Eye on the Watcher’s Council

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.

Done With Mirrors, “Don’t Get Madison”

As Callimachus notes in his submission for this week, when you invoke the Founding Fathers for support, it’s probably a good idea to have some idea of what they actually wrote and believed. Sometimes the prevailing interpretation is what it is because it’s the correct one.

Big Lizards, “Murtha: Underhanded and Overlawyered”

Dafydd ab Hugh comments on the likely outcome of the slander lawsuit brought by a Marine against Rep. John Murtha. I think that Dafydd is likely correct although he wouldn’t be if judges were committed to extracting the least expansive interpretation out of the law. It would be very sad if slandering people were found to be within Rep. Murtha’s official duties although that’s likely to be what will happen.

The Glittering Eye, “Should We Eliminate Nuclear Weapons?”

Spurred by presidential aspirant Illinois Senator Barack Obama’s statements on nuclear weapons, I consider the case for nuclear disarmament.

The Colossus of Rhodey, “Opinion Reversing On “Diversity”?”

I would agree with Hube on forced bussing if it weren’t for the issue of funding. Here in Illinois at least local property tax revenue provides the lion’s share of school funding and that means that the amount available where you live may not be enough to do the job at hand.

Bookworm Room, “What We Stand For”

Bookworm does a side by side comparison of conservative core political beliefs and Democratic ones. I think she’s a little too kind to the conservative side and too hard on the Democratic one. For example, I think the position that many Democrats (and others) have on Iraq is that there is no reasonable definition of victory by which victory can be achieved in Iraq that has not already been achieved.

‘Okie’ on the Lam, “Baby Boomers — ‘Rockin’ On’ into the Apocalypse”

‘Okie’ comments on Bruce Springsteen’s recent appearance on 60 Minutes. I have bad news for those eager for the departure of the Baby Boomers from the political scene. Baby Boomers will be the dominant force in U. S. political culture for the next 30 years. Have a nice day.

BTW, why does anybody pay any attention to what artists have to say about politics other than what’s expressed in their art? I remember a reported conversation between Socrates and Sophocles on Oedipus the King from which Socrates came away convinced that Sophocles didn’t know what the play was about…

Soccer Dad, “Fulfill the Old Commitments First”

I have little to add to Soccer Dad’s observations on a piece by former Middle East envoy Dennis Ross in The New Republic other than to say that wishful thinking will trump serious mechanisms any time.

The Education Wonks, “Banning ‘Lil Ghosts and Goblins at the School House Door”

EdWonk posts on the decision of a Colorado elementary school to prohibit costumes on Halloween. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the purpose of the public schools was, is, and always has been acculturation. Originally, it was intended to eliminate the Old Country culture and values of immigrant children and replace them with American culture and values. Now it’s to eliminate middle class and American culture and values and replace them with, what?

Joshuapundit, “US Tried To Stall Israel’s Strike On Syria”

I find the reports Freedom Fighter takes not of on the Israeli air strike on a Syrian (possibly nuclear) site pretty credible. Say, FF, have you heard the latest from the Land of 1,000 Rumors? There’s a rumor going around that the Americans struck the Syrian site because, of course, the Israelis couldn’t possibly be competent or determined enough to do it on their own…

Rhymes With Right, “Why I Oppose a War Surtax”

I am almost on board with Greg’s opposition to a surtax to pay for the cost of waging the War on Terror. He presents the good argument: that spending cuts in other areas should be the preferred first step. However, those haven’t been forthcoming under Democrats or Republicans and, absent spending cuts, “we” aren’t paying the costs. People in the future (from whom we’re borrowing the money) are. The problem today is that both taxpayers and non-taxpayers are electing representatives too venal and cowardly to propose, sell, and enact hard solutions.

Right Wing Nut House, “The Enormous Damage Done To Our Space Program By “The Space Race””

I can’t say any more about our failure to follow up productively on the space race other than to say that, although Rick Moran is completely correct that the U. S. space program of the 1960’s has paid for itself many times over, the reason for the lack of follow-up isn’t the space race but the post-McGovern Democratic Party’s lack of interest in it and the post-Nixon Republican Party’s lack of courage. Basically, it takes a Kennedy to propose a space program.

Cheat Seeking Missiles, “Savannah and the Ford Plantation: Two Magical Plans”

Laer takes a walking tour of the Savannah environs.

Well, I’ve decided which posts I’ll vote for this week. Which posts would get your votes?

2 comments… add one
  • PD Shaw Link

    Slight diversion on the property tax reference. I’ve visited Dave’s fair, albeit schizophrenically-weather-challenged, city the past few days and this morning I heard the mayor announce a property tax hike due to a sluggish home market. I thought to myself, “ah, just as Dave predicted.” So I think Dave should get an award for making an accurate prediction, one which I wasn’t certain was obvious in an already-high property tax state.

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