I am just one globally distributed newspaper, what can I do

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=161090&f=28

The Times has a nice editorial today on the Wright controversy. It even goes so far as to openly note how white pastors can say pretty much ANYTHING without 'people' batting an eye, while black pastors get hunted down and eaten alive for looking cross eyed at America.

But the sentiment is oddly detached from reality. Part of the reason people care so much about Wright's remarks are because the Times has written about how everyone should care about them every day since the story broke. Photos, front pages, articles, and dozens of op eds that they approved.

And a big part of the reason no one cared about Hagee was at least as much because the only time he gets mentioned is on page 20 in a small blurb about McCain denouncing him (which in fact he has never done). Plus hagee is perpetually referred to simply as a `controversial` person rather than actually repeating WHY he's controversial.

No such thing as free.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=158296&f=19

According to captain straight talk's national finance co chair.

'Mr. Diamond is close to most of Arizona's Congressional delegation and is candid about his expectations as a fund-raiser. "I want my money back, for Christ's sake. Do you know how many cocktail parties I have to go to?'

The laundry list of favors is pretty impressive. I also enjoyed when Diamond defended the actions as just what you are supposed to do for businesses in your district, but then added that in fact McCain usually DIDNT help out other Arizona businesses.

Overall a pretty so what story by itself, but it will be important to see how many more we see in the coming months (especially given all the bundlers names that came out yesterday) and what effect it has on his whisper campaign about who Clinton and obama know.

Note to Times, can we please have a big 'where are they now' on the keating 5.

The Long War

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=157900&f=20

Looks like six years later Afghanistan is only three more years from maybe being ready. Also, according to NATO the taliban had a bad year, but they are still expecting an unusually bloody spring and summer. I would hate to see what a good year for them looks like.

Out of sight.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=156839&f=20

Things seem to be going well in Baghdad. Not a day goes by without a story of another Iraqi unit abandoning its post or being overrun by a militia. The American forces will only conduct offensive operations if they have helicopters and drones in the air. And increasingly we are the ones manning front line defensive positions.
But that's all about to change. Last year Sunni driven violence was reduced by putting a giant wall around their neighborhoods and only allowing movement in and out through check points. Now it looks like the same effort is underway in sadr city. By cutting the neighborhood in half and severing the main traffic artery the hope is the militias will be deprived of the capability to rearm and reinforce positions.

Will this work is a valid and very much unsettled question. But my main complaint is the continuing myopic definition of success. Cutting sadr's ability to harass Iraqi troops is secondary to the objective of getting people in sadr city to accept the legitimacy of the government of Iraq and the primacy of non violent forms of political contestation.

And on this front the plan is to hire 200 people to pick up trash for a few weeks!?! 'Sorry about destroying your neighborhood and all. Here's a hundred bucks to pick up the rubble out tanks left behind. We are all square now right?'. Dane Cook's bit on American militarism comes to mind here (in case you haven't heard it the short form is 'America is the greatest country but sometimes we get cocky and blow shit up then we always come back and apologize because we are really sorry, do you mind if we leave some troops, DO YA'H MIND').

Bitter without Guns or God

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/34071.html

She's bitter about getting laid off. Given the chance to have her voice heard by the nation she didn't wrap herself in cheap symbolism. No, she asked a REAL question about lapel pins!

Obama clearly doesn't know anything about blue collar PA.

Chinese Student in U.S.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=156468&f=20

Without comment.

When Lobbyists Attack

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=156058&f=19

I have always disliked the senate as a matter of procedural fairness. It seems like the perfect storm between the worst tendencies of democracy and autocracy - a lowest common denominator majoritarianism coupled with unbeatable dynasties of neo aristocrats.

It seems most on display in cases like this. False populism and a slick name are used to build inevitability so that a wave of disgusting riders and give aways can be slipped in. All the while the initial ailment is disregarded unless one of the modern robber barons finds a way to turn it into a multi million dollar scheme.

Interestingly the real goal of tom delay's k street project was to wrestle the mantle of corporate whore from the Senate. However, ultimately it failed because the size and vulnerability of House districts makes incumbency less of a trump card. The real test of the internet will be if it can broaden the democratic sphere by lowering the cost per contact to the point where senate seats are more contestable.

Segregation? Or Respect & Adherence to "Heritage"?

I only pose a few open-ended questions to DMA's post yesterday about having a separate site for African Americans on ask.com:

• What about (new or generations of) immigrants or ethic minorities in the US living in concentrated and relatively segregated communities?
  
• What about "celebrating diversity", or fostering diversity, which would not have been possible if no distinct identities were present in the first place?
  
• What about search engines or other sites created for specific audiences and targeted groups (academics, women, geeks)? Is the problem only in that this group is drawn along race lines?
  
• What about dating sites catered for Jews, Christians, Asians, Greeks, etc etc?
• How different, really, is ask.com for AA from all cases I named above?

Behind the Smog Screen...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/world/asia/15china.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

It's been a long time since I last posted, but this one is too good to pass up on.

The first question that came to mind as I read the article was: Is it really going to matter??

The damage that's been done is the works of the past decades of growth and development, not this year's construction and industrial projects. Perhaps Beijing can see about installing city-scale air purifiers?? The interesting question then is, where would they dump the pollutants that are purified out?

I always find it infuriating but almost amusing to see how the Chinese likes to make last-minute and clearly ineffective attempts at "fixing problems." It is slightly unfair to single out the Chinese, because in all honesty it's a rather usual practice in many developing countries.

Interesting and illustrative anecdote: I was once in a Chinatown in some unnamed city trying to buy a Chinese baked good. As I looked closer there was clearly patches of white and green mold on the top of the cake. Needless to say I immediately hesitated, and the server said, "oh that's just part of the cake, let me take it out back and warm it up and wrap it up for you."

Riiiiiiigggggghhhhhtt. Incidentally I do know what this cake is supposed to look like. Weighing the options of getting sick over the cake, wasting $10 and throwing the cake out as soon as I leave the store, or being slightly rude walking out without notice, I made my exit and thought it wouldn't be that bad anyway, since I will never go back to the store again.

Race and Color

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=155619&f=24

The makers of Ask.com are introducing a new search engine for African Americans. I can only hope it crashes and burns.

While I have no illusions about the legacy and persistance of racism in America, the continued self segregation of AA culture at best perpetuates and at worst exacerbates the sense of 'otherness' that drives racism. It was never acceptable for caucasians to exile AA's to a parallel second class world; self creation of a new sphere is equally antithetical to the best and most basic values that animate America.

But isn't the internet all about niches? After all, when a 'black' person hears thanksgiving they think sweet potatoe pie and Mac and cheese, not dried out turkey?

Here is the flaw. Certainly the stereotypical AA does. I would wager that the median one does as well. But fundamentally correlating 'black' and 'sweet potatoe pie' is at a marketing ploy aimed at homogenization. While old style mass marketing required such generalizations (a sort of tyranny of the majority) for pragmatic reasons - you can only aim an ad at everyone watching a show or reading a paper - the internet is a liberal sphere that recognizes individuals.

By allowing self sorting, in fact for the first time letting individuals decide if they like sweet potatoe pie, the internet is the most potent tool yet for allowing us to move beyond the generalities that buttress the remnants of racism.

Johnny Tamberine

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=154984&f=77

Apparently the new word for flip flop is 'pivot'.

Dane cook has a great bit about a guy who gets hit by a car and tries to play it off like he didn't just get hit. Seems appropriate here given the way the media is perpetually believing his pleas of 'I never said that'.

Punishing the Irresponsible

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=154665&f=20

To now I consider myself a staunch critic of the war, but one that finds the notion of criminal or impeachment proceedings against the President ridiculous. He is a decent person doing his best with an admittedly complex situation. And since I agree with the philosophy that a President is chosen to provide strategic leadership and so should ignore tactical public polling, have been deferrential to that.

No more. The news that he is going to keep the troop deployment constant but willl cut tours to 12 months beginning in August bares naked the simple truth that he has discarded his sacred oath to our nation, military, and most of all the men and women that have accepted the call to duty to defend our nation. Rather than honor their commitment and repay them with the respect that if called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice it shall be for country and god, not vanity, he has cast them over a precipice because he is too afraid to admit defeat or folly.

Why the dramatic reaction? Because if he truly believed that current levels were necessary to stabilize the situation he wouldn't be pushing a policy solely designed to give aid and comfort to himself at the expense of the commanders 12 months from now is reprehensible. The new 12 month policy and the continued commitment to 140,000 total just means that come June 2009, when the extra man power afforded by the current extended tours dissipates, the military will have no flexibility.

Then you can be sure the (then ex) president and his reckless crew will have no trouble decrying the traitorous withdrawl or your extensions the next president is forced into.

For Many, a Boom That Wasn't

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=154427&f=19

Aside from the little quip about none of the presidential candidates taking the growth of inequality 'seriously' - I think you could say that about mccain's policy propsals, but both clinton and obama have each spent the past year talking about health care, education, the tax code, and revitalizing the middle class - I would associate myself with most everything in this whine.

Where I see myself differing is in what is not said. Solutions. Telling Washington politicians they need to be serious is not a solution (and callously throwing around the word strategy by itself doesn't count either). To be worthwhile you have to say WHY health care is getting more expensive while outcomes are worsening and HOW serious people might fix it. Saying the tax code is tilting towards the rich doesn't do anything; educating people that the reduced capital gains tax only helps those with capital does.

Memory Loss

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=154177&f=19

Overall, this piece on the political fall out from the recent failed assault on sadr in Iraq is pretty good, capturing that while maliki has been hurt on the street by the fiasco he may have strengthened his hand in parliament.

My only quibble is this: how can you go through an entire article on the need to 'take on' militias and not mention that the group that installed him runs one of their own (the Badr Brigade)?

The Importance of Structure

http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=153274&f=19

An interesting first look at the man being groomed to 'succeed bin laden'. The most striking feature is the way AQ has a built in flexibility that allows a relative unknown to not only demonstrate his skills but also be groomed according to his potential, not his seniority.

This is in stark contrast to the rigid system in our military that rewards length of service, nepotism, and completion of 'sexy' but often irrelevant stepping stones. While we stiffle and drive out many of the most promising potential leaders (a problem that exists throughout the government - just look at the contrast in quality between under 35 and over 50 employees), like the private sector AQ shores itself up for today and tomorrow.

Travel advisory

In case anyone is out there, do not EVER transit through Charlotte when flying. Not sure who schedules things there but it is a giant disaster.

On the plus side it is good to see the government thwarting New Yorks attempt to give passengers the same rights as terrorist detainees when people are trapped in a small box under threat of being shot by the government if they try to get out whines of 'the free market' don't hold much water with me.

When Hitler youth come to town.

The Pope is not partisan! He just happens to like to travel to the US right in the middle of campaign season and talk about how voting for a pro choice politician is probably a cardinal sin while meeting with President Bush.

Of course I don't remember him being so 'pro life' back when he signed up to be an officer for the Nazis.