I’m not quite so pessimistic as Kurt Anderson here, but he does get to the guts of why politics in America can be so wearying these days: Almost any argument about race, gender, Israel, or the war is now apt to be infected by a spirit of self-righteous grievance and demonization. Passionate disagreement isn’t sufficient;
Via NHS, I see Henry Porter is doing good work. You could hardly make this stuff up. It makes Anthony Blair look like a beacon of modesty, transparency and honesty. Yes, it’s not just our Labour masters but all the “authorities” that are to blame – but at every available opportunity Labour has enabled and
Nonetheless, have a gander and tell me if Mitt Romney looks presidential in this clip? It’s not just the rather unfortunate – from Romney’s point of view that is, since it makes him seem a heartless jackass – encounter with a medical marijuana activist (who is, it should be said, commendably restrained and temperate), it’s
Ages ago – light years in blog terms in fact – Megan noticed The Economist pointing out that the euro has lessened the pressure that Belgian politicians might otherwise face to settle their differences and observes: Now that the European Union has taken over the currency, as well as many of the trade and customs
Time’s Jay Carney previews this afternoon’s GOP debate from Michigan. Most people will, quite naturally, be most concerned with judging Fred Thompson’s debut performance. But Ron Paul has quite a bit at stake here too. Carney says: Finally, there’s Ron Paul, whose anti-Iraq War, libertarian message has made him this campaign cycle’s surprise phenom. He
DT Max had an entertaining piece in the New York Times Magazine this Sunday, exploring the Great British Squirrel Wars. Short story: its the worst sort of Squirrel Imperialism. American greys are driving out the smaller, but cuter, British red. Sadly the pair cannot coexist and it is always the red that succumbs – often
Official: Gordon Brown bottles it. The News of the World poll showing the Tories with a six point lead in the marginals may have something to do with it. Tee hee: Alex Salmond calls Brown a “big feartie”. Also: “Those whom the gods seek to destroy they first render ridiculous, and this shambles leaves Gordon
Sympathy? You gotta be kidding me. The New Zealand press has not – suprise! – taken France’s stirring victory in Cardiff yesterday very well. Of course, like their neighbours across the Tasman Sea they’re not quite so insufferable in defeat as they are in victory. Even so, schadenfreude* demands that one scour the Kiwi press
Bugger. Time to go and talk the game over with Mr John Walker and Mr Macallan. Mr Bruichladdich may also be asked his opinion. I’d consult Mr Highland Park but he’s exhausted.
It’s the baseball play-offs. Hurrah. Let’s Go Yankees! But that also means it’s time for America’s sportswriters to be even dumber than is customarily the case. For the sake of your sanity as well as for proper hilarity, trot on over to the lads at Fire Joe Morgan. Recent highlights include: how your mother probably
The Tories don’t really want a November election, but after a successful conference – producing a bounce that has them level with Labour in one poll and three points behind in another – they’re quite happy to see Gordon Brown hoist on his own petard. Brown’s dance of the seven veils on the question of
Your weekend essay question comes from Blood and Treasure: It always struck me that the antonym of Ayn Rand is PG Wodehouse. In Wodehouse world, it’s the servants who have all the brains, do all the work and generally carry everybody else. If Jeeves shrugged, society would collapse. Who is John Galt? Bertie Wooster, that’s
I trust that Steve Clemons, pride and joy of the New America Foundation, won’t object if I thieve this adorable picture of his dogs, Oakley (left) and Annie. I grew up with spaniels and have no idea about Weimeraners at all. Are they loopy and excessively highly-strung? Or are they as beautifully melancholy as they
Andrew Sullivan says Turkey may be the United States’ “most important ally” (really?) and condemns “myopic” Europe for not immediately welcoming a non-European country into the EU. Easy for him to say of course. So does Andrew support the resolution coming before Congress that would (finally) recognise the Armenian genocide? Or does he line up
I have no real interest in the SCHIP brouhaha and am puzzled by Bush’s to veto a bill that would expand children’s health insurance. This can’t be a very sensible move, politically-speaking. Anyway, my only interest in the matter was in the proposal that it be funded by taxes on tobacco. I was interested to
Yay! Friday Night Lights returns this evening. If I hadn’t already seen the first episode of series two online I’d be setting the Tivo. If you haven’t seen the first series yet I highly recommend you do so soon because, alas, I fear the second series may prove a disappointment. If I’m right, it will
Christopher Hitchens’ piece in this month’s Vanity Fair is quite something. Mark Daily, a young officer in the Seventh Cavalry, volunteered for the army despite his reservations about the wisdom of the war in part because some of Christopher’s articles inspired him to do so. Hitch’s latest piece reflects on that heavy burden (shared to
Yes, I’d noticed this part of Cameron’s speech too: And those changes have brought us success, in local elections we have taken Plymouth, we have taken Lincoln, we took Chester, we took the council right here in Blackpool and as William reminded us in that great speech on Sunday we are back in the North
Garance picks up on Ann Coulter’s latest grenade: deny women the vote and all America’s problems would disappear. As GFR says, this should be a gift for Democrats: I would like to see that quote, “If we took away women’s right to vote, we’d never have to worry about another Democratic president. It’s kind of
I’ve written before that I think the wailing and gnashing of teeth over Rupert Murdoch’s purchase of the Wall Street Journal is, like, way overblown. Still, via James Fallows, you gotta laugh at this still from the most recent episode of The Simpsons:
