Month: May 2010

by von There is a lot that we don't know about the raid of an activist ship by IDF Naval forces.  But there are a few things that I'm starting to get my own head around. First, it was yet another deeply stupid move by Netanyahu's government.  Dropping commandos one-by-one from a helicopter onto the … Read more

by Eric Martin Brian Ulrich at American Footprints: Israeli military forces have used lethal force against peaceful humanitarian activists in international waters: “Israeli naval commandos shot dead at least 16 people and wounded over 30 on Monday morning, as they attacked an unarmed humanitarian and civilian flotilla – in international waters – trying to bring … Read more

by Eric Martin Baby Eric would like to extend a heart-felt thumbs up to all of the soldiers that have given so much of themselves, by choice and otherwise, in the military service of this nation and others.  He thinks you're groovy, man. And to their families, friends and loved ones, who can sometimes feel overwhelmed … Read more

by Eric Martin Rodger Payne makes a good point regarding the further erosion of the already imprecise-to-a-fault term "WMD."  Bottom line: lumping chemical, biological and nuclear weapons into a single category is more misleading than it is illuminating.  The lethality varies greatly, as does the countermeasures and feasibility of use, and allowing politicians and policymakers to use the term to refer to … Read more

by Eric Martin Michael Hanna is right on the money about al-Qaeda being its own worst enemy.  Now if we could just get out of the way: …I wanted to take a closer look at one very small subsection of the [recently released National Security Strategy] dealing with how the United States seeks to “disrupt, dismantle, … Read more

by Eric Martin Larison takes on Peggy Noonan and the latest incoherent demagoguery: I don’t see how the president’s position and popularity can survive the oil spill. This is his third political disaster in his first 18 months in office. And they were all, as they say, unforced errors, meaning they were shaped by the … Read more

by Eric Martin Kevin Drum does a good job of explaining the facile comparison of the BP spill to Katrina: Katrina was an example of the type of disaster that the federal government is specifically tasked with handling. And for most of the 90s, it was very good at handling them. But when George Bush … Read more

by Eric Martin Matt's Atomic Duss Bin highlights some key takeaways from the just released National Security Strategy (quoted in full with permission from the author): One of the starkest differences between the Obama administration’s new National Security Strategy (pdf) and the Bush administration’s (pdf) is its tighter focus on Al Qaeda and affiliated extremists, and its … Read more

by Eric Martin Flyntt and Hillary Mann Leverett discuss recent revelations about an extensive use of military personnel in various friendly, and non-friendly nations in the Middle East/North Africa/Central Asia region.  These would be military operations undertaken absent a public debate (or even legislative debate) about the merits of what are extremely risky and potentially costly activities.  … Read more

by Eric Martin David Shorr (whose byline always inspires me to read on), on the most recent developments in the Iran nuclear program saga: [The cold-water-in-face award]…goes to Les Gelb, for pointing out how US nonproliferation priorities have little resonance with the rest of the world. According to his reading of Brazil and Turkey's recent mediation initiative, "the good old … Read more

by Eric Martin Pretty Much. Having said that, I just don’t know what the administration is supposed to do. What can be done? That, I think, is the real lesson from this- that we can’t really do anything about this sort of disaster, and i think the administration has done a really shitty job of … Read more

by Eric Martin Government should just get out of the way of big business, de-regulate, allow self-regulation, lax oversight, ignore capture, etc.: Federal regulators responsible for oversight of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico allowed industry officials several years ago to fill in their own inspection reports in pencil — and then turned them over to the … Read more

by Eric Martin Although I am a little late in getting to this, allow me to go on record in saying that this is a travesty of justice, and a gross violation of human rights: A Malawian couple became the latest gay rights activists to face a judicial backlash for their public stand on sexuality … Read more

by Eric Martin Mondays.  Discuss.

by Eric Martin Poor Matt Yglesias is perplexed: Apparently there was a terrorist attack on American soil earlier this week. What’s more, though fortunately nobody was killed in the attack, unlike in the much-hyped Underpants Bomber or Times Square plots, the perpetrator actually managed to build a working bomb [EM: and detonate it!]. But somehow … Read more

by Eric Martin Why should we bother oil and gas companies with the nettlesome requirement to get environmental permits and the like?  And why shouldn't we trust industry to regulate itself and look after the public interest in general? In its 2009 exploration plan for the Deepwater Horizon well, BP PLC states that the company … Read more

–by Sebastian The Supreme Court says that as a matter of Constitutional law the United States can lock you us indefinitely without trial after you have served the time the jury and judge sentenced you to for a crime you did commit on the basis of future crimes it predicts you might commit, and that … Read more

by Eric Martin The Eds comments on the recent conservative uproar over the fact that a, gasp, actual Muslim American (who also celebrates elements of the Christian faith) won the Miss USA pageant: Rock-ribbed American conservative foreign policy savant Daniel Pipes uses his entirely not-creepy knowledge of beauty pageants to uncover a pattern of liberals pandering to … Read more

by Eric Martin Appropos of nothing in particular, I was scrolling through my iPod and it occurred to me that I hadn't listened to Sinead O'Connor in quite a while.  After remedying that lapse, it then it occurred to me what an amazing song this is. Also, too, while on the topic of female singers … Read more

by Eric Martin Brian Katulis is one of the smartest wonks in the game, and it is admirable that he is still trying to get the attention of policymakers in Washington with respect to the fundamental questions about Afghanistan policy that he emphasizes in this piece (excerpted below).  But the fact that he is reminding the … Read more

by Eric Martin They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin Bruce Schneier offers wise words regarding our tendency as a people to focus on worst-case-scenario thinking – or, better yet, our tendency to put too much stock in the likelihood of worst case scenarios. … Read more

by Eric Martin Camille Paglia complains about trends in education, and holds herself up as an example of her own critique:  This whole thing about global warming – I am absolutely incredulous at the gullibility of people. What is this hysteria over drowning polar bears? And finally I realized, people don’t know polar bears can swim! For me, the … Read more

by Eric Martin While pondering the staggering costs of the Iraq invasion as partially detailed (and likely undercounted) in the recent CAP report (see, here), it is important to remember that the costs are still accruing at an alarming for all parties involved.  Most pointedly, and tragically, the Iraqi people. Today, the news was particularly grim.  … Read more

by Eric Martin While perusing this post by Daniel Larison about Iran's nuclear program, and assumptions related thereto, I came across this line from Caroline Glick: …[I]t is clear that Iran's nuclear project is aggressive rather than defensive. In truth, the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear program (pdf) came to the conclusion that Iran didn't have (as of that date) an … Read more

by Eric Martin Via Adam Serwer, here's an interesting tack for the GOP to take in attacking Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan: Kagan quoted from a speech Marshall gave in 1987 in which he said the Constitution as originally conceived and drafted was “defective.” She quoted him as saying the Supreme Court’s mission was to … Read more

by von Bear with me.  I won't tell you why, except that I have a point coming.  Someday. I was pretty pissed off at this raid of (according to the evidence) a small time dealer of marijuana.  Maybe that's too mild a description of my tone.  Here's an alternative:  I ate the apple of the … Read more

by Eric Martin The always interesting Hooman Majd recounts his recent travels to Iran, debunking some misconceptions such as Secretary of State Clinton's admonition about Iran becoming a military dictatorship, and of the Green movement's alleged revolutionary aims, as well as the level of domestic support for that same movement. Majd also addresses the nuclear issue, stressing … Read more

by Eric Martin Matt Duss, Peter Juul and Brian Katulis have authored a detailed and informative report on the many costs associated with, and resulting from, the invasion of Iraq.  Here is just a sample - there is, quite tragically, much more in the actual report:  Human costs Total deaths: Between 110,663 and 119,380 Coalition deaths: 4,712 U.S. … Read more

by Eric Martin Daniel Larison on assumptions about Iran and its “pursuit” of nuclear weapons: It is worth noting here that Ahmadinejad recently repeated his government’s formal opposition to the possession and use of nuclear weapons. Obviously, no one takes this at face value, and most of us assume that Iranian officials must be lying … Read more

by von I urge you to watch the following video, with the following warnings:  It's disturbing.  And it's not safe for work. (From Radley Balko, via Andrew Sullivan.)  Put aside the wisdom or morality of the drug war.  Balko and Sullivan both pivot that way.  I want to talk about something different.  Something a bit larger.  Folks talk … Read more

by Eric Martin The previously promised "wet suit on a baby" photos – non-action versions.  Nevertheless, pretty darn cute (though I openly admit my bias).  Here's St. Vincent's bane himself: A bit blurry, but I couldn't help it because of the general "Hey" vibe on this one.     Your more observant readers might notice a certain white protrusion forming on the … Read more

by Eric Martin Via JanieM,kudos to the Phoenix Suns (as well as the Spurs and the NBA in general) for speaking out against Arizona's discriminatory and bigoted immigration law.  Some excerpts: The team will be wearing its "Los Suns" jerseys for Wednesday night's Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs "to honor [the] Latino community and the … Read more

by Eric Martin John McCain on how U.S. citizen Faisal Shahzad, the accused Times Square bomber, should be treated by law enforcement: It would have been a serious mistake to have read the suspect in the attempted Times Square car bombing his Miranda rights, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Tuesday. McCain, the ranking member of the Senate Armed … Read more

by Eric Martin Like Matt Yglesias, I'm sad to see St. Vincent's Hospital closing down.  It's been a part of the Greenwich Village landscape since as far back as I can remember (my time in New York at least).  Not only was I treated for a broken nose there back in 1992 (don't ask), but my son … Read more

by Eric Martin Rampant de-regulation – and its fell cousin, industry self-regulation/voluntary regulation – has consequences.  The Gulf Coast is on the receiving end this time (via): The Wall Street Journal reports that the well lacked a remote-control shut-off switch that is required by Brazil and Norway, two other major oil-producing nations. The switch, a … Read more