First Spanish voters realize that the Iraq war really didn't make them safer (and the PM-elect pledges to move closer in line to the rest of the EU), now the Polish President says he was misled about the Iraq war. No wonder Bush is desperate enough to accord a nation whose top nuclear scientist sold technical information a special status as a "Major Non-NATO Ally," if he doesn't, he may not have many allies left.
Posted by Nikhil,
3:17 PM
-
Scalia refuses to recuse himself in a case involving Cheney.
I'm not sure that a hunting trip is going to have much effect on Scalia's decision, but in the interests of fairness, certainty, and the sliding reputation of the Supreme Court for staying above the fray, he might have made the wrong decision.
Posted by Nikhil,
3:14 PM
-
Wednesday, March 17, 2004 From the Comments Section I just re-filled our BackBlog, and figured I'd get our money's-worth. This is in reference to the post on Sunday, March 14th, regarding Women's Week, and the posts below.
This was the arc of this conversation:
Nick Santos comments that Bush mentioned Wolfie and Powell in a speech about women's liberation.
Anonymous argues that the couple had, at least in Afghanistan, furthered the cause.
I commented that they certainly went backwards in Iraq.
Then, Sowmya argues that there was ample evidence that the news in Afghanistan was not at all rosy.
This is where Emmett pops in by belittling the above argument - all of a sudden it is no longer pertinent that Sowmya was simply responding to Anonymous' point - now she's just being silly, according to him.
Then, as if scripted by Rove (or Ailes), Bucky comes out with the righteous indignation - bringing up a prominent conservative name that, notably, had been absent from the conversation until then, turning it into a liberal/conservative debate, throwing in an ad hominem attack for spice.
The argument that wasn't degrades from there, in usual style.
Emmet and Buckholz, you're shameless, but you're perfectly representative of your cause. You never respond to Sowmya's original point, and then you go on to distort her follow-ups. You take a point that is at least tenable and push it off so you can play the conservative victims, while mocking the very real issue to which your side has no intelligent response. You do all this in a forum that you don't offer the progressives.
I think in the end many conservatives are afraid to actually address ideas. You write like your talk-radio hosts blather - when the token other speaks, you just talk louder about something else. I just wish you wouldn't waste my $10 a year not having any real ideas on our comments section.
Posted by Jared,
8:19 PM
-
Tuesday, March 16, 2004 Liberal Talk Radio (finally)
Mark your calendar. Al Franken and others hit the air waves with the new Air America Radio on March 31st.
Posted by Dan,
10:18 PM
-
Sunday, March 14, 2004 International Women's Week: in Hindsight
I hope at least some of you were able to make time out of the fury of finals to recognize last week as International Women's Week 2004. Women all around the world celebrated it, but for those that missed it, here are a few highlights:
The week kicks off with the UN International Women's Day Conference on March 8th, where this year's focus is AIDS. Kofi Annan draws attention to the fact that the AIDS epidemic is shifting towards women. What do people think is causing this? Annan has his theories...
Vincente Fox pledges to put an end to the horrifying sexual-assualt/murders of women in Ciudad Juarez, and to fight against Mexico's shameful domestic violence rates.
Bush recognizes female reformers around the world...one of which is actually a man. He then goes on to mention Paul Wolfowitz and Colin Powell for their contributions to women's liberation. Zuh?
