tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41446792011-04-21T12:32:26.839-07:00Bite The Wax TadpoleCulture, language, politics, Europe, the US and whatever strikes my fancy.Eriknoreply@blogger.comBlogger1941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1119293309240594912005-06-20T11:12:00.000-07:002005-06-20T11:48:29.280-07:00Close Coesfeld now!More torture by Soldiers that you won't hear about: Eighteen Bundeswehr Soldiers have been charged with abusing recruits in the Coesfeld barracks.According to this article from January, the soldiers were accused of torturing recruits with electrical charges, water and beatings and 296 witnesses to the events were interviewed. Eight of the 38 original suspects admitted to the Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1118162177308371702005-06-07T09:30:00.000-07:002005-06-07T21:47:07.623-07:00NPR's Daniel Schorr says that Amnesty International made a “technical error” in comparing Guantanamo to a Gulag. And then proceeds to compare it to the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II. Sigh.Let's recap, shall we? The internment of Japanese-Americans involved 120,000 American citizens who were going about their daily business when they were interned. Guantanamo holds 500 Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1117688069453376352005-06-01T21:52:00.000-07:002005-06-01T21:54:29.453-07:00There is a "Plan B" After AllBoom Chicago has it all figured out in their "After the No: Smaller Unions Instead" video.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1117687962270514892005-06-01T21:50:00.000-07:002005-06-01T21:55:11.300-07:00If you're looking for evidence... that the Euro is failing, look no further than this item from today's German News:Failure of monetary union ruled outThe President of the German Federal Bank ("Bundesbank"), Axel Weber, has ruled out the notion that the European monetary union should be declared a failure. The issuing bank in Frankfurt (am Main) stated that it would not entertain such an absurd Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1103876193476706842004-12-24T01:14:00.000-08:002004-12-24T00:16:33.476-08:00A word of advice to any three-year olds that might be reading this blog: If your father or mother tells you to stop doing something and your reply begins with "But I'm just...", you're about to get yourself into very big trouble.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1103747593829111382004-12-22T13:01:00.000-08:002004-12-22T12:33:13.830-08:00Instapundit is perplexed by "Bush's stinginess regarding pardons." I have no strong opinion on the appropriate number of pardons for a President to issue, but I'm not at all surprised that Bush is low on the scale.
For better or for worse, Bush delegates responsibilities and then lets go of them, intervening only if there's a conflict or on matters of policy. He's not the sort to second guess,Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1102539766807694732004-12-08T13:00:00.000-08:002004-12-08T13:02:46.806-08:00Seen at the Gym
The guy on the treadmill in front of me at the gym today was wearing a shirt with an absolutely huge "Bush-Cheney '04" logo. Underneath, also in large letters, it said: "A Person of Tolerance and Diversity Keyed My Car."
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1102364223551097232004-12-06T13:03:00.000-08:002004-12-06T12:17:03.550-08:00Oh Come, All Ye ... Faithful?
The elder tadpole and I had a strange and somewhat disturbing encounter with a Salvation Army bellringer last week.
We were entering a local supermarket and the elder tadpole bounded ahead with the energetic enthusiasm that only a three year old can muster, to give the bellringer a dollar. He wished the bellringer a chirpy "Merry Christmas" and was rewarded with Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1100329019675519772004-11-12T22:21:00.000-08:002004-11-12T22:56:59.676-08:00Wither the Netherlands?
I'm not surprised but I am a bit appalled at how little coverage the events in the Netherlands since the brutal murder of Theo von Gogh have received. The past week has seen arson and vandalism directed at both churches and mosques, infighting within the government and a crackdown that has already led to raids on terrorist cells and training camps within the Netherlands.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1099506286697462792004-11-03T09:36:00.000-08:002004-11-03T10:24:46.696-08:00Tadpole Number One was engrossed in a book this morning and didn't insist on hearing his favorite song ("Im Orient" from "Gute Laune, Gute Fahrt") over and over and over again, so I was able to catch a bit of NPR on the radio. I was a bit surprised by the callers during the segment I heard.
Instead of the expected litany of complaints about "Red" America and promises to move to Canada, several Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1099112354989734682004-10-29T21:48:00.000-07:002004-10-29T22:18:42.256-07:00Slate wants you...
...to commit a felony. Slate's article about voting twice is subtitled "A sudden crackdown on an old trick" but if you read it all the way through, the author (Bill Gifford) comes to the conclusion that the so-called crackdown isn't very effective:
For all the new concern about double voting, though, the odds of getting caught remain minuscule. Comparing voter databases Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1098464480438907202004-10-22T09:56:00.000-07:002004-10-22T10:08:58.593-07:00Attention Washington Bloggers. Be on the alert for four patronising idiots with an entourage of "journalists" on a boondoggle (via Tim Blair):
The paper said it had closed the website where readers collected an address to write to and had abandoned plans to take four "winners" to visit voters in Clark County. Instead, the group would be taken to the "more tranquil" area of Washington.
It's a Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1096580374390524702004-09-30T14:36:00.000-07:002004-09-30T15:21:04.780-07:00As long as I'm mocking Eurocrats, I may as well go for a trifecta. It's nice to see that those highly paid functionaries in their weird expensive building don't just have really good ideas -- they also focus like lasers on the truly important issues:
There were arguments over who should properly be dubbed "Mr Euro", after the appointment of Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker as the Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1096579846597464012004-09-30T14:28:00.000-07:002004-09-30T14:30:46.596-07:00Your tax Euros at work:
Little signs in the building are supposed to help officials find their way around the maze of corridors in the 241,515m² building.
But they are not your everyday signs, instead they are colour-coded with various symbols on them.
For example, one coloured triangle contains three black dots, another contains one dot; still another is a different colour altogether - but Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1096579354877570192004-09-30T14:17:00.000-07:002004-09-30T14:22:34.876-07:00Can anyone explain what the European Commission was thinking when they commisioned this?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for mocking the Eurocracy -- I just never expected to see them mocking themselves. At least not intentionally.
I'm also rather taken with the "Axis of Reflexive Atlanticism," which is what happens when you let Eurocrats attempt to craft a pithy saying.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1096394179595504062004-09-28T10:24:00.000-07:002004-09-28T11:00:49.256-07:00Free debate advice for President Bush (and worth every penny)
Hold Kerry's gaze, grin (the one that Bush-haters call a smirk), and say that you have some memory that is "seared - seared" into you.
In all probability, Kerry will either miss the reference to his discredited Christmas in Cambodia testimony before the Senate or he'll just let it lie, but...
There's a small possibility it'll goad Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1096392216047599232004-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:002004-09-28T10:23:36.046-07:00Political Expression in the Seattle Area
I'm still seeing about as many bumper stickers for Bush as for Kerry on the Eastside (Seattle itself is a completely different story) and my car (with a relatively discrete W'04 sticker) hasn't been vandalized.
That said, the half-life of a roadside Bush sign appears to be less than a day. Driving home last Friday evening, I noticed four or five Bush Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1095410998778840542004-09-17T01:13:00.000-07:002004-09-22T10:40:50.743-07:00Climate of Fear Update
I noted a climate of fear here in greater Seattle back in June. Actual attacks on Bush supporters (including one particularly vile incident) are now being reported around the country.
That said, the situation seems to have taken a turn for the better here on the Eastside. Bush stickers (mostly the relatively inconspicuous W'04 stickers) started appearing a few weeks Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1095233946884327472004-09-15T01:07:00.000-07:002004-09-19T09:59:17.440-07:00Blogospheric Intuition
Trust your intuition. I sat down to blog this and found similar sentiments here and here. A storm is brewing.
The news that CBS will go to the mat in defense of the Killian forgeries left me curiously glum. This just isn't funny any more.
This is no longer the slapstick tale of an eager-to-believe Dan Rather (and friends) duped by clumsy forgeries. Something deeper Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1095115696322373642004-09-13T15:18:00.000-07:002004-09-13T15:48:16.323-07:00I'm astounded at how frequently I've heard left-of-center commentators respond to the Rathergate forgeries with (something like): "These documents might be forgeries but let's get back to the real story -- George Bush's National Guard Service.
Okey doke.
The real story is that there is so litle substance to the accusations about Bush's National Guard service that his accusers have had to resortEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1094800718277072352004-09-09T23:55:00.000-07:002004-09-10T00:38:40.926-07:00Spin, Baby, Spin!
The spin from the Seattle P-I and AP is just unbelievable. As right now (9 Sep 2004 11:59 PDT), this is the banner on the PI's main page:
It links to an article (last updated at 10:01 PM) that admits the documents are questionable but still tries to spin them as some kind of evidence against Bush:
But the authenticity of the memos was questioned Thursday by the son of the Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1094753062599620772004-09-09T10:21:00.000-07:002004-09-15T10:45:46.390-07:00Is it just me, or is the tone of today's P-I Editorial a mite defensive:
The allegations, first raised by The Globe in 2000, have returned with new fervor. And the exposure of a Bush campaign connection to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attack on Kerry naturally spurs new interest in Bush's National Guard record and renews questions of strings being pulled to help a privileged son avoid Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1093639449903528922004-08-27T13:34:00.000-07:002004-08-27T14:04:58.636-07:00Whoa there, Horsey!
See if you can spot the flaw in today's David Horsey cartoon:
Hint: Who was president on August 4, 2000?
So much for those big media factcheckers we've been hearing so much about. I swear these guys aren't even trying any more. Hell, they aren't even pretending to try any more.
The next time someone tries to pin Enron on Bush, remind them that the abuses they've heard Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1093374565739097742004-08-24T11:46:00.000-07:002004-08-24T12:09:25.740-07:00Spin, NPR, Spin!
I didn't hear the whole story (I was just walking past a radio tuned to NPR), but NPR's summary of Bush's statement on 527's was something along the lines of "Now that its run is over, Bush condemns the SwiftVets ad attacking Kerry."
The "summary" misrepresents the substance of what Bush actually said (he condemned the actions of 527 organization in general, not just that one adEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1092883735776460362004-08-18T19:27:00.000-07:002004-08-18T19:49:19.696-07:00Another automated push poll
I just got another automated polling call. This one didn't malfunction but it was an obvious push poll. One of the questions was (approximately): "Given the current state of the economy, how important do you think it is to restore Democratic control of Congress? and the choices were: Very, Somewhat and Not.
Since most folks want to appear moderate, many people whoEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1092457779964111882004-08-13T22:32:00.000-07:002004-08-13T22:33:55.270-07:00More on the Press and Attitudes
Heiko comments on my earlier post about attitudes towards the press and notes that they don't describe him (he's skeptical of the German press and aware that the US press consists of more than FOX). That's certainly true, but bloggers are probably unrepresentative -- the Blogosphere as a whole (on either side of the pond) tends to be quite a bit more aware of Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1092460477063055462004-08-13T21:50:00.000-07:002004-08-13T22:14:37.063-07:00Sorry to just disappear like that. I was unexpectedly busy and then expectedly travelling. Posting will resume shortly.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1090988937687381302004-07-27T21:26:00.000-07:002004-07-27T21:28:57.686-07:00Original Transcript
Bite the Wax Tadpole has managed to get a copy of the marked up original text of Teddy Kennedy's speech at the Democratic convention. Here's an excerpt:
We bear no ill will toward our opponents. In fact, we'd be happy to have them over for a polite little tea party. I know just the place: right down the road at Boston Harbor. I'll drive.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1090981200098263332004-07-27T20:45:00.000-07:002004-07-27T21:56:28.023-07:00European Misconceptions: The Press
(Old) Europeans seem to share a nearly universal and unshakable belief that the European press and media are more accurate, objective and offer a wider range of opinion than their American counterparts. With few exceptions, they believe that the press and media in the United States print nothing but propaganda and that opposing opinions are simply not allowed.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1090973482131343542004-07-27T14:09:00.000-07:002004-07-27T17:37:10.850-07:00The Pot and Kettle Convention
Last night, Jimmy Carter took Bush to task for being a foreign policy disaster, so next I imagine we'll see Teddy Kennedy berating him for driving drunk.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1090894545277387182004-07-26T19:14:00.000-07:002004-07-26T19:15:45.276-07:00Beware the malfunctioning automated (push?) poll
I just got a call from on automated poll on my mobile phone (?!), and it seems to have malfunctioned. Question 1 was Kerry or Bush. I selected Bush, and it then asked if I was voting for Kerry because I liked the Democratic platform or because I disliked Bush. I hung up the phone.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1090507275021080912004-07-22T07:18:00.000-07:002004-07-22T07:41:15.020-07:00Speechless
Judith Billings, candidate for Superintendent of Public Education in Washington demonstrates her commitment to excellence in education:
"Everybody does not need to be a math whiz. Everybody does not need to be a spectacular writer."
It should come as no surprise Billings opposes both choice and accountability in education. Please vote this November to keep her away from our children.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1090359882764793522004-07-20T14:39:00.000-07:002004-07-20T14:44:42.766-07:00As long as it's open season on mottoes...
Can we sue the New York Times for neglecting to print so much of the news that's "fit to print?"Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1090217727474068902004-07-18T23:05:00.000-07:002004-07-18T23:15:27.473-07:00Projection
So Arnold went and called the California legislature a bunch of "girlie-men" at a rally, and now his the usual suspects are up in arms, accusing him of homophobia. Which is interesting, because he didn't say anything at all about sexual orientation.
Arnold may or may not be guilty of clinging to negative stereotypes of gays -- I'm guessing "not" but we have no information. His Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1089088689193453962004-07-05T21:31:00.000-07:002004-07-05T23:15:52.730-07:00Hating America
I'm a few days behind, but Will Collier at VodkaPundit linked an long but fantastic Bruce Bawer article from the Hudson Review. Any American who has lived in Europe for an extended period (without going native) will recognize the attitudes and assumptions he describes.
Western Europeans are certain that that they know all about America and understand Americans, but if you Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1088809542456600382004-07-02T15:37:00.000-07:002004-07-02T20:31:03.290-07:00The real "People's" Court
An Iraqi judge telling Saddam not to use such language in his courtroom amused most in the west, if it made any impression at all. We're used to judges maintaining order and decorum in the courtroom regardless of who's in the dock, so we missed the significance of this exchange.
But this is earthshattering stuff in the middle east. Here's Egpytian blogger "Land of Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1087246459435085282004-06-14T13:45:00.000-07:002004-06-14T14:21:14.473-07:00Michael Moore is a big fat ... War Criminal?
You heard it here, first. Almost a month ago, I wondered what Michael Moore knew and when he knew it. Now the Associated Press finally has the story.
His stated reasons for not reporting his evidence are nonsense. Submitting his evidence quietly or even anonymously would have gotten the ball rolling without exposing him to accusations of Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1087024403138573402004-06-11T23:35:00.000-07:002004-06-13T23:09:41.096-07:00Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Much of the European press reports (as uncontestable fact) that fear of being branded "non-patriotic" for daring to disagree with George W. Bush is pervasive in the United States, to the point that it inhibits people's actions. To most anyone (that I know) who actually lives here, that notion is patently absurd. I live near Seattle and won't claim to speak for the Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1086840625994472362004-06-09T21:09:00.000-07:002004-06-13T23:08:37.143-07:00What's next? The Qwestagon?
My wife is very upset at Bill Frist's proposal to rename the Pentagon for Ronald Reagan. We both admire President Reagan and have nothing against memorializing him in some other way, but the Pentagon is a potent symbol in its own right. Renaming it is a crass and ultimately pointless gesture that would tarnish the Pentagon without really reflecting the legacy of Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1086330952665561522004-06-03T23:33:00.000-07:002004-06-03T23:39:36.640-07:00Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one brave woman. And a beacon of hope for (Old) Europe.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1084846102762919382004-05-17T18:56:00.000-07:002004-05-18T07:48:41.536-07:00What did he know, and when did he know it?
Michael Moore's Farenheit 911 raises an unexpected question.
It comes as no surprise that Michael Moore's latest anti-Bush polemic is a big hit at Cannes. What I did find a little surprising was the fact that it reportedly includes footage of American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners:
In the light of the current controversy over pictures of Iraqi Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1084816937756754242004-05-17T10:37:00.000-07:002004-05-17T12:22:35.366-07:00Inside every silver cloud, a dark lining
The reaction to Abu Ghraib inside of Iraq has been muted in comparison to the rest of the Arab world. According to the LA Times, that's bad news for the coalition.
In the LA Times' view, Iraqi response is muted because Iraqis have experienced firsthand the depravity of the American occupiers and expect no better. I'm paraphrasing, of course, but not Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1084778734613999842004-05-17T00:24:00.000-07:002004-05-17T00:26:45.560-07:00In a heartbeat.
Me too. (via Greg Piper)Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1084440012963428682004-05-13T01:59:00.000-07:002004-05-13T02:21:27.753-07:00If you're looking for evidence that the Vatican is a political rather than a moral entity, you need look no further than this (article in German).
Vatican: Torture Worse Than September 11th
The abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers is, by Vatican lights, a greater blow to the United States than September 11th. Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo told the Italian daily "La Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1084254943271631582004-05-10T22:53:00.000-07:002004-05-10T23:05:30.030-07:00A Long and Interesting Read.
The Taguba report is available at GlobalSecurity.org.
The report is detailed and hard-hitting and should put paid to any notion that such abuse is typical or that the military is attempting a coverup. It won't, but that's just politics in an election year (and the press running with the narrative they prefer).
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1084173181331399262004-05-09T23:52:00.000-07:002004-05-10T00:20:54.043-07:00Cognitive Whiplash
If rumors of child abuse at Abu Ghraib turn out to be true, I tend to favor this suggestion, not just because it is appropriate (assuming a very high standard of proof is met) but because of what would likely follow.
In the immediate aftermath, the perpetrators of such heinous acts would be justly condemned by pretty much everyone. The European political class (and much of Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1083890181410995942004-05-06T17:32:00.000-07:002004-05-06T17:39:34.763-07:00Rachel Lucas comes out of hibernation, and the word "Asshat" suddenly starts appearing all over the place once again. Coincidence? We report, you decide.
In any case, welcome back Rachel - we've missed you.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1083784282477223002004-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:002004-05-05T12:19:14.653-07:00The word 'Accountability' does not appear in the EU dictionary. MEP attention is apparently focused on the important stuff.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1083311965670544242004-04-30T00:57:00.000-07:002004-04-30T01:06:06.966-07:00Go read the Messopotamian now for an idea of what was and is required in Iraq.
It'll be much harder now, but maybe it isn't too late. Unless of course the coalition really is planning to cut and run in Fallujah.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1083287159613183862004-04-29T18:04:00.000-07:002004-04-30T00:46:04.436-07:00Anti-Mullah Secret Weapon: Cooties!
Muqtada al Sadr, You're next.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1083267755936172852004-04-29T12:07:00.000-07:002004-04-30T00:49:42.483-07:00On the way into work this morning, NPR was reporting a "deal" to solve the Fallujah standoff. According to NPR, US Marines will withdraw to be replaced by "Fallujah Protective Army" (or something like that) that doesn't even exist yet but which will be constructed from former military units. This so-called Army will be far less militarily capable than US units and its loyalty questionable, Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1083018035789601272004-04-26T15:05:00.000-07:002004-04-26T15:34:29.263-07:00Signs of Weakness
This is interesting:
In a written statement the group released with the tape, it demanded Italian citizens organize demonstrations against the presence of Italian troops in Iraq.
The group gave Italians five days to organize the demonstrations. Otherwise, the statement said, the hostages would be killed.
Notice that they aren't calling for the removal of Italian troops or Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1082534741796211752004-04-21T01:05:00.000-07:002004-04-21T01:08:39.733-07:00Kick MeEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1082531336103293562004-04-21T00:08:00.000-07:002004-04-21T00:44:17.873-07:00I'm afraid I don't understand all of the rejoicing about European leaders rejecting Osama's "truce" offer. Of course they'll all say that -- even Zapatero tries to pretend that he isn't just cutting and running.
The real test comes after they succeed in another major attack in Europe. Will the voters of whichever country is hit (Italy is my guess) stand by their man, or will they denounce himEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1082009022596855532004-04-14T23:03:00.000-07:002004-04-14T23:10:19.716-07:00Bad news, good news
The bad news is that a handful of unidentified Leipzig residents have filed a lawsuit to stop a planned Jewish community center on the grounds that it poses a security risk due to the likelihood of attacks.
The good news is that the citizens of Leipzig have rallied broadly in support of the community center since the lawsuit became known, with hundreds of supporters at a Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1082007341907591062004-04-14T22:35:00.000-07:002004-04-14T23:06:51.310-07:00Sorry to just disappear like that, but work and life both got suddenly hectic in a big way. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and will be back soon.
In the meantime, keep an eye on the German media with Medienkritik, read Belmont Club or Intel Dump for great coverage of all things military and the ongoing turmoil in Iraq, or go help Michele help the Marines help Iraq. Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1081344459120696992004-04-07T06:27:00.000-07:002004-04-07T10:18:27.763-07:00Ur Tax � @ Work
A European MEP with too much time and too few clues has translated part of the draft constitution into "SMS" language, in a horribly misguided attempt to make it more accessible to youth.
Leaving aside the fact that he's misappropriating a jargon that he's mistaken for slang, this guy sounds like an aging hipster making a desperate and embarassing effort to prove he's still coolEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1081283063801354492004-04-06T13:24:00.000-07:002004-04-06T14:50:02.013-07:00If you're intent on handicapping the Presidential election at this early stage, it helps to consider the Feiler Faster Thesis and the effects of campaign finance reform.
The good news is that we won't have to face "seven more months of this." The bad news is that we'll be facing something much, much uglier starting in August.
The first thing to keep in mind is that it's still very early in Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1080675961812636212004-03-30T11:46:00.000-08:002004-03-30T11:51:54.450-08:00Dick Clarke, Man of Action
Spiegel descends (further) into parody, and drags the New York Times along. Here's their description of the events of September 11:
The entire capital seems to be on the run. Government departments, offices and official agencies are cleared, and emergency response centers are activated throughout the country. In the center of the eye of the hurricane, in the White Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1080660709371439492004-03-30T07:31:00.000-08:002004-03-30T07:39:02.466-08:00Despite having a rough month, President Bush's odds are holding up well on the Iowa Electronic Markets and Ideosphere's FX (an idea futures game that doesn't use real money). Glenn Reynolds wonders what information the market participants have that the conventional wisdom does not.
I think we're seeing a difference in focus rather than information. The futures markets focus on the eventual Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1080574771815324552004-03-29T07:39:00.000-08:002004-03-29T07:48:01.090-08:00Post-Madrid, this kind of statement is reckless. However Romano Prodi intends it to play, the terrorists will hear a practical invitation to "intervene" bloodily on his behalf in the upcoming Italian elections.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1080369707955690602004-03-26T22:41:00.000-08:002004-03-30T21:35:29.233-08:00Keep his day job?
It's entirely possible that President Bush just didn't anticipate the negative reaction his "where are the WMD" routine would get from the chattering classes opinion leaders, but it could well be that his detractors are misunderestimating him once again. It sure looks to me like Bush is happy to keep the issue of WMD's alive without really addressing it. Yet.
I have no ideaEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1080249257136993372004-03-25T13:14:00.000-08:002004-03-25T14:21:23.860-08:00Wolfowitz on Clarke, from the Washington Post transcript of Tuesday's 9-11 hearing:
By the way, I know of at least one other instance of Mr. Clark's creative memory. Shortly after September 11th, as part of his assertion that he had vigorously pursued the possibility of Iraqi involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, he wrote in a memo that, and I am quoting here, "When the bombing Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079987592045524692004-03-22T12:33:00.000-08:002004-03-22T13:28:59.873-08:00The Daily Stern
Sure, it's fun to wear the mantle of the politically oppressed, especially when you get to do it on hundreds of radio stations in front of millions of listeners.
But if you want to see real political suppression of a Stern, you'll have to go to Brussels, where the Bureau chief for the German news magazine was arrested last week, held incommunicado, and questioned without a Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079986088974019542004-03-22T12:08:00.000-08:002004-03-22T12:14:37.030-08:00Economic indicators?
We went to a local mall (Bellevue Square) this weekend for the first time since last year, and were stunned to discover how much it has changed.
Last year, store fronts were empty and remaining stores were closing. Parking wasn't a problem, even at Christmas, and the Teddy Bear statue in front of the shuttered FAO Schwartz loomed over empty halls. It was palpably Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079725931110265002004-03-19T11:52:00.000-08:002004-03-19T12:37:21.373-08:00One Year Later...
A look at the photo retrospectives out there, one year after the start of the war.
It's... interesting... to compare the photos selected by Iraqi bloggers:
Sarmad
Zeyad
To those chosen by the mainstream media:
Tagesspiegel
International Herald Tribune.
If you come across photo galleries from other sources, please send links and I'll put them up.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079651968463539912004-03-18T15:19:00.000-08:002004-03-18T15:48:01.293-08:00If Poland wasn't next on the terrorist hitlist before, it is now.
This is just the wrong time to be saying things like this. Regardless of the merit of the underlying sentiment, this looks like is wavering resolve in the face of terror.
Facing an enemy who now seems to be thinking much more strategically, Poland has just advertised itself as the next weakest link in the chain.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079573896475166702004-03-17T17:38:00.000-08:002004-03-17T23:02:10.280-08:00How to train a dog
If he misbehaves, whack him on the snout.
Patiently explain what is expected of him.
If he behaves, give him a treat.
Now we'll see if Zapatero earns his obedience school diploma.
Much as I'd like to see him say "In that case, we'll leave our troops in Iraq," it isn't going to happen. The best thing he can realistically do is point out that he's been talking about Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079535941843018752004-03-17T07:05:00.000-08:002004-03-17T07:08:49.483-08:00Threat level Scarlet?!
Tucked in this report about the love threatening letters France is receiving from their Islamist buddies is a tidbit I found amusing:
Berthomet said France had already hiked its security precautions up to "red" level, the highest it could do without unleashing draconian measures in the top "scarlet" level.
What are the other levels? Chartreuse? Puce?
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079505807501795042004-03-16T22:43:00.000-08:002004-03-17T18:04:30.530-08:00As disappointed as I am about the results of the Spanish election, I think we should cut the Spanish Electorate some slack. A large minority voted for the PP and that the vast majority of the people who voted for Zapatero were already planning to vote do so before the attack. In the end a relatively small portion of the electorate -- perhaps enough to sway the election, but still a small Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079477851444797542004-03-16T14:57:00.000-08:002004-03-16T23:26:08.496-08:00It seems to me that the underreported rest of Kerry's "foreign leaders" quote is actually more damning (though less entertaining) than the part that's getting all the play. The way I read this, John Kerry is openly and actively encouraging foreigners (worse yet, foreign "leaders") to launder donations to the Kerry campaign through expat intermediaries.
From the Opinion Journal:
Kerry: "I've Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079467475198399452004-03-16T12:04:00.000-08:002004-03-16T12:55:01.216-08:00"Support me, I'm Gullible"
Glenn's suggested slogan for John Kerry ties in nicely with something I've been thinking for the past couple of days.
It's fun to speculate about Kerry's imaginary friend the "World Leader," but to me it's at least as bad if his claims are actually true.
What exactly does Kerry think that world leaders are telling President Bush in their "private conversations"? Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-1079467057896891852004-03-16T11:57:00.000-08:002004-03-16T12:00:11.466-08:00Slowly coming back to life...
Sorry for the unannounced long hiatus. I had a near-job death experience in June, followed by an intense job search that ended in a great new position that's also a lot more demanding (read: time consuming) than the previous one was. Add a new baby to the mix (she's adorable!), and more than six months of "no time to post" passed in the blink of an eye...
I've Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-953416012003-06-05T13:23:00.000-07:002003-06-05T13:59:04.000-07:00"Send In Your Dead..."
The Guardian is collecting obituaries of people who died in Iraq for a "Memorial" page. I suggest that anyone who has stories about Saddam's pre-war victims send those in as well so the "memorial" isn't so one-sided.
I spent two hours arguing more-or-less this topic with four Europeans today (Spanish, German, Italian and Ukrainian - there just has to be a joke in thereEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-952533872003-06-03T13:56:00.000-07:002003-06-03T14:08:22.000-07:00Crime and Punishment
A 13-year old in Munich who lives in a home for troubled youth and is "well known to the police" stabbed a retiree with a "weaponized" kitchen fork so hard that it stuck in his skull. He was caught at the scene and has openly confessed, but (according to the S�ddeutsche Zeitung) due to his age the police were forced to release him at the scene and he has absolutely nothingEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-952403722003-06-03T08:31:00.000-07:002003-06-03T08:37:04.000-07:00Send The Marines!
This graphic (from last week's Focus magazine) summarizes the ca. 1500 pieces of artwork that have gone missing in the year 2002 in Austria alone. Clearly, there aren't enough US troops patrolling the streets of Vienna.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-948400042003-05-24T15:18:00.000-07:002003-05-24T15:28:40.000-07:00Is this one of the entrance criteria?
10 11 things I learned from the Eurovision Song Contest:
When picking sides for Eurovision, leave the lounge singers at home.
Germans still like Groenemeyer, even when he's Polish.
The world isn't ready for an Estonian-led 80's revival.
Sweden has not exhausted its supply of Abba.
Britney Spears has a twin in Romania.
The hills of Greece are a sight to Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-945685952003-05-18T23:51:00.000-07:002003-05-19T00:32:39.000-07:00Leading Indicator
Do you find it hard to stay ahead of the tin-hat crowd? Don't have the time to wade through DU or Indymedia to find the latest paranoid conspiracy? Don't have the stomach for Ted Rall? Have I got a blog for you!
Horst Prillinger (The Aardvark Speaks) seems like a smart enough guy who reads a lot and makes lots of connections (he is a librarian, after all). He also Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-944905092003-05-17T00:38:00.000-07:002003-05-17T01:08:29.000-07:00It's nice to see that Germany is trying to patch things up, as predicted:
I expect that sanctions will be lifted quickly," said Schr�der. "In the end, this is about the people of Iraq, who must be helped as soon as possible."
Schr�der and company seem rather put out, though, that the administration isn't friendlier. They'll just have to get over that -- Bush won't take any substantive actionsEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-943165062003-05-14T00:59:00.000-07:002003-05-14T01:14:37.000-07:00North Korea has apparently invented Jolt.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-940463542003-05-09T04:52:00.000-07:002003-05-09T04:57:11.000-07:00Payback's a Bitch
It's perfectly appropriate for countries that opposed the war in Iraq to suffer some consequences now that the war is over, but it's extremely important that those consequences are reasonable and appropriate. Petty snubs or heavy-handed revenge would backfire badly.
I outlined some appropriate responses some time ago, but I have to confess that I never expected this (despiteEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-940111472003-05-08T13:44:00.000-07:002003-05-09T04:17:42.000-07:00Broken Axis
The Franco-German Axis of Weasels is nearing its end. I expect Germany to leave the Weasel-bloc during the looming UN showdown over removing sanctions against Iraq; Unless Chirac is exceptionally clever, Bush is exceptionally clumsy and Schr�der decides he has nothing to lose, Germany will stay on the sidelines this time around.
Germany now has more to gain from mending fences Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-935018032003-04-29T18:33:00.000-07:002003-04-29T23:52:51.000-07:00Chirac is a diplomat
And diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggy" until you can find a rock.
France just adores NATO according to Chirac. So I'm sure there's a nice innocent reason that France is seeking close military cooperation with Russia.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-932328172003-04-25T03:37:00.000-07:002003-04-25T03:47:30.000-07:00Sick Thought Of The Day
Stephen Pollard wonders why Scott Ritter is rushing to defend George Galloway and speculates indirectly that Ritter might be on the take as well. I've had a similar but more distressing thought:
Given Ritter's known proclivities, what are the odds that his "reward" wound up sharing a cell with one of Uday's discards in the Children's prison?
It would certainly provideEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-931847122003-04-24T09:21:00.000-07:002003-04-25T03:57:08.000-07:00Don't count your chickens
This sort of thing is why I think it's premature and dangerous to declare the Franco-German alliance dead. Blair seems to be betting that he can link up with like-minded leaders from both old and new Europe to contain the Franco-German axis, but that's a very dangerous bet.
For one thing, the Franco-German stance is pretty much in line with European public opinion, Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-929713522003-04-21T00:26:00.000-07:002003-04-21T00:28:05.000-07:00My, but that Lileks fellow sure turns a pretty phrase:
France is like someone who�s been given a glimpse of the future, sees himself committing suicide, and resolves to spend his remaining days making it look like murder.
Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-928341722003-04-18T05:52:00.000-07:002003-04-19T01:11:36.000-07:00It's All About The...Art?
Jaed at Bitter Sanity predicts the anti-American/anti-Bush left will soon be accusing the US of being behind the looting of the Baghdad Museum. She paints a plausible progression of seven steps that will take them from an innocuous comment by a British officer to the full-blown accusation against the US.
The "Aardvark" went directly to Go without passing the first six Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-927300832003-04-16T11:42:00.000-07:002003-04-17T02:27:23.000-07:00The Blogosphere is alight with quotable quotes today.
If you hear of Spontaneous Human Combustion amongst the anti-war left, check to see if they've been reading Stephen Pollard:
That is the thing about Donald Rumsfeld: he is right, you are wrong and you are just going to have come to terms with it.
The Radical cites this lovely quote from a Thomas Friedman article:
French-style constructiveEriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-927029232003-04-16T00:36:00.000-07:002003-04-19T01:05:27.000-07:00What Are They Thinking?
Everybody has their panties in a bunch about Bush administration saber-rattling in the direction of Syria. It just confirms Europe's worst fears about the bloodthirsty cowboy in the White House and the press is wondering just what's going on. I can tell you two things that are definitely not going on: It's not preparation for an invasion of Syria and it's not a Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-926788012003-04-15T15:57:00.000-07:002003-04-15T15:57:51.623-07:00Regardless of your sympathies towards [Ll]ibertarianism (and I'm moderately sympathetic), this is pretty funny:
Some libertarians think that a free market and small government (or no government) are the sole criteria of a free society (and so many of them blithely force their children to go to school, do chores, and generally obey their every whim). Such people are best described as libertarian Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-926354862003-04-14T23:52:00.000-07:002003-04-15T00:49:52.000-07:00Der Spiegel seems seems to accept as fact Steven Den Beste's "treachery" theory. They make the obligatory effort at preemptive spin control, but it's half-hearted at best.
This article is apparently two weeks old already but I don't recall reading about it anywhere else (I've stopped reading der Spiegel myself).
Update: This article in the same issue is worth a read, too. The combined Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-926247602003-04-14T19:57:00.000-07:002003-04-14T19:58:15.000-07:00Comments are broken for the moment. Field circus has been summoned but there's no ETA just yet. Feel free to send email instead.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-926234042003-04-14T19:34:00.000-07:002003-04-16T00:22:00.000-07:00I'm not the only one who worries that Old Europe will retain or even expand control over the levers of power in the EU. Over at Samizdata, David Carr cites a Telegraph article by Conservative MEP David Hannan that makes esssentially the same argument. Excerpts:
A false and dangerous idea is taking hold in Britain, especially among Euro-sceptics. It goes something like this. The Iraq war has Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-926230352003-04-14T19:27:00.000-07:002003-04-14T19:27:30.043-07:00True Colors
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's true colors were inadvertently displayed by a Danish documentary which followed Anders Fogh Rasmussen during the four months he held the rotating EU presidency.
"I am a good friend of Joschka, and he tells me, that Turkey will never join", says the Danish foreign minister Per Stig M�ller in a corridor passage which was taped and used in the Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-925642332003-04-13T21:57:00.000-07:002003-04-14T20:01:53.000-07:00Rope-a-dope
Get ready for the next Bush rope-a-dope, folks. I'm listening to the Al-Jazeera shill on CNN now. She's figured out that they won't be able to milk the looting much longer, so she's ramping up for the next crisis and ranting about Chalabi being installed as a US puppet. I predict that about the time the Arab and European press get themselves worked into a lather about the evil Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-925219902003-04-13T00:43:00.000-07:002003-04-13T22:25:12.000-07:00Huge News
This is huge news:
Israel will hand over some Jewish settlements in the West Bank for peace, but the Palestinians must give up on their key demand for refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes in Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in an interview published Sunday.
...
The US-led war on Iraq "generated a shock through the Middle East and it brings with it a Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-925212072003-04-13T00:15:00.000-07:002003-04-13T00:17:13.000-07:00Here's an interesting little tidbit tucked in a doom-and-gloom MSNBC article about unrest in Baghdad:
Last week the pro-Saddam thugs turned their weapons against crowds of local residents in a final assault against civic order. They were instructed to kill and bomb civilians in Saddam City to create chaos, says the hospital�s director general, Moafaq Gorea. Now the hospital is the only refuge Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-924515412003-04-11T14:21:00.000-07:002003-04-11T14:30:35.000-07:00I'm with Aziz Poonwalla on this one. Anti-semitic paranoia notwithstanding, President Bush's primary goal is to ensure the security of the United States, and it is clear that peace between Israel and Palestinians is essential to that.
To date, Bush has little or no pressure on Israel because it would have been pointless or even counterproductive to do so. Yasser Arafat has made it Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-924103152003-04-10T22:36:00.000-07:002003-04-10T22:49:17.000-07:00Hear, Hear!
What he said!
I'd like to see a searchable central repository for "van Hoffman" quotes and a blogospheric commitment to challenge these people whenever and wherever possible. If they're on TV or radio, call in and confront them with their prognostications. If you hear of an interview, send a message to the interviewer. Don't let them get away with denial or changing the topic!Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4144679.post-923922532003-04-10T16:47:00.000-07:002003-04-10T16:50:22.000-07:00Over at Sofia Sideshow, jkrank has a idea that's similar to something I've been kicking around. He suggests that the US allows the UN to operate humanitarian services in Iraq in parallel to services operated by the United States. Along the lines of my similar facetious suggestion a few weeks ago, on the theory that the comparison would be... instructive. The downside is that it's Eriknoreply@blogger.com