Archive: Dec 2009

Richard Rodriguez on the Twilight of the American Newspaper From “Final edition: Twilight of the American newspaper,” in the November 2009 Harper’s Magazine. A scholar I know, a woman who…

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The Supreme Court heard a group of appeals on Monday that included convicted press baron Conrad Black, convicted Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, and Bruce Weyrauch, an Alaskan legislator facing a…

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She never learned what a “czar” was while studying at Oxford. From the Daily Show: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Gretchen Carlson Dumbs…

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From Public Citizen: The 16 representatives sponsoring two amendments that would weaken critical consumer protections in financial reform legislation have received at least $2.3 million from the financial services sector…

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Luke Mitchell on Obamacare From “Understanding Obamacare,” in the December 2009 Harper’s Magazine The idea that there is a competitive “private sector” in America is appealing, but generally false. No…

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Christopher Soghoian is a graduate student at Indiana University busily working on his Ph.D. dissertation addressing public policy issues relating to surveillance. In the course of his work he discovered…

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Last night, I discussed the Seton Hall review of a military investigation into three suspicious deaths at Gitmo with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC: Visit msnbc.com for…

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President Barack Obama, after a meal of Chesapeake striped bass and mango sorbet, visited West Point and announced his plan to send 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan in order…

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Andrew J. Bacevich on the War We Can’t Win From “The War We Can’t Win,” in the November 2009 Harper’s Magazine History deals rudely with the pretensions of those who…

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On June 10, 2006, the Pentagon announced that three prisoners held at Guantánamo’s Camp Delta had committed suicide. But senior Bush Administration officials quickly went one step further: violating the…

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From the New York Times: Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., a Wisconsin Republican, toured a prince’s vineyard and castle in Liechtenstein and spent an afternoon at a ski resort in…

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From the Washington Post: At a hearing in late March, the nation’s credit card companies faced the threat of expensive new rules from an unlikely regulator: the House Homeland Security…

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The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our…

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Satis igitur declaratum est quod proprium opus humani generis totaliter accepti est actuare semper totam potentiam intellectus possibilis, per prius ad speculandum et secondario propter hoc ad operandum per suam…

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Fordham University Press has just put out Thinking in Dark Times: Hannah Arendt on Ethics and Politics, a collection of papers from a conference convened at Bard College to mark…

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I have no doubt you are sexually hip, but just in case you’re not, please know that “teabag” has a particular meaning in certain circles. In order to have a…

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The Holder Justice Department has filed a sweeping amicus brief in the Padilla v. Yoo case before the Ninth Circuit, seeking to make absolute the immunity granted Justice Department lawyers…

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From Garry Wills: I did not think he would lose me so soon—sooner than Bill Clinton did. Like many people, I was deeply invested in the success of our first…

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From “Findings” From “Findings,” in the November 2009 Harper’s Magazine Among highly sociable stingless Brazilian bees, a quarter of males—who can develop from unfertilized eggs—were found to be the sons…

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The Washington Post recently announced the winner of its “America’s Next Great Pundit” contest, and Kevin Huffman, (who Wonkette aptly described as “nothing more than a composite of all preexisting…

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“On the night of the Obamas’ first state dinner, White House social secretary Desirée Rogers glided past the rope line of press and photographers at 6:53 p.m., pausing to boast,…

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Petra Bartosiewicz on the American “Intelligence Factory” From “The Intelligence Factory: How America makes its enemies disappear,” in the November 2009 Harper’s Magazine When I first read the U.S. government’s…

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Last night’s speech on Afghanistan was typical Obama: instead of acting decisively, he splits the difference. The United States will send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan but with a timetable,…

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From Tom Shales: Would you buy a used war from this man? Americans might be seeing their bright, young president in a dark, new light this morning after watching his…

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The body never lies. In its collusion with the truth, it avoids eye contact, limits movement of arms and hands. The liar is not likely to touch her chest, but…

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James Fallows pens a striking side-by-side of the last president and last vice president in retirement. Since the results of the 2008 election became clear, the 43rd President of the…

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Tonight President Barack Obama will deliver a major address justifying the orders he issued yesterday for a ramp-up of the military effort in Afghanistan. No matter what he says, his…

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