shaping federally funded domestic violence programs. The bill should direct each state to create a domestic violence board on which no more than a quarter or a third of the seats can be filled by members of battered women’s advocacy groups. The rest should be filled by scholars, mental health professionals, and community activists. Over the past decades, our understanding of domestic violence has expanded beyond feminist orthodoxy to a more complex view. Our federal policies should reflect this ideological diversity.
VAWA has the effect of sweeping child abuse under the rug, and that also needs to be fixed. But I don’t expect Congress to act responsibly in the re-authorization process currently underway, it’s too much apple pie and motherhood for a good review.
I’m sure you heard yesterday that the A’s have climbed into a tie with the Twins for the AL Wild Card after being left for dead a few weeks ago: How well are the A’s playing right now? They’ve won six in a row, 12 of 14, and 22 of 27 to climb a season-high … Continue reading “A’s ascending”
I’m sure you heard yesterday that the A’s have climbed into a tie with the Twins for the AL Wild Card after being left for dead a few weeks ago:
How well are the A’s playing right now? They’ve won six in a row, 12 of 14, and 22 of 27 to climb a season-high eight games over .500.
Oh, and they’ve also pulled into a tie with Minnesota for the American League Wild Card lead. Seven weeks ago, they were 12 1/2 games back in that race.
They’re now only 5 1/2 games behind the evil Anheim Angel-Yankees. I don’t know what sort of a deal Arte Moreno signed with the Devil, but experience says the A’s will be in the playoffs again.
No day is complete without some mention of the Rove/Plame non-scandal, so here’s a bit of Hitchens for you: But the coverage of this non-storm in an un-teacup has gone far beyond the fantasy of a Rovean hidden hand. Supposedly responsible journalists are now writing as if there was never any problem with Saddam’s attempt … Continue reading “Rove Rage”
No day is complete without some mention of the Rove/Plame non-scandal, so here’s a bit of Hitchens for you:
But the coverage of this non-storm in an un-teacup has gone far beyond the fantasy of a Rovean hidden hand. Supposedly responsible journalists are now writing as if there was never any problem with Saddam’s attempt to acquire yellowcake (or his regime’s now-proven concealment of a nuclear centrifuge, or his regime’s now-proven attempt to buy long-range missiles off the shelf from North Korea as late as March 2003). In the same way, the carefully phrased yet indistinct statement of the 9/11 Commission that Saddam had no proven “operational” relationship with al-Qaida has mutated lazily into the belief that there were no contacts or exchanges at all, which the commission by no means asserts and which in any case by no means possesses the merit of being true. The CIA got everything wrong before 9/11, and thereafter. It was conditioned by its own culture to see no evil. It regularly leaked—see any of Bob Woodward’s narratives—against the administration. Now it, and its partisans and publicity-famished husband-and-wife teams, want to imprison or depose people who leak back at it. No, thanks.
There you have it. Wilson told a series of lies about Saddam and his WMD program, and then tried to hide behind an official secrets act to keep them from being found out. Quite rightly, the Administration didn’t let him get away with his little ploy.
Once again, Communist China is suppressing information vital to the control of bird flu world-wide. The last time they did this was in connection with the SARS outbreak, and we’re seeing the the same pattern repeat itself: “It might be another clumsy attempt at a cover-up. It might just be plain, everyday incompetence. Either way … Continue reading “China’s bio-war attack”
Once again, Communist China is suppressing information vital to the control of bird flu world-wide. The last time they did this was in connection with the SARS outbreak, and we’re seeing the the same pattern repeat itself:
“It might be another clumsy attempt at a cover-up. It might just be plain, everyday incompetence. Either way you’d think they would know better by now,” one international scientist said.
He said that suspicions about Beijing’s approach were heightened when independent scientists researching the avian flu outbreaks had their work thwarted by government officials. Guan Yi, a scientist from Hong Kong University who led the international research on the Sars virus, said last week that the authorities had tried to stop his team’s work on bird flu after he published an article in the journal Nature, warning of the global threat posed by the virus and linking it to other cases in China.
The Chinese government’s chief veterinary official publicly condemned his research, saying it had been conducted without permission and “lacked credibility”. The next day, officials visited Dr Guan’s laboratory in Guangdong province and told him to stop his research and hand over samples, citing a breach of safety regulations.
Further disquiet has been expressed by international researchers about China’s use of drugs designed to combat avian flu. Although China first reported a flu outbreak in February 2004, it emerged recently that its farmers had been trying to suppress a serious outbreak for more than eight years by feeding poultry with an antiviral drug meant for humans, in breach of international livestock guidelines.
As one of two main drugs used for treating human influenza, Amantadine should have had a key role in fighting any future pandemic.
Instead, the H5N1 strain of bird flu has become resistant to the drug because it was systematically fed to poultry.
The Chinese government denies reports that it encouraged its farmers to use the drug.
Scientists need information on this deadly new virus in order to build an effective anti-virus, especially important since it can be carried hundreds of miles by migratory birds.
China’s stonewalling essentially turns bird flu into a WMD, and takes away some of the mystery behind the decision of Valerie Plame’s CIA section to target the Chinese Embassy for bombing in Belgrade in 1999.
