It’s kind of funny that one of the most accurate and incisive editorials I’ve read on the ability to be pro-USA and yet anti-Bush comes from a British newspaper.
Politics
Politically, I’m very liberal — about as far left as one can go without sliding into Libertarianism.
The American brand
Having conflicting views about the U.S. — admiring its creativity, for instance, but resenting its double standards — doesn’t mean you are ‘mixed up,’ to use Mr Olins’ phrase, it means you have been paying attention.
— Naomi Klein, in an article on the branding of America, something that in many ways has far too many overtones of Wag the Dog for me to be entirely comfortable with.
Dubya needs to get laid!
We, the undersigned, in the interest of international harmony and seeking an end to all violence in this world, do hereby call on the president of the United States, George W. Bush, to find a fully consenting adult intern to service his sexual needs.
Unanswered questions
I haven’t read enough of this yet to be sure whether it’s serious content or mad conspiracy ramblings, but it looked very interesting: Sep. 11th Unanswered Questions (Part 1) and Part 2.
If we can’t torture here…
This world just gets more and more frightening all the time.
The US has been secretly sending prisoners suspected of al-Qaida connections to countries where torture during interrogation is legal, according to US diplomatic and intelligence sources. Prisoners moved to such countries as Egypt and Jordan can be subjected to torture and threats to their families to extract information sought by the US in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
Afghanistan tactics
Didn’t we learn anything from the years the Russians spent trying to fight in Afghanistan? Apparently not.
Hundreds of American troops were pulled out of the ground battle with al-Qaeda forces because they failed to adapt to the guerrilla tactics required for fighting in the mountains, according to their Afghan allies.
(Addendum: the MetaFilter comments thread for this article has some good points, if you can dig through the partisian bickering.)
Good mileage? Who needs it?
Well, so much for getting cars with better mileage and less dependence on oil and gasoline.
The Senate yesterday defeated an effort to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks by 50 percent over 13 years, voting instead for a measure — backed by the auto industry — that would give the Bush administration two years to develop its own mileage rules…. Yesterday’s Senate action — which included passage of a measure to exempt pickup trucks from any new fuel economy standards — followed an intensive lobbying and advertising campaign by the auto industry.
Which flawed election?
I don’t know what he’s talking about, but as I was just delivering something to another floor, Bush was on TV giving a press conference. I walked by just in time to hear him say something along the lines of “…we’ll see what we can do about this flawed election.” My first thought — with the caveat that I have no context for his statement — is he really one to talk?
(This CNN story talks about the press conference, however, since the conference is in progress right now [2:45pm], there’s just an overview of what was expected to be talked about, but the article may be updated later.)
Let’s nuke Mecca!?!?
Just in case things in the world weren’t getting freaky enough, the editor of the National Review is pondering nuking Mecca. There is a column at The American Prospect looking at this from a slightly saner perspective.
Our leaders at work
One has ordered his forces into battle more times than any other postwar British leader. The other threatens military action against “evil” nations and keeps a scorecard of dead al-Qaida leaders, marking each fatality with an X. Now, Tony Blair and George Bush have received international recognition for their unswerving willingness to use force: a nomination for the 2002 Nobel peace prize.