In the U.K., the Guardian reports that John Bolton, the former U.S ambassador to the United Nations, told Tory delegates that “he saw no alternative to a pre-emptive strike on suspected nuclear facilities in the country”. More: Mr Bolton, who was addressing a fringe meeting organised by Lord (Michael) Ancram, said that the Iranian president,…
Month: September 2007
A Review of Richard Wright’s Native Son
I decided to read Native Son as a result of Michael posting a notice about Jess’s Book Club at Monsters and Critics. While I’d heard of Wright before this is the first book of his that I’ve read. The Marc’s Notes summary of the book follows: “Bigger” Thomas, a twenty-year old do nothing is offered…
8 Transferred out of Guantanamo
The Houston Chronicle reports: Eight detainees were transferred from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the custody of Afghanistan and Middle Eastern governments, a Pentagon spokesman said today. Six detainees were transferred to Afghanistan, and one each to Libya and Yemen, said Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Defense Department spokesman. Their identities…
Hillary: $5000 for Every Baby! (and a Car in Every Garage)
Devlin Barrett writes: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that every child born in the United States should get a $5,000 "baby bond" from the government to help pay for future costs of college or buying a home. … The New York senator did not offer any estimate of the total cost of…
Marc’s Prez Pick
According to this poll, my top candidate for 2008 is…drum roll, please… Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R) 81.25% match This is the second poll that has pointed me to Romney.
The Mercenary Problem
In reference to American para-military contractors in Iraq, Paul Krugman at the NY Times writes: "mercenaries, whom Machiavelli described as ‘useless and dangerous’ more than four centuries ago", saying that mercenaries are back in vogue once more. More: As far as I can tell, America has never fought a war in which mercenaries made up…
Chris Matthews: Difficult to Debate a Woman?
Amanda at ThinkProgress writes that: During last night’s post-Democratic presidential debate analysis, MSNBC host Chris Matthews was hung up on the fact there is a woman running for president. After questioning Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) about Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) position on entitlement reforms, he then asked Dodd, “Do you find it difficult to debate…
No Gays in Iran
I absolutely had to preserve this for posterity! Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune h/t The Moderate Voice
Vancouver Muslims Smoke, Canucks Don’t
Mark Steyn writes that a proposed city bylaw in Vancouver, Canada would exempt Muslim "hookah lounges" from the no-smoking ordinance: In Vancouver, infidels can’t smoke but Muslims can: Vancouver’s hookah-parlour owners are celebrating after winning an exemption Thursday from a proposed new bylaw that will ban smoking on most sidewalks in commercial districts, in bus…
Patriot Act Unconstitutional, in Part
The WaPo reports that a U.S. District court ruled earlier today that two provisions of the Patriot Act are unconstitutional because warrants issued under FISA may not demonstrate probable cause: U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as amended by the Patriot Act, “now permits the executive branch of government to…