One of the things that happen when you get older is that you realize that everyone, even the people you look up to, has flaws. But it still does not make it easier to deal with the fact that those whom we greatly admire for some things turn out to be quite awful in other respects. [Read more…]
Via Ted Rall, I discovered the official insignia of the US Navy’s Executive Office for the Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons Program. This is part of the drone program that is responsible for the deaths of so many civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and other countries in the region that have generated so much anger and hostility towards the US. [Read more…]
Some of you may have been following the controversy involving posters in the subways. Pamela Geller, who sees the threat of Sharia under every bed, wanted to place signs in the subway stations of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) of New York that said “In any war between civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” The odd wording derives from something that Ayn Rand once said. [Read more…]
It seems clear that the leaked video of Mitt Romney’s 47% comments at the event held for wealthy contributors has hurt him more than his campaign anticipated and that they are in serious damage control mode. I fully expect him to spend considerable effort in the debate tonight trying to correct the image that he is an out of touch rich guy. [Read more…]
NPR had a couple of interesting items yesterday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of James Meredith enrolling at the University of Mississippi (popularly referred to as ‘Ole Miss’), a landmark event in breaking the segregation barrier in the south. He had to do so in the teeth of widespread opposition that went all the way up to the governor and that led to riots and deaths. [Read more…]
I almost never watch the political ‘debates’ since their carefully choreographed format makes them more like joint press conferences, where the candidates regurgitate the closest prepared and rehearsed responses to whatever question is posed to them, than authentic debates. The ‘town hall’ format where audience members ask questions are more fun since the general public is less predictable in their questions than mainstream journalists. [Read more…]
The prime minister of Israel has come in for considerable ribbing for trying to make the point about drawing a ‘red line’ that Iran should not cross, using a cartoon sketch of a bomb as a prop during his speech at the United Nations last week. [Read more…]
We are at that stage in the election campaign where nerves are getting frayed, people are getting testy, and sharp lines are being drawn. The question “Which side are you on?” in the form of “Who are you going to vote for?” is being posed with greater frequency and sharpness, and whips are being cracked to bring people into line. One of the things that puzzles me is the way partisans of one major party or the other react when other people say they will not vote for their preferred candidate. The most venom is directed against those who people think should vote with them but say they are going to vote for someone else. [Read more…]
The US government has finally released Canadian Omar Khadr from Guantanamo and sent him to Canada to finish out the remainder of the 10-year term imposed on him by a military tribunal in 2010. [Read more…]
In election years, the October issue of the journal PS: Political Science and Politics features the predictions of political scientists based on their various models. The issue of the journal has just been published with 13 predictions. Unfortunately it is behind a paywall. [Read more…]