Month: August 2004

Reading for Reformation

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Kristof shares some encouraging news on the Reformation of Islam in his column today:

But now the same tools that historians, linguists and archaeologists have applied to the Bible for about 150 years are beginning to be applied to the Koran. The results are explosive.

The Koran is beautifully written, but often obscure. One reason is that the Arabic language was born as a written language with the Koran, and there’s growing evidence that many of the words were Syriac or Aramaic.

For example, the Koran says martyrs going to heaven will get “hur,” and the word was taken by early commentators to mean “virgins,” hence those 72 consorts. But in Aramaic, hur meant “white” and was commonly used to mean “white grapes.”

Not so sure about his timeframe. I believe the Bible has been undergoing quite a thorough deconstruction (off and on) since the early 16th Century or before, but he’s right to point to this new trend in re-examining the Koran as encouraging.

And none too soon either.

Consider the growing sentiment in Egypt, as reported by David Remnick recently in the New Yorker*:

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I’m pleased to announce…

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…that we’ve successfully invited another blogger into the mix. I’d tell you who, but I’m cynically attempting to generate buzz*. Not a Rightie, not a Republican, first on Katherine R’s replacement list (not to mention my own Possibles list) – that’s all I’ll say, except: Welcome! Moe *Which should not be taken as an instruction … Read more

Kerry Hypes Troop Withdrawal

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Kerry is now suggesting that if elected he will be able to engineer a significant troop withdrawal from Iraq during the next four years. I haven’t been able to find the full text of the speech, but here and here are two cites reporting on the speech. I think both headlines are misleading. He doesn’t … Read more

Turning the Corner…Finding Same Old Problems

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So the BBC (hat tip Wilfred) is running further with the idea than the US media that the Terror Alerts announced Sunday are timed to promote some GOP political advantage (considering how old the intel is there’s an argument to be made there). They offer that it was timed to “to knock presidential challenger John … Read more

What? ANOTHER agency?

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That was pretty much my first reaction to this story:

WASHINGTON – President Bush (news – web sites) urged creation of a national intelligence director Monday to coordinate the war on terrorism but without the sweeping powers for hiring, firing and spending at the CIA (news – web sites), FBI (news – web sites) and other agencies as recommended by the Sept. 11 commission.

“We’re a nation in danger,” Bush said in a White House Rose Garden appearance where he announced his support for a national intelligence chief and the establishment of a national center to plan counterterror operations in the United States and abroad. “We’re doing everything we can in our power to confront the danger.”

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Specific Threats of Terrorism

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This thought–sparked by the following headline: “Warning, Specific Targets Identified”. I’m torn about publicizing specific target warnings. Unless the plot is non-transferable for some reason, can’t the terrorist just pick another building? It will make our (correct) intelligence look stupid, and it will allow for an easier attack. But on the other hand not warning … Read more

Still the Reluctant Imperialists

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Hat tip to Constant Reader Wilfred for this item
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When the Bush Doctrine was first introduced, political analysts began debating whether or not it actually indicated that the US was now actively/openly pursuing an imperialist approach to our foreign policy.

Here’s a sampling of articles on the subject (with choice quotes) dating back to 2002:

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“Apparently fear wasn’t enough”

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That’s the epitaph of President Bush’s foreign policy suggested by Robert Wright (senior fellow at the self-declared “nonpartisan” New American Foundation) in an op-ed in the New York Times today. We don’t need to be loved in the Muslim world, but we need to be respected. And even real men want respect. After all, strength … Read more

A good job spoiled for what?

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So I’m listening to a live press conference where NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is describing the planned response to the Homeland Security Department’s announcement that Reports indicate that al-Qaida is targeting several specific buildings, including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in the District of Columbia, Prudential Financial in northern New Jersey, and Citigroup … Read more

Can’t say to the dancing bit…

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…we’ll have to see the next time we’re over for dinner. What? Oh, sorry: Rivka over at Respectful of Otters posted something earlier in the week that I meant to link to at the time: her own grappling with the issues involved in the aborting of disabled children, being that she is a disabled adult … Read more

Ag subsidies take a hit…

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(Crossposted to Redstate)

…or possibly a hit and a half:

GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) — World Trade Organization (WTO) states sealed a deal early on Sunday aimed at slashing rich nations’ farm subsidies, opening industrial markets and putting the Doha Round of free trade talks back on track.

After failing to reach agreement in Cancun, Mexico, last September on an interim deal on parameters for negotiations in farm and industrial goods and other areas, WTO states had set themselves a new deadline of the end of July.

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