The babyjesuschristsuperstar on Board: filling the moral void of Clinton’s legacy

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I'm almost done with The World Is Flat. I'm interested to hear Spank's views on that one. Seems like something he should like. I tend to agree with many of Friedman's long-term global views. And I like his early corporate case studies.

Best columnist on the NYTimes oped page. It shows you how far Krugman and Dowd have fallen when their columns happen to stand next to one of Friedman’s. They ought to give Friedman a foreign policy job in a moderate administration (hoping we get one in 2008).

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by Spanky
The only person that would think this is an interesting question is someone who does not understand the proper role of government. Your above statement makes transparent why your political judgement is totally lacking.

In other words, "because you disagree with me, you are not only wrong, but ignorant and foolish." Board Motto, but not particularly convincing.

Originally posted by Spanky
Just because you don't like something doesn't mean that government should step in and change it to your liking. The government needs to stay out, and as voters, we need to keep people from getting elected who think government should be involved in this issue.

Well, that clears it all up, then. Time for tea.

S_A_M

[bilmore]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Best columnist on the NYTimes oped page. It shows you how far Krugman and Dowd have fallen when their columns happen to stand next to one of Friedman’s. They ought to give Friedman a foreign policy job in a moderate administration (hoping we get one in 2008).

Friedman was wonderful telling us about his on-the-ground experiences in Beruit and Israel. He's something less than wonderful telling us how things should change in the ME now. He seems to want to try all the things that have already failed. I think he wants to go to his speeches and parties and not get booed simply because he's an American, and so picks strategies that will make us lovable. Problem is, being lovable is not a rational goal right now.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Interesting debate going on over at the Indiana University School of Law in Indanapolis.

Lots of discussion about this article.

Gist is that an assistant professor who recently was recently approved by the faculty to associate professor after three years of teaching was denied contract extension. He says that it's becauase he is pro-war and refused to sign a letter of support for Ward Churchill.

There's a fauclty member in the comments at Volokh who denies the allegation but doesn't really go further into reasons that the contract wasn't extended. More discussion from current students here, here and here.

It seems that everyone agrees that the article was poorly written. The article suggests that he sought tenure, when he's not eligible for tenure for three more years.

Other than that, go read the Volokh discussion. I think it's interesting.

There's some new information about this particular faculty member at Indystar.com: here.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I'm almost done with The World Is Flat. I'm interested to hear Spank's views on that one. Seems like something he should like. I tend to agree with many of Friedman's long-term global views. And I like his early corporate case studies.

I finished the World is Flat at the end of October. From my perspective there wasn't that many new insights. He was just summing up what economic conservatives (economic neoliberals have known for years ). All it did was reinforce my views that:

1) We need to embrace Globalism not run from it. That means entering into all the free trade agreements we can get involved in. The book pointed out why it was moronic to be against CAFTA, NAFTA and the WTO.

2) Any politicians that talks about "fair trade", "the lowest common denominator when it comes to wages, the importance of farm subsidies, protecting domestic jobs or pretty much takes any position that is supported by the Unions is a danger to this country's future.

3) We need to create an environment in the US that fosters business and entrepeneursim. If we don't business will go somewhere else.

4) We need to focus on education, and not an educational system that is worried about self esteem but that is actually worried about education.

Did anyone else get a different message?


P.S. The Gods have decided that I should not read Collapse. It was in none of the local bookstores so I ordered it from Amazon. They screwed up the order and sent me the wrong book and I am still waiting for them to send me the right one.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Spanky
P.S. The Gods have decided that I should not read Collapse. It was in none of the local bookstores so I ordered it from Amazon. They screwed up the order and sent me the wrong book and I am still waiting for them to send me the right one.

There are piles of copies of it in the bookstore next door. I'm not reading it.

The last thing I need is a bullshit glass half empty tome, scolding me for having an SUV.

Of course things collapse in time. There'll be a day, I'm sure, where humans will no longer live on this planet. People keep saying "Oh, we humans are ruining the world with our unnatural use of resources and chemicals and [insert affront to nature here]." It seems to me that everything on the planet is natural. Its all come about from a natural evolution of the human mind. So this “Collapse” is a natural end result of a natural process. Seems like a life cycle type of thing. Every species has an end date over a long enough span of time. So Diamond has found proof we’re following that natural course. So what? What’s that going to say to me? It’s just more defeatist depressing sky-is-falling shit.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
There are piles of copies of it in the bookstore next door. I'm not reading it.

The last thing I need is a bullshit glass half empty tome, scolding me for having an SUV.

Of course things collapse in time. There'll be a day, I'm sure, where humans will no longer live on this planet. People keep saying "Oh, we humans are ruining the world with our unnatural use of resources and chemicals and [insert affront to nature here]." It seems to me that everything on the planet is natural. Its all come about from a natural evolution of the human mind. So this “Collapse” is a natural end result of a natural process. Seems like a life cycle type of thing. Every species has an end date over a long enough span of time. So Diamond has found proof we’re following that natural course. So what? What’s that going to say to me? It’s just more defeatist depressing sky-is-falling shit.

It really isn't a defeatist book. Or a sky is falling book. It is about learning from what people before us did which led to their eventual demise (and in some cases, their eventual success, which is related obviously to his earlier book, Guns, Germs and Steel). I don't know why trying to learn things from prior societies would be looked upon as a negative thing. It actually contains some really hopeful examples of ways that, for example, big oil conglomerates have done things to improve local environemnts AND their long-term bottom lines.

So you wouldn't want us to learn about Hitler because it is just a story of how bad people can be and there is nothing really to learn other than human nature?

Yes, I said it. Hitler. What does Sebby win?



(I'm pretty sure that the rule doesn't hold if you aren't actually comparing someone to Hitler, but if this loses me the argument, so be it.)

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
So you wouldn't want us to learn about Hitler because it is just a story of how bad people can be and there is nothing really to learn other than human nature?

Depends. Will it make me feel guilty about spending my tax cut money on gas for driving my SUV past the WalMart to the parking lot outside the boarded-up factory to get some cheap yard work done by the illegal immigrant "day-labor" workers?

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Not Bob
Depends. Will it make me feel guilty about spending my tax cut money on gas for driving my SUV past the WalMart to the parking lot outside the boarded-up factory to get some cheap yard work done by the illegal immigrant "day-labor" workers?

It pretty much has nothing to do with any of that. It would have more to do with if you chopped down the last tree on your continent to use it as a Christmas tree or something.

You are feeling guilty all on your own though, aren't you? Poor Not Bob.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Not Bob
Depends. Will it make me feel guilty about spending my tax cut money on gas for driving my SUV past the WalMart to the parking lot outside the boarded-up factory to get some cheap yard work done by the illegal immigrant "day-labor" workers?

Wow. So many memes. So little time.

Actually, Diamond will merely convince you that empiricism is a rational source for guidance.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
It really isn't a defeatist book. Or a sky is falling book. It is about learning from what people before us did which led to their eventual demise (and in some cases, their eventual success, which is related obviously to his earlier book, Guns, Germs and Steel). I don't know why trying to learn things from prior societies would be looked upon as a negative thing. It actually contains some really hopeful examples of ways that, for example, big oil conglomerates have done things to improve local environemnts AND their long-term bottom lines.

So you wouldn't want us to learn about Hitler because it is just a story of how bad people can be and there is nothing really to learn other than human nature?

Yes, I said it. Hitler. What does Sebby win?



(I'm pretty sure that the rule doesn't hold if you aren't actually comparing someone to Hitler, but if this loses me the argument, so be it.)

Oh dear. How do I say this politely......what loses you this argument, and so many others, is the persistence of misspellings and typographical errors in your posts. I for one cannot take seriously an argument that the author could not bother to present in a professional manner. Maybe it's just me that feels that way.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Oh dear. How do I say this politely......what loses you this argument, and so many others, is the persistence of misspellings and typographical errors in your posts. I for one cannot take seriously an argument that the author could not bother to present in a professional manner. Maybe it's just me that feels that way.

I think you meant to use the html code for bold, which is simply "b" in the brackets, not "bold". You're welcome. Merry Generic-Winter-Holiday and Happy New Year.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
You are feeling guilty all on your own though, aren't you? Poor Not Bob.

Guilt is my middle name. I blame the cute-haired waitress.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by bilmore
Wow. So many memes. So little time.

I tried to put something about Halliburton in there, too, but ran out of room.

[Shape Shifter]

by Christopher Hitchens


It helps discredit free media in Iraq at a time when that profession is very new and very hazardous (and one of the unarguable moral gains of the original intervention). In a situation already dominated by rumor and conspiracy-mongering, and in a country rife with death squads, it exposes every honest Iraqi reporter to the charge that he or she is an agent of a foreign power. Who at the Pentagon could possibly have needed to have this explained to them?


It comes on the heels of a credible report about a threat, from President George W. Bush, to bomb the Qatari headquarters of Al Jazeera. The British government, from whose inner circle the relevant memo has been leaked, might have taken credit—in that Tony Blair appears to have dissuaded Bush from this course of criminal insanity—but instead has threatened to use the Official Secrets Act against the newspaper that published it, thus somewhat strengthening the supposition that the story is true. Since certain people and places associated with Al Jazeera have been hit in the past, it appears more plausible than ever in retrospect that some deliberate "targeting" may have been involved.


It follows the deaths, at the hands of American soldiers, of several Iraqi journalists in "friendly fire." I wrote about this for Slate in July and pointed out that a British general had warned American commanders that these tactics might be quite an easy way of losing the war.


It is not just a matter of lying to the Iraqis and to neighboring countries, bad as that would be. The feedback must also have been intended to deceive the American taxpayers whose money was used for the fraud in the first place.

. . .

It is, anyway, not so much a matter of fooling people as of insulting them. The prostitute journalist is a familiar and well-understood figure in the Middle East, and Saddam Hussein's regime made lavish use of the buyability of the regional press. Now we, too, have hired that clapped-out old floozy, Miss Rosie Scenario, and sent her whoring through the streets. If there was one single thing that gave a certain grandeur to the change of regime in Baghdad, it was the reopening of the free press (with the Communist Party's paper the first one back on the streets just after the statue fell) and the profusion of satellite dishes, radio stations, and TV programs. There were some crass exceptions—Paul Bremer's decision to close Muqtada Sadr's paper being one of the stupidest and most calamitous decisions—but in general it was something to be proud of. Now any fool is entitled to say that a free Iraqi paper is a mouthpiece, and any killer is licensed to allege that a free Iraqi reporter is a mercenary. A fine day's work. Someone should be fired for it.

http://www.slate.com/id/2131566/