When I do more than one of these things a week, it tells you the real world is stopping me writing about everything I would like to. That's when I revert to snarky punchposts.
One of the more interesting debates I wanted to say something about centered around Robert Kaiser's explanation of the WaPo's policy on publishing classified information. Here are two blogs on the subject - by The Volokh Conspiracy on the Right and War and Piece on the Left.
One of the reasons I was so interested in Kaiser's article was that the publishers kindly sent me a review copy of veteran journalist Helen Thomas' latest book, Watchdogs of Democracy. It's out on the 20th and she has quite a lot to say about the important role whistleblowers and journalists following up leaks play as a check and balance in American democracy. (I'll be doing a longish review post before then but in short - it isn't the greatest book on American politics and journalism ever written but it is definitely worth a read.)
Which makes Rummie kicking the only four reporters at Gitmo off the island a worrying thing for "transparent democracy", right? Editor & Publisher, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights, certainly think so.
Thomas' book makes a reasonable stab at charting how the Project for the New American Century was so incredibly influential in steering America into war with Iraq. I'm sure she is as pleased as I am that PNAC seems to have died with a whimper as its members have begun to fall out amongst themselves. No-ones been answering the phone or issuing statements there since last year. It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of warmongers.
And so on to one of the other influential pressure groups driving BushCo from the backseat - the Moonies. Have a read at the tale of millions in contributions to all things Bush in the hope of a pardon for the Rev. Moon's tax evasion conviction. They should've got Jack to arrange it for half the price...
Regular readers may have noticed that I didn't join in the massive "Rove for Fitzmas" bandwagon with more than a passing mention of the story. I just had a hunch that it was too good to be true. If I had known more about Jason Leopold at the time I would've been pouring cold water on the story instead of just not saying anything.
I've no time for those who make up whatever suits their agenda and will always say something when I discover someone I've based a post on has done just that. Helen Thomas says bloggers aren't journalists because journalists have more integrity and aren't just about their own agenda. Ptui. Has she heard of Amir Taheri, for instance? He and Leopold seem cut of the same cloth. (Sorry 'bout that pun.)
Here's a must read from Le Monde Diplomatique: A world of arms pushers and fixers.
If a country gets addicted to small arms and light weapons, there are plenty of pushers ready and willing to make sure the users get their fix. The fixers travel the globe and make connections to arrange supplies, transport and money to circumvent existing national legislation.
Foreign policy is so often about who gets to sell weapons to whom that you can't "do" foreign policy without an appreciation of the arms deal networks.
As the House gets ready to debate the war in Iraq, GOP House Majority Leader John A. Boehner has circulated a memo to his members to make sure they are all on message - "GOP good and united, Dems bad and divided". Think Progress has the memo.
Science has discovered, by impeccable methodology, the World's Funniest Joke...and it is by the late, great Spike Milligan. 'Nuff said. (Although I've always been partial to Dave Allen's joke about leprechaun nuns.)
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