Friday, July 08, 2005

Friedman: "This is exactly what Osama bin Laden dreamed of with 9/11: to create a great gulf between the Muslim world and the globalizing West...The double-decker buses of London and the subways of Paris, as well as the covered markets of Riyadh, Bali and Cairo, will never be secure as long as the Muslim village and elders do not take on, delegitimize, condemn and isolate the extremists in their midst." 9:21:17 AM   permalink   comment []

Krugman on politics and obesity: "And even if children weren't a big part of the problem, only a blind ideologue or an economist could argue with a straight face that Americans were rationally deciding to become obese." Orson Scott Card, on the other hand, says much of the focus on obesity is generated by the weight-loss and fashion industries. Certainly our culture has an unhealthy focus on ultra-slim appearance...but Scott, have you looked around recently? This is a fat-ass country. 9:16:34 AM   permalink   comment []

Global Voices round-up of bloggers from the Muslim world on the London attacks. 8:55:13 AM   permalink   comment []

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London: " I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life...people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential. "They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don't want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail." 8:53:20 AM   permalink   comment []