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Scahill’s heyday
[Previous post on Jeremy Scahill here.] Given the troubling involvement of Blackwater in the current Afpak campaign, we’ll probably be hearing a lot more from Jeremy Scahill, described by Spencer Ackerman as Blackwater’s “most dogged journalistic pursuer.” One thing to keep in mind about Scahill is that he’s actually quite sympathetic toward gun-toting, unaccountable thugs who threaten civilians as part
My thoughts exactly
Well, not exactly, but close. Yesterday, from Andrew Sullivan: I think this strategy is doomed. But then I think any strategy that does not pledge to colonize Afghanistan, pour trillions of dollars into it and stay for a century is doomed. So why do I end up this morning feeling rather similar to my colleague, Jim Fallows, who simply sighs:
The slander begins
[Cross-posted at Harry’s Place. See Gene’s earlier post on Malalai Joya.] Malalai Joya at Comment Is Free makes valid points about corruption under Karzai but then writes: Like many around the world, I am wondering what kind of “peace” prize can be awarded to a leader who continues the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and starts a new war in
The speech
I have a lot to do today besides read seven million reactions to Obama’s speech, but I’ll wade back into the water soon. For now, I think this is the most principled military decision we could reasonably expect from an American president in these circumstances. It was not “the easier option,” as Bob Herbert opined yesterday. A majority of Americans
A glitch
I’m getting errors while trying to approve comments — working on it. But my friend Mike takes apart Glenn Greenwald’s Bush analogy so effectively that I need to put it up here: Greenwald’s analogy might make sense, but for one thing: When Bush made all those promises, I didn’t vote for him. Indeed, they were among the very reasons I
Inzinzac
They’re a Philly-based trio (guitarist Alban Bailly, saxophonist Dan Scofield, drummer Eli Litwin), and they’re fundraising online for a studio project and a tour in France. Check out their video pitch.
Obama’s word
Glenn Greenwald: The most bizarre defense of Obama’s escalation is also one of the most common: since he promised during the campaign to escalate in Afghanistan, it’s unfair to criticize him for it now — as though policies which are advocated during a campaign are subsequently immunized from criticism. For those invoking this defense: in 2004, Bush ran for re-election
On Dan Aran
The following review appears in the December 2009 issue of All About Jazz-New York. — Dan AranBreathing (Smalls Records) By David R. Adler Dan Aran’s Breathing arrived with a short, dour note from Luke Kaven, head of Smalls Records, on the shaky future of indie-label jazz. That’s not news, and yet Breathing underscores the stakes involved for artists whose work