I have the unpleasant task here of disagreeing with a few of my co-authors. For me they’ve got their priorities out of order. I conclude this from what I view as, in this overall context, splitting hairs over what constitutes a gulag in comparison to what occurs in Guantanamo. The goal of the AI report is not to bring down Bush or any of the other paranoid fantasies I’m reading across the blogosphere. It is simply to stop the acts we know are happening, regardless of whether we disagree about why they’re happening. It is perhaps telling (and shameful) that seemingly all our Vice-President or President can do in response to criticism is join in the bashing of one of the world’s most altruistic organizations, but, my friends, these are the facts:
Edward _
The Day After Memorial Day Post
By popular demand, here’s a post on Memorial Day: 1. Throughout human history, some people have been fortunate enough to live their entire lives in relative peace, dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life until, hopefully at a ripe old age, they pass away, with a legacy behind them and only God knows … Read more
Two Quick Points on Moral Relativism
by Edward The Amnesty International report is unsurprisingly being bashed by conservative bloggers, and nearly universal among their critiques is a strong distaste for "moral relativism." A comment in the AI thread on the Belmont Club summed up this position well (even though the link says "0 Comments" click it and you’ll see them): It’s … Read more
Proselytizing from the Bench
Via a diarist on Kos~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In what seems an obviously unconstitutional order, Cale J. Bradford, chief judge of the Marion County Superior Court in Indiana has prohibited a man and his ex-wife from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals." The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion that emphasizes a balance in … Read more
Did Newsweek Make a Mistake?
It’s hard to keep up with this one. And count me among those shocked that the Associated Press would run with this story, but they did. Even as the MSM, including Fareed Zakaria, have universally conceded that Newsweek made a mistake in printing the allegation that US military personnel had flushed a Koran down the … Read more
Let’s Get Ready to RUMBLE!
Calling what’s been happening "unprecedented obstructionism," Senator Bill Frist has announced that he will seek confirmation next week for two of the judges Democrats have worked to block, essentially signalling that his finger is poised and ready to push the button to launch the "nuclear option." “Priscilla Owen, to serve as a judge for the … Read more
Evolving Personalized Information Construct
It’s easier all the time to imagine a future where MSM organizations are irrelevant. Quality will suffer of course, but if quality were a priority for news consumers, this would look very different: Constant reader crionna pointed me to this hypothetical scenario by which the future behemoth Googlezon (Google + Amazon) defeats the New York … Read more
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Recruitment?
As you’ve probably read by now, the US Army is suspending all recruitment efforts for one day of retraining because of a string of ethics violations, which some recruiters are saying is related to the pressure on them to meet quotas. This retraining comes on the heels of news that the Army and Marines are both having trouble reaching their recruitment goals. Nearly all reports suggest the unpopularity of the Iraq war is a large factor in this, but there’s no reason with all the violence to imagine we’ll be able to bring significant numbers of the troops there back soon. So what can the Army and Marines do about this problem? In a New York Times article, Damien Cave reported that the Pentagon and marketing experts are brainstorming on four central ideas:
- Skip the Cash, Use Peer Pressure
- Create a Military of One
- Privatize, Privatize, Privatize
- Tie Military Service to Citizenship
The Reluctant Minority
Personally, I’m impressed with both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. When they first ascended to their leadership positions I had reservations, but now I’m convinced that someone, somewhere made an exquisitely insightful choice in both. First of all, neither is overly threatening. Pelosi, with her ladies-who-lunch stylings, can say just about anything and still come … Read more
Bacon of Freedom
Far be it from me to question the wisdom of President Bush’s spinmeisters. I mean, they’ve given us a treasure chest of unforgettable gems like "axis of evil," "private personal accounts*," "leave no child behind," "healthy forests," "faith-based initiatives," and the ever-popular "mission accomplished." But I just don’t get this "bacon of freedom" bit they’re … Read more