Iraq continues to be ... well, Iraq. The plan for saving Iraq begins by ousting Maliki David Ignatius / Washington Post What would an effective quick response to the catastrophic civil wars in Iraq and Syria look like? Sometimes in foreign policy, as in sports, it can be useful to visualize the right technique — and then hit the ball. Aw. The hand-picked (by the US) … [Read more...] about Eleven Years Later, Nothing Has Changed
Insurance Exchanges Providing Coverage At Reasonable Price With Choices Expanding
Now that health care coverage through the exchanges has been up and running for a several months we are getting more data on the favorable results. A major benefit has been to not only replace policies on the individual market which often had limited coverage with comprehensive coverage that cannot be canceled for development of medical problems, but to also make such care more … [Read more...] about Insurance Exchanges Providing Coverage At Reasonable Price With Choices Expanding
The Perks of being a Wallflower: Extraordinarily average
The Perks of being a Wallflower is strange little film. After the end credits started to roll I had two contradictory views toward the film – I felt it was both average and extraordinary. It’s average because there is essentially nothing new here – it is you bog standard ‘coming-of-age’ American movie. You have a kid who is a bit of a loaner and has some mental issues – he … [Read more...] about The Perks of being a Wallflower: Extraordinarily average
Dr. Oz and His Magical Elixirs Fall Under Senate Scrutiny
I think if Dr. Oz was named Dr. Voldemort he’d have less of a following. Or at least people would be more suspicious of the “miracle” potions he endorses. This week Dr. Oz traveled to the less magical land of Washington D.C. to testify before the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance to defend himself against accusations of promoting quackery. It … [Read more...] about Dr. Oz and His Magical Elixirs Fall Under Senate Scrutiny
Failure in Iraq: 7 Thoughts
Wither Iraq? That's actually a two-pronged question. First, where will Iraq wind up when it completes its latest, chaotic chapter? Second, will Iraq's next incarnation be as a cohesive nation-state, or will it literally wither and splinter into two (or more) parts? There are many points and twists to ponder as Iraq (again) dominates the news. Here's a partial list. And … [Read more...] about Failure in Iraq: 7 Thoughts
Facebook emotions: They’re contagious!
Facebook emotions: They're contagious! (via NJ.com) If you spend a lot of time on Facebook, your news feed has a greater impact on your emotions than you realize. Social scientists have wondered whether all those cheery status updates on job offers, birthday gifts, videotaped proposals and drunken selfies… … [Read more...] about Facebook emotions: They’re contagious!
Dick Cheney’s chutzpah
By E.J. DIONNE JR. WASHINGTON -- The infinitely valuable Yiddish word "chutzpah" is defined as "shameless audacity" or "impudence." It's singularly appropriate for the astonishing op-ed piece that former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. It's not every day that a leader of the previous … [Read more...] about Dick Cheney’s chutzpah
Heroism Of Kyle Carpenter
He will be awarded the Medal of Honor Thursday morning and the story of his heroism in combat is well known. But I think his recovery is just as amazing … [Read more...] about Heroism Of Kyle Carpenter
‘Ready If Called Upon for Iraq’
While nothing concrete, clear or bi-partisan came out of Obama’s White House meeting today with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi; while Secretary of State John Kerry maintained afterwards that all options are still on the table; while iraq’s Shiite-dominated government officially … [Read more...] about ‘Ready If Called Upon for Iraq’
Iraq and the Sykes-Picot Line
My friend Shaun Mullen mentioned this in his post below but I think some further talk about the Sykes-Picot Line might be useful. The Ottoman Empire collapsed at the end of WWI. That left a large chunk of Mesopotamia open for grabs and both the British and the French who were still anxious to expand their empires were ready to grab. As Shaun noted: When the British … [Read more...] about Iraq and the Sykes-Picot Line
Could a Four-Year Degree Be on the Fritz?
American higher education certainly has its problems. According to a recent article by The Atlantic, it is now impossible to work one's way through college. Since the 1970s, the cost of a four-year degree has skyrocketed, consistently growing at a higher rate than wages and inflation. Without having ample support from one's family or incurring massive debt it's almost … [Read more...] about Could a Four-Year Degree Be on the Fritz?
Republicans Attack Obama For Capturing Terrorist Involved In Benghazi Attack
One of the major attacks on Obama from the right was that they never captured those responsible for Benghazi--never mind how many people responsible for embassy attacks under Reagan and Bush were never apprehended, or that it was Obama that got bin Laden years after Bush let him escape at Tora Bora. Now one of those responsible for Benghazi has been captured. You might … [Read more...] about Republicans Attack Obama For Capturing Terrorist Involved In Benghazi Attack
Cheney Is No Churchill
Referring to the heroic efforts of the Royal Air Force pilots fighting the Battle of Britain in 1940, Winston Churchill spoke these famous words: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Fast forward nearly 74 years. Dick Cheney, the man who helped take America into an unnecessary war based on lies and fabrications, has the audacity to … [Read more...] about Cheney Is No Churchill
US Patent Office cancels Washington Redskins trademark
US Patent Office cancels Washington Redskins trademark (via AFP) The US Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday cancelled the federal registration of the Washington Redskins' name after it agreed that it is "disparaging of Native Americans." The decision, which the American football team can appeal, is a victory… … [Read more...] about US Patent Office cancels Washington Redskins trademark
HYPOCRISY: Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney Blast President Obama on Iraq Crisis
Former vice president Dick Cheney and his daughter, failed Senate candidate Liz Cheney, took to the Wall Street Journal to sharply criticize President Barack Obama on Iraq. Oh, the irony -- this is coming from one of the chief engineers of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The Cheneys painted a picture of gloom and doom from the start of their op-ed: "Rarely has a U.S. president … [Read more...] about HYPOCRISY: Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney Blast President Obama on Iraq Crisis
Fallows on Iraq and the Neocons
James Fallows opines on unrepentant neoconservatives stumping for more US military intervention in Iraq on The Atlantic. We all make mistakes. But we are talking about people in public life—writers, politicians, academics—who got the biggest strategic call in many decades completely wrong. Wrong as a matter of analysis, wrong as a matter of planning, wrong as a matter of … [Read more...] about Fallows on Iraq and the Neocons
The Crisis In Iraq: A Real-Life ‘Game Of Thrones’
When the British diplomat Sir Mark Sykes sat down with François George-Picot, his French counterpart, on May 16, 1916 in London for the last in a six-month series of tea-and-negotiation meetings, it was the pilot episode of a sort of a real-life Game of Thrones. The diplomats had been negotiating on how to divvy up the spoils of the Ottoman Empire. The conclusion of … [Read more...] about The Crisis In Iraq: A Real-Life ‘Game Of Thrones’
Cries Over Lois Lerner’s Lost Email Look Like Just Another Conservative Conspiracy Theory
Conservatives 1) love to act like the victim and 2) have been desperately trying to make it appear that there have been scandals which they can attribute to the Obama administration. As the Obama administration has been remarkably free of scandals, they have had to invent several. The IRS scandal first appeared to be something to be concerned about, until we realized that while … [Read more...] about Cries Over Lois Lerner’s Lost Email Look Like Just Another Conservative Conspiracy Theory
Will Won’t Stop Digging
OB/GYN physician Jen Gunter takes George Will down again for his challenge of the 1-in-5 sexual assault statistic on Talking Points Memo. George Will continues with his assertion that it is mathematically impossible for 1 in 5 women to have been sexually assaulted while in college. He calls the statistics “insupportable” and when he replied to Senators Blumenthal, Feinstein, … [Read more...] about Will Won’t Stop Digging
Iraq: UN’s Ban at a loss like Obama
Referring to the possibility of a wider regional war stemming from Iraq and Syria, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that he “would not predict or prejudge any such kind of scenario at this time”. The best he could do was strongly urge Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to reach a “more inclusive solution of this issue”. His briefing today had an air of desperation, … [Read more...] about Iraq: UN’s Ban at a loss like Obama