Unintended consequences of an ill-conceived war: Missiles go missing in Libya
Back in June of this year, President Barack Obama said of the war in Libya that “there’s no risks of additional escalation.” I responded in this space: [Read more →]
Back in June of this year, President Barack Obama said of the war in Libya that “there’s no risks of additional escalation.” I responded in this space: [Read more →]
The world of science is abuzz with findings that suggest subatomic particles called neutrinos may have traveled faster than light, contradicting Einstein’s theory that the speed of light was an absolute that could not be exceeded. Fundamental laws of physics? Easy come, easy go. [Read more →]
In an interview with Howard Stern the other day, the 85 year-old singer Tony Bennett made some statements about September 11th, 2001, for instance:
“But who are the terrorists? Are we the terrorists or are they the terrorists? Two wrongs don’t make a right,” and, “They flew the plane in, but we caused it. Because we were bombing them and they told us to stop.”
The obvious response to this is to say that Tony Bennett should stick to singing, and to talking about music. In those areas he’s pretty smart. In terms of politics, simply put, he’s always been a liberal wacko. When asked the kinds of questions Stern asked, Bennett is guaranteed to show his wackiness. He also said, maybe most absurdly of all, that President George W. Bush had confided in him at the White House that the war in Iraq had been “a mistake.” [Read more →]
Below are two very recent headlines I grabbed:
“School shut down by Board of Ed for teaching secular Bible course.”
“Court says teacher must take down patriotic banners mentioning God.”
You see these kinds of stories all the time, with schools or teachers running afoul of what is characterized as “the separation of church and state” (which is a phrase some people mistakenly believe resides in the U.S. Constitution, but no matter that now). God doesn’t belong in a public school classroom, we are told, and that goes double for the Bible, which is a manifestation of that specific Judeo-Christian God.
Although I’m not personally an advocate of this idea of actively expunging religious concepts from the natural life and thought that would take place in schools, I do understand the concept. It’s why, when passing a public school in my New York City neighborhood, I’ve raised my eyebrow at a sign that has long hung over the main entrance. It says: “Robert F. Kennedy Students Have KARMA.” That’s PS 169, of the New York City Public School system. [Read more →]
There are so many things that could be said today, on the tenth anniversary of the attacks of September 11th, 2001, but I’m failing to find words of my own that hold up. Rudolph Giuliani (the greatest mayor in the history of New York City long before 9/11: don’t let anyone tell you otherwise) said it the best for me today.
Put politics aside. The part of the speech today at the Annual Conference of the American Legion by the President of the United States paying tribute to those who have fought for this country since 9/11 was entirely appropriate and accurate.
Today, as we near this solemn anniversary, it’s fitting that we salute the extraordinary decade of service rendered by the 9/11 Generation -— the more than 5 million Americans who've worn the uniform over the past 10 years. They were there, on duty, that September morning, having enlisted in a time of peace, but they instantly transitioned to a war footing. They’re the millions of recruits who have stepped forward since, seeing their nation at war and saying, “Send me.” They’re every single soldier, sailor, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman serving today, who has volunteered to serve in a time of war, knowing that they could be sent into harm’s way. [Read more →]
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I’ve lived in New York City (Manhattan) through 9/11, through blizzards, one major blackout, innumerable other storms and kerfuffles, but I’ve never seen anything like what I saw today. A line of people snaking down the block outside of a Dunkin’ Donuts.
What the heck is going on here?
As was the point of my post yesterday, the truly unprecedented thing which New Yorkers are having to deal with is the system-wide shutdown of all public transportation, which was announced yesterday by the mayor and governor and which began at 12 noon today. It will presumably last at least until Monday morning.
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The knock-on effects of this are massive. I thought the stores were crazy yesterday afternoon, but today Mrs. C. tried to get a modest few items at a local supermarket and witnessed madness and stripped shelves on a far more frightening scale. The issue, in my view, is not so much that people were running out to get things because there’s some rain and wind coming, but that they were running out to get things because—with employees unable to get to and fro work, due to the transport shutdown—they know the stores will be closing, and will remain closed until Monday morning. [Read more →]
The poet Samuel Menashe passed away yesterday. It is reported that he died in his sleep. He was 85. (See notes from Bloodaxe Books and the Poetry Foundation.)
He was 79 years old when he received the (very first) “Neglected Masters Award” from the Poetry Foundation and Poetry Magazine. His “Selected Poems,” edited by Christopher Ricks, was then published by the Library of America. (I wrote on that book previously at this link.) [Read more →]
The CEO of EXXON said the following, as dead and dying oil-covered birds littered the Alaskan coast:
We would like to have no bird deaths and no bird injuries. But, once again, we have to balance all the needs of society. All the people who want to flip their switch and have electricity in their homes.
Except he didn’t, and neither did anyone else from the world of Big Oil. Those words were stated by Lorelei Oviatt, the “planning commissioner” of Kern County, California, where they are looking to greatly expand their reliance on wind farms, despite the already-heavy toll being exacted on endangered Golden Eagles and other birds of prey and migratory birds (to say nothing of all the less glamorous little birdies who must get whacked to death by the spinning turbine blades). Yet, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which can seek heavy fines and even jail time for the killing of endangered species, continues to give Green Eco-Friendly Power a complete pass. [Read more →]
What are the riots in London about? I’m sure they constitute evidence of many things. Londoner Mick Hartley observes that a lot of commentators are “using the occasion to strengthen their own particular prejudices.” He has no grand explanation but identifies old-fashioned “teenage bravado” as on one of the chief things underlying the activities. And of-course the plain old desire for “free goodies.” And as he points out: “What’s changed is that now, with their Blackberries, they can get a flash mob together pretty damn quick, and they can stay ahead of the police.” They are the Blackberry riots. [Read more →]
