Monday, January 24, 2005

A Fake Newsman's Fake Newsman: Stephen Colbert A Fake Newsman's Fake Newsman: Stephen Colbert: "Comic and journalist Stephen Colbert is the fake senior correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. We talk with Colbert about his reports, from 'Rathergate' to 'This Week in God.'" (Via NPR's Fresh Air from WHYY.) 9:54:06 PM    comment []

We Could Use a Man Like Dean Acheson Again We Could Use a Man Like Dean Acheson Again: " So says Harold Meyerson in a must-read piece in the American Prospect: If we had had Truman and Acheson’s equivalents in the White House and at Foggy Bottom since September 11, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’d be witnessing a great effort -- flawed, perhaps containing seeds of future tragedies, but great nevertheless -- to roll back terrorism, to strike at its training camps, to surround it and isolate its sponsors diplomatically, and to try to neutralize its popularity by understanding its causes and offering decent Muslim people an alternative. We would not -- absolutely not -- have seen a war in Iraq. And if there’s a heaven, Acheson is gazing down aghast that his old office is about to be occupied by a woman who lied to America about impending mushroom clouds emanating from Iraq, and that the senators from his own party lack the gumption to oppose her. Acheson’s memoirs, and the magisterial biography of him by the late James Chace, show clearly how he wrestled with his conscience over the stark language of the Truman Doctrine. But he didn’t lie to his fellow countrymen, and the thought horrified him. Let’s re-examine and revive men like Acheson, and let’s celebrate Schlesinger and Niebuhr. But let’s do so remembering clearly that the catastrophe in Iraq would have been an outrage to them. Peter Beinart, take note. " (Via Liberals Against Terrorism -.) 6:15:20 PM    comment []

Bangkok 8 Bangkok 8 by John Burdett is a pretty startling novel about a Bangkok cop out to avenge the murder of his partner. Sonchai is a serious Buddhist, the son of a US soldier and a Thai prostitute, a unique character. The novel paints a picture of Bangkok that is extreme, alien, and fascinating. The characters are well drawn, and the mystery flows naturally out of the place and circumstances of the characters, and also illuminates the place and the characters. It's well-written, but the you doubt some of the atmosphere and culture because the author is not Thai, and thus some of his comments about the farangs (westerners) seem to ring a bit false. That aside (and it might not matter), it's a fascinating a book, a picture of a very different culture. It was hard to put down, by turns fascinating and a bit repulsive. 3:05:35 PM    comment []

Intolerant Christians Intolerant Christians: " Reuters reported that a survey by Public Agenda sows that Church-going Americans are less tolerant than others. The truth is, many Christians now think intolerance is virtuous. I suspect the source of this thinking is Rousas Rushdoony, the founder of Christian Reconstructionism and Dominion Theology. Here's a quote from his Institutes of Biblical Law: In the name of toleration, the believer is asked to associate on a common level of total acceptance with the atheist, the pervert, the criminal, and the adherents of other religions. Those interested in learning more about this influential trend in American Christianity might consider attending a conference on 'Examing The Real Agenda of the Religious Far Right' on April 29-30, 2005 at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan, NY. " (Via Mainstream Baptist.) 11:32:51 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2005 Steve Michel. Last update: 2/28/2005; 10:36:25 PM.