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[Mar 31] From
Nigeria, Charles
Taylor of Liberia is arrested and deported, faces
judgment, with relief
and jubilation for many.
From Israel, the greatest challenge to drafting a new constitution
will be to lend coherence to Israel's dual identity as a state that is
both Jewish and democratic.
From France, where a
mood of deep conservatism lurks, and where politicians need to level
with the people
on the need to embrace change, protests have led to riots in the
streets and
students occupying campuses. What sets them apart from their hippy
forebears?
A review of
The
Conquest of Nature: Water, Landscape and the Making of Modern
Germany. A look
inside Beijing's global campaign to make
Mandarin the number one language in the world. China to give
Chinese names to Antarctic islands.
What do you think,
is Vietnam a small country, or not? Jagdish Bhagwati on fighting
the phone invasion at 30,000 feet.
Former deputy prime minister of Malaysia
Anwar Ibrahim on cultivating the seeds of democracy.
It's as if Iran as a whole
needed someone to deliver the nation from its current plight.
Martin Peretz on
America and the Israel lobby: Why The New Republic doesn't determine
America's Middle East policy.
A review of
Fooled Again: how the right stole the 2004 election and why they'll steal the
next one too (unless we stop them).
An article on
the rebirth of outrage: There's an epidemic of it.
In a Blue State of Mind:
Liberal pundits chase issues—all the wrong ones.
Amid a growing controversy about Antonin Scalia,
the freelance photographer who captured the moment has come forward
with the picture.
Ok, so Bush is no Lincoln.
How about a Truman? And
National Review's John Podhoretz and Poweline's John Hinderaker
question Jill Carroll's "well-treated" remarks, suggest "Stockholm
Syndrome" [Mar 30] From Argentina, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo mark a thirty-year milestone and a significant victory in the fight for human rights. From Zimbabwe, a book on the War of Liberation sparks heated debate. From Israel, where the election changed everything, voters accept a plan to separate themselves from the Palestinians with a security barrier and a final redrawing of the border. From Spain, with the Basques, a political nightmare began as a shared dream. Despite the action on the streets, the French left has yet to confront the ideas of the self-hating elite. No globalization, please, we are French: Populist posturing comes head to head with Chirac's stealth globalization. From Foreign Policy, what we're seeing and hearing on Iran today seems awfully familiar: Some have already decided they want to hit Iran hard; and an article on the coming natural gas cartel: U.S. dependency on imported natural gas could be painful. Jimmy Carter on why the proposed nuclear deal with India is just one more step in opening a Pandora's box of nuclear proliferation. A hot seat for the World Bank's new president, Paul Wolfowitz. The first chapter from States, Scarcity, and Civil Strife in the Developing World. From the CFR, a Q&A on prosecuting terrorists. Yes, the US got it wrong, Niall Ferguson says, but it doesn't need to apologise. An interview with Julia Sweig, author of Friendly Fire: Losing Friends and Making Enemies in the Anti-American Century. From The Globalist, an article on George Bush and the benefits of an uncomplicated worldview. Soldiers in Iraq are finding that the basic tenets of Greek and Roman stoicism can help relieve stress in the combat zone. Same as the old boss: Will Josh Bolten change anything in Bushworld? Think tanks for sale: An analysis of a series of e-mails between Jack Abramoff and the head of a nonprofit on whom Abramoff showered much cash. And the Center for Responsive Politics launches a free online database on lobbying [Mar 29] From India, among the poor and most vulnerable, Smarajit Jana has found a way to slash the incidence of HIV--by organizing sex workers as any other labor collective. From Russia, President Vladimir Putin is accused of plagiarizing thesis. From Belarus, Macbeth of Minsk: President Lukashenka is entering the troubled Act III of his rule. On March 28, France will prepare itself for another round of strikes and protests against new work legislation. 100 ways to become German: Take a look at the German citizen test proposed by the state of Hesse. Who says Germans aren't funny? China introduces a tax on disposable chopsticks. UN peacekeepers are redeployed to a western town in Côte d’Ivoire two months after they were withdrawn. A review of Law and Globalization from Below: Towards a Cosmopolitan Legality, a review of Securing Borders: Detention and Deportation in Canada, and a review of Mexican Law. From Time, an interview with Newt Gingrich on the challenges the GOP faces in retaining control of Congress, but Charlie Cook says a race-by-race analysis signals that the GOP has a good chance of retaining control. A maverick no more? EJ Dionne on John McCain. Today the Clintons have replaced the Kennedys as the primary objects of conservative rage. Chief of Staff Andrew Card resigns, Joshua Bolten to take over: Is Bush shuffling the deck and listtening to critics? Invisible Men: Did Lindsey Graham and Jon Kyl mislead the Supreme Court? Antonin Scalia made an "obscene gesture" in responding to a question from a reporter. An interview with James Hansen, a science adviser unmuzzled. And the inaugural World Baseball Classic was an instant success. What was more surprising were some of the outcomes (Damn you, Cuba!) [Mar 28] From France, an interview with Jacques Attali on the strikes and student unrest. From Belarus, with Minsk's central square cleared of protesters, the prospects for democracy look bleak. But that's not necessarily the case. The forces behind Ukraine's pro-western Orange Revolution were dealt a stunning blow in the country's election after losing to the pro-Russian party of Viktor Yanukovych. Jürgen Habermas on a United States of Europe. From Cafe Babel, a series of essays on Israel-Europe: a love-hate relationship? Has Latin America ever had such a unifying figure? ¡Epa! It's George W. Bush, the accidental revolutionary. Breaking the Special Relationship: We're still friends with the British, right? From Scientific American, does globalization help or hurt the world's poor? The check is in the mail: Does the money immigrants send home do any good? Richer and poorer: An article on measuring poverty in the United States. Are you a thrillionaire or a realionaire? An article on the five kinds of rich people. From Slate, a conspiracy theory: How the Supreme Court can decide its thorniest case; and do death sentences really give victims relief? From TNR, Jonathan Chait on Bush's dangerous inaction on chemical security. A look at President Bush's curious case for more hierarchical disaster response. Procrastinator in Chief: Today’s messes are being left for future presidents to clean up. From TAP, Christopher Buckley's new film Thank You For Smoking falsely portrays public health-advocates and industry lobbyists as two sides of the same moral coin. Read all over: James Surowiecki on the surprising resilience of newspapers. The FEC proposes new rules that leave almost all Internet political activity unregulated except for campaign ads. Why is everyone so happy in Silicon Valley again? A new wave of start-ups are cashing in on the next stage of the Internet. And this time, it's all about ... you. From The Atlantic Monthly, an article on internet dating and the science of falling in love. And are some people really luckier than others, or is it all in their heads? [Mar 27] From Canada, a review of The Colour of Justice: Policing Race in Canada; and "Finder's keepers, losers weepers" is a saying that rules on the playground, but what about in a courtroom? The people of Finland have a word for their renowned fortitude and resilience. Could an outsider get in on their secret? An article on malaria at a crossroads. Mad cow isn't the only disease in recent years to soar into high-flying panic and then collapse into the "I wonder whatever happened to...?" category. A Difficult Country: An article on Pakistan and the case for Developmental Realism. Party professionals: What Thailand's embattled prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has in common with Silvio Berlusconi and Tony Blair. Like the battles over civil rights and abortion, the contest over immigration in the US has been joined as much in the naming of things as in the writing of laws. Why is Michael Steele a Republican candidate? Peter Beinart reviews Crashing the Gate, and more on Take It Back (and an excerpt) and Rebel-in-Chief (and an excerpt). An article on the prospects of progressive theater under capitalism. Naomi Wolf and Henry Mansfield debate the politics of manliness. So-called divas are a dime a dozen these days. And most of them don't deserve the name. When a woman wears an 'event' dress, there is more going on than whether it looks good or not. It's the surpluses that matter. As the baby boomers deal with the final days of their aged parents, a question often lurks: Will anything be left over for an inheritance? A review of House Thinking: A Room-by-Room Look at How We Live. And a review of Pets in America: A History [Weekend] From Spain, creating a process that will deliver permanent peace to Euskadi will be arduous; and tourism in Catalonia has become more about mass than class. But the Spanish authorities have had enough. New elections will gauge frustration at faltering progress since the Orange Revolution. But three new instant histories remind us how far Ukraine has come. On Bolivia's longing for access to the coastline it lost through war: A look at why landlocked countries face multiple handicaps in belonging fully to the world. Saudi Arabia's baby boomers, born after the 1973 oil embargo, are redefining the kingdom’s relationship with the modern world. Good versus evil isn't a strategy: Madeleine Albright on why Bush's worldview fails to see that in the Middle East, power politics is the key. Joseph Stiglitz on Bush’s bad-faith energy policy. Is Bush following in Lincoln's footsteps? No, seriously... Jonathan Chait is against red state snobbery. David Duke and white nationalists seek to reposition their minuscule movement at a time when their signature issues have been co-opted by pseudo-populist media personalities and the GOP. When their own government fails, Republicans turn around and use their incompetence to argue that government can never work anyway. The GOP who brought you the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004, have been test-marketing another TV ad campaign. More on Crashing the Gate. Lewis Lapham is set to retire after 28 years. And oh, the stories he could tell. And a look at why Americans know more about The Simpsons than the Constitution [Mar 24] From Ecuador, President Alfredo Palacio declares a state of emergency. From Belarus, Arche publicist Andrej Dynko is arrested, sentenced to prison for "hooliganism". From Spain, the Basque ETA announces a permanent cease-fire; and Catalonia wins the right to call itself a "nation" for the first time in a deal intended to keep the country together. From France, Alain Touraine on why the protests are not a sign of political hope but rather of fear and distrust. Anthony Giddens says EU's 'big three' are in crisis, and an interview. How can the British learn to live together more successfully? Compulsory community service for young people. An interview with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel. In 1990, Germany celebrated reunification of a country divided. But the real German division sees the North pitted against the South. Jimmy Carter on how colonization of Palestine precludes peace. Hobbes in Sudan: What a world without U.S. power looks like. How to go global: A quiet revolution is occurring in what America expects of its friends. The battle of ideas: Public intellectuals are thriving in the US. It may sound strange to ask what’s happened to Chris Matthews. But in recent months, he’s been even worse than usual. The New Republic gets mad as hell! The Hillary Juggernaut: The rank and file may be against her, but numbers (and dollars) don't lie. Why Clinton may already be unstoppable. Idaho's Democrats are stuck between clinging to a storied past and coping with a Republican-dominated present. But hope grows. And supercomputer Mr. Right (Wing) offers the same heartless responses you can expect from today’s leading human right-wingers [Mar 23] From Venezuela, Hugo Chavez is drawing a following from all over and turning Caracas into the new leftist mecca. The first chapter from The Evolution of the Trade Regime: Politics, Law, and Economics of the GATT and the WTO. IMF's Rodrigo Rato on new priorities for an era of globalisation. Instead of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, both sides just want to contain it. From Truthdig, an interview with Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders. Bob Kiss, a member of the Vermont Progressive Party, defeats a heavily favored Democrat and a Republican to become Mayor of the city of Burlington. Bill Moyers on why it is time to drive the money changers from the temple of democracy. Here's an op-ed In Defense of Pork. "Net Neutrality" battle heats up: Giant telecoms use shock and awe to confound and confuse. From AJR, it’s healthy for news organizations to be much more open about their decision making. But is the transparency movement getting out of hand? It's not too late for imaginative newspapers to save themselves. What would a new-era newspaper look like? The Washington Post launches a conservative blog--and provokes a 'firestorm'. An interview with Ben Bradlee, former editor in chief of WaPo. Who knew what evil once lurked in the hearts of The Morning News writers? Arsonists, accomplices, troublemakers all, here are nine lives of crime, cut short. Once a band gets to the recording studio, lawyers often grab the microphone. Scott McLemee asks a musicologist if that’s a good thing. Ian Buruma reviews The R. Crumb Handbook. An article on how games are unleashing the human imagination. And a review of Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero [Mar 22] From Great Britain, the postwar working class felt betrayed by immigration and new welfare rules; and there's no human right to wear a jilbab: How did schoolgirl dress become a matter for the Law Lords? From France, Dieudonné's one-man show is all the rage but his act is virulently anti-semitic. A review of Philippe Roger's The American Enemy: A Story of French Anti-Americanism. An emotionally appealing populist politics is bringing angry, raw, egalitarian nationalists to the centre of Europe’s political arena. Why are pro-European liberals not more anxious? Democracy of Europe is Luciano Canfora's contribution to a series initiated and edited by the French historian Jacques Le Goff. But the book is creating a scandal. Alexander Lukashenko is claiming victory, but the young protestors in Minsk will not be written out of the story of Belarus’s election. The EU's "conditional engagement" policy has failed to stem the Belarusian regime's increasing authoritarianism. Sweden has set itself the goal of achieving total independence from oil by 2020. From New York Observer, "Politicians and pundits are afraid," says Russ Feingold. Will he become the Eugene McCarthy of '08 Primaries? An interview with Lewis Lapham on the case for impeachment. Charlie Cook finds national polls indicate that Republicans are at least as bad off as Democrats were in 1994, prior to losing control of Congress. Social conservatives and the GOP: Can this marriage be saved? A Homophobe comes out: Free at last! Twelve Caesars of the Neo-Con Empire: An Adventure in Historical Parallelism, starring Ronald Reagan as Augustus, Bill Clinton as Claudius and George Bush II as Nero. There's a new theory about what's behind everything that's wrong with the Bush administration: manliness. David Brooks on why all politics is thymotic. And what drives people to pursue a political career? Is it idealism, ideology or because they enjoy being bossy? And how much can politicians expect to influence events? [Mar 21] From Canada, Charles Taylor defended his position against the reprinting of the caricatures, and more. An article on Sierra Leone and Liberia, and the prospects for development, peace and prosperity, and more on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. An article on the increasing importance of African oil. From Cafe Babel, a series of articles on the Common (Criminal) Market. A review of Yob Nation: The Truth About Britain’s Yob Culture. A review of The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967-1977. A review of The People on the Street: A Writer's View of Israel. From American Diplomacy, it is surely time to ask: W(h)ither State? From New York, The Ground Zero Grassy Knoll: A new generation of conspiracy theorists is at work on a secret history of New York’s most terrible day. A look at how the "Impeach Bush" chorus is growing. Productivity Madness: The press swallows $3.8 billion worth of junk economics. From Seven Oaks, a review of Stutter. Is the sun setting on OJ? Feelin' Their Thizzle: How the culture of Ecstasy has changed as the drug moved from raves to hip-hop. And all the cool kids are doing it: ITMFA [Mar 20] From The National Interest, an essay on Geopolitical Jihad, and why Jihad is as virtual as it is real; a profile in defiance: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; and an article on The Osirak Fallacy. Some experts in the United States have been thinking the undiscussable: If all other options are worse, could the world learn to live with a nuclear Iran? Instead of using threats to try to halt Tehran's nuclear programme, the West should support Iranian moderates in their desire for a strengthened democracy. Why are we trying to reheat the Cold War? Anatol Lieven wants to know. Since the cold war, the earth has become more peaceful. Why doesn't it feel that way? Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is not competent to lead our armed forces. Fred Barnes on why Condi Rice, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove need new jobs. A look at why it doesn't matter if Bush replaces his White House staff. A look at how President Bush increasingly uses rhetorical straw-man arguments to combat unnamed critics. Michael Lind reviews Bruce Bartlett's Impostor. Think the unthinkable: It’s 2009, and our government is decapitated in a terrorist attack. Who will become Speaker? Who'll sit on the Supreme Court? Bruce Ackerman speculates. From TAP, a cover story on The New New Gore: Five years ago, Al Gore was the much-mocked pol. Today? C’mon, admit it: You like him again. Can Rahm Emanuel save the Democrats? An interview with Ned Lamont who is running against Joe Lieberman in Connecticut’s Democratic primary. An interview with Markos Moulitsas Zúniga of Daily Kos. Lobbyists in Love: With power couples, conflict of interest is what makes them interesting. Mixed Drinks: More from Nerve's History of Single Life. Older women like sex. That less-than-earthshaking claim has raised eyebrows and ire. And tired of waiting for the right guy to come along, more and more women are just looking for the right sperm. But choosing a donor is only the beginning [Weekend 2e] Media and technology: From CJR, an editorial on failing to mourn the end of the Golden Age of newspaper monopoly; a look at the coverage of global warming in the Arctic Circle; a map of the world of the Iraqi stringers that Western media rely on; David Glenn profiles the intrepid Walter Pincus of The Washington Post; an x-ray of the publishing industry in light of the Frey affair; and and Jack Shafer recalls when Tom Wolfe went Electric. From The Weekly Standard, a review of An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government and other Goliaths, and a review of Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots and the Rise of People-Powered Politics. From The New Yorker, James Surowiecki on the end of network neutrality and the future of the Internet. Traditional media companies are making a huge push onto the internet. The eBay of intellectual property will launch this April, allowing companies to buy and sell technology patents both on the auction floor and online. And an interview with Eben Moglen, the longstanding legal counsel for the Free Software Foundation [Weekend] From Canada, Paul Martin officially resigns as leader on the Liberal Party. From China, are human rights higher than sovereignty? From Open Democracy, in advocating a written constitution rather than achievable reforms, critics of a plan to revive Britain's fading democracy are making the best the enemy of the good. From Transitions Online, critics say Russian society's growing intolerance of minorities is largely down to the acts and words of media, politicians, and police; and as Kosovo moves toward independence, its leading public figures are debating whether there is a Kosovar national identity. An interview with Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey. Only a small proportion of the clothes that go to charity shops will be put on sale in this country. Most of them are bought by rag traders and sent to Africa where they are resold. So who wins from the arrangement? An interview with Fred Pearce, author of When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century. Let China sleep, runs Napoleon’s famous saying, for when she wakes, she will shake the world. Two hundred years later, a rising China is indeed starting to convulse the world. Violence and suicide are the flipside to India and China's development - something their leaders have at last recognised. Henry Kissinger on the US-India partnership. From National Journal, both Barack Obama and John Thune arrived in the Senate a little more than a year ago amid sky-high expectations. How are they doing now? Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg acknowledges death threat against her. Where might Claude Allen have learned you can get the things you want without having to pay for them? Though uniformly reviled in Washington, the alternative minimum tax could act as a fiscal safety net in the next decade by producing automatic tax increases to help cover rising entitlement costs. And a review of The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise [Mar 17] News from around the world: From Barbados, what is negrocrat? From Uganda, the recent victory of President Yoweri Museveni was given the thumbs up by EU election observers. Did they get it right? From Belarus, considered a dictator by many, Alexander Lukashenko could dash western hopes for regime change by winning a third term on Sunday, where an identity crisis stems from a weak nation-building process in the late nineteenth century. From Great Britain, if Tony Blair is not thinking about stepping down, he should be; and one street contains a litmus test of the problems facing assimilation of Muslim communities in a global city. From France, entr'acte: An article on guidance for our time from the Age of Enlightenment. Is there any such a thing as a "Francophone" identity? Brad DeLong on Europe’s free riders, and an article on the next welfare state. From Axess, this is not a clash of civilisations. It is possible to aspire to universal values, but the prerequisite is that all cultures and religions are open to critical debate; and some Muslim women feel that the veil provides dignity and protection, but it can control their inner life, even after they stop wearing one. James Galbraith on why quitting Iraq won't undo the real damage of the war. Immanuel Wallerstein on the friendship between the United States and India. Jeffery Sachs on development aid for development's sake. It may be possible to destroy much of the world's long-lived radioactive waste, if a new experiment in Japan proves successful. And a review of Global Games [Mar 16] American culture, history, and more: From The New Yorker, a review of The Playmate Book: Six Decades of Centerfolds. A review of Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity and the Women Who Made America Modern. A review of The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy. A review of Decade of Nightmares: The End of the Sixties and the Making of Eighties America. An interview with Norman Lear on the constitution, the Christian right, and the strange ethics of "The Sopranos". An interview with Tom Wolfe. A review of Mark Twain: A Life. An excerpt from the introduction to The New York Stories of Henry James. A review of American Prophet: The Life & Work of Carey McWilliams. American culture has always warmed to what's cool. A review of An Offer We Can't Refuse: The Mafia in the Mind of America. A review of Hokum: An Anthology of African-American Humor. A look at the current state of race relations, and how one troublesome word, "Wigger", came to define and defame an entire social stereotype. A review of Household Words: Bloomers, Sucker, Bombshell, Scab, Nigger, Cyber. A review of Oops: 20 Life Lessons From the Fiascoes That Shaped America. And weird things happen to weird creatures in the weird stories in Weird Tales magazine |
[Mar 31]
Slavoj Zizek on why nobody has to be
vile.
A review
of Amartya Sen's Identity and Violence: The Illusion of
Destiny.
Anatol Lieven reviews
America at the Crossroads.
From LRB, Patrick Cockburn
reports from Iraq. Chickenhawks:
John Derbyshire criticizes the military.
An essay on the trouble with socialist
anarchism.
A
review of James Lovelock's The Revenge of
Gaia.
A review
of American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia.
Glenn Reynolds, Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu
debate Who Controls the Internet? and
An Army of Davids (and an
interview with Instapundit).
An excerpt from
Crashing the Gate, and an
interview).
Everyone's a victim:
If boys and girls are oppressed classes, who’s left?
An article on
the dangers of monotheism in the Age of Globalization.
An interview with
Rick Nañez, author of Full Gospel, Fractured Minds: A Call to Use God's
Gift of the Intellect (and an
excerpt).
Amy Sullivan on
abortion: A way forward. An article on
improving how Americans die.
Here be dragons: With luck,
you may soon be able to buy a mythological pet.
From Time, are the immigration protests
creating a backlash?
As immigration
exposes rifts for evangelicals, Dick Morris has some
advice on immigration for the GOP. Racists seem to think that
illegal workers, the
hardest-working, poorest people in the US, are getting away with
something. Like every generation of immigrants before them,
Latinos start out on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder, but they
don't stay there. From spiked!, are we addicted to love?
Theories of intimate relationships in the modern world view passionate
love as a problem to be managed. Tiger Beat: How
Scotty Schwartz went from " A Christmas Story" to " Scotty's X-Rated
Adventure". And is Don'tDateHimGirl.Com legal? The site where women
post photos and information about men they claim cheated on
them |