Every week the members of the Watcher’s Council nominate the posts they think were the finest of the previous week. The entire list of submissions is here These are the submissions this week:
The Provocateur , “The Financial Crisis White Paper”
Mike distills his thinking on the financial crisis. There’s lots to agree with in his post: there are any number of people and organizations to blame for the crisis which has developed over a period of many years (he suggests ten, I’d say thirty), the Treasury attempts at solving the problem have had mixed results at best, and companies that are too big to be allowed to fail are too big to be allowed to exist. However, I wish he’d think through the implications of his prescriptions a bit and elaborate on them. For example, how would small U. S. banks compete in a globalized financial services market? How can we regulate international banks?
The Razor, “The Failure of Non-violence in Tibet”
Scott considers the limits of non-violence as it relates to the experience of the Tibetans. I’d summarize his comments as non-violence resistance will be ineffective against an unanswerable oligarchy that doesn’t care whether you live or die.
Joshuapundit, “About Those Israeli ‘Settlements’”
Freedom Fighter’s reaction to a statement from the Secretary General of the United Nations on Israeli settlements in the West Bank reminds me how much I wish that both the Israelis and Palestinians could stop arguing about history and deal with the facts on the ground. The facts are that there are both Israelis and Arabs in the territories that used to be called Palestine and neither of them are going anywhere.
Soccer Dad, “A first for freeman”
Soccer Dad critiques the appointment of Chas Freeman. IMO the entire affair highlights the reality that lack of attention from the professional media and the president staying above the fray doesn’t necessarily translate into a victory for the administration. As to Freeman himself, I have no strong opinion. I’ve heard both harsh criticism and fulsome praise for the man. Quite some number of people whose opinion I respect and who have reason to be well-informed supported his nomination.
The Glittering Eye, “Chicago Foreclosures”
In my submission for this week I reflect on the interesting pattern of mortgage foreclosures in Chicago and attempt to relate that to the national situation.
Cheat-Seeking Missiles, “Oh,Happy Day!”
Laer isn’t a bit surprised by the reception that George Galloway got in Egypt nor, I surmise, unhappy about it either.
Right Truth, “Poll on World Equal Rights for Women”
Debbie comments on a poll taken of people around the world on women’s rights.
Bookworm Room, “A couple of thoughts about the American Revolution”
Inspired by an HBO series on John Adams, Bookworm contrasts the American revolutionaries with, for example, Hamas.
The Colossus of Rhodey, “National Review Online’s Top 25 Conservative Movies of the Last Quarter Century”
Hube adds his own nominations to NRO’s list of best “conservative movies”. I’m not sure I know what a conservative movie is. A movie that promotes a conservative agenda? A movie that conservatives like? I’m not sure any nomination would stand up to serious scrutiny. The lists I’d really like to see are NRO’s list of liberal movies they really like and, say, The Nation’s list of conservative movies they really like. “O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us. To see oursels as others see us.”
Mere Rhetoric, “Four Theories Why Obama Is Throwing Britain Under The Bus”
Of Omri’s four alternatives I think I lean to the “it’s amateur hour” explanation. To be honest I think I lean to a variant of it: Obama is a technocrat, doesn’t think that these sorts of protocol things are his job, and wants to leave them to the experts. Basically, he doesn’t understand his job.
Well, I’ve decided which posts I’ll vote for this week. Which posts would get your votes?
