First of all, I think it’s necessary to extend my thanks to Jon for making the inexplicable decision to offer me a voice here in the fantastic YLTAT. Hopefully, he won’t be offended by my preference to link items exclusively from traditionalvalues.org, which is clearly the least biased news source in America.
Before I contemplate my first non-introductory post, I think a moment of youtube levity might be in order.
Thanks again Jon.
On 24, Kevin Drum remarks:
It’s turned into exactly the train wreck that I was afraid of when the season started. Back when Jack Bauer merely tortured people as part of the script, that was one thing… But this season Jack isn’t just spontaneously beating up on bad guys who know where the ticking time bombs are buried. No. This season Jack is beating up on the bad guys as part of a premeditated strategy and then talking about it endlessly. And so is everyone else. The writers are no longer content to merely suggest that (in their fictional universe) a bit of extralegal torture might sometimes be justified because it gets results. They’re bound and determined to explicate it on screen every single time it happens and demand that we, the audience, actively approve of it. This is not only depraved, it’s lousy storytelling too. All the usual 24 preposterousness aside, it’s made the show cringe-inducing this season.
I am forced to agree with a lot of this. What’s been most remarkable about 24 this season is how little it’s adapted to reflect changing attitudes about the world we inhabit. Following 9/11 it was far more foregivable to produce a show — a fantasy — in which the United States is almost constantly fending off nefarious terrorist plots, but it seems that general anxiety no longer exists, I think primarily because we’ve been better able to gain perspective on the attacks. Our civilization is not under everpresent terrorist threat, and more importantly, I think there’s a better sense that terrorism does not result explicitly from “hatred of our freedoms” but from “hatred of our policies.” As such, the entire premise of the show just feels contrived — even more so than in the past — and any message the show may try to offer suffers for it.
That said, it still makes for pretty entertaining TV from time to time.
Today I attended a conference/summit/program put on by the U.S. Center for Global Engagement titled “Putting ‘Smart Power’ to Work.” For those of you not up on the current lingo, “smart power” is essentially the same exact thing as soft power, but way less flaccid sounding. The panel included some serious luminaries, including Gen. Colin Powell, former Rep. Jim Leach, Wendy Sherman, and Sen. Bob Menendez. Anyway, as the title might betray, the discussion centered on what President Obama and Congress should do to empower the civilian dimensions of our foreign policy and just why it’s in our best interest to foster developmental and diplomatic capabilities. This is why I was sort of confused to learn that the very same Senator Menendez who was in front of me earlier singing paeans to development, was being such a dick about Cuba policy. In specific, Menendez has threatened to oppose the budget because it contains provisions that would allow Cuban-Americans to visit their families in Cuba once per year as well as end the ban on selling American foods and medicines in Cuba. What’s more, Menendez has put a “hold” on two of Obama’s science appointees to make a completely unrelated point about Cuba. I’m not sure what gets people so worked up about Cuba, but regardless of any emotional dimensions that might heat the debate, I’d think you’d be forced to reconsider Cuba policy based solely on the fact that it’s been rather unsuccessful. Since Kennedy instituted the embargo, Cuba has remained Communist and remained poor. At the same time, we do stupid things like make corn-based ethanol which is four times less effective than sugar-based ethanol, in large part because we refuse to trade with Cuba. It makes no sense.
I’m irritated I can’t find it, but last night on Hulu I saw an Ad Council spot featuring Dr. Green from ER talking about the lack of access to health care in the developing world. And it’s true, health care in the developing world is pathetic: diseases long neutralized in the West kill millions elsewhere. Efforts that bolster health care delivery in these countries are doing good things. But, it’s also worth nothing that you don’t need to travel to Africa to find people without basic access to health care. In fact, there are roughly 47 million Americans who are uninsured.
S-CHIP expansion is a step in the right direction, but we’re still talking about a sixth of the population lacking health insurance and a life expectancy ranked at 30th in the world (while spending more than anyone).
I don’t mean to argue that the developing world doesn’t have more dire problems than the United States, but just to show that there is a significant problem of health care delivery in the United States as well.
Truevcu says this about my post on Politico:
As much as I enjoy(ed) politico as a source of news I find myself gradually more and more unable to refute the argument that, while not as hopelessly biased as FoxNews, are drifting into a very bad place.
Actually, I disagree — the primary reason Politico is egregiously terrible is precisely because of its assiduous adherence to neutrality. Because the publication emphasizes balance uber alles, disingenuous arguments and talking points exist, unqualified, next to legitimate — or at least, more legitimate — good faith arguments. This is compounded by Politico’s obsessively political focus, so policy gets even shorter shrift than it might in other publications. It’s worth noting that this problem is endemic to all traditional media coverage to varying degrees.
I also hate Politico because it feeds and purveys the notion that political considerations drive governance. Of course, there will never be complete seperation of politics and policy, but Politco covers government like fantasy sports. Who’s up? Who’s down? Who won? Who Lost? These questions should obviously be of secondary importance when considering matters of public policy, but jackals like Jim VandeHei, Chris Matthews, and Maureen Dowd spin — indeed relish spinning — governing into a giant soap opera, and becuase of their outsized voice, amplify the importance of political posturing in governance. The “narratives” they so dispassionately report become obtuse self-fulfilling prophecies, which quite unlike soap operas, have real impacts on real people. Like “balance”, this is hardly Politico‘s affliction alone, but for my money is arguably the most pernicious force in politics.
My hatred for Politico runs deep. It thrives on everything that’s bad about the news industry. In reaction to the fantastic departure of Bill Kristol from the New York Times editorial page, Ben Smith makes this suggestion.
William Kristol’s announced departure from the Times op-ed stable has prompted a round of speculation and suggestion on who should replace him as the page’s conservative voice.
My nomination: My old boss at the New York Sun, Seth Lipsky, who, along with certainly being right-wing enough (at least on foreign policy) to qualify, is a pugnacious, entertaining writer with gift for the unconventional, so-crazy-it-just-might-work editorial angle.
Editorial pages don’t need more “so-crazy-it-just-might-work” writers, they need more “so-sensible-it-will-most-likely-work” writers. But who cares? We’re trying to sell papers! He’s pugnacious! He’s entertaining! He’s unconventional! What does it matter if he’s ever right or he’s a disingenuous hack?
The Average Dinosaur Family
The Washington Post reports on a study examining dinosaur family dynamics:
Using statistical comparisons with birds and an analysis of leg bones found atop nests of unhatched eggs, a team of paleontologists has concluded that at least three types of dinosaur males did the brooding and incubating.
The study, being published today in the journal Science, continues the extreme makeover of dinosaurs from coldblooded, pea-brain tyrants to warmblooded, empathetic helpmates.
Right! And everyone knows that the dinosaurs are the vast conspiracy of Jewish scientists extinct. Obviously, this is clear evidence supporting the evolutionary validity of traditional gender roles and the complete absurdity of the “Manny.”
Most of the news today is centering around the arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges. I don’t really have the gumption to care a lot about this, but the good news is that Obama wasn’t involved, and by refusing to engage in some quid pro quo over the open Senate seat, actually comes out looking great. This is the sort of politics heavy stuff that I find tiresome to keep up with, but here’s the “complaint” in full.
I don’t have much intention in writing a lot about this story, so if you’re interested in more, check out the sites on my blogroll.
Good news for people who don’t have cars (or those who can’t park their friend’s without chipping paint off):
Federal regulators have approved a long-awaited extension of Metrorail to Tysons Corner and Dulles International Airport, virtually assuring construction of a $5.2 billion project that regional leaders say is crucial to ease congestion and spur economic growth in Northern Virginia.
Here’s a map of the proposed line:
Though he’s served in a number of Republican administrations and was a Bush appointee, Bob Gates is an Independent.
