I'm Done Here

Snapping Turtle Agenda, which I think is much more attractive, dense, and worthwhile, can be reached here. I'll be referring back to these posts from time to time, but say goodbye dear readers - as we hear so often at graduation time, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

Facebook Fabulous

The latest stalking tool.

Gun Control and the Death Penalty

The Daily's take here.

What Am I Supposed to Be? All Apologies?

I’ve been hit hard these past two weeks – job, homework, death penalty debate, etc. I haven’t had much time for blogging, and I somewhat suspect that I’ve lost a significant portion of my tiny audience…c’est le vie. For those who still tap TBW from time to time, you can expect a great deal more starting Thursday (when the debate is over and my procrastination meter will be turned up in anticipation of finals):

· A short essay on the ethics of capital punishment.

· The exclusive on Spencer's essay on LDS.

· Trying to provoke another clash with Tyler over patriotism and American cosmopolitanism. And possibly The Aviator – man, did that movie suck.

· Thoughts on the immigration fiasco.

· Crazy linking to Pandagon.

· Preemptive plugging of my (soon-to-be acquired) new domain blog “Snapping Turtle Agenda”.

Do hope you’ll stick around.

Quiet Progress in the Arab World

Algeria is the classic case of the malaise infecting the Arab world: A former European colony brutalized by years of civil war, a brutish oil-funded military kleptocracy, and a recent wave of militant Islamic fundamentalism. But the New York Times reports that something extraordinary is happening:

Women make up 70 percent of Algeria’s lawyers and 60 percent of its judges. Women dominate medicine. Increasingly, women contribute more to household income than men. Sixty percent of university students are women, university researchers say.

Evidently, this radically positive phenomenon has been sneaking up on the country for generations. How did it happen?

Algeria’s young men reject school and try to earn money as traders in the informal sector, selling goods on the street, or they focus their efforts on leaving the country or just hanging out. There is a whole class of young men referred to as hittistes — the word is a combination of French and Arabic for people who hold up walls.

The trend is a long way from producing a wholesale revolution in the country. Any fleeting glance at history, however, illustrates how these power shifts can begin to grow organically, and just how powerful a liberalizing and liberating force this creeping modernism can become. Algeria’s story, like those of hundreds of other countries around the world, demonstrates that the best critique of the Iraq democratization project is the simplest one – modernity doesn’t to need to be force-fed to any society, even (gasp) Arab societies. It has an unseen but ultimately unstoppable force all its own, and that force operates most genuinely and most determinedly when left to own devices. In the truly short course of just two and a half centuries, that force has managed to overturn millennia of despotism and ignorance, and completely re-conceive and re-constitute the bases of legitimacy in human society. And it begins quietly – when, for instance, women slowly come to dominate the most influential and lucrative vocations.

We hardly even need patience. We live in the most revolutionary time in human history.

Line of the Day

House Minority leader John Boehner (R-OH) on the Kennedy-Bush immigration "compromise":

I promised the President today that I wouldn't say anything bad about ... this piece of shit bill ...

Rep. Boehner and I may not agree on how, but from what I can tell, it is a piece of shit bill.

More on Peretz's Poll

Glenn Greenwald on the necessity of providing context to "horrifying" poll numbers that indicate that some 13 percent of American Muslims believe attacks on civilians are "rarely", "sometimes" or "often" justified:

A rather substantial 24% of Americans thought that such attacks are justified "often" or "sometimes," while another 27% thought they were justified in rare cases. By stark contrast, only 11% of Iranians think such attacks are justified "often" or "sometimes," with a mere further 5% agreeing they can be justified in rare cases. Similar results were found with the series of other questions regarding violence deliberately aimed at civilians -- including women, children and the elderly. Americans believed such attacks could be justifiable to a substantially higher degree than Iranians.

Can we put the hysteria to rest now? Of course not.

More "Spine"-Tingling Nonsense

Not that I’m surprised.

Marty Peretz is deeply concerned about a Pew Poll that Reuters reported on yesterday. It seems that too many American Muslims are too fundamentalist for Peretz’s taste, and there’s so much anti-Americanism in these Muslim communities, and we ought to do something soon guys, and hey you should listen up ‘cause this is super-serious and why is nobody else freaking out about this?!

Let’s take a deep breath, and say first of all that we respect Peretz’s moral clarity on international human rights issues. Instead, let’s take issue with his judgment:

Now, here's a good number. Three quarters of the American Muslim population believe that "suicide in defense of Islam is never justified." That's a solid majority and, as the report's title suggests, very mainstream. But what about killing? Still, if only 76% abhor suicide, that means nearly a quarter would condone it?

Of course it doesn’t, and the poll tells you so – “13 percent of all U.S. Muslims felt suicide attacks could be justified often, sometimes or rarely”. Passionate as he is about the rights of majorities to use political power to institute their own way of life, he might want to take a look at the plank in his own eye and wonder how many Christian and Jewish extremists might feel the same way? But make way for another epic non-sequitur:

In fact, among American Muslims themselves, 61% are concerned about the (possible) rise of Islamic extremism in the United States and 35% of these are "very concerned." They know their community. If they are concerned, than why should other Americans not be?

Well, we are – I would count myself as “very concerned” at the rise of Islamic extremism in America. I simultaneously hold the view that such a thing is impossible. It’s not at all clear that the respondents are expressing fears that the rise of extremism is imminent; as with me, a great deal of that concern likely has more to do with a high degree of antipathy toward extremism than with a perception that the wolf is at the door.

Anyhow, none of this indicates that we poor, intimidated non-Muslims are under any threat from American Muslims. One of the great things about the United States is its ability to let extremists blow off steam at meetings and Koran/Bible/Mao/Mein Kampf readings once a week and then get back to watching television. We have real enemies in the world, but we should keep in mind that compared to the other threats we’ve faced down in our history, they are extraordinarily weak and disorganized. Why invent enemies where they don’t exist? I do hope Marty Peretz calms down and tries some falafel soon, for his own sake.

A Miracle… Right?

The Washington Post reports on the latest innovation in gynecology: A pill called Lybrel that eliminates menstruation altogether. You might say, of course, that generic birth control pills have been doing essentially this for quite some time now, but what’s an extra few hundred million dollars to American consumers…?

The article summarizes my instinctive ambivalence to this development pretty well. A medication that relieves a natural process that, for some women, is unbearably painful and “unpleasant” is completely fine by me. On the other hand, there’s a subtle insinuation of the [insert uncomfortable pause] mysterious, um, period as an ailment to be avoided – not exactly a victory for women everywhere.

Teaching About Faith

Maureen Trantham makes an excellent and salient point in today’s Daily: Too many educated people know absolutely nothing about the world’s major revealed religions, and this invites huge trouble. It’s simple:

And if — as we claim — we are attempting to educate the next generation of the world’s leaders, shouldn’t that education include the footnotes to some of the world’s greatest struggles?

I seem to have been lucky to have social studies teachers who felt the need to tell their student something about how human beings live. It was actually on September 11, 2001, that I learned in my high school world history class that Sunnis and Shiites split back in the seventh century over a struggle to succeed the Prophet Muhammad. I learned in sixth grade that Buddhists and Hindus tend to view time and history as cyclical rather than rectilinear. Reactionary religion and cultural chauvinism are the great anti-democratic and anti-internationalist forces of our time, and teaching the basics of world faiths – including, strangely enough, the majority religion in our own country – is crucial for training a tolerant and competent citizenry.

God Help Us

The New York Times reported just minutes ago on the latest Iraq War disaster to emanate from the Reid/Pelosi Congress. The architect of the Democratic Revolution of 2006:

“I view this as the beginning of the end of the president’s policy on Iraq,” said Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

How elegantly revolting.

Reid announced this evening that the Democratic caucus has decided to remove the withdrawal mandate from the emergency war spending bill that Bush demanded back in February, that they initially delivered with withdrawal timetables. The new one takes the teeth out of the whole enterprise and gives the president the blank check he’s thrown a perfect tantrum to get. Don’t feed me any gibberish about the provisions for getting tough on the Maliki government – as a powerless farce, it is quite impervious to pressure from the Senate Majority Leader’s office. And the kicker? Nancy Pelosi says she will not vote for it. Well, it’s very admirable, Madame Speaker, that you’re willing to give the appearance of deep fissures in the Democratic bloc in order to stand on principle, but anyone can see that this nonsense would never have made it through committee without your calculated acquiescence.

The president hands the Congress one veto – one veto on a measure they were sent to Congress for the virtually expressed purpose of enacting – and they’re done? John Edwards and Bill Richardson have consistently demanded that congressional Democrats send the same bill back to the White House as many times as it takes. What is it about the halls of the Capitol that makes conniving scoundrels out of good people who have been given an unambiguous mandate?

I have a secret for my (supposed) Democratic representatives in Washington: Fully 65% percent of the country is demanding the showdown that you are unwilling to provide. We are demanding it now.

Wonder why Democrats are seen as the party of weak-willed opportunists? I’ve got an answer for that too:

The measure would also force the White House and Congressional Republicans to accept significant new spending. Democrats say there is about $17 billion beyond the president’s initial request, with about $9 billion devoted to extra spending on military programs and health care, veterans’ health care and military base realignment. The remaining $8 billion goes to agriculture programs, additional Gulf Coast recovery efforts, children’s health care and other Democratic priorities. The minimum-wage increase will represent a domestic victory for Democrats.

I’m no naïf. I understand that federal money is the grease that keeps the Washington machine churning out its fatuous merchandise. But in the aftermath of the political hay about pork-barrel spending that won the White House so much unnecessary support the last time we danced around this mulberry bush, really, you must be joking.

“We don’t have a veto-proof Congress,” Mr. Reid said. “But no one can say with any degree of veracity that we haven’t made great progress, and this bill is further proof of that.”

Come on now. I mean, come on. No one can say with any degree of veracity that the progress Petraeus has made is sufficient to entertain the notion that the Iraq project might be worth sticking around for. And in any case, no Democrat can say it with any degree of credibility.

Enough already. What are you all afraid of?

Line of the Day

Via The Plank. John McCain on Mitt Romney's position on the immigration compromise being forced through Congress this week (which, at the moment, is stern opposition):

"Maybe I should wait a couple weeks and see if it changes," Mr. McCain said of Mr. Romney's position on immigration this week. "Maybe he can get out his small varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his yard."

Do You Think It’d Be Alright/If I Could Just Crash Here Tonight…

The best voice of the left-blogosphere has given us yet another reason to adore him. Matthew Yglesias posted his Ultimate Nineties Alt-Rock Playlist today and, oh my lord, it has so many of my favorites. He includes two classic Goo Goo Dolls ballads, “Interstate Love Song”, “I'm Only Happy When It Rains”, even a K’s Choice. And I never thought I’d hear of Fastball’s “The Way” again. Some flops smuggled their way in (I cannot bear the lyrics of “Peaches” by the Presidents or the perplexing non-ironies that pepper Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”), but if you want a quick and handy guide to The Broken Watch’s musical taste, check it out. Also, just because they're awesome:

This Man Is a Deadbeat

I have fallen far short of my solemn commitment to being right twice a day this week. The posting deficit has nagged at my heart as I'm sure it has nagged at yours. I did, however, expend a great deal of this week's blogging time training for my new job, which consists primarily of processing auto repair orders and selling death in cigarette and junk food form. I am proud to say, however, that on my first day the state health department targeted Newport Hills Chevron, sending in a wee 17-year-old to try to buy a pack of Marlboros. Ignoring the growing pack of customers annoyed at my slowness at the register, I suspiciously eyed this tiny creature and requested photo I.D. She diffidently produced it, revealing that she doesn't reach the age of 18 until late July. I had no choice - she had to be made to leave without the coveted cigarettes; gently but firmly, I told her so. Within a few moments the health cop entered the station and announced my success to the room, inspiring the (still quite long) line of customers to reward me with spatters of scattered, random applause. This small triumph, I think, trumps whatever contribution I might otherwise have made to the discourse.

I Like Quotations

"I can tell you, our grandchildren will laugh at those who predicted global warming. We'll be in global cooling by then, if the Lord hasn't returned. I don't believe a moment of it. The whole thing is created to destroy America's free enterprise system and our economic stability."

Guess who?