David Adler
The debate II
The YouTube debate format was certainly entertaining. But while there’s nothing wrong with levity, the instrusion of entertainment values into politics is a problem, and the YouTube concept seems to encourage it. Some of the questions were pure throwaways. At the risk of sounding humorless, this election is serious. Airtime is too precious to waste. Soliciting questions from ordinary citizens
The debate
I’m enthusiastic about Barack Obama and I think he did well in last night’s CNN-YouTube debate. But one exchange struck me in particular, and Hillary Clinton gave the better response. The question (transcript here): In 1982, Anwar Sadat traveled to Israel, a trip that resulted in a peace agreement that has lasted ever since. [An aside: Sadat was assassinated in
Flacking the “resistance”
This Guardian piece by Seumas Milne details a new alliance among Iraqi “resistance” factions. Apparently the alliance, which is non-Baathist and non-Qaeda, is ready to come “out of the shadows” and position itself as a legitimate player, with offices abroad and everything. Harry’s Place takes issue with Milne’s tone and approach in what is supposed to be a hard news
The dogs of war
With the Michael Vick dogfighting story in the news, I thought I’d bring this up. In its July 23 issue, The New Republic printed this Baghdad Diarist, by an American soldier writing under the pseudonym Scott Thomas. The piece is meant to illustrate how war desensitizes soldiers and warps their sense of humor. So we’re treated to tales of Thomas
Bowerbird triple bill
My review of the latest Bowerbird show, in today’s Inquirer.
Barack Obama for President
Let’s face it: the other Democratic contenders are mediocrities, Hillary very much included. They should cede the race now, and get behind the man who can take this country back from the insidious, off-the-rails GOP. If you agree, visit the site. Volunteer. Donate. Find meetings in your area. Do everything you can. Obama can win.
Counterpunch v. Cooper
Joshua Frank, writing in Counterpunch, has indicted Marc Cooper for the high crime of criticizing Ward Churchill. In case you’ve forgotten, Churchill is the widely vilified Colorado academic who penned the 9/11 essay “Some People Push Back” and used the term “Little Eichmanns” to describe employees of the World Trade Center. Churchill’s essay is here. Before I respond, a reminder
Journalism, from Venezuela to Iraq
Very pleased to see this savaging of Hugo Chavez in the lefty New Statesman. Alice O’Keeffe comments on the aftermath of Hugo’s shutdown of the RCTV network: RCTV has been replaced by TVes (pronounced té vès, or “you see yourself”), a government channel that has the apparently laudable aim of moving away from a western, consumerist agenda and reflecting the