Saturday, December 20, 2003
Another reason to wonder about the viability of the European experiment: France's increasingly clumsy efforts to deal with religious symbols in public schools, namely by banning them.
That's right - setting state rule into direct conflict with personal religious obligations. Having thus far failed to seriously combat prejudice among the French Catholic majority against their Muslim minority or those of French Muslims against French Jews, Chirac wants to simply suppress all religious expression in the French school system. How can this possibly not blow up in his face?
That's right - setting state rule into direct conflict with personal religious obligations. Having thus far failed to seriously combat prejudice among the French Catholic majority against their Muslim minority or those of French Muslims against French Jews, Chirac wants to simply suppress all religious expression in the French school system. How can this possibly not blow up in his face?
Just last February, Jacques Chirac had himself a little tantrum. Enraged that other European countries were espousing pro-American stances on the question of Iraq, he cut loose with a shrill denunciation of governments supporting the Anglo-American position. Showing remarkable powers of projection and transferrence, he called them "badly brought up" as they had "missed an opportunity to stay quiet." Nothing else done by France in this time so thoroughly exposed the egotism and cynicism of its position.
Now the chickens are coming home to roost, with Spain and Poland's decision to defend the voting proportions promised to them. The New York Times examines the popularity of Poland's stance in Poland Takes Pride in Assertive Stance Toward Neighbors. The headline doesn't quite do it justice - Poland is hardly pressing Lithuania or the Czech Republic; the only neighbor it is pressing is Germany, which is hardly innocent of bullying Poland.
Chirac's tirade can only be ranked as a contributing factor to Polish determination - one other factor was undoubtedly disgust at the recent exemptions France and Germany granted themselves from EU budgetary rules. But the chauvinism and arrogance of Chirac was undoubtedly a factor in spurring Poland to assert its rights against Franco-German dominance.
After the meeting in Brussels fell apart, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany bitterly criticized Poland and Spain, though not by name. Two countries, he said, had been "unable to change their way of thinking and acting." They had "left the European idea behind" in pursuit of their own interests.
Sounds like transferrence again.
I used to support EU expansion rather uncritically, but witnessing the Soprano-esque tactics of Europe's self-appointed bosses, I'm none too eager to see countries from Eastern Europe subordinated again by a new set of commissars. The question of vote apportionment would not be so loaded if Poland was in a position to trust the goodwill of France and Germany. If they can't demonstrate their willingness to be bound by their own rules or to truly listen to and respect the views of other European states, this project is going nowhere.
Now the chickens are coming home to roost, with Spain and Poland's decision to defend the voting proportions promised to them. The New York Times examines the popularity of Poland's stance in Poland Takes Pride in Assertive Stance Toward Neighbors. The headline doesn't quite do it justice - Poland is hardly pressing Lithuania or the Czech Republic; the only neighbor it is pressing is Germany, which is hardly innocent of bullying Poland.
Chirac's tirade can only be ranked as a contributing factor to Polish determination - one other factor was undoubtedly disgust at the recent exemptions France and Germany granted themselves from EU budgetary rules. But the chauvinism and arrogance of Chirac was undoubtedly a factor in spurring Poland to assert its rights against Franco-German dominance.
After the meeting in Brussels fell apart, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany bitterly criticized Poland and Spain, though not by name. Two countries, he said, had been "unable to change their way of thinking and acting." They had "left the European idea behind" in pursuit of their own interests.
Sounds like transferrence again.
I used to support EU expansion rather uncritically, but witnessing the Soprano-esque tactics of Europe's self-appointed bosses, I'm none too eager to see countries from Eastern Europe subordinated again by a new set of commissars. The question of vote apportionment would not be so loaded if Poland was in a position to trust the goodwill of France and Germany. If they can't demonstrate their willingness to be bound by their own rules or to truly listen to and respect the views of other European states, this project is going nowhere.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Richard Cohen called Gore's betrayal of Lieberman for what it was in his piece, A Class Act, Betrayed (washingtonpost.com) He does note that Gore was under no obligation to endorse Lieberman, since the two have moved apart politically,
But Gore owed Lieberman the courtesy of a call. The endorsement would still have carried punch if it had -- God forbid -- leaked prematurely. It would still have represented a repudiation of Lieberman -- not to mention many of the moderate positions Gore once stood for. For the sake of surprise, Gore -- and by association Dean -- showed how squalid politics can be.
Gore could have displayed a lot more class in making this move - the most prominent early endorsement of this cycle. If Dean loses, he is going to have serious egg on his face and an embittered Democratic nominee to deal with.
What also bothers me about this is Gore's statement that Democrats don't have "the luxury of fighting among ourselves." On the contrary, they won't get anywhere if they don't engage in substantive debate. Cheap shots during the primary season will assuredly hurt all involved, but the party needs an opportunity to have real debate. Moreover, the process itself demands voter participation - a primary that is decided before the first ballots benefits no one, except perhaps for Al Gore or Howard Dean. It's really a shame that Gore, who fought so hard for votes to be counted in a select few Florida counties, is so intent on making primary votes irrelevant. If he's running in 2008, his odds of getting my vote in the primary just dropped.
But Gore owed Lieberman the courtesy of a call. The endorsement would still have carried punch if it had -- God forbid -- leaked prematurely. It would still have represented a repudiation of Lieberman -- not to mention many of the moderate positions Gore once stood for. For the sake of surprise, Gore -- and by association Dean -- showed how squalid politics can be.
Gore could have displayed a lot more class in making this move - the most prominent early endorsement of this cycle. If Dean loses, he is going to have serious egg on his face and an embittered Democratic nominee to deal with.
What also bothers me about this is Gore's statement that Democrats don't have "the luxury of fighting among ourselves." On the contrary, they won't get anywhere if they don't engage in substantive debate. Cheap shots during the primary season will assuredly hurt all involved, but the party needs an opportunity to have real debate. Moreover, the process itself demands voter participation - a primary that is decided before the first ballots benefits no one, except perhaps for Al Gore or Howard Dean. It's really a shame that Gore, who fought so hard for votes to be counted in a select few Florida counties, is so intent on making primary votes irrelevant. If he's running in 2008, his odds of getting my vote in the primary just dropped.
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
I'm pretty appalled by the Bush team's decision to exclude certain countries from contracts related to the reconstruction of Iraq. Don't get me wrong - I am the first person to think that France needs to face consequences for its disgusting obstructionism last winter and its cynical policy toward Iraq. But applying this to other countries is just self-defeating. Germany is offering significant help in Afghanistan and has offered to train Iraqi police. Canada has worked on our behalf in Afghanistan.
One is left to conclude either that the Bush team has no real sense of priorities and would rather punish countries for how they behaved before and during the war than enlist them in vital postwar projects . . . OR that this entire enterprise was about postwar contracts to begin with. I'm inclined toward the former explanation, but it's getting hard to fault people who think the latter
One is left to conclude either that the Bush team has no real sense of priorities and would rather punish countries for how they behaved before and during the war than enlist them in vital postwar projects . . . OR that this entire enterprise was about postwar contracts to begin with. I'm inclined toward the former explanation, but it's getting hard to fault people who think the latter
Saturday, December 06, 2003
No way in hell are we going to substitute Reagan's face for FDR's on the dime. If Congressional Republicans didn't like the Reagans miniseries, fine. I'm surprised they watch Showtime. But disrespecting the memory of FDR is inexcusable. Thankfully even Nancy Reagan disapproves of this attempted switcharoo. You want to put Reagan on some currency, fine. Andrew Jackson hasn't aged particularly well - pick on him.
Friday, December 05, 2003
Wise celebrities are going forth to lecture the young in the ways of Dubyaphobia. Actually, this is a more far reaching phobia that they're looking to disseminate. Take Janeane Garofalo for example
Every time someone says, 'I'm a George Bush Republican, I hear them saying, 'I'm a dick,'' she says.
As for the so-called red states that voted for Bush, well, says Garofalo, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, 'I call them the 'pee-on-me states.''
My problem with celebrities trying to sell political messages is that they often mistake their celebrity for expertise. A lot of folks from the states that Garofalo so puerilely scorns actually paid to see her movies and may have actually voted Republican. Somehow I doubt that she is going to forswear concerts in St. Louis, Denver, Atlanta, or Las Vegas, because they're in red states. She's happy to make money from them and then dump on them. Classy.
I'm actually grateful to Garofalo for saying this because it confirms something I'd scented for a while - a real goshdarn bigotry among people who think they're liberals. I say think they're liberals because I think true liberalism cannot coexist with prejudice. Pseudo-liberalism, that self-satisfied and yet angry state of being can and does.
When I called an acquaintance on stereotyping conservatives (the same one who said he'd vote for the Green River Killer over Bush) his defense was that there's truth behind stereotypes. He thinks he's a liberal and he's willing to say something like that. He's a little screwy perhaps, but he's not the only one.
Every time someone says, 'I'm a George Bush Republican, I hear them saying, 'I'm a dick,'' she says.
As for the so-called red states that voted for Bush, well, says Garofalo, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, 'I call them the 'pee-on-me states.''
My problem with celebrities trying to sell political messages is that they often mistake their celebrity for expertise. A lot of folks from the states that Garofalo so puerilely scorns actually paid to see her movies and may have actually voted Republican. Somehow I doubt that she is going to forswear concerts in St. Louis, Denver, Atlanta, or Las Vegas, because they're in red states. She's happy to make money from them and then dump on them. Classy.
I'm actually grateful to Garofalo for saying this because it confirms something I'd scented for a while - a real goshdarn bigotry among people who think they're liberals. I say think they're liberals because I think true liberalism cannot coexist with prejudice. Pseudo-liberalism, that self-satisfied and yet angry state of being can and does.
When I called an acquaintance on stereotyping conservatives (the same one who said he'd vote for the Green River Killer over Bush) his defense was that there's truth behind stereotypes. He thinks he's a liberal and he's willing to say something like that. He's a little screwy perhaps, but he's not the only one.
There Goes West Virginia(?)
Good news for 2004 - Bush's decision to revoke the steel tariff may energize union opposition to him in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Gore's environmental stances cost him West Virginia, with more damage contributed by Pat Buchanan's appeals to blue collar protectionism. But Bush revoking the tariff before 36 months came up may hurt him more than never issuing the tariff at all. The Democrats desperately need to be in contention in WV and Ohio next fall, and this may be enough to do it.
Good news for 2004 - Bush's decision to revoke the steel tariff may energize union opposition to him in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Gore's environmental stances cost him West Virginia, with more damage contributed by Pat Buchanan's appeals to blue collar protectionism. But Bush revoking the tariff before 36 months came up may hurt him more than never issuing the tariff at all. The Democrats desperately need to be in contention in WV and Ohio next fall, and this may be enough to do it.
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
Andrew Sullivan discusses the following, rather odd quote from Howard Dean on Hardball.
Also, we have less-fewer levers much the key, I believe, to Iran is pressure through the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is supplying much of the equipment that Iran, I believe, most likely is using to set itself along the path of developing nuclear weapons. We need to use that leverage with the Soviet Union and it may require us to buying the equipment the Soviet Union was ultimately going to sell to Iran to prevent Iran from them developing nuclear weapons.
Granted, Chris Matthews is what one might call a major league asshole. I saw some of this interview and thought he was being a real prime one by pestering Dean about his getting excused from the Vietnam draft: he had a back problem, he had an obligation to mention it before someone drafted him and strapped a 50 lb radio to his back, and no, getting that waiver doesn't oblige him to feel guilty that he didn't lie to his govt (60 seconds of Chris Matthews is about as much as I can take per annum). But anyway . . .
Here's our governor referring to Russia as the Soviet Union. He's clearly a man of real intelligence, but gosh that's a silly thing to do. Next time someone points to Dubya's verbal ineptitude as a reason to think him dumb ask yourself what you'd think if Dean said something just as nonsensical. He just did.
Also, we have less-fewer levers much the key, I believe, to Iran is pressure through the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is supplying much of the equipment that Iran, I believe, most likely is using to set itself along the path of developing nuclear weapons. We need to use that leverage with the Soviet Union and it may require us to buying the equipment the Soviet Union was ultimately going to sell to Iran to prevent Iran from them developing nuclear weapons.
Granted, Chris Matthews is what one might call a major league asshole. I saw some of this interview and thought he was being a real prime one by pestering Dean about his getting excused from the Vietnam draft: he had a back problem, he had an obligation to mention it before someone drafted him and strapped a 50 lb radio to his back, and no, getting that waiver doesn't oblige him to feel guilty that he didn't lie to his govt (60 seconds of Chris Matthews is about as much as I can take per annum). But anyway . . .
Here's our governor referring to Russia as the Soviet Union. He's clearly a man of real intelligence, but gosh that's a silly thing to do. Next time someone points to Dubya's verbal ineptitude as a reason to think him dumb ask yourself what you'd think if Dean said something just as nonsensical. He just did.
Monday, December 01, 2003
Another reason I'm not thrilled with Howard Dean, he preemptively locked away 10 years worth of files related to his tenure as governor of Vermont, Newsweek reports.
As The New Republic argues, this is hardly a salutary thing to do when you're slamming the Bush Administration on secrecy. Worse, it just gives the impression that there is something that Dean wants to hide. I'm not particularly interested in what that is, but you can bet your ass that the same creeps who spent the 90s trolling Little Rock looking for Slick Willy stories are taking note and pondering a Burlington weekend.
The Dean campaign's response, that this is just a preemptive way of preventing further distortion of Dean's record, isn't persuasive and goes against Dean's self-constructed image as a straight-talker. Hasn't anyone told these guys that it isn't the crime that does you in but the coverup?
I'll say a prayer for the Kerry campaign tonight. The nation needs it.
As The New Republic argues, this is hardly a salutary thing to do when you're slamming the Bush Administration on secrecy. Worse, it just gives the impression that there is something that Dean wants to hide. I'm not particularly interested in what that is, but you can bet your ass that the same creeps who spent the 90s trolling Little Rock looking for Slick Willy stories are taking note and pondering a Burlington weekend.
The Dean campaign's response, that this is just a preemptive way of preventing further distortion of Dean's record, isn't persuasive and goes against Dean's self-constructed image as a straight-talker. Hasn't anyone told these guys that it isn't the crime that does you in but the coverup?
I'll say a prayer for the Kerry campaign tonight. The nation needs it.
