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	Sunday, October 08, 2006

Highlight of the Weekend The Tigers bouncing out the Yankees. 5:29:24 PM    comment []

Fukuyama - The American Way of Secrecy Superb essay by Francis Fukuyama in the Sunday Book review section of the New York Times. Fukuyama is a former neo-conservative and a very very bright thinker. I'm currently reading one of his books, Trust. There are those who think the book succumbs to cultural stereotyping and there are times in the book, where my stereotyping antenna quiver a bit, but overall it's a fascinating read and his assertions regarding trust, flow of information, economics, and individual, familial, business, and societal webs make one step and back and really look. His essay in today's NY Times is true to that spirit. Here's the closing paragraph: Even if we do not at this juncture know the full scope of the threat we face from jihadist terrorism, it is certainly large enough to justify many changes in the way we conduct our lives, both at home and abroad. But the American government does have a track record in dealing with similar problems in the past, one suggesting that all American institutions - Congress, the courts, the news media - need to do their jobs in scrutinizing official behavior, and not take the easy way out of deferring to the executive. Past experience also suggests that the government would do far better to make public what it knows, as well as the limits of that knowledge, if we are to arrive at a balanced view of the challenges we face today. Bingo - on scrutinizing behavior. I'm particularly peeved by the sub-title on the cover of this week's Newsweek: How Bush and Rumsfeld Deceived Themselves - And Us - About The War in Iraq" The abdication of the US media and political establishment of their responsibilities during the run-up to the Iraq invasion was appalling. Newsweek's sub-header is just trying to pass the buck. Very few of us did a good job of scrutinizing prior to the war - and we should have. 5:16:32 PM    comment []

Killer Daily News Cartoon Great editorial cartoon in today's Daily News referring to the Knik Arm Crossing - one of the Bridges to Nowhere. 4:39:59 PM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 Stephanie A. Kesler. Last update: 11/5/2006; 8:14:45 PM.