by Nicholas Kristoff

8.23.10

I don’t always agree with Mr. Kristoff, but his logic is solid here. Bin Laden fears Muslim clerics who can cite the Koran to denounce terrorism. American opposition to the community center will only bolster Al-Qaeda’s recruiting efforts, just as strong advocates as Feisal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan offering an olive branch in downtown Manhattan is among the best things we can do to improve intergroup relations. Among other points I find refreshing, Christianity and Islam are both peaceful religions. It is nation states that are to blame for opposing mosques and banning churches in deference to ”local sensitivites.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/opinion/22kristof.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage

by Climate Progress

I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but how much evidence do we need to make this case. The catastrophic climactic effects of global warming are happening now, not thirty, forty or one hundred years in the future. Thus, the time to act is now and not thirty, forty or one hundred years from now.

http://climateprogress.org/2010/08/18/energy-and-global-warming-news-for-august-18th-warming-seas-drive-massive-coral-death-in-indonesia

by Joshua Keating, Foreign Policy

8.20.10

According to the annual Gallup poll, Singapore, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Canada were the big winners.

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/08/20/where_would_people_live_in_a_borderless_world

Ezra Klein, The Washington Post

6.4.10

“I left China feeling pessimistic about the country’s economic prospects, though I sincerely hope that I’m wrong. Pessimistic, in this context, isn’t meant to imply the country’s collapse. Rather, I think that economic growth will drift down from the supercharged numbers China’s put up over the last decade to something more in the mid-single digits. All in all, that seems normal, even inevitable. Saying China’s growth will slow down is simply saying economic reality will assert itself. Countries grow more slowly as they get richer. But in China’s case, this could be a problem.”

By Alexander Bolton, The Hill

6.4.10

“Reid asked the chairmen to recommend legislation to deal with the Gulf oil spill before July 4 so that leaders can include those ideas in the comprehensive energy package.

““I think it is extremely important that you each examine what could be included in a comprehensive energy bill that would address the unfolding disaster in the Gulf of Mexico,” Reid wrote in the letter.”

This is why I hate Harry Reid: he needs to grow a pair. First he wanted to go for immigration reform because it was politically expedient. Climate change moved to number two with the spill. Bad strategic move since immigration reform can get done next term while a progressive climate change bill cannot and Lindsay Graham took it as a snub. The Democrats wanted to fake right by offering offshore drilling while actually moving left on the bill. Deepwater Horizon took that off the table, while now that things are spiraling out of control in the Gulf and Arizona’s immigration law is old news, Harry changed his mind again to react to populist rage. This is no way to run a legislative body.

by Glenn Greenwald, Salon

6.4.10

“A prime cause of this inversion is the distortion in perception brought about by rank tribalism. Those whose worldview is shaped by their identification as members of a particular religious, nationalistic, or ethnic group invariably over-value the wrongs done to them and greatly under-value the wrongs their group perpetrates. Those whose world view is shaped by tribalism are typically plagued by an extreme persecution complex (the whole world is against us!!!; everyone who criticizes us is hateful and biased!!!). Haaretz today reports that “Jewish Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. gave a rare demonstration of unity on Wednesday when they backed Israel’s raid of a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla.” Gee, whatever could account for that “rare demonstration of unity” between these left-wing Jewish progressives and hard-core, Jewish right-wing war cheerleaders who agree on virtually nothing else? My, it’s such a mystery.”

Glenn Greenwald doesn’t just report on the attack, he deconstructs it. You’ve got to read his thoughtful piece. When we take a step back from the emotional reaction that region elicits, his tribalism argument really resonates.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/03/israel?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+salon%2Fgreenwald+%28Glenn+Greenwald%29

by Neera Tanden, The New Republic

6.4.10

“People who complain about Max Baucus seem to forget that not so long ago the likes of James Inhofe chaired Senate committees. And if you worked in a Democratic administration, those folks made your job a tough slog. Back in the Clinton White House, I was a middling staffer on the Domestic Policy Council, working on issues ranging from the adoption tax credit to media violence and its effect on children. One of my bosses, as it happens, was Elena Kagan. And I had pretty good vantage for watching her as she crafted policy that could survive those political times.”

What Tanden gets across is that Kagan not only made strategic decisions that were incredibly strategic in the moment, but also showed unbelievable foresight. This is a fantastic quality for a Supreme Court Justice who might sit on the court for twenty-five years and have her legacy felt for over a century.

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/75304/what-makes-elena-kagan-tick

by David Brooks, The New York Times

6.4.10

“Fourth, the administration has encouraged local officials to raise educational standards. The feds are not imposing national standards. But the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers have come up with blueprints of what kids should be learning in math and English. According to the Thomas Fordham Foundation, an authoritative source on these things, these new standards are tough, rigorous and practical. The feds are offering incentives to states to embrace these goals.”

I’m still not a fan of Race to the Top. It forced states to follow policies that aren’t proven to work *cough* charter schools *cough*. Then again, with NCLB reform not even on the legislative horizon, I guess it’s better than nothing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/opinion/04brooks.html

by Matthew Yglasias, Think Progress

6.4.10

“But to me it looks more like a policy of “masterful inaction.” China is focused on economic growth, on trying to secure international acquiescence to its rule over Tibet, and to trying to reintegrate Taiwan into PRC rule without sparking a destructive war but they regard these as domestic issues. On the international stage, they’re mostly doing what we would call economic policy. Their former ambassador in Washington said he spent most of his time on trade/currency issues and you’d have to think that’s doubly true for ambassadors to lesser military powers.”

With all the talk about Obama’s National Security Strategy, it’s completely fair to wonder what the biggest threat to American hegemony is thinking. We know how they feel about Tibet, Taiwan, North Korea and even Iran, but is there a master plan behind it? It seems they just want to focus on economic growth and see conflict as disruption to it. That’s a strategy in my book.

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/06/chinese-democracy-2.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+matthewyglesias+%28Matthew+Yglesias%29

by Brian Fung, Foreign Policy

6.3.10

“If you thought rising tides spelled certain doom for islanders across the globe, though, think again. A new study by the University of Auckland finds that over the course of 60 years, 80 percent of tracked Pacific islands actually stayed the same size — or even grew — despite an average annual sea-level rise of two millimeters. Out of the 27 islands the researchers examined, only four showed signs of shrinkage. How have these islands adapted to sea-level changes? With coral.”

The key thing to remember here is that if sea level rise increases dramatically in the next few decades, as it is predicted to, these islands will still be overwhelmed. On the other hand, if we can stop, or even decrease, our usage of carbon as a planet, it may not be too late for the Maldives, Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands.

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/06/03/a_rising_tide_lifts_all_islands