As you may know the members of the Watcher’s Council each nominate one of his or her own posts and one non-Council post for consideration by the whole Council. The complete list of this week’s Council nominations is here.
The Glittering Eye, “The Solace of Diminishing Returns”
In my submission for this week I reflected on the apparent foiling of a terrorist plot disrupted by the British and what it all may mean.
Soccer Dad, “Losers”
We’re seeing a lot of assessments of winners and losers in the Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities. I’ve written a couple myself. Soccer Dad’s approach is interesting: he holds up what the Washington Post said and what they might have said for consideration. This, in turn, raises an interesting point: it is what sources a newspaper chooses to cite or not to cite as much as the facts reported that influence the picture the press paints for us of the events of the day.
Socratic Rhythm Method, “Security Profiling Deserves a More Thoughtful Discussion Than It’s Getting”
The issue that Matt takes on this week, ethnic profiling for security purposes, IMO is an extremely thorny one and I agree that it’s not getting a particularly thoughtful discussion. There are a host of issues including notions of fundamental rights and fairness, further alienating an alterady alienated population, cost/benefit, total costs, actual results, and alternatives which should be weighed thoroughly and dispassionately. Unfortunately, we’re getting precious little of this in all the vitriol.
While I acknowledge that limiting scrutiny to males aged 15 to 35 of Southwest or South Asian descent won’t screen 100% of all terrorists, I’m hard-pressed to believe that group presents an equivalent threat to, say, Hadassah members. Isn’t there a smarter approach than simple profiling by age and general skin color but that might include those as factors?
ShrinkWrapped, “A Questionable Assumption”
In this post ShrinkWrapped articulates the Jacksonian position on dealing with Islamist terrorism: that fullscale military confrontation is inevitable and that anybody who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves (dangerously so). By my own estimate something like 30-40% of the American people are Jacksonians so whether you hold this position or not it must be taken seriously, at least from a political standpoint. The rising disapproval of the handling of the war in Iraq doesn’t contradict this: some of those who disapprove disapprove of the use of force for any reason whatever; others think that we should have nuked the entire Muslim world on September 12th. That these two poles will find common ground through a sweeping approval for a more accommodating foreign policy is unlikely.
AbbaGav, “Oh How They Hate Occupation”
I agree with AbbaGav that opposition to occupation is merely a pretext for the actions of Hezbollah. That is unless you consider the existence of the state of Israel as ipso facto occupation. In that case, yes, Hezbollah exists to oppose occupation.
Rhymes With Right, “NY Times Operates in a Fantasy World”
Of course polticians exploit the events of the day to political advantage as best they can. That’s equally true of the Republicans, the Democrats, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Libertarian Party. If they didn’t we be calling them “statesmen” rather than “politicians” and we can’t have that can we? I agree, however, that newspapers doing the same reinforces the view (which I hold) that notions of journalists as objective reporters or above the fray in any way is farfetched. Newspapers, after all, are the descendants of the political pamphleteers of yesteryear.
The Education Wonks, “Wonkitorial:Â Beaumont’s Hormone High”
Edwonk reports on a sexual scandal from a Texas high school that seems to be organized and and a long-standing issue in high school athletics there.
Done With Mirrors, “The Brady Bunch”
Callimachus posts on Matthew Brady, his photography, the Civil War, public opinion, journalism, and manipulated photography. It’s a wonderful example that highlights why I believe that, whether thinking about the past or what goes on in another culture, it’s important to start from the human condition that we share. The more things change…
JoshuaPundit, “Two Ways the West Can End ‘Terrorism’”
As is usual I both agree and disagree with Freedom Fighter. For example, I think that there is a class of problems for which the simplest solution is the best. I disagree that all or even a majority of real-life conflict-type problems belong to that class. I agree that there are Muslims who are causing a tremendous amount of conflict around the world. I don’t think they are responding, justified, correct, or virtuous. I think they’re causing it. I think they’re thugs. I don’t think that all or even a majority of Muslims belong to that class.
I that accepting Islam, dying, or killing are all approaches to solving the problems that we face with this class of Muslims. I don’t think they’re the only approaches and I don’t think that Freedom Fighter does, either, at least judging from his prescription for dealing with the problem which include a number of things that don’t fit into those approaches.
Let me suggest two:Â strengthen rather than weaken the Westphalian system (indeed, insist on it) and simultaneously raise the costs of engaging in terrorism and increase the benefits of fighting it.
Right Wing Nut House, “A Hinge of History”
Rick Moran is uneasy about the way things are progressing and explains why.
I demur. If you really knew me you’d realize how extraordinary (and out of character) this is, but, as the late Mayor Daley used to say, let’s look at the record. Things are going extraordinarily well.
The level of objective poverty and misery in this country, at least, is at alltime lows. I’m not talking about the kind of poverty that means that you can’t afford Premium Cable and only have one car and a dialup Internet connection. I’m talking about no plumbing, no electricity, dirt floor, day-to-day starvation, dying at 30 of old age poverty. That only exists in the U. S. today in isolated communities or among the mentally ill, ignorant, or lazy.
We’re coming on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, an enormous catastrophe. The deaths that occurred as a result were sad but very few deaths took place, especially by comparison with what happens in similar natural disasters around the world.  Could we have done better? Of course and we will. But the largest single problem in dealing with the aftermath has been the room service mentality: people waiting for somebody else to do something rather than taking responsibility and initiative.
Two of what used to be the poorest countries in the world, China and India, (and which still have incredible numbers of poor people in them) have entered the middle class. The prosperity in those countries is unprecedented.
Advances in health, the wonders of technology, I could go on and on. Are there problems? Sure. Big problems? Definitely. We’ll deal with them.
The Sundries Shack, “It’s Hell in a Handbasket Day!”
It must be something going around. Jimmie Bise is concerned, too, about Islamist terrorism, the media, and Democrats.
Gates of Vienna, “Europe Silences Another One”
Dymphna comments on the situation with Paul Belien of The Brussels Journal and posts her letter of complaint to the Belgian Embassy.
Well, I’ve decided which posts I’ll vote for. Which would get your vote?
