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[Nov 30] News from around the world:  From Canada, the Liberal Party loses a vote of confidence, profiles of leaders Gilles Duceppe, Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, and Paul Martin, and an article on the state of democracy in Canada. From Ethiopia, an interview with former president Negasso Gidada. From Kashmir, an essay on the work of Aijaz Ahmad in relation to New Left theorists (and part 2, part 3 and part 4). From India, an article on quenching a thirst for Hindi, a review of Questioning Globalization, and an obituary of Kocheril Raman Narayanan. From Great Britain, why has happiness become a matter for public policy? From Finland, an article on the narcissistic game of an urbanite. From Spiegel, Singapore has a reputation for being a prim and proper place, but for the first time it has allowed a sex industry convention; and the infamous US babes and burgers chain Hooters is coming to Germany. From TAC, the French riots aren’t about social justice but who will rule (so don't blame Le Corbusier for the riots), and on how Jean Raspail foresaw the danger of Europe surrendering its identity (and more on LePen's revenge). An article on the EU’s best hope, after the double no. From Time, an interview with Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti,  and an interview with controversial economist Mikhail Delyagin of Russia. From EurasiaNet, democracy still not perceived as a priority in the Caucasus. An article on revolution and anti-revolution in the post-Soviet space. A look at the political economy of Venezuela's pipeline deals. And Claudio Lomnitz on Mexico's race problem, and the real story behind Fox's faux pas

[Nov 29] From Papua New Guinea, a look at why the national constitution is alive and well. From Kazakhstan, how Borat’s antics contain a timely message for Nursultan Nazarbaev. From Bahrain, the Forum for the Future ends in discord. From France, Alain Finkielkraut apologizes for comments about immigrants. From Great Britain, a look at how multiculturalism isn't working. Johann Hari on why he hates Little Britain. From Eurozine, an article on the national language debate in Belarus. The debate about Australia's national identity is raging intensely, encompassing its history and foreign policy. For years, much of the world did aspire to the American way of life. But today countries are finding more appealing systems in their own backyards, as anti-Americanism is the one ‘ism’ that thrives. Fred Barnes on Bush's immigration offensive (and more on the looming immigration war). From The Nation, here are some of the highlights of the Dictionary of Republicanisms. John Miller on the very foundation of conservatism. Behold: We have entered the Age When Dinos and Rinos Rule the Earth. Tyler Cowen's Law says that you will not find a political party that aligns really well with your views. As corporate ad money flows their way, bloggers risk their rebel reputation. Who's afraid of Google? Everyone. On what Google should roll out next: A privacy upgrade. In an era of pick’n’mix iPodding, who needs a 45-minute player? And on the FM dial, Rock is sliding away

[Nov 28] From Chile, Augusto Pinochet is arrested and faces new charges. From Japan, a proposal to allow female monarchs ignites debate. From Australia, does family wealth determine children's future? From Great Britain, social enterprise, touted by Labour and the Conservatives, rests on some untested assumptions. From France, no race riots in an untrammelled market economy: that’s what Sarkozy really means. The lesson from the French riots should not be lost on any Western nation: "We are here because you were there." Were the French riots produced by Modern architecture? For all its attractions, Italy is caught in a long, slow decline. An article on assessing whether the poorest post-communist countries can ever catch up. Michael Ignatieff decides to run as Liberal candidate, and a review of Rescuing Canada's Right: Blueprint for a Conservative Revolution. Go South, young man: The gringos are moving where the living is easy. Across the vast inland sea of Republican red, Democratic governors are soaring high in the polls. Here's a shocker: Something ridiculous is going on in New Jersey politics. More on The Case for Hillary Clinton and Condi vs. Hillary. From NYRB, an article on the press and the enemy within. Robert Boyton reviews The Gang That Wouldn't Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, and the New Journalism Revolution. They don't call them 'teasers' for nothing, those siren-like words calling from magazine covers. But the real story inside can be disappointing. The Source under fire: Here's your guide to the lawsuits, criminal charges, and beefs. And don't believe the hype: Rap anger isn't a meaningful message

[Weekend 2e] Theology and religion: From the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, Jeremiah Cataldo (Drew): Popular Music on Christianity in the United States: Christianity's Failure to Love; Edward Croft Dutton (Aberdeen): Crop-tops, Hipsters and Liminality: Fashion and Differentiation in Two Evangelical Student Groups; a review of Televised Morality: The Case of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; a review of Reading the Gospels in the Dark: Portrayals of Jesus in Film; and an essay on role-playing games and the Christian Right. From Quodlibet, William Ferraiolo (SJDC): Eternal Selves and The Problem of Evil; an article on Philosophical Objections to the Knowability of Truth: Answering Postmodernism; and an essay on the futility of philosophic inquiry

[Weekend] Potpourri: A review of International Relations in India. The first chapter from The Gay Archipelago: Sexuality and Nation in Indonesia. Do art and culture even exist in North Korea? A review of Art Under Control in North Korea. A look at how Ariel Sharon's new party could revolutionize Israel's political culture. Whither the Southern accent? And an article on Squanto and the Pilgrims: Native intelligence

[Nov 25] From Europe, the more languages you know, the more of a person you are. From Spain, an article on the two faces of Adam Smith. From Poland, the new government may find it hard to keep its backers, the electorate, and its neighbors happy. From Sweden, poet Ida Börjel confronts the favourite and most insulting national prejudices about the country and its European neighbours. From Nigeria, an article on reviving pan-Africanism. The introduction to W. Arthur Lewis and the Birth of Development Economics. A Marshall Plan for the Third World: The US needs to reorder its spending priorities for the sake of world security. A look at why Latin America scorns Uncle Sam, and an article on the failure of the Church in Latin America. There is no easy solution for Washington to repair its troubled relations with Latin America. As the world becomes accustomed to the American way of life, Americans are tuning out the rest of the world. From TNR, John Judis on how isolationism is back, and the consequences could be grim. Vikram Amar on who's the real Alito, and God help him: Alito gets religion. An article on The Real McCain. And what good are black mayors?

[Nov 24] Media and music: From Counterpunch, an article on the future of the daily press, and now, sadly, comes news of a death on the left: In These Times. Explicit media images of death perform a vital social function. An article on Ernie Pyle and war reportage. From The New York Times' "Media" section, a look at the work of Howard Kurtz; a profile of the new media company Lime; and an article on how Google tamed ads on the wild, wild Web. Jack Shafer on the Great Google Wipeout: Chronicle of a corporate death foretold. Don't listen to Bill Gates: The open-source movement isn't communism. An essay on Making it Funky: The Signifyin(g) Politics of George Clinton's Parliafunkadelicment Thang. A review of Bob Marley: His Musical Legacy. A review of Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin and Redemption of Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay. A review of Redneck Liberation: Country Music as Theology. And the suit against KISS rock star Gene Simmons: Is suggesting that a woman is unchaste still defamatory?

[Nov 23] Spiegel takes a look at the Nuremberg trials, 60 years later; an interview with prosecutor Whitney Harris; and a tale of extraordinary renditions and double standards. From Transitions, Bosnia has seen some dramatic changes in the past ten years, but it now needs to look beyond Dayton (and on lessons to be learned, and more from Wolfgang Ischinger, lead German negotiator at the time). Alice Schwarzer, the foremost figure in the German women's liberation movement, comments on the lack of women in the recent French riots. This year it is the turn of little Malta to play host to a British Commonwealth reunion. An article on putting faith in the idea of Europe. Disenchanted with politics? Who in the world is not? A look at why $5 gas is good for America. Jacob Weisberg wants to know who Dick Cheney is kidding, and on why we'd be better off if the vice president were running in 2008. Ever wonder what it's like to be a speechwriter in a presidential campaign? Top 10 lessons from the Kerry campaign. An interview with George McGovern, and an interview with EJ Dionne. Meet rabble-rouser Melanie Sloan: She’s exactly what Washington needs. Setting the Squwakers straight, Robert McIntyre actually changes a talk show host's mind. From Business Week, a cover story on Peter Drucker, the man who invented management. And whether we admit it or not, we all outsource

[Nov 22] American politics: From National Journal, undercurrents threaten the gains achieved between Washington and representatives of the American Muslim community since Sept. 11. From TAP, Robert Kuttner on how Bush's unpopularity may not be all it takes to move the country back where it should be, but he's done: The 9-11 era is now over. A review of Mary Maples' Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power. A look at how Dick Cheney argues by deception. A look at the Bush administration’s curiously one-sided good government tool. The American Legislative Exchange Council is creating a right-wing nation, state by state. Robert Reich on a 10-point manifesto for recapturing Congress, and more on Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy. Barack Obama is the one Democrat who elicits a John McCain-type response from media people right now (and more). From Salon, how the secular humanist grinch didn't steal Christmas. And from Mother Jones, a special issue on God and Country, including an introduction; Susan Jacoby on how the founders left God out of the Constitution; a look at the work of Senator Rick Santorum; meet Arthur Blessitt, the man who helped Dubya find Jesus; opponents of capital punishment gain Catholics as unlikely allies; a look at the Christian Reconstruction movement and the National Christian Foundation; atheists finally have their own lobbying group; and so help us our guardian deities...

[Nov 21] News from around the world: From Malta, a look at when democracies are loved and hated. From Barbados, an article on the grammar of politics. From Namibia, an article on the anaesthesia of government reform. From Rwanda, an article on good governance and governmentality. From India, Amartya Sen carries out an investigation into the healthcare sector. From AEI, a report on Japan: A liberal, nationalistic defense transformation. An article on coming to grips with Japan's history and role in the world. A review of books on Saudi Arabia. Why democracy has kept development away from Sri Lanka. An article on constitutional reform in the Maldives. From PINR, an intelligence brief on US military bases in the Black Sea region. Brazil, China, India: These are the enemies of the US? Lessons from Bosnia, 10 years on: A US commitment can work. Has America, in a sense, reached its own Pacific? More and more and more on DC Confidential. From Newsweek, Fareed Zakaria on how the rise of women in public life could reshape politics as we know it. The United Nations must be properly funded if it is to provide effective worldwide relief. And with technology constantly evolving, e-waste is becoming one of the major environmental issues of our time

[Weekend 2e] From Australia, freedom, if others are restrained: Laws that override the rights of some protect the civil liberties of many. From Great Britain, Monica Ali, Philip Hensher and Salman Rushdie consider the threat to free speech. A look at what Britain can tell France about rioters. How do others in the West feel about the veiling of women: does it raise uncomfortable questions for all of us? They might be watching behind closed curtains, but Arab Muslims have a hearty appetite for American movies. David Rieff on Bolivia's Evo Morales as Che's second coming. Westerners' talk of a Latin American 'revolution' replaces political analysis with pure fantasy. Immanuel Wallerstein on the US vs. Latin America. Michael Barone on how the US is becoming Puerto Rico, and a review of American Gunfight: The Plot to Kill Harry Truman -- and the Shoot-Out That Stopped It. Jacob Hacker on why bad times for the Republicans do not mean good times for the Democrats. The Bush administration pursues its goals even when they are in conflict with data collected by agencies. How the Court's dynamics have a way of altering a Justice's approach to the law. More and more on Al Franken's The Truth (With Jokes) and Jon Stewart's America (The Book). Here are 10 comics that shook the world (of comics anyway). Time sucks: There's an almost Beckett-like purity to the tedium of Beavis and Butt-Head's serenely empty lives. From FT, Simon London is trying to understand what makes a "great" business book, and a review of books on trees. Oh, behave: A review of books on etiquette, and more on Talk to the Hand (and more on Lynne Truss). And here's the Official "Nigger" Usage Rules

[Weekend] From Eurozine, an essay on nationhood, modernity, democracy: Manifestations of national identity in modern Europe. An article on the EU debate on chemicals: Are your cosmetics killing you? An interview with Alain Finkielkraut.  James K. Galbraith on the European social model. The euro area's economies are in better shape than they look. As Gerhard Schroeder hands over the reins, one of his British friends looks back over his seven-year term. From Der Spiegel, on the new world of globalization: Cheap, cheerful and Chinese. John Ikenberry on legitimacy and global and regional governance bodies. Why the disbanding of the Iraqi Army was not a bad idea. A chilling report on life behind the wire in Guatanamo Bay. Why did the 9/11 Commission ignore "Able Danger"? Louis Freeh wants to know. Jonah Goldberg on a lie for a just cause. An open letter to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald from John Dean. From TNR, who can save the White House? A survey of political elders. Who is the second most powerful person in America? The Harvard Political Review finds out (reg. req.). Some of the most powerful proponents of “family values” are deeply cynical about that aspect of the Republican agenda. Michael Kinsley on why there is no honesty about Roe. Can George W Bush really be turning back to booze? Perot in '08: The unlikely return of a candidate. Two singular communities in Philadelphia were, improbably, once one. From The Economist, a paper questions whether search engines make popular sites more so, and small ads are flooding away from newspapers and onto the internet. Thanks to Web ads, some find new money in domain names. We are witnessing the Web's second coming, not a new bubble. And at the WWIS, the United States maintains control of the Internet

[Nov 18] From France, Dominique de Villepin and Nicolas Sarkozy's popularity are soaring (and more). A look at France's history of violence. A study finds immigrant youth is better off if still attached to their ethnic culture, while polygamy is cited as a possible factor in French riots. An interview with Tariq Ramadan (and more from Salon). Other than the departure of Syrian troops, hopes have been dashed. What now for Lebanon? Timothy Garton Ash on how the forward march of liberty has been halted, even reversed. From Reason, the U.S. has lost momentum in opening up Middle Eastern societies. An interview with Mark LeVine, author of Why They Don't Hate Us. We still don't have a plan: What has everybody been doing for three years? From National Journal, a series of articles on polls about various aspects of Washington's political culture. Linda Chavez on the Republican Party and illegal immigration. The Democrats have a golden opportunity in 2006. Will they blow it? Why are conservatives chickening out of their big national conversation on judges? Robert Scheer on the Big Lie Technique. An interview with Mark Crispin Miller, author of Fooled Again. From CJR, why the press must help the nation see through its myths. How you'll know when the boomers have lost control of the media. The Death of Media announces the death of mass media and the emergence of the citizen journalist. A new wave of political bloggers is challenging Britain's old media pundits. But who are they? From Hollywood to Wall Street, a guide to the blogs insiders read to stay current. And Scott McLemee talks to Moby Lives' Dennis Loy Johnson about his decision to shift to online radio

[Nov 17] From Germany, what to do with a tower block that no one wants to live in? Pull it down, slice it up, turn it into pleasant family homes. Do the French riots portend a coming cultural backlash against globalization? An interview with Andre Glucksmann on the French riots. From Foreign Policy, the EU is still a model citizen, it just does a lousy job of selling itself at home and abroad; Iraq may be the jihad Superbowl, but Saudi Arabia is still al Qaeda’s top prize; and it’s easy to think that the world is witnessing a boom in the number of nuclear-armed countries: Don’t count on it. From TAC, why America needs a new strategy for dealing with China. More on Mao: The Unknown Story. An article on the Confucian renaissance. A look at China's take on political democracy. An article on the democracy problem in Latin America, and what accounts for its turn towards the Left? Here's the latest news from Zanzibar, Tanzania. On why Palestine, not Iraq, is the best shot at an Arab democracy. Did the US use chemical weapons in Iraq? George Monbiot is on the case. From TNR, will Iraq make Russell Feingold the new Howard Dean? From TAP, Democrats made a key mistake when they voted for the Iraq War: They trusted the president; and good-government liberalism got trounced in Ohio: Here’s why America’s bellwether state isn’t ready for reform. Jimmy Carter on why  this isn't the real America. An op-ed on The Ginsburg Fallacy. Jeffrey Rosen on decoding Samuel Alito (and part 2). Dan Savage on the parallels between gay marriage and privacy amendments. Why do heathens make the best Christian films? And three cheers for cronyism!

[Nov 16] From Russia, the Trans-Siberian railway is to get the Orient Express treatment. Russians reminisce about their Soviet childhoods on a new web site dedicated to those born between 1976 and 1982. Putin declares that his country has an image problem, and the Kremlin has launched a PR campaign to burnish its image. An interview with William Odom on Russia and the weak state trap, and an interview with Congressman Tom Lantos on the future of U.S.-Russian relation. From Monthly Review, two articles on Nepal. An interview with Zhang Bijian of the China Reform Forum. An essay on Talking Turkey for democracy: Fundamentalism, fascism and the EU pdf. Michael Kinsley on a tale of two constitutions: Britain, land of freedom. A continent of broken windows: How do you say "asphalt jungle" in French? As they decry free trade as being pro-corporation and hurting mom-and-pop businesses, they're smashing in the windows of small and large businesses alike. A look at the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Activists.  An article on game theory for negotiators. In a global economy, it's no longer about how many employees you have in this group and that group. Can Joe Mansueto turn magazine bust into a boom? Cathy Young on why Bernie Goldberg’s new niche is a little too comfortable. From NYRB, an article on the end of news. From AJR, an article on gun-toting journalists. From OJR, is the bubble back in online media? The Open Source Center keeps an eye on the global flood of nonsecret information. To Nigerian cyber-criminals who trawl for victims, wealthy westerners are soft targets. Should the U.S. or the U.N. control the Internet? Here's a third way. From Foreign Policy, an interview with Lawrence Lessig on battling for control of the Internet, and Lessig on Google's tough call. And a look at what Google Print really tells us about the future of books

[Nov 30] Iraq, GWOT and the US: From Boston Review, MIT's Barry Posen on an "Exit Strategy: How to disengage from Iraq in 18 months". An interview with former ambassador Peter Galbraith on Iraq. More on George Packer's The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq. From Harper's, pro-war liberals are frozen in the headlights. As terrorists score its own goals in its backyard, many Arabs are beginning to rethink their position on violence. Al Qaeda killed Kenny!: A look at how "South Park" can win the war on terror. An op-ed on the dangers of terrorism through cargo containers (and a look at the box that makes the world go round). Indispensable handbook for global theopolitics: A review of The Star of Redemption by Franz Rosenzweig. From Salon, an interview with Robert Dreyfuss, author of Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam. A look at how presidents use the term "democracy" as a marketing tool. From The Weekly Standard, Charles Krauthammer on the truth about torture (and more from National Review). From Writ, an essay on torture, litmus tests, and the future of American law: Will the battle over government accountability define this generation of lawyers? From Slate, goodbye, habeas corpus. Hello, executive detention. An essay on bad intelligence and the loss of public trust. Bob Barr on the dangers of militarism. A conversation with Haynes Johnson on McCarthyism. Tennessee's Wilfred M. McClay on Myth and Memory in the American Identity. And a pop quiz: Are you as American as apple pie à la mode with whipped cream, hot fudge and a cherry?

[Nov 29] From TAP, conservatives are quick to cast doubt on Darwin's biological theory of evolution, but take social Darwinism as the gospel truth. Like Intelligent Design, the idea of the Invisible Hand stubbornly persists in the face of overwhelming evidence. Sometimes, a tax cut for the wealthy can hurt the wealthy. How consumers' fears about massive future calamities help solve chronic present ones. UC Irvine's Richard McKenzie argues that institutionalizing parentless children is the right way to go. American society seems to have reached some kind of tipping point, as far as tolerance for wild and woolly kid behavior is concerned. More on Raising Boys Without Men: How Maverick Moms Are Creating the Next Generation of Exceptional Men. From FT, an interview with Thomas Friedman. Where is the Iraq war headed next? Seymour Hersh wants to know. Frederick Kagan on Al-Qaeda as The New Bolsheviks. Forget Iraq: Redneck renegade Merle Haggard says it's America that needs freeing. Mick Hume on the proof that not everything is a conspiracy. An review of books on the JFK conspiracy theories. A look at books about embattled figures assassinated in one way or another by associates and confidants. A review of books on the evolution of the CIA. A review of BHL's War, Evil, and the End of History. More on Michael Ignatieff's The Lesser Evil. More on Robert Conquest's The Dragons of Expectation. And an article on Antonio Gramsci on Sesame Street

[Nov 28] A review of Paul Berman's Power and the Idealists (and an excerpt). A review of American Backlash: The Untold Story of Social Change in the United States. More and more on Restless Giant: The United States From Watergate to Bush v. Gore. More on The Age of Anxiety: McCarthyism to Terrorism. Jonathan Schell on the Fall of the One-Party Empire. From The Toronto Star, North America is on a fascist trajectory. We must recognize this threat for what it is, and we must change course. Auburn's Roderick Long on Liberalism vs. Fascism. France is the latest country to fill American conservatives' need for a foreign boogeyman that will keep liberals in their place. Joseph McCarthy may have gone down in history as a paranoid bully, but liberals may have much to thank him for. From In These Times, a slew of new essays and studies show that fighting against inequality is the battle of our time. More on Ira Katznelson's When Affirmative Action Was White. More on White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America. From MR, an interview with David Roediger, author of Working Towards Whiteness, and an article on the genocidal imagination of Christopher Hitchens. There are two torture debates going on in America today: One is about fantasy, and the other is about reality. Psychology and psychiatry have long had an uneasy relationship with the dark art of interrogation. More on Robert Kaplan's Imperial Grunts. There are a few stories of inconclusive wars that left the U.S. in a more dignified position. Michael Kinsley on the phony war against the critics. And an interview with Gen. Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

[Weekend 2e] Theology and religion: From the Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory, Carl Raschke (Denver): Derrida and the Return of Religion: Religious Theory after Postmodernism; Matt Waggoner (Albertus Magnus): Giving Up the Good: Adorno, Kierkegaard, and the Critique of Political Culture; Jeffrey W. Robbins (LVC): The Politics of Paul; a review of Double Exposure: Cutting Across Buddhist and Western Discourses; and a conversation with Richard Kearney pdf. From the Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion, Daniel Warner (WWU): An Essay on the Market as God: Law, Spirituality, and the Eco-Crisis; Werner Cohn (UBC): When the Constitution Fails on Church and State: Two Case Studies; and Michael Mogill (Penn): Eight Simple Rules For Stating My Dogma pdf

[Weekend] From The Spectator, Frank Furedi on the age of unreason; Boris Johnson is willing to publish the minutes of the meeting between Bush and Blair on blowing up Al-Jazeera; and Rod Little says women are sometimes to blame for rape. A new issue of Genders is out. A review of Heterosyncrasies: Female Sexuality when Normal Wasn't. A review of The Inescapable Self. And a purple patch on Great Men, by Emerson

[Nov 25] From The Atlantic Monthly, is God an accident? Paul Bloom finds out. From Dissent, Kalypso Nikolaidis (Oxford): The Struggle for EUrope; John Judis on The Author of Liberty: Religion and U.S. Foreign Policy; Andrew Stark (Toronto): In Sickness and in Health: Health Insurance in America; Ellen Willis reviews Russell Jacoby's Picture Imperfect: Utopian Thought for an Anti-Utopian Age; an essay on The Old Folks at Home: Sex, Viagra, and Taxes, and more on Stephanie Coontz's Marriage, A History. From Left Hook, an interview with Mickey Z. Every time an anarchist says, “I believe in democracy,” there is a little fairy somewhere that falls down dead. From Open Democracy, the quality of a democracy is measured in the way decisions are reached as much as in their outcomes. From NCR, these English Catholics survived the tension between conscience and authority. A review of The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization. Hans-Hermann Hoppe on the rise and fall of the city. And Mad Peeaire would like to talk to you about Aristotle, Wilde, Blake, Freud--and his childhood memories of a goat-buggering orgy. Why won't you listen?

[Nov 24] Potpourri: How African players are finding a career in soccer and an escape from the economic realities they face back home. Has founder of Crips, Stanley Tookie Williams, earned the right to live? Why passive aggression is a perfect office crime. Vox Day is no genius: He's just an ironist.  The "Illuminati" sounds fantastic but it is not a chimera. Hidden within Freemasonry, it is the Church of Satan. A low budget film about exorcism has become a runaway success in the US. A review of Elia Kazan. A review of Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture and Wonder Women: Feminism and Superheroes. Throw the Jew down the well: Kazakhstan threatens Borat with court. A mutual suspicion grows in Denmark: Omar Marzouk is the "only ethnic comedian".  Jonathan Yardley reviews Bald! From Hairless Heroes to Comic Combovers. A review of The Modern Drunkard: A Handbook for Drinking in the 21st Century. An article on the secret history of rum. And a review of Why Birds Sing

[Nov 23] From Scientific American, an article on trials for the poor: On the rise of randomized trials to study antipoverty programs. Dennis Prager says the left hates inequality, not evil. If you review all of human history, you can easily see that the only thing that has changed is technology. From Nerve, even among pro-choice activists, why does having more than one abortion imply a woman has been 'careless'?; and a look at the future of birth control, what's promising and what's premature. Where are the female Einsteins? Charles Murray wants to know. From Mother Jones, an article on how the rise of Salem Communications' radio empire reveals the evangelical master plan; an illustration of the expanding universe of evangelism; an article on the Intelligent Design battle among Christians; a look at when theme parks get religion; and here is the Jimmy Swaggart Award for God Abuse. Ex-members of a cult, The Family International, want the group's leaders exposed and punished. What's it like to discover that your great-uncle was a mobster? From Studies in Intelligence, an essay on the limits of interrogation: The man in the Snow White cell. Christopher Hitchens on debating the Iraq War. Infighting: Ezra Klein of TAP and Adam Kushner of TNR debate withdrawal from Iraq. An interview with John Yoo. And an interview with James Carroll, author of Iraq, Crusade: Chronicles of an Unjust War

[Nov 22] From TNR, Paul Berman on the Anti-Anti-Americans: A review of French books. From The Nation, a review of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire Almighty. From The New Yorker, Louis Menand reviews Tony Judt's Postwar, and James Surowiecki on the changing work habits of Americans and Europeans. Dr V K R V Rao is one such person. A review of America Beyond Capitalism and Gene Sperling's The Pro-Growth Progressive. An interview with economist Robert Moffitt on welfare reform. From TCS, Arnold Kling on why people hate economics. The relevance of economics in today's society is largely the efforts of visionaries. Cato's Will Wilkinson on depression and happiness. From New Humanist, a look at why shopping is a humanist act; and is it time for humanists to start holding services? AC Grayling doesn't think so (and more on his Descartes). From Intellectual Conservative, an essay on three moral paradoxes: The good and evil, the wickedly good and the wicked victim. An interview with Mary Ann Glendon, president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. “Choice feminism” claims that staying home with the kids is just one more feminist option. Funny that most men rarely make the same “choice.” From New York, a special issue on sex and mating. From Men's News Daily, a review of Pornified, and an article on Maureen Dowd. Sex and the Pity: Dowd can't make up her mind, while Levy takes on pornification (and more). Feminism is a failure, and other myths. And Matthew Mehan is in praise of gold diggers

[Nov 21] From MR, an article on debating and contesting the "New Economy". Alan Blinder on Fed Fights, Keneth Rogoff on Ben Bernanke, Joseph Stiglitz on Central Bank independence, and a memo to the ECB: Don't follow the Fed. From The Worldwatch Institute, a report on Rethinking the Good Life. The stuff we splash out on! But even in our worst excesses, we find valuable clues to make the pursuit of public goods feel more rewarding. An interview with Walter Goldschmidt on happiness and the pleasure principle. An article on where this pesky business of happiness comes in. Disaster research is a field now in high demand. A review of A Most Damnable Invention : Dynamite, Nitrates, and the Making of the Modern World. A review of Before the Fallout: From Marie Curie to Hiroshima. More on The World was Going Our Way: The KGB and the Battle for the Third World. A review of Khartoum: The Ultimate Imperial AdventureMore on The Great War for Civilisation. A review of Tariq Ramadan's Western Muslims and the Future of Islam. More on Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden. A review of Calming the Fearful Mind: A Zen Response to Terrorism. And a review of The Next Attack: The Failure of the War on Terror and the Strategy for Getting it Right

[Weekend 2e] From PUP, the first chapter of The Geography of Ethnic Violence: Identity, Interests, and the Indivisibility of Territory. From Socialist Worker, an article on the meaning of the Manifesto. A review of Life of an Anarchist: The Alexander Berkman Reader. More on The Tycoons and Is the American Dream Killing You? More on E. H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World. More on AC Grayling's Descartes. More on The Tyrannicide Brief: The Story of the Man who Sent Charles I to the Scaffold. A review of John Witherspoon and the Founding of the American Republic. More on Andrew Jackson. More on The Rise of American Democracy. More and more on Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals. More on Tony Judt's Postwar. A review of Simone Weil: An Anthology. More on Tête-à-Tête: Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. An interview with Jean Baudrillard. A review of Way Beyond Freud: Postmodern Psychoanalysis Observed. A review of The Fated Sky: Astrology in History, a review of Life as We Do Not Know It, a review of books on ice in history, a review of books on scientific discoveries, and a review of books on science. Peter Steinfels on Peter Drucker's spiritual journey from Kierkegaard to General Motors. An article on Benedict XVI, the moral hypocrite in the Vatican. The Guardian apologizes to Noam Chomsky. A review of How to Be an Intellectual in the Age of Television: The Lessons of Gore Vidal (and more). Birth of the Salon: A review of The Age of Conversation. A review of books on newspapers. A review of Conspiracy Encyclopaedia. A review of The Book of Lists: The Original Compendium of Curious Information. And a review of The Call of the Weird

[Weekend] dementia alae dextrae: From The New American, instead of debating the pros and cons of Bernanke, it would be better to debate the entire Federal Reserve System. In what is sure to be one of The Barnes Review's most controversial articles ever, an American nationalist reflects on his experiences with the John Birch Society (so I guess this one is pretty tame). Historian David Irving has been arrested in Austria for denying the Holocaust. From The August Review, a look at The Global Elite: Who are they?; a look at how Bill Clinton reveals a globalist methodology; and more on global banking, global education, global religion, and global cities. A review of Jesse Helms' Here’s Where I Stand: A Memoir. More and more on Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism. From Capitalism, an article on villainy and the nature of evil (in 5 parts). Why Nazism was socialism and why socialism is totalitarian. What does it mean to be a radical? Only a reactionary knows best. Michael Evans, an American Christian fundamentalist leader, calls for global war. Retail manager Justin Darr on how liberals are causing a European jihad. The American Spectator's George Neumayr reviews Edward O. Wilson's From So Simple A Beginning. Fortunate student of Eric Voegelin and Walter Berns Thomas Brewton on science and hypocrisy. An interview with Tom Bethell, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science. Unless a functional cultural unit is maintained, which in part is derived from strategic breeding rules, then ideas will likely be dissipated and lost. Novelist, Christian libertarian, and Mensa member Vox Day on how to argue like a conservative. Right-Wing Rock: Coming soon to a school near you, and at taxpayer expense. And in Republican Like Me, Harmon Leon infiltrates the Red (State) Menace to find out what makes conservatives so dang kooky

[Nov 18] From The Economist, Peter Drucker is the one management thinker every educated person should read. The usefulness trap: In a consumer economy, the customer is king. How does he know this? Steven Landsburg reviews The Underground Economist. From Prospect, when will the oil run out? A debate. From Open Democracy, an essay on the body of democracy, and on the authority of anti-authority: Todd Gitlin explores what can be done when the language of revolt becomes establishment fashion. From Radical Middle, on remembering the questions: Radical books from the 1960s. From Hoover Digest, what do Jews have in common with Armenians, Ibos, and Marwaris? Thomas Sowell is on the case; and a profile of Edwin Meese III. From Legal Affairs, what are the limits of presidential power? John C. Yoo and Neil J. Kinkopf debate. Here's a history of CIA interrogation techniques. From The Heritage Foundation, an essay on The Impact of the Imperial Wars (1898–1907) on the U.S. Army. Did you know? The Marine Corps was formed in a bar and then immediately went on a Caribbean cruise. From The American Conservative, an article on The Weekly Standard's war: Murdoch’s mag stands athwart history yelling, “Attack!” An excerpt from The Language of Empire: Abu Ghraib and the American Media. An interview with Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, author of One Woman's Army: The Commanding General of Abu Ghraib Tells Her Story; and a review of books on why myths still matter. A review of books on God and morality in the public sphere. A review of Beyond the Bible: Moving from Scripture to Theology. And why have Catholics stopped lining up at the confessional?

[Nov 17] From Prospect, Jurgen Habermas and Benedict XVI find a surprising amount to agree on; The Nouvel Observateur publishes a list of thinkers--does it tell us anything about the state of French thought?; and on how Germany's grand coalition has a good chance to give the reform process a shove. A sketch of the three Baltic republics' common experience in World War II and immediately after. From Hoover Digest, Victor Davis Hanson on why the US must stay in Iraq (and more from Niall Ferguson), Fouad Ajami on the Arab debate about freedom, Peter Berkowitz on the best way to promote democracy abroad, Richard Posner on the danger in "fixing" the CIA, and articles on Putin, Chirac, and Blair. A new issue of Clamor is out. More on Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. An article on the marketing front: The real essence of advertising. A review of books on the perks and perils of corporate social responsibility. How the price of metal tells us almost everything we need to know about the global economy. An article on the politics of climate change: It will happen, and they will come. A review of Jane Goodall's Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating. A review of How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on defending yourself against the oncoming rebellion. From CT, a look at Einstein's annus mirabilis, and an article on the brave new world of meticulously planned parenthood. We live in a time when embryos and fetuses are gaining legal rights to sue. Mother knows best. Or does she? Are rich and powerful men necessary to rich and powerful women? And an interview with Maureen Dowd

[Nov 16] John Allen Paulos on abortion through the looking glass. From Chronicles, why do so many leftists get het up over abortion rights? Those who turn to their concordance for guidance about abortion will not find the word at all. Kate Michelman on Samuel Alito and abortion. Dahlia Lithwick on the sloppy mischaracterizations of Alito's abortion decisions. A look at the perils of reversing Roe. Pro-life organizations are receiving millions of federal dollars in the name of “abstinence education". A bill to protect religious freedom in the workplace gives Democrats a chance to change their image. The new progressive Christian  Alliance wants to give the religious fundamentalists a good spanking. Nathan Dickerson went from a conservative religious sect to progressive politics in eighteen years. Beneath creeping Puritanism, Christopher Hitchens sees both hypocrisy and an attempt to monitor personal activity. Remembering Roger Williams: What the father of Rhode Island can still teach us. The most effective program for winning in politics is a mixture of entitlement socialism and social conservatism. Ideas & Trends: Buy a home, and drag society down. An interview with Robert Greenwald, director of the documentary "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price". A review of The Fairtax Book and Steve Forbes' Flat Tax Revolution. From The Brookings Institution, a policy brief on why federalism matters. The Federalist Society has reshaped the legal system without ever going to court. The federal government touches off a rancorous debate over what the courthouses of tomorrow should look like. An interview with Sadakat Kadri, author of The Trial: A History, from Socrates to O.J. Simpson. More from NYRB: a review of books on the warrior children. An interview with Clyde Prestowitz, author of Three Billion New Capitalists. And a review of Tariq Ali's Street Fighting Years: An Autobiography of the Sixties

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[Nov 30] Politics:  Andreas Bieler (Nottingham) and Adam David Morton (Lancaster): A critical theory route to hegemony, world order and historical change: neo-Gramscian perspectives in International Relations pdf. From New Left Review,  Gopal Balakrishnan on states of war, an interview with Patrick Cockburn on the occupation of Iraq, a review of Empire of Capital, and a review of Irresistible Empire: America’s Advance Through 20th-Century Europe. From Democratiya, a review of Al-Qaida’s Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network, a review of Michael Walzer's Arguing about War, a review of Foucault and the Iranian Revolution: Gender and the Seductions of Islamism, a review of My Neighbor, My Enemy: Justice and Community in the Aftermath of Mass Atrocity, a review of A Matter of Principle: Humanitarian Arguments for War in Iraq, a review of The Democracy Makers: Human Rights and the Politics of Global Order, a review of Slavoj Zizek's Iraq: The Borrowed Kettle, a review of Stop the War: The Story of Britain's Biggest Mass Movement, a review of Michael Ignatieff's The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror, a review of Democracy and America’s War on Terror (and an interview), a review of Ted Honderich's After the Terror, and a review of From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide. An excerpt from The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism. Twilight of conservatism: The rise of Bushism wouldn’t have surprised Robert Nisbet. And is Harry Frankfurt’s best-selling book useful for understanding the current political situation? 

[Nov 29] From the Electronic Journal of Sociology, Ali Modarres and Greg Andranovich (Cal State-LA): Left Behind by the Market: Investigating the Social Structure of American Poverty pdf. Richard Pildes (NYU) and Daryl Levinson (Harvard): Separation of Parties, Not Powers pdf. From The New Yorker, Louis Menand