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March 14, 2010
By Richard Greener
 The lions of Texas are on the loose. As the ancient African proverb predicts, they have found their historian. The powers that be in the old Republic of Texas, now in name at least a state in the Union called The United States of America, have decided to rewrite the History schoolbooks. They have voted to remove Thomas Jefferson, founder of the University of Virginia and third President of the United States, from the list of those taught as being influential in forming American ideals and values. Jefferson is being replaced by a contemporary woman from Illinois named Phyllis Schlafly. I'm not kidding. They really did that. Ms. Schlafly is best known for her love of Jesus and her hatred of gays, liberals and progressives of all kinds including feminists. Many people are taking this historical detour very seriously, just as they take History very seriously. They shouldn't.
Continue reading "The Lions Of Texas Find Their Historian"...
March 10, 2010
 Excuse me, PBS Newshour, but "Jihad Jane" is not a news story. Instead of pretending that our national security organs have scored a major coup, that INTERPOL and every other foreign security service are taking this seriously, why don't you spend more than fifteen seconds on Israel's move to construct new apartments on Palestinian land? Did you notice, by the way, that Israel made the announcement during Vice President Biden's visit? That's real news. Why spend five minutes on "Jihad Jane?" She's just one more American suffering from bipolar disorder. Out of every ten thousand people like her perhaps one will become sufficiently agitated to climb a water tower and start shooting. But she and most of the rest probably would do fine if they take their medications. Who's kidding whom that she's news?
March 8, 2010
 Hot cross buns have started appearing at the local Whole Foods. The bakers there almost certainly have no idea what a hot cross bun is, where it came from, or why they make them around this time of year. In particular, they clearly don't understand that hot cross buns are not supposed to have the texture of a bagel. No. The buns are supposed to be soft, though chewy, made from raised dough. With spices, some sultanas, some candied citrus. Preferably, for me, a sweetened cross on top. It's a Christian tradition but goes back much farther, possibly to the dawn of time. One wonders whether cooking was the true origin of humanity...
March 7, 2010
 When the BBC abandons any pretense at objectivity, you know there's a story. Listening to the BBC the last few days (the bias comes through more clearly on the air than on their website), you'd think that all Icelanders fantasize about becoming bank robbers. Now they've voted, by a 93% majority, on a referendum that rejects onerous terms for paying back the UK and the Netherlands for failed Icelandic banks. The establishment spin is that the vote doesn't matter, that the Icelandic government says it will pay back the money anyway. We'll see. It's not a simple question. The advantages that may accrue to Iceland from continuing to refuse to pay may well be substantial. And I would include on that list not joining the EU.
March 3, 2010
 At the age of 82, the Christian anarcho-pacifist vegetarian, Count Leo Tolstoy, wishing to live the life of an itinerant ascetic, ran away from home but didn't make it very far — only about eighty miles — before dying in a nondescript rural railway station, of a cold that turned into bronchitis. Such was the sad death of a passably great writer.
Considering the profound influence that Tolstoy's ideas about non-violence had had on Mohandas, aka "Mahatma", Gandhi (they corresponded for about a year before Tolstoy's death), and subsequently on many others — including Nobel Peace Prize laureates Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela, and the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. — we should properly consider Tolstoy, in addition to being a writer, a seminal political philosopher, most overtly so in later phases of his life. He was also clearly crazy.
Continue reading "Tolstoy's Station"...
March 1, 2010
By Diana Johnstone
 PARIS — For Europe's poorest countries, European Union membership has long held out the promise of tranquil prosperity. The current Greek financial crisis ought to dispel some of their illusions.
There are two strikingly significant levels to the current crisis. While primarily economic, the European Union also claims to be a community, based on solidarity — the sisterhood of nations and brotherhood of peoples. However, the economic deficit is nothing compared to the human deficit it exposes.
Continue reading "Down and Out on the European Animal Farm "...
February 28, 2010
By Werther*
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers."
— Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow
 There exists a widespread and mostly true perception that politics in America has become a relentlessly negative exercise in demonizing and defaming not only one's specific political opponent, but also any group, straw man, or bugaboo that campaign pollsters say it is profitable to attack. That, however, is not the sum of the political art as practiced by elected officials. One must also have a positive archetype to extol: a repository of virtue so far beyond reproach as to immediately engage the sentimental reflexes of the politician's audience.
Continue reading "False Consciousness"...
February 27, 2010
 One of my two cats, Buster, a dark brown, good-sized more-or-less Maine Coon cat, has a bad ear. He's eleven, and his left ear has always given him problems. When he wants it cleaned out with a Q-tip, which is often, he'll saunter back and forth in front of my keyboard and, possibly, to make himself extra-clear, scratch his ear or twitch it. Being quite familiar with his grotty ear I was alarmed last year, right before Christmas, when I noticed for the first time ever some pus in the ear canal. Immediately I took him to the vet. But the veterinary hospital I've been going to for the last several decades isn't what it used to be: instead of being totally animal care oriented it's now more of a money machine such that the quality of care one gets from any of its dozen or so veterinarians is a crap-shoot.
Continue reading "A Tail of Two Cats"...
February 20, 2010
 Mainstream news sources can't agree on how to assess China's dissatisfaction with Washington. The Washington Post seems to think it's business as usual despite Beijing's complaints about the Dalai Lama's visit to the White House and, separately, the U.S. sale to Taiwan of $6.4 billion in weapons. The New York Times sees rising tensions, while the Times of London notes that diplomatic footwork should appease Chinese feelings. Call me paranoid, but I'd make one fairly obvious connection that's not to be found in mainstream accounts: China recently sold about 5% of its U.S. bond holdings. If it has to talk any louder than that pretty soon it'll be swinging the proverbial two by four...
 Just because the President of the United States orders the extrajudicial killing of someone does not make it right. It wasn't right when George W. Bush did it. It wasn't right when Bill Clinton did it. It isn't right when Barack Obama does it. We've become too comfortable, accustomed to the outrage — granted, it's difficult to sustain a heightened sense of moral outrage when the outrages never cease — and complacent about the law.
Dropping difficult subjects down the memory hole, however, does not necessarily make them go away, nor does rationalizing the abnormal into normality. Indeed, it's precisely such efforts on the part of U.S. authorities that are likely to galvanize international lawyers outside the U.S. to take matters into their own hands.
Continue reading "Extrajudicial Killings"...
February 16, 2010
 The snowpocalypse continues to disrupt life in DC. Neighborhood streets remain single lane (an invitation to unhappy fender benders). Today I got my first US mail delivery in a week. Bills. Most of the snow hasn't melted. Temperatures are below freezing at night so there's an icing problem in the mornings. Life is hell.
And that's what kitchens are for. The other day as I was passing the meat counter at Whole Foods I noticed some very nice looking — unusually nice looking — chuck roasts. "Where are these from?," I ask. "Local," the butcher says. "Where local, exactly, could you tell me, please?," I say. She disappeared for a minute. "From Maine," she says. "But Maine," I say, "isn't local." She stares at me. Anyhow, they are exceptionally nice so I take one. Meanwhile, I've miscommunicated with Sharon about dinner so she's gotten her own provisions. 'What about Sauerbraten?' I think to myself. So I put the roast in a large plastic bag with two thirds of a bottle of Guigal Côtes du Rhone, for a day and a half.
Continue reading "Sauerbraten, American Style"...
February 15, 2010
 Yes, it was a bad idea. More than bad, it's led to several national crises putting great swathes of people out of work and ruining the lives of countless others. So, says Paul Krugman, let's double down. This is exactly what infuriates me about establishment "liberals." Greece got into the jam it's in because joining Europe made it sucker bait. Krugman at least, faintly, acknowledges that. But Krugman fails to consider the implications of what he's saying. Unless and until Europe and the U.S. can police international capital markets at least two things will happen, and not just in Greece. International banks will conspire to set up smaller Eurozone countries to fail. And then the banks will use those smaller countries as speculative piñatas.
Continue reading "Screwing Greece"...
February 13, 2010
 It might just be the best channel on cable. Not all the films it shows are good but many are great. A few are worth watching many times repeatedly. I particularly enjoy early twentieth century films that are relatively unknown — and I don't much care whether they might be forgettable — for their lens on the culture of the time. I also enjoy good junk films from the fifties through the seventies. The thing is, irony hadn't yet become the default reaction to events: people could be passionate without being ridiculed. The culture, it seems to me, was more alive.
Continue reading "In Praise of Turner Classic Movies"...
February 9, 2010
 Mr. Obama is revisiting his efforts to find a bipartisan consensus with Republicans on "best ideas" for health care... In other news, yesterday Mr. Obama traveled to the far side of the moon, where on an alien base he held a séance with Elvis. They mostly communed with the spirit of Natasha, a lyre player from ancient Rome, who instructed Mr. Obama in traditional techniques for fiddling at a bonfire. Mr. Obama seized the opportunity to practice tap-dancing his favorite rendition of the groovie walrus jitterbug, which he plans to perform for Senator Mitch McConnell just as soon as Senator McConnell will agree to see him. A complete report, including video, is expected shortly from Robert Gibbs...
February 8, 2010
 It's not that my opinions are of critical import, but I am energized by the recent upsurge in articulate written concerns about the rapid and worrisome growth in the militarization of the United States. A former diplomat with two wartime tours of active duty with the paratroops, I am honored to lecture at DOD schools, working with men and women who are part of the nation's defense, but not responsible for its huge costs, in terms of money as well as international standing.
At a recent presentation, I told them of my reaction to the 2/8/09 color photo in the Post (M-13) of the U.S. Marine Band. In uniforms reminiscent of a production of The Student Prince, there were 122 musicians! Memory tells me that John Phillips Sousa got along famously with only 26 when he led it.
Continue reading "A Former U.S. Ambassador Writes:"...
February 7, 2010
 In our headlong rush to secure air travel from terrorists we may pay the ultimate price: random corruption of our DNA. The manufacturers of mega-million dollar body scanners assure the public that they are safe. Craven government officials benefit from the money, or the fear, or both. Who will apply the brakes? Since 9/11 I've only flown once — as a matter of principle I refuse to be treated like a prisoner unless the trip is absolutely necessary — now I'm not so sure I'll ever want to fly again...
[This may not be new news, but for some reason the item showed up a couple days ago on my RSS news reader and I believe it's still worth thinking about.]
February 6, 2010
By Richard Greener
 Nearly 100 years ago President Woodrow Wilson pegged the Senate filibuster for exactly what it was. Wilson asserted that the filibuster served only to enable "a little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own," to debase the Senate and turn it into "the only legislative body in the world which cannot act when its majority is ready for action."
Continue reading "We Have A Crisis, Mr. Vice-President"...
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March 12, 2010
 It would be a truly wonderful thing if the American system of government were capable of reforming itself to become democratic. Most likely, it can't. We're on a downward spiral that will end either in collapse or revolt. There is a politically legitimate off-ramp — Article V of the Constitution provides for amendments — but navigating great reforms through it won't be simple or easy or painless. Probably, at some point, nonviolent struggle will become necessary. To get a sense of nonviolent strategy from someone who doesn't agree with me but who has done more work on the theory and on comparative studies than anyone, I turned to Dr. Gene Sharp. It was an eye-opener to talk with him and I hope he forgives me my impertinent questioning. Total runtime forty three minutes. Enjoy!
March 5, 2010
 It's interesting: as climate science becomes ever more certain about anthropogenic global warming, the public — more so here in the U.S. but also abroad — becomes more skeptical. People really don't like bad news. To get at the science/public interface I turned to Bud Ward, editor of the Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media. It was great to talk with Bud and I hope the message gets delivered, though, to be honest, I'm not optimistic. Total runtime one hour. Prepare for the worst!
February 26, 2010
 Thinking conventionally about things distances us from ourselves. Instead, argues Dr. Ellen J. Langer, we could be mindful, alive to possibility. Being mindful — Ellen provides a boatload of empirical evidence for this — will improve our physical well-being, make us happier, and extend our longevity. Her latest book, Counterclockwise , tells the story. You should read it. I also happen to think her ideas have a profound application to politics, though we tread lightly on that question in this conversation. It was a pure delight to talk with Ellen and I learned a great deal. Total runtime an hour and one minute. Enjoy!
February 19, 2010
 In a recent essay at the Huffington Post, Michael Brenner nails it. Mr. Obama, he writes, "is what we used to call a moderate Republican before the species became extinct." To get at some context on diverse political and foreign policy issues I asked Michael for a free-form tour d'horizon. I think it would be fair to say his bottom line is "anything is possible," but not necessarily in a good way. Even so, in these troubled times it's a blessing to hear some independent, unconventional thought. Total runtime an hour and five minutes. De oppresso liber.
February 12, 2010
 Consider a counterfactual hypothesis about World War II. If Eisenhower had allowed Lt. Gen. Devers to cross the Rhine in November 1944, the war in Europe might have been shortened by several months and the Battle of the Bulge almost certainly never would have happened. Did Eisenhower screw up? What could have caused things to go so wrong? For a look at some relatively unknown and greatly underappreciated history I turned to David P. Colley, author of Decision at Strasbourg
(Naval Institute Press, 2008). It's a fascinating story with a number of important lessons relevant for contemporary warfare. Total runtime an hour and eight minutes. Enjoy!
February 5, 2010
 Although the Most Serene Republic of San Marino has an older, written, working constitution, among countries of any significance the United States of America has the oldest. By far. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged gracefully. We're driving a Model T but telling ourselves it's a Ferrari. We're delusional. And until we figure out that the system's rules deliver lousy results — that our political backwardness is not so much the fault of a deficient culture — we're stuck. To talk about this problem logically I turned to the brilliant Chicago labor lawyer Thomas Geoghegan. It was a rare pleasure to get into the structural nitty-gritty and I hope someday we'll see Tom in Congress. Total runtime forty seven minutes. Optimism favors the wise.
January 29, 2010
 Come visit Yemen, where for a modest fee authorized security operatives can observe terrorists in their native habitat and — at special à la carte pricing — if desired, kill them. Trophies available. Limited to parties of six or fewer; no boots on the ground; some other restrictions apply. Well, nobody in officialdom would be quite so louche to say so but that's pretty much what it amounts to... For a look at Yemen from the back of a pickup truck I turned to the former UK infantry officer James Spencer. A pleasure and an honor! Total runtime an hour and fifteen minutes. Listen & learn.
January 22, 2010
 To ward off the Black Death, physicians in Europe donned bird masks fitted with red tinted lenses. Six hundred and seventy years later, when it comes to general-purpose health care in modern day America we prefer to deploy incense made out of money. The results are just about as good and the mentality is not much changed, either. To explore some of the pernicious superstition at the heart of our pending health care legislation I turned to Richard "R.J." Eskow, an expert who blogs frequently at the Huffington Post and who, I hasten to add, thinks the Senate bill could be made palatable. This conversation was slightly overtaken by Tuesday's vote in Massachusetts; nevertheless, it still sheds light on the choices before Congress. I very much enjoyed talking with Richard and I hope we can do it again. Total runtime an hour and five minutes. ℞
January 15, 2010
 It's got to be the biggest detective story in the world: what are our human origins? And if we're continuing to evolve at an ever faster rate, as Dr. Henry C. Harpending suggests in The 10,000 Year Explosion, how differently, then, might we identify with the earliest historians, or even relatively recent ones? A lot to consider. Not directly related to politics (perhaps), but the ideas profoundly influence how we talk about it. Total runtime an hour and nine minutes. Caution! Contains politically incorrect content.
January 8, 2010
 On the one hand, Muslims have every reason to feel aggrieved over U.S. military interventions around the world. On the other, many Muslim cultural practices run up against Western norms and don't — in my view — under the banner of religion deserve any special protections. Indeed, a danger exists the other way around when ecumenical tolerance, a bedrock liberal concept, gets circumscribed though undue deference to a fundamentalist world view. To explore some of these issues I turned to Dr. Jytte Klausen, author of the recently published (and partly censored by Yale University Press) The Cartoons That Shook the World. I don't entirely share Jytte's reasoning but I learned a great deal and am very grateful to her for talking candidly about her experience with her book. Total runtime one hour. Let secularism rule!
December 18, 2009
 If we're being visited by aliens — and I absolutely believe that we are — it shouldn't seem all that surprising if some of them abduct humans. Why they might do it and the extent to which it may be happening, however, remain murky. To talk about such strangeness I turned to the celebrated artist Budd Hopkins, whose just published memoir ART, LIFE and UFOs has got to be one of the most unusual ever written. It was great fun exploring different ideas with Budd and I'll give him this: his heart's in the right place. Total runtime an hour and four minutes. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year's and I wish you all a very joyous holiday season! ☃
December 11, 2009
 Industry pays many Americans not to believe in anthropogenic climate change. Other skeptics, however, have an innate, almost theological aversion to "theory," to the point where they have a great deal of trouble understanding the difference between theory and facts. In the context of our American debate it's critical, therefore, to emphasize the facts, and so to consider some high-priority ones I turned to Dr. Orrin Pilkey, a leading expert on coastal environments. Orrin's most recent book, co-authored with Rob Young, is The Rising Sea, an honest assessment of what will get washed away. I really enjoyed talking with Orrin and I wish his plain common sense were more widely shared... Total runtime an hour and two minutes. Seize the high ground!
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