Pardon the term, but we're jumping the gun by a week over at Kiko's House in noting the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war. It's not that we think that we have something special to say. You can be the judge of that. It's just that we want to say it before the tsunami of analyses breaks on the shore of the blogosphere and we get soaked from all of the punditizing. Please … [Read more...] about Iraq: Four Years On and No End In Sight
France’s Chirac Bows Out
French Jacques Chirac is now French political history:Jacques Chirac, admired and scorned during 12 years as France's president, announced Sunday he will not seek a third term in elections this spring - a widely expected move given his low popularity, his age and a conservative rival who has siphoned off his political base. In a televised address, Chirac said he would find … [Read more...] about France’s Chirac Bows Out
DVD Review: So Goes The Nation
Political documentaries can be fascinating but sometimes there's a hitch that limits their accessibility: the filmmakers' point of view becomes so strong that it boils down to the "good guys" and the "bad guys." The problem with that is that everyone thinks it's the other side that's bad so you get a) political documentaries that preach to the choir, b) political documentaries … [Read more...] about DVD Review: So Goes The Nation
The Event Chapter 10
Mick LaSalle published chapter 10 of The Event late yesterday evening. Go and read it. It starts off with a truly disgusting, horrifying scene. The rest of the chapter is, as always, a great read. … [Read more...] about The Event Chapter 10
This Just In!!
THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Giuliani’s Ex-wives March on Washington Police Estimate Crowd at 200,000 In a dramatic display of political strength in numbers, an organization comprising the ex-wives of Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani marched on Washington today, demanding that their thousands of voices be heard. The … [Read more...] about This Just In!!
A Polarizing Figure Begins To Bow Out
But, as he leaves the stage, is he now a less polarizing figure to some? … [Read more...] about A Polarizing Figure Begins To Bow Out
The Scooter Libby Verdict
...as seen by Stephen Colbert: … [Read more...] about The Scooter Libby Verdict
The Urge To Purge
Is US Ready To Dump Pakistan’s Musharraf?
The Times of India today asked this question. "The writing seems to be on the wall for Pakistan's military ruler Pervez Musharraf. Uncle Sam, the General's Patron-in-Chief, is showing signs of cashiering his favoured stooge and preparing grounds for his succession." While The New York Times says: "For decades, the military has been the most dominant institution in Pakistan. … [Read more...] about Is US Ready To Dump Pakistan’s Musharraf?
Halliburton To Move Headquarters To Dubai
Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's alma mater, is going to move its headquarters to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates:Halliburton, the big energy services company, said today that it would open a corporate headquarters in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai and move its chairman and chief executive, David J. Lesar, there. The company will maintain its existing … [Read more...] about Halliburton To Move Headquarters To Dubai
Center of Attention
A round up of recent reporting and commentary by a few centrist, moderate, and independent bloggers. Routine in the age of Bush. What routine am I talking about, you ask? Go read the answer at A Newer World. Michael Linn Jones at the Gun Toting Liberal on the Scooter Libby Trial. A victory for liberals? No, says Michael, everybody loses. Two Quotes for the Day: one by … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Poetry: Dan Schneider
Every now and then we like to pay some attention to literature here at The Moderate Voice. Today, I would like to publish a sonnet written by Dan Schneider: THEORY: THE GAME Pascal [in a box] rolled the dice one day, then passed them to Fermat, who decided not to play. He then palmed the pair of cubes and started to say…. but decided no way would be better. … [Read more...] about Poetry: Dan Schneider
‘US and Iran Break Ice Over Iraq’
This is what Jim Muir of the BBC reports from Baghdad "The one-day conference of Iraq's neighbours, attended by other interested parties including the Americans and British, seems to have passed off as well as anybody expected. "It was the first formal encounter between the Americans and Iranians - who have no diplomatic relations - for more than two years. US relations … [Read more...] about ‘US and Iran Break Ice Over Iraq’
Defecting Iranian General Spied on Iran
The Sunday Times has very, very interesting news (if true of course): the general who defected in Turkey a couple of days ago, Ali Reza Asgari, spied on Iran since 2003 when he left the country for a business trip and was recruited by 'an' intelligence agency. The agency? Most likely the Mossad, but it could also be a different agency. He fled because his cover was about to … [Read more...] about Defecting Iranian General Spied on Iran
French Jews Fleeing Into Florida
Over the past few years there have been reports of French Jews relocating or even being urged to relocate by some Jewish groups and now there's a new twist: French Jews are fleeing into Florida, the Miami Herald reports. And it's providing a booming business for Florida immigration lawyers:Rod Kukurudz decided to uproot his family from a comfortable life in France to … [Read more...] about French Jews Fleeing Into Florida
Romney Buying Conservative Support
Months (and weeks) before Mitt Romney announced “his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts contributed tens of thousands of dollars of his personal fortune to several conservative groups in a position to influence his image on the right.â€? Click here to read more. … [Read more...] about Romney Buying Conservative Support
The New Edwards
An interesting article in The Washington Post by Dan Balz about John Edwards. Balz argues that we see a different Edwards today, compared to the Edwards of 2005: he's more experienced, "his elbows are sharper", he's more serious, and he seems to have moved to the left. Has he moved to the left? Of course he has. Political calculations? Probably. Does he, however, believe in … [Read more...] about The New Edwards
U.S. Inches Towards (Tough) Talking With Iran
It appears as if a new era in U.S.-Iran relations has started:The American ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, shook hands yesterday with a senior Iranian envoy and exchanged a few words in Farsi in what may have signified a slight warming of the frosty relations between the two nations. The meeting with Abbas Arakji, the envoy from Tehran, came during a one-day conference … [Read more...] about U.S. Inches Towards (Tough) Talking With Iran
It’s Time To “Follow The Bouncing Ball”
Here's a fascinating piece of Americana. There was a time in America when audiences would savor hand-drawn, supremely-smooth- moving animated cartoons -- and even sing in the theater as they "followed the bouncing ball" that gave them the lyrics to a then-popular song. Now, step back into the time machine (way before I was born) to see Disney-rival Max Fleischer's short … [Read more...] about It’s Time To “Follow The Bouncing Ball”
Tax Day Cometh
From moderate cartoonist Tom Briscoe: … [Read more...] about Tax Day Cometh