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[Jan 31] From Mongolia, what should we make of a seemingly naked grab for power by a party of ex-communists? Here’s a look at China as seen from the point of view of France. Vive la welfare state: Christopher Shea on the case for Euro-optimism. TNR suggests a bold call for inaction in Latin America. On why a South American mega-pipeline might be pipe dream. Alvaro Vargas Llosa on a libertarian dream story. From Foreign Policy, an article on why Ariel Sharon is no prince of peace, and a new edition of Think Again: Islamic terrorism. A review of books on the role of social context in terrorist attacks. A review of The Legacy of Jihad. An article on Iran and the balance of power: "Of course we have the right to the bomb". A review of books on personal accounts of Iran. Christopher Hitchens on how Hamas dooms Palestine. From The Weekly Standard, Walter Russell Mead on The Ice Cream Party and the Spinach Party: Three proposals to put a little pleasure back into our domestic politics; an article on the counterrevolution in military affairs: Fashionable thinking about defense ignores the great threats of our time. From Counterpunch, an interview with Tariq Ali, and Noam Chomsky on The Terrorist in the Mirror. Philip Bobbitt on why we must not lose sight of the fact that the world we entered on 9/11 will require rewriting FISA and other laws. Dahlia Lithwick on why presidential signing statements are more than just executive branch lunacy. An article on Alito's mythical feel-good America. A look at what's wrong with the president's annual address. And just how many lobbyists are there in Washington, anyway? [Jan 30] From Australia, put simply, there are two types of Bill of Rights - a legislative model and a constitutional model. From Canada, Stephen Harper is viewed as shrewd, and bland (and more). From Great Britain, present-day politicians are condemned to live and die in the ever-intrusive gaze of the media and its eagerness to damn. From Nigeria, an article on moral lessons from Confucius’ philosophy. From Israel, who seemed to say something interesting this week? Peter Berkowitz on Israel after Sharon, and Palestine after Fatah. If Iran's possession of a nuclear weapon is truly intolerable, invasion is the only military answer, and yet it may be that Iran is a problem, not an emergency. Elections in the Middle East have unleashed political forces that can hardly be seen as friendly to the US. An interview with Pervez Musharraf (and more). Amity Shlaes on what Nazis can teach us about the Saddam trial, as the moral complexities of trying war criminals haven't gone away. Targeted assassinations by Predators break international law, says Amnesty International. Walter Russell Mead on reassigning State Department officials out of Europe. It's been one year since Colin Powell left high office. Where did he go? From Newsweek, they were loyal conservatives, and Bush appointees. They fought a quiet battle to rein in the president's power in the war on terror. And they paid a price for it. Joseph Ellis on finding a place for 9/11in American history. The best Democratic critique is not that Bush overreacted to 9/11 but that he mis-reacted. An interview with Dick Cheney on Watergate and a strong executive. As experts on global warming foresee a 'tipping point' when it is too late to act, climate expert James Hansen says NASA tried to silence him. Why can't the Democrats find bomb-throwers? Mark Schmitt on the progressive generation gap. And Michael Kinsley on plantation politics and other games [Weekend 2e] Potpourri: From BW, can Latin America challenge India? More on the Canadian election: Articles on "open federalism" and what it means to be a (Canadian) conservative. An article on remembering the day they kicked Khrushchev out of the Kremlin. Honest Injun? The incidence of fake Indians is almost epidemic. From RAND, here's a list of 50 Books for Thinking About the Future Human Condition. Here's a list of the 101 Dumbest Moments in Business. From Utne Reader, here are the 17th annual list of the year's essential periodicals. Inside the media, where the demise of hard-copy newspapers is widely assumed to be inevitable, the shadow has now fallen on magazines. Before Angie and Brad, before Monica and Bill, there was Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco. And a review of Rabid Nun Infects Entire Convent: And Other Sensational Stories From a Tabloid Writer [Weekend] From Nepal, a year after his coup, King Gyanendra does it again. From Bangladesh, an article on nationalism and internationalism in modern times. From Nigeria, Aristotle, Hobbes and Popper: A summary of conference on the good society. From Egypt, a summary of a book fair with the central theme of globalization. From Norway, the mysterious death of politician Samira Munir comes as a chilling deterrent to Muslim women who speak out. The Saudi government blasts sacrilegious cartoons from Europe.  An article on Portugal's "cohabitation" of left and right. The "United Kingdom" is in the throes of a major debate about national identity, patriotism and "Britishness", and the latest contribution by Gordon Brown recycles flawed ideas (while England’s traditional pubs are slowly dying). A shift in values from the ego-driven 1980s to the public service culture of New Labour has exacerbated a crisis of conscience. Northern Italy's Tyrol region ogles southern Austria, treachery ensues. From The Nation, socially conservative black churches may be ripe for exploitation by the Christian right on gay marriage; and Katha Pollitt on Prochoice Puritans. A new analysis of Abramoff tribal money by a nonpartisan firm shows it’s a Republican scandal: Will Abramoff’s Deep Throat swallow God’s Mouthpiece? Paul Pierson, co-author of Off Center, insists it's not the country that's changed: it's conservatives' control of the political machinery. A review of James Carville and Paul Begala's Take It Back. An interview with Mark Crispin Miller, author of Fooled Again. And ten years after identifying his brother as the Unabomber, David Kaczynski talks about what the experience cost him [Jan 27] From Great Britain, an article on the introduction of choice to public services; and an article on immature democrats: Politics has been unable to withstand the assault of naive individualism. From Open Democracy, John Ralston Saul's The Collapse of Globalism provokes Tom Nairn to dissect identity-formation in Canada and Australia; and the World Social Forum pioneered new forms of global activism and democracy. Now it is being pressed to take the shape of an older politics. India's dream of national strength and wealth is now a reality: its superpower status is indisputable. Nicholas Kristof reviews books on Darfur. From Slate, you asked for democracy: What Hamas' election victory means for the peace process, and a look at when one government doesn't recognize another. A look at how Hamas and the Fatah radicals will transform Palestinian politics, and an article on Hamas and Palestinian foreign policy: The prospect of peace with Israel might be further away than ever. From The Center for American Progress, the transcript of a conference on " Implications of the Abramoff Scandal: What Should Congress Do Now?" The world's biggest and most expensive health-care system is beginning to fall apart. Can George Bush mend it? The war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, Medicare Part D -- incompetence may describe this presidency, but it doesn't explain it. EJ Dionne underestimated the viciousness of the right wing. Is Bush stupid, or is America? An article on how Gore is bigger than ever. Expect a lot of economists to be sitting on their hands as Greenspan departs the Fed at the end of the month. Four leaders of the progressive publishing industry discuss their successes and failures since 9/11. A review of Guardians of Power: the myth of the liberal media. An interview with Raptivist Boots Riley. And the audience members that scare the Gay Moralist the most--that strike fear into his very core--are the Angry Lesbians [Jan 26] From Russia, the Kremlin's taste for using energy assets to play politics and concentrate power is worryingly reminiscent of the Soviet era. From India, President A P J Abdul Kalam propounds a new political theory; and though no Constitution by itself can guarantee fraternity, but without it, rights and liberties become legal pieces of paper. From Bolivia, an article on the outrage over Morales' top military picks. From Cuba, excerpts from Castro's literacy campaign: The Little Engine That Dialectically Must. From Peru, artifacts removed from Machu Picchu by a Yale professor in 1911 are the focus of a growing furor. Alvaro Vargas Llosa on carnivores vs. herbivores in Latin America. Lucia Pinochet, daughter of Augusto, is taken into custody in the US because of an outstanding arrest warrant in Chile. From Slate, is Bush turning America into an elective dictatorship? Is there a bigger crock than the State of the Union speech? Pejman Yousefzadeh has some proposals for altering the judicial confirmation process. John Fund on how to cure pork. An article on Washington and the art of the "glory wall". A response to Robert Rubin's article, "We Must Change Policy Direction" in The Wall Street Journal. A response to John Lott's op-ed in The New York Times. More on Fred Barnes' Rebel in Chief. A closer look at William Jennings Bryan and how liberals ought to engage religion and the Social Gospel. Jonah Goldberg has lefty books for righties. When it comes to forming opinions and making judgments, partisans of both parties don't let facts get in the way of their decision-making. Edward Rothstein on refining the tests that confer citizenship. And after years of almost total silence on his son's arrest and imprisonment, Frank Lindh sets the record straight about the American Taliban [Jan 25] News from around the world: From Gambia, an article on Pan-Africanism: The ideology of racial nationalism and socialism. From the Czech Republic, after communism's fall, the scent of marijuana became a symbol of liberation. It's now mainstream and raising new concerns. From Great Britain, an interview with Simon Hughes of the Liberal Democrats. The introduction to Scandal: The Sexual Politics of the British Constitution. From Der Spiegel, Holland's new greetings for immigrants: "If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much"; in a test of maturity for the Palestinians, parliamentary elections will determine whether Hamas can transform itself; freedom of speech is still a problem in Turkey; and an interview with historian Götz Aly on Ahmadinejad's plans to host a conference questioning the validity of the Holocaust. Thomas P. M. Barnett on a "Blueprint for Action" on Iran. Call it “appeasement” if you want. But it might be the only hope for averting disaster, and it’s time Democrats start pointing out Bush’s missteps with Iran, before the blame gets placed on them. Christopher Hitchens on why Al-Qaida is losing. From Writ, an article on Saddam's trial: Can it still meet the conditions for it to be deemed fair under international law? From Reason, "Anglosphere” allies crack down on speech in the name of fighting terror. Is Australia a model for Canada? Populism and disenchantment with democracy grow in Latin America. An article on Japanese diplomacy, East Timor and the Truth Commission. A truly worrisome development is taking shape: Japan and China increasingly at odds with each other. After 25 years of sizzling growth, Beijing's shifting to a new economic model. Can Big Red go green? More on Kosovo's future uncertain with Rugova's death. A row between Russia and Ukraine over a lighthouse boiled over the top last week. From TNR, a look at why liberals should be applauding Wolfowitz. And an essay on Fog of War: What Yet Remains [Jan 24] From Canada, the Conservative Party and Stephen Harper win election. From Nigeria, a country and a continent, hanging in the balance. From Cameroon, an article on deconstructing liberal democracy in Africa. From PINR, an article on Somaliland and the issue of international recognition. A review of Africa: A Modern History. An article on history and identity and the conflict over memory. An article on the peculiar Hungarian tradition of commemoration by not remembering. Does demography advantage India? A look at how Europe can age gracefully. Israeli hints at preparation to stop Iran. Nobel Laureate Israel Aumann says Israel's rush for peace lessens the chances.  An interview with Ari Shavit on Ariel Sharon. Venezuela tells McCain "go to hell" for wackos jibe. From The Brookings Institution, a paper on the role of financial markets in American foreign policy. An article on Status Quo Foreign Policy: Managing conflict doesn't mean avoiding crises. Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. The storm season starts again this June. Can coastal communities ever be safeguarded? Don’t blame Lay and DeLay if Abramoff and Fastow come off looking like a pair of Judases in separate productions of The Passion of the Texan. The President's Man: A profile of Ken Mehlman. Everyone knows Massachusetts isn't a Republican state. But if you think it's a Democratic state, think again. An article on the inexorable rise of Latino USA, but what exactly is Latin culture? A review of Hokum: An Anthology of African American Humor. A review of Hung: A Meditation on the Measure of Black Men in America. Here's a brief history of brothels. From The New Yorker, Nicholas Lemann on why Edward Murrow still matters. Whatever happened to New Journalism? Robert Boyton investigates. The media has become so embroiled in Hollywood, but now the compelling stories of politics in Washington are giving celebrities a run for their money. A review of Colin McGuinn's The Power of Movies (and more). Television cul-de-sac mystery: Why was the reality show "Welcome to the Neighborhood" killed? And NBC cancels "The West Wing" after 7 seasons [Jan 23] From Portugal, center-right candidate Anibal Cavaco Silva wins presidency (and more). From Venezuela, intellectuals slam Chavez for anti-Semitic remarks. From Yugoslavia, Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova dies on eve of talks on province's future. From Canada, an interview with Michael Ignatieff; and here's what you need to know about conservatives. From Pakistan, let not our pompous seriousness get in the way of our burlesque tradition. Fatwa against miniskirts: A new wave of prudishness is washing over India. In Liberia and Chile last week, it became clear that voters had chosen female presidents not despite - but at least in part because of - their sex. Professionals and educated elite are fleeing Iraq as violence, threats persist. The Mullah Wars: How to understand and exploit Iran's internal fissures. An essay on what the Iran 'nuclear issue' is really about. Here's the Unabridged and Uncensored Guide To Understanding the Iranian Nuclear Crisis. It's time to face reality on Iran: The US should strike Iran, but not with bombs. Peter Beinart on the isolation pendulum. Before 1925, the Senate didn't hold Supreme Court confirmation hearings. After Alito, some are waxing nostalgic. Too much partisanship obscures issues and leaves little room for compromise. Scholars are reaching similar conclusions. It's time for the abortion-rights movement to declare war on abortion, but if Roe is reversed, the ensuing chaos will demand a federal resolution to the abortion battle - again. Jonathan Rauch on why Republicans can't cut spending. Polling firms love election campaigns, but waiting to find out whether you got it right or not can be wrenching. As elections near in Florida, officials challenge balloting security. A review of Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election and Why They'll Steal the Next One Too. More on George Lakoff’s Don’t Think of an Elephant! And more on Wonkette's Dog Days [Weekend 2e] American life: From PS: Political Science & Politics, Benjamin Highton (UC-Davis): Long Lines, Voting Machine Availability, and Turnout: The Case of Franklin County, Ohio in the 2004 Presidential Election and Baodong Liu (Wisconsin): Whites as a Minority and the New Biracial Coalition in New Orleans and Memphis pdf. A growing number of white people are discovering their Native American roots. Some are doing so for financial gain, but most are just looking for the meaning of life. A trial in Arizona could set a precedent for volunteers who offer humanitarian aid to undocumented migrants. From The Nation, a special issue of an alternative state of the union (see side bar) with an introduction, and contributions on the right to vote and media reform. From The Washington Monthly, James Carville and Paul Begala on a radical plan to Abramoff-proof politics. Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann on why the real solution to lobbying is for Congress to behave like the deliberative body it is supposed to be. In the United States today, constitutional interpretation is best understood as a form of theology rather than law. How can the President interpret the law as if it didn't apply to him? Cass Sunstein on how Bork got the last laugh. Michael Kinsley on why lawyers are liars, and Dahlia Lithwick on what happens when there is no law constraining Alito. Evangelicals in the United States have undermined the credibility of their moral and evangelistic witness in the world by pursuing political power. Larry Wilkerson attacked the Iraq War. In the process, he lost the friendship of Colin Powell. An interview with Bernard-Henri Levi on American Vertigo. And before the "Hillary can do it because she did it upstate" narrative gets any more airtime, it's worth pointing out its fatal flaws (and more from Molly Ivins) [Weekend] News from around the world: From Canada, the great bright hope: Michael Ignatieff’s campaign for Parliament has proved controversial. From Italy, Dario Fo runs for mayor in Milan. Timothy Garton Ash on The Twins' New Poland. Just as the world is determinedly trying to stop Iran getting the bomb, Chirac says France would be willing to use their nukes if necessary. From The Atlantic Monthly, will Iran be next? James Fallows investigates. An interview with Thomas Schelling on Iran and the Bomb, and Shirin Ebadi on how sanctions would set back the democratic movement. An article on how the Internet hurts Iranian reformers. From Open Democracy, from Georgia to Kyrgyzstan via Ukraine, new forms of mobilisation are impelling regime change from below. But is the phenomenon as benign as it appears? A review of The Hidden Handshake: National Identity and Europe in the Post-Communist World. Is the unexpected political convulsion in Mongolia evidence of democracy’s strength or weakness in the peaceful, post-communist republic? The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War explores why historic monuments and buildings are targets for regimes keen to eradicate identity. With a fast-graying population, environmental damage and the absence of a real social system, Beijing is now seeking to check unbridled capitalism. In study after study, relative poverty is a social corrosive. One year after the Indian Ocean tsunami, what are the lessons? Richard Posner on coping with catastrophic risks. From PINR, Chad's cycle of instability gains momentum. Nigeria may be headed for a grave political crisis. The Horn of Africa is on the brink of another devastating war. If it occurs, the blame will be widely shared. From VQR, a series of articles on the scourge of AIDS in Africa. Is Evo Morales an indigenous Che Guevara? And when he is inaugurated president of Bolivia, it will be thanks to the support of the educated middle class who used to be scared of him. Immanuel Wallerstein on Sharon's illusion, though he may have already charted a course that his successor has no choice but to follow. A look at different aspects of the debate over the history and nature of Zionism. And the UN enters its seventh decade seeking to recapture the vigour and influence of its early years. And this just in: Most people have little faith in politicians [Jan 20] Europe: From Turkey, Seyla Benhabib writes on changing attitudes in Turkish society, new openness about the Armenian genocide and the country's multicultural legacy. From Great Britain, David Cameron has set a new direction for his party. Will it follow him?; and an in-depth study of the free market in football confirms what Premiership fans have long suspected. From New Statesman, a cover story on why British men are rapists. The first chapter from J. G. A. Pocock's The Discovery of Islands: Essays in British History.  The introduction to Warfare State: Britain, 1920-1970. An excerpt from The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party, 1916–1923. Young Welsh dentists would appear to be the most effective fillers of holes in molars. If Irish claim nobility, science may approve. For centuries, French was the language of culture across Europe. In today’s globalised world, it’s English that reigns... But French continues to attract young people. FAR-right groups in France are distributing ham sandwiches and pork soup to homeless people in an attempt to discriminate against Muslims and Jews. From Eurozine, a look at the futility of one professor's life: Otto Hoetzsch and German Russian studies. A review of The Conquest of Nature: Water, Landscape and the Making of Modern Germany. From Axess, an article on the politics of the centre; an examination of the Swedish party system reveals new dividing lines and underlying, latent parties; and real Swedes eat meatballs. The introduction to The Enlargement of the European Union and NATO. And from Cafe Babel, regionalisation is dividing EU member states. Is Europe crumbling from the inside? [Jan 19] From Great Britain, John Major on why there is no worldwide terrorist conspiracy. From Austria, Holocaust denier David Irving is busy preparing his trial in prison. Could this be the eccentric Hitler admirer's final act of provocation? From Egypt, an odd debate has broken out among religious scholars: Do Muslims have to keep their clothes on when having sex? A look at how Peru may join Latin America’s populist tilt to the Left. James Surowiecki on Evo Morales, and the Movement Toward Socialism party. From Foreign Policy, just when you thought Latin America was safe for democracy, along came Hugo Chávez; and a look at how the French Fight Terror. Theodore Dalrymple on how economic liberty undercuts prejudice--not that the French notice, and in Europe, the past continues to haunt the present. Over the past 70 years, the US led the way in setting ground rules for oil politics, yet now seems surprised by trends that have given developing countries more power. Katrina was an equal-opportunity hurricane after all. Conservative justices have a tendency of moving leftward. The same could happen with Roberts, or even Alito for that matter. A look at the conservative case against Alito. Roberts and Alito they seem to have a Winnie the Pooh theory of judging: a conviction that if they just think, think, think, they will come up with the correct result. John Judis on why lobbying reform won't work. Can the Democrats finally learn to talk culture? Fascinating new research challenges some cherished assumptions -- and offers clues about the future. From Slate, does bedroom TV kill your sex life? There's a fine line between brilliance and stupidity, and few have walked that line as well or profited as much as Mike Judge. And free booze, books and movies! A guide to getting something for nothing [Jan 18] American politics: From The New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin on the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, the confirmation hearings, and their consequences. Dahlia Lithwick on Anthony Kennedy as the new Sandra Day O'Connor. Here's the text of a recent speech by Al Gore on the expansion of executive power. Two leading civil rights groups file lawsuits against the Bush administration over its domestic spying program. Scholars of constitutional law and former government officials write an open letter to Congress on NSA spying. An article on why NSA whistle-blower Russ Tice may be right. Paul Starr on how the potential harm to the nation from a failed presidency complicates the opposition's role. An article on the Quixotic candidacy of William Weld for New York governor. A look at why Republicans long for a new Reagan. Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial front-runner Ken Blackwell is “Jesse Jackson’s worst nightmare.” From TAP, people expect great things of Barack Obama. His first year in the Senate has by design been a relatively quiet one. An article on Rosa Parks: Angry, not tired. From Salon, a review of Michael Eric Dyson's Come Hell or High Water; and an interview with Kate O'Beirne, author of Women Who Make the World Worse. A review of I'm Every Woman: Remixed Stories of Marriage, Motherhood and Work. An article on America’s chief source of inequality, the marriage gap. "I'm Pro-Choice and I Fuck": An article on the intimate link between reproductive and sexual freedom. And is Abramoff the new Monica? Frank Rich wants to know [Jan 17] From Chile, Michelle Bachelet becomes the country's first female president (and more). From Great Britain, celebrating our national identity is pointless if we don't know how the past made us. From Bangladesh, an article on religious tolerance and secularism. Respect for other people’s religion is a fine notion… but what do you do when they believe you deserve to die? While revolution in Central Asia is not inevitable, theories suggest that it would be naive to think that serious attempts at it will not occur. Could the Belarusian democratic opposition be alienating floating voters in its 2006 election campaign? From The Weekly Standard, Joseph Bottum on Alito and the Catholics: The decline of an institution and the rise of its ideas. Dahlia Lithwick on a  Democrat's field guide to the conservative jurist. It's not just Alito's quandary: Reconciling executive and legislative power. A look at how Bush on torture echoes Charles I on arbitrary imprisonment. Michael Kinsley on what the wiretapping debate says about freedom. The Bush Administration has gone into public-relations overdrive to talk up the good economic news. To understand the culture of corruption that infects Washington, D.C., it's important to understand the origins of the K Street Project. An article on debunking five of the right’s favorite myths about universal health care. A review of Lewis Lapham's Gag Rule: On the Suppression of Dissent and Stifling of Democracy. And here's a few books you should read if you're serious about progressive politics long term [Jan 16] From Somalia, how many guns make a warlord? From Canada, what kind of a prime minister would Stephen Harper make? From the Philippines, only is she a woman of sense, she is also 100 years old — that’s Pura Santillan Castrence. In Japan, thousands of boys and young men are retreating to their bedrooms and refusing to come out. Why? A Japanese company introduces kids books to skeptical China. A look at Kim Jong Il's peculiar brand of diplomacy. From nthposition, an article on the trouble with Uzbekistan. Christopher Hitchens exposes the vicious insanity—and cynical politics—behind one of Africa's greatest nightmares. Is there such a thing as Kashmiri nationalism? An article on 21st century pirates. Israel faces threats throughout a Middle East unsettled by the Iraq war, Al Qaeda and American calls for democracy. Americans like the idea of spreading democracy; they just don't believe it will work. Congress, more than the court, scholars say, is the branch that's supposed to keep executive power in check. If it has failed, it has no one but itself to blame. Ariel Dorfman on how Bush makes fiction of us all. Breyer v. Scalia: Will Alito be an activist or a textualist? A review of Louis Freeh's My FBI. A review of Tim Wu and Jack Goldsmith's Who Controls the Internet? Yahoo, Cisco and Google have all been accused of helping China maintain what has been called "the most sophisticated Internet control system in the world." An article on why Gaia is wreaking revenge on our abuse of the environment. Are Unesco World Heritage sites getting too popular for their own good? And Karl Marx probably never, in his wildest lumpen dreams, imagined a religious theme park

[Jan 31] Potpourri: From The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell on the problem with profiling: Is there any accurate way to determine who is going to behave badly? Bernard-Henri Lévy in the U.S.: A Star is Born. The Weather Underground, redone in pomo, rises from the ashes. Lee Harris on Hegel and the End of History. From Salon, an interview with Neil Chethik, author of VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework, and Commitment. How many employees does it take to manufacture a toothbrush? Forty-five-hundred employees, 10 countries, five time zones. The making of one electronic toothbrush illustrates capitalism's global reach. A review of Edward Mansfield and Jack Snyder's Electing To Fight. More on John Yoo's The Powers of War and Peace. From Wired, Silicon Valley is roaring back to life, as startups mint millionaires and Web dreams take flight. But, no, this is not another bubble. Here's why; and we're facing 25 years of prosperity, freedom, and a better environment for the whole world. You got a problem with that? The evangelical movement sees myriad causes beyond abortion and gay marriage: What about helping the poor and global warming. Robert Wright interviews Huston Smith, author of Why Religion Matters. An interview with Marc Jaccard on fossil fuels. More and more on The Trouble with Tom. John McGinnis on why Antonin Scalia's judicial philosophy is not just a cover for conservative ideology. And want to learn more about the human race? Just turn on the TV and experience the foibles and frivolities of mankind as seen through the eyes of "the others" [Jan 30]  From The New York Times Magazine, a cover story on how American evangelicals are trying to convert the remaining non-Christians of Africa. Michael Novak on the crisis of demography and of the spirit in Europe. Peter Steinfels combs trough Deus Caritas Est, the Pope's first encyclical (and more). A review of The Church and Galileo. A review of A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan. First came gay marriage. Now comes the inevitable - and a slew of unprecedented legal questions. Rush Limbaugh on Joel Stein and the neutering of the American citizen. A review of Phyllis Shlafly and Grassroots Conservatism (and more). A review on President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination. More and more and more and more on American Vertigo (and an excerpt). From The Wilson Quarterly, will globalization make hatred more lethal? Robert Wright finds out. More on The Case for Goliath. More and more on My Year in Iraq.  More on The Assassins' Gate. A review of The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times, and more and more on The Cold War. A review of books on torture.  An interview with Douglas Allen, editor of Philosophy of Gandhi for the 21st Century. James Traub on why nuclear nonproliferation needs rethinking. A review of Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity's Unappeasable Appetite for Energy. A review of Sustainable Fossil Fuels and Half Gone. More and more on The Revenge of Gaia. More on Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Over time, Big Business has learned how to love Big Government. Or at least some of it. More on The First Wall Street. In economic theory, questions like these have no right or wrong answers. A review of The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism. A review of Physical: An American Checkup (and more). On health care, Bush could think big, if he wanted to. And a review of The Long History of Old Age [Weekend 2e] Technology: From Prospect, digital technology hands more power to the consumer. But technologies of connectivity can threaten stability and community. An article on the destruction of occupational identities in the knowledge-based economy.  A survey shows the Web won't tear us apart. An article on the coming tug of war over the Internet. From Writ, an analysis of the new federal law prohibiting annoying Internet postings or emails that do not disclose the true identities of the writers. Google launches a service in China, but will censor the results to comply with government limits. On why the subpoena fight between the Department of Justice and Google is all about public relations; and on why Google is resisting when its rivals have complied. Here's a simple prescription for keeping Google's records out of government hands. And check out the Electronic Frontier Foundations' Tor, an anonymous Internet communication system [Weekend] From Political Science Quarterly, Robert Dahl (Yale): What Political Institutions Does Large-Scale Democracy Require; Robert Jervis (Columbia): Why the Bush Doctrine Cannot be Sustained; Michael Gross (Haifa): Killing Civilians Intentionally: Double Effect, Reprisal, and Necessity in the Middle East; and Daniel Byman (Georgetown): The Implications of Leadership Change in the Arab World pdf. From Salon, how do you like your democracy now, Mr. Bush? Juan Cole gloats. An article on how to civilize Hamas: Could its victory be its undoing? Slouching towards Lebanon: Juan Cole and Larry Diamond discuss Iraq. A review of Neverending Wars: The International Community, Weak States, and the Perpetuation of Civil War. From In These Times, Slavoj Zizek on Jack Bauer and the Ethics of Urgency. From Christianity Today, here are 5 reasons torture is always wrong. From TAE, an interview with Robert Kaplan, author of Imperial Grunts. From TAC, why liberals need another George McGovern—and perhaps conservatives do too. From FT, an economist pronounces Picasso the greatest artist of the 20th century on the basis of leafing through picture books: what could be more irritating? Young American economists shun policy wars. Tim Hartford on the Mystery of the Rude Waiter. An interview with Juliet Schor, author of Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture. More on Strapped and Generation Debt. From Toward Freedom, an interview with Dan Berger, co-editor of Letters From Young Activists: Rebels Speak Out. And Porn in the Age of Instant Access: What are the social effects of fast, cheap & stigma-free viewing [Jan 27] From TNR, what if wiretapping works? Richard Posner is on the case.  John Yoo on the purse and the sword. Amitai Etzioni on why the Bush Administration should strike a deal with Iran over its nuclear ambitions. A review of Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK. From Salon, more on The Cold War. A review of Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy behind the Military Mind. From MR, an interview with Michael Lebowitz, author of Beyond Capital: Marx's Political Economy of the Working Class. A review of Citizenship and Democratic Doubt: The Legacy of Progressive Thought. More on Kwame Anthony Appiah's Cosmopolitanism. More on BHL's American Vertigo. A review of Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture. A look at what this week's encyclical says about the pope's theology and beliefs. An author says men can succeed by treating marriage like a job. Research finds children's peer relationships have enormous influence. Progress hits home: Did we mean to trade our birthright for a wide selection of bathmats? A look at how more realistic, humble economists can stop environmental ruin. How big is your ecological footprint? Our little passion plays affirm the dignity of a frequently silly form of governance--but we need them. A review of Law and Order: Street Crime, Civil Unrest, and the Crisis of Liberalism in the 1960s. Here are excerpts from Surviving Justice: America’s Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated. It may not be good TV, but most people in prison are guilty. Felix Rohatyn on why the Supreme Court should heed Europe on capital punishment. An article on the hollowing out of Roe v. Wade. Robert George responds to Peter Singer on human embryo liberation. Has the sanctity of human life become passé? More on "The Metaphysics of Conservatism". And on the most sensible thing in the world: People may say it's gruesome but this idea is really going to take off [Jan 26] From TNR, David Bromwich reviews Terry Eagleton's Holy Terror. Despite so much evidence that the jihadists are winning sympathy, America has provided no counter-story to their narrative. An interview with Thomas P.M. Barnett, author of Blueprint for Action. Mark LeVine approves of a truce, yes, but not with bin Laden. Why does an Islamist warrior sound suspiciously like Michael Moore? And how does al Qaeda send terror tapes without getting caught? Don't pop the champagne corks just yet: The evidence isn't quite there on the "Peace Epidemic". A "Dig" led by Gore Vidal on President Jonah. An interview with Noam Chomsky on Ireland and other stuff. More on BHL's American Vertigo. From The Wall Street Journal, an article on Blacks vs. Latinos at work. Ronald Brownstein reviews books on the South and race. Here's a history of the bitter struggle by US miners (and part 2). An excerpt from The First Wall Street: Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, and the Birth of American Finance. From Knowledge @ Wharton, an article on the bidding behavior of buyers in Internet auctions. A debate on the perils of forecasting. From NCR, should we turn to Dietrich Bonhoeffer now? An essay on intellectual freedom and  Catholic theologians. A review of God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church. Here's the text the Pope's Encyclical Letter "Deus Caritas Est" (and an analysis). A review of Love's Confusions. Is the young, Internet nurtured generation the least hung-up, most sexually wholesome ever? Prostate orgasms take the heterosexual community by storm. In Physical, James McManus puts himself through every medical test known. The results are surprisingly... sexual. And from music to fashion to celebrity culture, mainstream entertainment reflects an X-rated attitude like never before [Jan 25] Political philosophy - Christian thought: From Essays in Philosophy, a special issue on Liberalism, Feminism and Multiculturalism, including Karen Green (Monash): Parity and Procedural Justice; Andrew Fagan (Essex): Challenging the Right of Exit ‘Remedy’ in the Political Theory of Cultural Diversity; Anke Schuster (Groningen): Does Liberalism Need Multiculturalism? A Critique of Liberal Multiculturalism; and Catherine McKeen (SUNY Brockport): Gender, Choice and Partiality: A Defense of Rawls on the Family; a review of Philosophy in Crisis: The Need for Reconstruction; a review of Raymond Geuss' Private Goods, Public Goods. The introduction to Happy Lives and the Highest Good: An Essay on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. The journal History of Religions has a sample issue online, The Journal of Religion has a sample issue online, including a review of Thomas Aquinas on Human Nature; a review of Georges Bataille's The Unfinished System of Nonknowledge; a review of Jürgen Habermas' Religion and Rationality: Essays on Reason, God, and Modernity; a review of Religion in Western Society; a review of God Is Dead: Secularization in the West; a review of Legislating Morality: Pluralism and Religious Identity in Lawmaking; a review of Christian Attitudes towards the State of Israel; and a review of Lift High the Cross: Where White Supremacy and the Christian Right Converge. From First Things, Richard John Neuhaus on gays and the priesthood. From Claremont Review of Books, a review of Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History; and a review of books on the mind of Benedict XVI. Homiletic & Pastoral Review (who?) puts old book reviews by James V. Schall on Ratzinger on Europe and on the modern mind; and a review of Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith; and a review of Roman Catholic Political Philosophy. And here's a page on The Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas in the Light of Jacques Maritain [Jan 24] From Der Spiegel, King Mohammed VI is using a tolerant interpretation of the Koran to modernize his country. Will it become a model state for a democratic version of Islam? From Salon, an article on how Osama bin Laden just launched an obscure left-wing American author into bestseller stardom (and more). From Monthly Review, John Bellamy Foster on the new geopolitics of empire; a review of The Lost World of Italian American Radicalism: Politics, Labor, and Culture; and what was the matter with Ohio? A review of Park Hyo-jong’s Democracy and Authority. A review of Attention Deficit Democracy. From Political Affairs, an essay on capitalism, war and the future of the working class. A look at the debate within anarchism and with Leninism on organisation. "Hitler? He was good in parts": An interview with David Irving. A review of White Lies: Canon Collins and the Secret War against Apartheid. Race science makes a comeback: On the publication of the paper "Natural History of Ashkenazi Intelligence". A study finds end-of-life wishes vary among racial and ethnic groups, and between genders. Generally speaking, feminists get together with other feminists because it is less expensive than seeing a therapist. From American Atheist, did unrealistic expectation fueled by religious enthusiasm contribute to the tragedy in West Virginia? Frank Furedi on the curious rise of anti-religious hysteria. Benedict XVI says his first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est," is inspired in part by Dante's Divine Comedy. From In the Fray, an article on Viktor Frankl and the last freedom (and part 2). A review of books on happiness. Vacation from history: An article on ethnic cleansing as the Club Med experience. A review of Rethinking Commodification: Cases and Readings in Law and Culture. Ahead of Milton Friedman: Ben Franklin happens to have been a surprisingly astute economist. A review of The Trouble with Tom: The Strange Afterlife and Times of Tom Paine. More and more and more and more and more on BHL's American Vertigo. An excerpt from Kwame Anthony Appiah's Cosmopolitanism. And Bill and Hillary are Communitarians. Therefore, communitarianism is evil [Jan 23] From Asia Times, an article on Henry Kissinger, the inconvenient adviser. Countries commit troops with the best of intentions, but can those intentions survive a big body count? (and are British recruits to the French Foreign Legion too soft?) If diplomacy fails, does America have a military option when it comes to slowing, much less stopping, Iran's presumed ambitions to get the Bomb? A review of Tehran Rising: Iran's Challenge to the United States. A review of The Impact of International Law on International Cooperation: Theoretical Perspectives. George Packer reviews My Year in Iraq. More and more on Peter Bergen's The Osama Bin Laden That I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader. More on Osama Bin Laden's praise of William Blum's Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower. From TNR, an essay on the inner workings of a terrorist's mind. A review of Deadly Connections: States That Sponsor Terrorism. More and more on The Cold War. "Satisfied powers" and revisionists: An article on morality and foreign policy. War and national identity: A review of Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America. From Radical Philosophy, a commentary on the awfulness of the actual Counter consumerism in a new age of war. A review of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. More on The Pro-Growth Progressive. More and more on The Wal-Mart Effect. The general trend across corporate America is to replace pensions with 401(k) plans. Is there any way to know how this switch will affect the workers’ bottom line? A review of The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life. A review of Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey Into Manhood and Back Again. And as a feminist icon, and intellectual lightweight, Naomi Wolf has experienced highs as well as lows… and then she met Jesus (and an interview with Germaine Greer) [Weekend 2e] From New Humanist, progress is an illusion and liberal humanists are adolescent romantics: An interview with John Gray; Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn on how stressing racial differences leads to separatism; Solana Larsen catches up with a past life in New York, more on Zeno and the Tortoise, and a review of Civilization: A New History of the Western World. There is nothing Godly about revenge. But, oh how delicious it feels on mortal tongue. Perhaps though, there's something called compassionate revenge. An interview with Howard Zinn on reexamining the Sacco and Vanzetti case. What they don't tell you on The History Channel is that for all of its bloodshed, horror, bureaucracy, and grief, World War II was the biggest sexual spree in history. From Adbusters, an interview with Rob