Current Affairs

The Wrong Side of History

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Rights are like a good backyard barbeque. Once you get a whiff, you simply won’t be satisfied until you get your share. I note this in response to the failed attempt to pass the FMA and my utter disgust with all the Democratic leadership who went so far out of their way to make clear … Read more

While we’re on the subject of race…

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…this bit from Stereo Describes My Scenario has a certain resonance to it: “That’s like when I hear the old standby, “I don’t think of you as Black.” Well then what do you think of me as?” I’ve always had a problem with the “I don’t think of you as X” sort of comments, but … Read more

In the category of “Too pat a story”…

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…it has been determined that the French anti-Semitic attack story was a hoax: PARIS – Just days after claiming to having been the victim of a cruel anti-Semitic attack that stunned France, a young mother confessed she fabricated the story, authorities said Tuesday. The woman had claimed she was robbed on a suburban train Friday … Read more

Would Ya Lose Already?

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It’s not just the fact that no one should be smart enough to win 29 episodes in a row. And it’s not just the fact that he obliterates his “competition” day after day, thereby lowering the suspense to a level comparable to whether the castaways would actually get off Gilligan’s Island this time. It’s not … Read more

Drunken Confessions

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Two and a half margaritas past enough sense to know better… I miss Katherine. Even Josh Marshall was unable to raise that thrill I had at seeing a new post by Katherine R. Knowing she’d have researched the piece impeccably and still come out to support the values I’ve cherished my whole adult life, each … Read more

18 Tir Update

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Pejmanesque, of course, has been covering the 18 Tir demonstrations: as always, reports are vague, but it looks like the theocrats there have maintained control. What a bloodless phrase ‘maintained control’ is. As the official Voice of America statement notes This month brings the fifth anniversary of the July 9th, 1999, student uprising in Iran. … Read more

Damn good Sudan post…

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…by Bird Dog over at Tacitus; so good, in fact, that I’m just going to link (and this additional roundup by Rajan Rishyakaran, via Instapundit) and be done with it. We don’t link often enough to Tac’s place, what with half of us being regulars over there; never hurts to spread the linky goodness around. … Read more

Priceless

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via Sullivan ~~~~~~~~~~~ QUOTE OF THE DAY: “For a simple and compelling reason, traditional marriage has been the norm in every political community for 5,000 years.” – Senator Orrin Hatch, National Review. Hatch is a Mormon.

We Can vs. We Just Don’t Care To

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In what seems another life ago, I was known to rant like a banshee about how the Bush Administration has a horrendous record on the environment. Somethings change. Oh, the Bush Administration still has a horrendous record on the environment, but I try to no longer rant like a banshee about it. (Doctor’s orders…blood pressure … Read more

A New Hostage Situation.

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Things to remember about this development: Filipino Workers Barred From Going to Iraq CAIRO, Egypt – Armed Iraq (news – web sites) insurgents threatened to kill a Filipino hostage if his country does not withdraw from Iraq, according to a video that aired Wednesday. The Philippines responded by barring Filipino workers from traveling to Iraq. … Read more

A Reminder.

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Friday represents the fifth anniversary of the Iranian government’s most infamous crackdown on student dissidents. The current theocrats running that unhappy country are taking no chances; their methods are likely to be fairly brutal… and totally futile, in the long run. Pejmanesque will be covering things, obviously, and probably better than I could – but … Read more

Derbyshire alert (with apologies to Andy Sullivan)

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This post by Clayton Cramer, while generally on track, contains one of the more idiotic allegations that I’ve ever read. Mr. Cramer apparently believes that there is some sort of “homosexual dominance of the legal system.” No discussion by me; no attack; no “fisking.” It’s not worth it. But let us agree that when one … Read more

Let Freedom Ring? (II)

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Roger Simon has had a request made to him by the bloggers over at Free Iran: there are going to be protests next week* against the current theocracy ruling Iran, and they’d like some, well, support. As Roger notes, this isn’t a request for military assistance: what they want, and quite frankly need, is some indication that the rest of the world gives a damn. I’ve always thought that the Iranian regime is the best Middle Eastern candidate for being tossed out by a Velvet Revolution, and I hope to God that they succeed. I think that they might – not next week, to be sure, but before too many more years pass.

On the other hand, I’ve confidently – and incorrectly – predicted The Day on at least five different occasions, so my ability to forecast accurately on this topic may be open to question.

Moe

Moe

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Let Freedom Ring? (I)

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It’s the weekend of the Fourth of July – technically, today was the anniversary of the day that independence was declared, but that’s history for you – so a look-see for people around the world still yearning for freedom seems appropriate. First off… Hong Kong, where the populace is getting restless about the way their … Read more

Mandatory Marriage for Straights Who Procreate!

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I have had enough! Until the mindless pro-FMA conservatives demand federal legislation that requires mandatory marriage for all straight Americans who procreate—no divorce, no birth out of wedlock, mandatory immediate remarrying if one parent dies, no gray areas at all—this kind of bullshit needs to stop: It’s an ad for publications in Ohio and text … Read more

The Soft Bias of High Expectations?

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(Please take note that Professor Bainbridge has update his post; see my two updates at the bottom.) Professor Bainbridge has an interesting post up regarding the effects (or lack thereof) of diversity on workplace productivity. The question is whether diverse teams — mixing people of various ages, races, and demographic backgrounds — are more, less, … Read more

HIV/AIDS Update: Open Thread

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As promised a few days ago, this is a chance to exchange updates on the fight against AIDS. To get the ball rolling, let me share that last night I attended an amazing all-star* talk hosted by the New York Times’s Frank Rich with Larry Kramer, Tony Kushner, Terrence McNally, and Paul Rudnick (have I … Read more

On civility.

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Constant Reader hilzoy made a post in comments which I liked so much that I’m putting it up here as a post of its very own. I’ve gussied up the layout a bit, but made no other changes. Moe About civility: I think C. S. Lewis gets it right. The real test is this. Suppose … Read more

Why I’m pro-life.

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Safe, yes. Rare — and legislated to make it so. Legal? Only where one evil is overwhelmed by another. Via Pejman. (Tacitus has a post up as well, and notes “I already thought the unborn fully human in any case.” Note to same: Humanity is not defined by biology alone.) P.s. I know this post … Read more

Don’t do this, please.

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At least not here. From Sullivan: A BLOGOSPHERE CHALLENGE: It’s been extremely difficult to get a full transcript of the Michael Moore movie. So here’s a thought: why doesn’t some enterprising blogger take a tape recorder to a screening, transcribe the narrative, and post it? Then it’s a fiskathon. On your marks, get set … … Read more

The Clinton NK Plan; Take Two

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Well, their tough-stance approach yielded squat, so the Bush WH is now going to try a slightly souped-up version of the old Clinton plan to get North Korea to stop making nukes.

Old Clinton Plan

Under the Agreed Framework, North Korea agreed to halt activities at its plutonium producing nuclear reactors in Pyongyang in exchange for a relaxation of economic sanctions, a gradual move toward normalization of diplomatic relations, fuel oil deliveries, and construction of a light-water reactor to replace the graphite-moderated reactor shut down at Pyongyang. Plutonium from light water reactors is harder to use for nuclear weapons than the plutonium procured by graphite-moderated reactors. IAEA inspectors monitored North Korea’s compliance. Upon completion of the light-water reactors, originally scheduled for 2003 but subsequently indefinitely delayed, North Korea was to dismantle its graphite reactors and ship its 8,000 remaining fuel rods out of the country.

New Bush Plan

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That last post took way longer…

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…than I expected. So much so that the “Is the Iranian government outright INSANE?” post is now the “I guess that it isn’t, at that.” Which is a good thing, as the optimal result here would be a Velvet Revolution leading to an essentially violence-free regime change, and UK/US rescue missions into Iranian territory (however … Read more

Moderation in the Pursuit of Justice is no Virtue . . . .

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Obsidian Wings is the voice of moderation. We seized the radio station. Check the motto.

We’re not all moderates, of course — indeed, it’s quite likely that none of us are (my eternal protest that I’m the middle of the ObWi five may, in fact, protest too much). But we all claim, on our good days, to value discussion and exchange. Discourse, yes — before the term was corrupted by English departments everywhere. Which is why I’m particularly proud that I managed to pick fights of a sort over the last few days with Pejman Yousefzadeh, on the smart right, and Professor Leiter, on the smart left.

The disputes are facially different. With Mr. Yousefzadeh, I contend that his defense of Professor Yoo’s “torture” memorandum is too facile. With Professor Leiter, I contend that calling Justice Thomas a “lunatic” for Thomas’s Establishment clause non-incorporation argument is a lunacy too far. These disparate disputes, however, reveal a common theme: Is there a point in which politics — point of view — dissolves, and we’re left with a basic understanding that a certain argument is, or is not, objectively defensible. Regardless of your preferences, are certain claims out of bounds?

(Objectivity is a dirty word. Use consensus instead. And aren’t you stretching? . . . .)

Heedless of the inner voice (and knowing I’ve probably bit off too much to chew), I sally forth: Yes.

My responses to Mr. Yousefzadah and Professor Leiter follow.

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Placeholder (Here)

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This post by Professor Leiter is a bit of a muddled-up attack on me (read Leiter’s post, then my post, and you’ll see why). I respect Professor Leiter quite a bit but, boy, can I understand why some folks think that he — not Justice Thomas — might be the “lunatic.” The guy attacks with … Read more

“No law respecting an establishment of religion.”

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I do like Brian Leiter’s occasional takedowns of proponents of so-called “intelligent design,” but I must agree with The Curmudgeonly Clerk (and Professor Bainbridge): Leiter is dead wrong to say that Justice Thomas should be consigned to “the lunatic fringe” for proposing that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment doesn’t apply to the states. … Read more

I grow old, I grow old…

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How do I know this? Because one of the iconic sex objects of my adolescence and youth – a woman that successfully reinvented herself a dozen times to fit a rapidly-changing market – has apparently decided that adopting the name Esther will fill some inner need for her*. It gets worse, folks: until the Post … Read more

Clever, but only by half

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I agree: these Berkely protesters are nuts. Professor Yoo’s “torture” memorandum — though dreadful as a piece of writing, analysis, and research — is no reason to dismiss the man. (And, take note that even when I was in full “off with their heads” mode, I limited my criticisms to the DoD memorandum, not Professor Yoo’s).

That said, however, Pejman Yousefzadeh‘s criticism of the Berkely protestors is too facile, and misses the mark. Here’s what Yousefzadeh writes (via Glenn Reynolds):

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Three Little Birds

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First, go read David Schuler’s piece on “Jacksonians, Wilsonians, and Hamiltonians at war” over at the Glittering Eye. I’ve been meaning to do an in-depth post on it since last week but haven’t found the time, and now probably won’t. Alas. Alack. Second, it appears that Tacitus has plunged through The Carter Horizon. Welcome to … Read more

Rauch on Virginia’s Marriage Affirmation Act

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Via Sullivan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Virginia’s Marriage Affirmation Act goes into effect July 1. Although its supporters deny this is what they had in mind, the law could interfere with gay people’s right to make contracts with each other such as “wills, medical directives, powers of attorney, child custody and property arrangements, even perhaps joint bank accounts.” … Read more

Sudan and the Capacity for More Tragedy

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I was already feeling guilty about not blogging about Sudan (The Times Nicholas Kristof has been covering it well, but you gotta pay for most of these now) when Gary Farber directed me to his excellent series of posts about the tragic events happening there (and don’t worry Gary, you didn’t make me feel more guilty…in fact, you helped me see something parallel but also important):

From Gary’s April 26, 2004 post

For 14 months, the government has fought a merciless war against rebels in the remote Darfur region. Sudanese warplanes and the feared Arab militiamen known as the janjaweed, who attack on horseback, have depopulated much of an area larger than California, driving roughly 1 million villagers into a few spots like Mornay. In January the town had some 2,000 inhabitants; by March there were 80,000. Every village within 30 miles has been leveled, says Coralie Lechelle, a nurse with the relief group Medecins sans Frontieres. Refugees are stuck there, she says: “In fact, it is a prison.”

Now it certainly does me no credit to admit that I skim the Kristof updates on the situation in Sudan when they come along, but then actually make a conscious decision to not post about them. And not only has that tugged hard at my conscience, making me question my values, my latent racism, my laziness, it’s also led me to dream up rationales like “I only have the capacity for so much empathy” or, worse, “when it gets really bad, then I’ll start paying attention or get involved.”

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The Turing Police

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It’s a bit ironic, really, that Gibson chose Alan Turing as the inspiration for his futuristic police force: Several of the best scenes in [Neuromancer] show the Turing police in action, as they carry out their task of making sure any AIs are firmly under human control. Cruel ideas about controlling humans led to Turing’s … Read more

Zoning, was it? Less of a surprise, then.

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No, actually, I’m not being entirely facetious. 99%, perhaps, but that last 1% is a different story. I am referring, of course, to the armor-plated bulldozer (complete with .50 caliber machine gun) that tore up a Colorado town yesterday:

GRANBY — A 52-year-old welder nursing a grudge against the town fathers and driving a bulldozer converted into a war machine ripped the heart of this high-country ranching town from its foundations Friday.

Among the structures destroyed or heavily damaged in a relentless 90-minute rampage were Granby’s town hall and library, a bank, the town’s newspaper, an electric cooperative building, Gambles Store, an excavating business and a house owned by the town’s former mayor, as well as a concrete plant adjacent to the business of the man believed responsible for the bizarre assault.

It’s not really funny: although the, well, rampage somehow didn’t hurt anyone being attacked, the guy responsible shot himself afterwards. For that matter, I don’t particularly think that driving around town with what’s essentially a homemade armored car and shooting at things is an example of what one would call reasonable behavior; Jim Henley aside*, I suspect that a tumor or recent change in brain chemistry was what set this guy off.

That being said, I’m not surprised that a zoning violation was the apparent cause: it’s amazing how much sheer emotional energy and contention get generated by the simple application of rules about who can build what and where. I’m also struck by these two lines:

“He said, ‘By God, I am going to bulldoze those businesses,’ the businesses of all the people who’d done this to him,” Brown recalled.

“People knew he was building the armored bulldozer, but they didn’t know why he was building it,” said Nelson. He said Heemeyer welded one-inch armor plate around the bulldozer.

Because, of course, there are so many possible reasons why a man would need a homemade armored bulldozer. A pity that Ms. Brown and Mr. Nelson never compared notes…

Moe

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