Eric Martin

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 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 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

by Eric Martin Rob Farley wants to know if Anchorman really is the most quoted comedy of the last decade.  I say the question is too restrictive and would rather point out that The Big Lebowski is likely the most quoted comedy ever.  At least for the folks I run with.  Which isn't saying much. … Read more

by Eric Martin This is just extremely, extremely wrongheaded: A plan by Senate Democratic leaders to reform the nation’s immigration laws ran into strong opposition from civil liberties defenders before lawmakers even unveiled it Thursday. Democratic leaders have proposed requiring every worker in the nation to carry a national identification card with biometric information, such … Read more

by Eric Martin First, noted "libertarian" Glenn Reynolds (not his only such defense of the indefensible of course): A reader says he’s suprised to see me support the Arizona bill. Well, I really don’t — that is, I don’t know if I’d have voted for it if I were in Arizona. I’m mostly reacting to the fact … Read more

by Eric Martin Unremarkably, the Obama administration has not been able to turn around the slide in Afghanistan, and the prospects going forward are bleak: A Pentagon report presented a sobering new assessment Wednesday of the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, saying that its abilities are expanding and its operations are increasing in sophistication, despite recent … Read more

by Eric Martin John Cole spotted something interesting in the media's coverage of recent revelations of widespread torture in Iraqi government prisons: the New York Times, Washington Post and NPR all use the word "torture" to, rightly, describe the type of abuse endured by the detainees in question. While that might seem like a mundane observation (media outlets … Read more

by Eric Martin Quelle surprise: A Senate panel investigating the causes of the nation's financial crisis on Thursday unveiled evidence that credit-ratings agencies knowingly gave inflated ratings to complex deals backed by shaky U.S. mortgages in exchange for lucrative fees. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold a detailed hearing on Friday, where its … Read more

by Eric Martin May I recommend that the Republican Party run on a promise to repeal the recently passed healthcare reform, what with its provisions cracking down on rescission and denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions: One after another, shortly after a diagnosis of breast cancer, each of the women learned that her health insurance had … Read more

by Eric Martin A recently leaked memo from Defense Secretary Gates has caused a bit of a stir in foreign policy circles due to the arguable "bombshell" lurking in the lede: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has warned in a secret three-page memorandum to top White House officials that the United States does not have … Read more

by Eric Martin The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgement of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist. — Winston Churchill I believe … Read more

by Erique Martinique First and foremost I'm alive…but barely.  Six nights in that town is enough to kill an elephant – at least the way we spent them.  It's what I expected with approx. 30 of my closest and oldest friends converging on said city for nothing more than a prolonged party.  Highlights from the … Read more

by Eric Martin I'm off to begin celebrating my brother's wedding in New Orleans tomorrow in the AM (wedding ceremony tentatively set for Saturday, pending continued aliveness of said brother).  I've heard rumours about good food and music to be had, but I remain skeptical.  See you all next week, I hope.

by Eric Martin Republican Congressman Ron Paul is definitely off-message: "The question has been raised about whether or not our president is a socialist," Paul said. "I am sure there are some people here who believe it. But in the technical sense, in the economic definition of a what a socialist is, no, he's not … Read more

by Cheryl Rofer So far we've had the New START Treaty completed by the negotiators and signed by the presidents of the United States and Russia. It lowers the numbers of nuclear weapons and lists the ways each side can track the other's. To come: ratification by the US Senate and Russian Duma. Treaty, Protocol, … Read more

by Eric Martin Brian Katulis highlights a telling aspect of the controversey surrounding WikiLeaks' release of video showing a U.S. Apache helicopter gunning down civilians, including a van arriving on the scene to evacuate the wounded: the story barely made a ripple in Iraq.  That's not necessarily a good thing: GWEN IFILL: Rod, there — on a related … Read more

by Eric Martin Someone got his bath today - an event he enjoys immensely.  In fact, he likes the water so much that his mother (an avid swimmer in her own right) is starting a swim class with him this week.  The little baby wetsuit that he has to wear is insanely cute. This one is borderline NSFW: And the finale:

by Cheryl Rofer There are a number of ways to look at the NPR, and I hope to hit several of them in several posts. But I think that the most important aspects of this NPR are broad and long-term. The first NPR was in 1993; the idea of such a review came from the … Read more

by Eric Martin James Fallows has an interesting meditation on the Wikileaks incident discussed in a previous post:  [A]s with Abu Ghraib, there will be a strong temptation just to blame (or exonerate) the lower-level people who pulled the triggers, but that deflects us from real questions of responsibility. There will be  lot of those "real questions" … Read more

by Eric Martin Clearly, the unrelenting class warfare rampant in this country, and the onerous tax burdens that result, are taking their toll on top U.S. corporations: …Ben Armbruster highlighted a Forbes report on the taxes paid by top corporations last year. According to Forbes, General Electric managed to make $10.3 billion in pretax income, but paid nothing … Read more

by Eric Martin One of the over-arching problems with the much-hyped implementation of counterinsurgency doctrine (COIN) in recent U.S. war fighting is the disconnect between theory and practice.  COIN sounds great on paper: a highly disciplined force, well-versed in local customs and culture, focused more on securing the population than kinetic operations against militants, with rules of engagement and … Read more

by Eric Martin This move makes so much sense, it's remarkable that more states and municipalities haven't followed the handful of trail…um…blazers: The city's new district attorney and the state Supreme Court are moving to all but decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use in an effort to unclog Philadelphia's crowded … Read more