It is the price that kills me

It is not that so many public officials are willing to sell the public out that bothers me.  It is that the price seems to be so low. $100G?  Is that all it takes to buy the government?  I sure hope the Chinese don't find out about this.

Michael Yon on the difficulties faced in Afghanistan

This report from the always in-the-know Michael Yon seems to suggest that we are relying too much on combat troops rather than special forces in Afghanistan.  This seems right to me.  The Afghans don't like the Taliban and God knows they can fight.  Putting more emphasis on training the AFA seems an obvious move, especially after it seems to have worked in the much less promising situation presented by Iraq.

Academically Relevant Observations

You should scroll down to the Emperor Tamarin monkeys which were named for their resemblance to the German Emperor Wilhelm II (sources conflict on whether he took it as a compliment) if you are in the Churchill and Gandhi class who was a key figure in the conflict which led eventually to Churchill's elevation the Prime Ministership after the operation to regain control of Norway....ah, alright, I admit it.  I just like pictures of baby monkeys.

Witch Hunts and Ward

Misguided sympathy for Ward Churchill form Littwin, who says, "even if a witch hunt turns up an actual witch, it's still a witch hunt."  Ok, this is true as far as it goes, but doesn't what defines a "witch hunt" the fact that witches don't exist?  I mean, if there were such a thing as witches then hunting for them would be good.  If there were malevolent beings with supernatural powers running around I would like know about. It seems to me that actually finding a witch is an airtight defense for a witch hunt.

Our Fearless Media

The US press ignores Obama's snub of the British Prime Minister.

It is like the reverse of the old days when the US press would report on the affairs of the British King wanting to marry an American divorce and the British people being in the dark because their papers were not allowed to report on it.  Of course, in this case, the censorship is entirely self-imposed. 

I think that it is part of a larger tendency in American foreign policy of ignoring friends and concentrating on fidelity to lofty principles and appeasing enemies.  The idea of maintaining friendships in international relations is at once somehow naive and disreputable to the American intellegentsia. It is a grave misjudgment in my opinion. 

The Power of the Press: Covering for the President

Interesting item on the troop deployments to Afghanistan from Iraq.  It seems that the administration is engaged in a shell game to appear to be keeping its campaign promises all with the help of a compliant and, dare I say, complicit press.

In Front of Your Nose

It turns out that Obama is a lefty. Who knew?

Good news from the Middle East

This is an article about some Arabs in the occupied territories paying tribute to victims of the Holocaust.

Alchohol and polticians

Again, Churchill sets the standard.

Honesty

here is a liberal columnist arguing that Limbaugh is right to want Obama to fail in the same way he himself wanted Bush to fail in Iraq.  An interesting and surprisingly persuasive take on patriotism.