Benazir Bhutto’s supporters protested recently against Gen. Pervez Musharraf, though she has muted her criticisms to ease her path to elections. Photo: Nadeem Khawer/European Pressphoto Agency As the Pakistani president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, wrestles with swelling public disaffection over his rule, one of his key political rivals, Benazir Bhutto, has embarked on an … [Read more...] about Pakistan: The Ms Benazir Bhutto Factor
Mugabe’s Degrees At Risk?
Several universities are considering revoking honorary degrees bestowed upon Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe. The degrees were given decades ago, when Mugabe was still seen as a revolutionary hero for throwing off brutal White rule in the former Rhodesia. Today, however, he has shown himself to be a murderous thug that is driving his country into ruin. … [Read more...] about Mugabe’s Degrees At Risk?
UN Panel: Global Warming Is Threat To Earth (UPDATED)
A UN panel has issued one of the bluntest warnings on global warming yet -- indicating that it is indeed a threat to earth and in some ways many people do not usually realize:Climate experts issued their starkest warning yet about the impact of global warming, ranging from hunger in Africa to a fast thaw in the Himalayas, in a report on Friday that increased pressure on … [Read more...] about UN Panel: Global Warming Is Threat To Earth (UPDATED)
Public Campaign Finance – A Silver Bullet
From the Democracy 21 Website: The Money Chase; Running for Dollars An editorial appeared today in The Washington Post entitled, ''The Money Chase.'' An editorial also appeared today in The New York Times entitled, ''Running for Dollars.'' The editorials support legislation to repair the presidential public financing system for future elections and urge presidential … [Read more...] about Public Campaign Finance – A Silver Bullet
Britain’s Lost Soul
In 2006, Andrew Sullivan wrote a book called The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How To Get It Back. It is a great book, written by one of Britain’s and America’s leading conservatives ‘with a conscience’, but that is, sadly, not what this column is about. This column is about the Iranian hostage crisis and the way Britain dealt with it. If I were to write a book … [Read more...] about Britain’s Lost Soul
Iraq: Chlorine Truck Bomber Kills 27
Once again bad news from Iraq: a "suicide bomber driving a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas crashed into a police checkpoint in western Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 27 people and wounding dozens, police in the Anbar provincial capital said." Besides that terrorist attack, four Britons were killed yesterday in southern Iraq "in an attack that [...] had not … [Read more...] about Iraq: Chlorine Truck Bomber Kills 27
Pelosi And Assad
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune … [Read more...] about Pelosi And Assad
Gen David Petraeus: A ‘Dragon’ in Iraq?
New York artist Leonard Rosenfeld created this portrait of David Petraeus in 2004, inspired by Petraeus’s famous question on Iraq: “Tell me how this ends.â€? Thank you Marc Schulman for the suggestion to read Jim Lehrer’s lengthy interview with the General Petraeus on PBS NewsHour. I have been doing a bit of research on this General, and the Lehrer interview … [Read more...] about Gen David Petraeus: A ‘Dragon’ in Iraq?
Center of Attention
Andrew Sullivan: "It's the Church, Stupid"... "why people are leaving institutional religion behind." Michael J. Totten published yet another original report. This time about the Peshmerga. Fascinating read. Michael J. Stickings on Joe Klein's TIME article in which Klein states that George W. Bush is unfit to lead. Michael agrees and wonders "where does this leave … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Neo-Atheists and Easter
In the light of Easter, E.J. Dionne Jr. criticizes neo-atheism. It is a good column, be sure to read it. From the introduction: While some Christians harbor doubts about Christ's actual physical resurrection, hundreds of millions believe devoutly that Jesus died and rose, thus redeeming a fallen world from sin. Are these people a threat to reason and even … [Read more...] about Neo-Atheists and Easter
Iraq: April 6, 2003
Jules Crittenden published a fascinating and well written post about what happened in Iraq, back in 2003. April 6, to be precise. I'll give you the first couple of paragraphs, after that, go over to Jules' place to read it in its entirety: It was almost exactly a year after the fact that I met Larry Gwin. Joe Galloway had steered me toward him, when I told Joe I wanted to talk … [Read more...] about Iraq: April 6, 2003
It’s Bill O’Reilly Versus Geraldo Rivera
An illegal alien who is drunk kills a young girl. So is it an immigration issue -- or a drunk driving issue? Or both? Reasonable people can discuss it, but go to CROOKS AND LIARS HERE and watch an absolutely livid Bill O'Reilly in a screamfest with Geraldo Rivera. This is a must-view piece of video for several reasons. One is that it underscores how two people who were … [Read more...] about It’s Bill O’Reilly Versus Geraldo Rivera
“Accuracy, Schmaccuracy”
What does it matter as long as your saying something that to people who hear it can discredit and demonize someone who is creating problems for your "sports (politics) team." Right, Senator Hatch? But then Senator Hatch, when called on it did clarify and issue a correction. It was a mix-up (and after all, the two names DO SOUND THE SAME..) TMV thanks Americablog for the … [Read more...] about “Accuracy, Schmaccuracy”
Classic Comedy: Ernie Kovacs’ Final Show’s Opening Credits
In our final look at television comedy pioneer Ernie Kovacs, here's a piece of tape that I alluded to in my first post this week. I noted that he died in a car crash in January 1962 but a few weeks later ABC aired his final comedy special, taped a month earlier, with an advisory at the beginning that Ernie would have wanted it to be enjoyed. Here is the beginning of that … [Read more...] about Classic Comedy: Ernie Kovacs’ Final Show’s Opening Credits
Guest Poet: Making Friends With North Korea
And now another gem from TMV's favorite artist of verse, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet: Should we outsource the printing of U.S. hundred dollar bills to North Korea? Heck, why not. They already make almost as many as our own Treasury, the quality of their product is excellent, it would bring them into the world economy in a big way, and think of the printing cost … [Read more...] about Guest Poet: Making Friends With North Korea
The Dutch in Afghanistan
A good, interesting article in the New York Times about Dutch soldiers in Afghanistan and about the tactics used by them to fight the Taliban: rather than advancing for reconnaissance or to attack, the Dutch soldiers pulled back to a safer village. “We’re not here to fight the Taliban,â€? said the Dutch commander, Col. Hans van Griensven, at a recent staff meeting. … [Read more...] about The Dutch in Afghanistan
The Natural
RJ Matson, The New York Observer … [Read more...] about The Natural
Guantánamo Follies & Military Commissions Act 2006
Each development in the show trials of Guantánamo Bay inmates brings fresh evidence of how urgent it is for the courts to strike down the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and for Congress to rewrite it, says an editorial in The New York Times. "There has been much speculation about the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear an appeal from a group of Guantánamo Bay … [Read more...] about Guantánamo Follies & Military Commissions Act 2006
Florida Moves Towards Reenfranchising Ex-Felons
And it's Republican Governor Charlie Crist leading the way. Kudos. … [Read more...] about Florida Moves Towards Reenfranchising Ex-Felons
Poetic Justice
John Derbyshire on the recently released British sailors: 15 British Agressors [sic] must be EXECUTED." That was the placard being held up by some beetle-browed Iranian outside the British Embassy in Tehran. Well, I don't entirely disagree. I certainly think that those British captives who have let themselves be put forward on Iranian TV, that woman wearing a headscarf, and the … [Read more...] about Poetic Justice