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The CIA Is No 'Rogue' Agency |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
1:40 pm EST, Nov 25, 2004 |
Seldom has so much of what is said been so distorted and misinformed. The time has come to turn down the temperature of the debate, to take a deep breath, and to get some balance and thoughtfulness into the discussion. To me, civility means thoughtful and well-informed debate. Constructive criticism can help. Tirades and hyperbole will not. This op-ed by John McLaughlin, deputy director of central intelligence, appeared in Wednesday's Washington Post. The CIA Is No 'Rogue' Agency |
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Ashcroft Quits Top Justice Post |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
12:43 am EST, Nov 10, 2004 |
Attorney General John Ashcroft said Tuesday that he would resign. Leading candidates to succeed Mr. Ashcroft include Alberto R. Gonzales, the White House counsel, and Mark Racicot, the chairman of Mr. Bush's re-election campaign. Ashcroft Quits Top Justice Post |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
8:51 am EST, Nov 5, 2004 |
Democracy is a breeze during good times. It's when the storms are raging that citizenship is put to the test. And there's a hell of a wind blowing right now. OK, Folks: Back to Work |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
9:47 am EST, Oct 31, 2004 |
Political strategists' efforts to stigmatize opponents, along with poisonous radio and TV talk, leaders who question the patriotism of their opponents, the failure of mainstream journalists to challenge lies and distortions with facts, a passive electorate that naïvely expects to learn about candidates from TV sound bites and staged "debates" and a culture that values simplification of complex problems and prizes candidates' personalities over their abilities, has created a crisis in American democracy. Democracy does not mean that any tactic that produces a vote is justified. The Attack Ads |
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In Search of the Right Model of Leadership |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
9:07 am EDT, Oct 26, 2004 |
The flaw in David Brooks's analysis of two models of leadership is that it leaves out a third. Mr. Brooks depicts a public looking either to men of faith or to experts versed in the workings of government. A third model of presidential leadership is found in traditions of a self-reliant, productive citizenry that doubts the ability of any leader to save us. This is the leadership that tackles tough issues in a collaborative way and rejects the rescuer role. Such leaders are catalytic, tapping the talents of citizens and building democracy as a way of life, not just at election time. John F. Kennedy provided an example in his challenge for Americans to "ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country." Things will get worse until we have leaders who again call us to the work of citizenship. In Search of the Right Model of Leadership |
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Jon Stewart on American Perspectives |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
11:14 pm EDT, Oct 23, 2004 |
On American Perspectives: "The Daily Show" Host Jon Stewart Comedian Jon Stewart talks about the presidential candidates and the media in a discussion hosted by Syracuse University. The streaming video is now available. Jon Stewart on American Perspectives |
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'Oops. I Told the Truth.' |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
12:05 pm EDT, Oct 17, 2004 |
The one thing that has gone totally missing, not only from this election, but from American politics, is national leaders who are actually ready to level with the public and even criticize their own constituencies. Good jobs are being outsourced to Indians and Chinese not simply because they'll work for less, but because they are better educated in the math and science skills required for 21st-century work. In China, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America, Britney Spears is Britney Spears. One-third of the Arab population is under the age of 15. 'Oops. I Told the Truth.' |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
9:44 am EDT, Sep 14, 2004 |
Paul Krugman's latest column opens with the recent death of an Arab TV journalist during an attack by US forces. Isn't Krugman an economist? Doctors recommend balancing your daily Krugman spintake with an equal and opposite dose of Stratforeality. Krugman claims that with a larger troop deployment to Afghanistan in early 2002, we could have captured bin Laden. Not true; by then, he was already in Pakistan, and a million US troops across the border in Afghanistan wouldn't have netted bin Laden. In this, Krugman completely misses the point. He seems to think the US should demonstrate its true might by producing bin Laden's head on a platter for the world's conspicuous consumption. No -- that victory belongs to Pakistan now. For all the chatter about "listening to our allies", the Democrats seem quite insistent on dictating the global time table according to domestic priorities. Krugman blames the insurgency on insufficient troop strength immediately following the invasion. Those troops could have curtailed the looting, but they would not have prevented the insurgency. He seems to forget that the insurgency is comprised of insurgents, and in general, eliminating the former requires eliminating the latter. The US does not need to double or triple its troop strength to eliminate the insurgents; currently deployed forces could retake Falluja this afternoon, if ordered. When Krugman refers to "the prospect of a casualty toll that would have hurt [Bush's] approval rating", he neglects to mention that the casualties in question are Iraqi, not American. For a Kerry supporter, his arguments are rather lacking in nuance. Despite his criticism of Rumsfeld's New Way of War, Krugman and the like minded are still missing a critical point, and it is one that Rumsfeld himself keeps front and center. To parafuse Sherman and McNealy: War is hell. Get over it. Taking On the Myth |
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When the 'Spreadsheet People' Go to Vote |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
8:55 am EDT, Sep 14, 2004 |
David Brooks's framework leaves out an important group, what we label the PowerPoint or bullet-point people. Bullet-point people traffic in the meaningless business-speak of the management consultant, language that eschews equally the nuance and hard numbers of reality. Don't forget about process. Power pointers can't get enough of process. For them, a briefing about the process of creating a briefing would be quite exciting, even though some would surely fail to recognize the circularity of it all. Any attempt to describe it would be understood as a failure in process. "We'll just add a decision diamond ... here ... and ask, 'Is this briefing about itself?'" It's like a pointer that contains its own address. That's the essence of a Power pointer. When the 'Spreadsheet People' Go to Vote |
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