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, “Che Away”
Callimachus delights in the revelation that the Colombian government rescuers who freed prisoners held for years by the FARC wore Che Guevara T-shirts.
Wolf Howling, “Identifying Obama’s Real Position on the Second Amendment (Updated)”
GW’s submission this week is an excellent run-down and analysis of Sen. Barack Obama’s position on the right to bear arms.
Soccer Dad, “You May Now Assume the Risk”
Soccer Dad considers the public’s right to know, in this case to know the name of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s interrogator. I guess that’s what’s meant by asymmetrical warfare. Our foes can always depend on open sources to reveal information useful to them.
The Razor, “American Whining and the Culture of Dependency”
Scott examines what Americans have to be concerned about. While I largely agree with his observations, I think he misses the point. While Americans think the country is on the right track, they also think that their own circumstances are pretty good. That just means that they read the newspapers and listen to the nightly news.
The Colossus of Rhodey, “Another Disgusting Philly Inquirer Op-Ed”
Hube takes on an op-ed support Gen. Wesley Clark’s characterizations of Sen. John McCain’s military experience.
The Glittering Eye, “Economic Illiteracy Venting”
My submission this week is a list of pet peeves about idiotic economic positions that I encounter practically every day. This is a vein so plentiful I’m sure I’ll post on the subject again.
Hillbilly White Trash, “Some Hope for the High Court”
I assume by “far left moonbats” on the Supreme Court LC is referring to Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Stevens used to be considered a moderate conservative. Has he changed, has the court changed, or has the country changed? Justice Ginsburg has characterized herself as a “cautious liberal” and I think that’s pretty fair. I think it bears mentioning that barring some remarkable circumstance the court is likely to remain much as it is or become slightly more conservative regardless of whom is elected to the presidency.
Cheat Seeking Missiles, “Does Patriotism Matter?”
In a Fourth of July post Laer thinks about patriotism. My own view is that patriotism, defined simply as love of country, is a good thing, better than the alternatives which are to despise one’s own country or to think that one country is much like another. For the foreseeable future whatever the rhetoric of internationalism that they deploy most countries in the world will continue to look after their own parochial interests and it’s left to us to look after ours. I’m somewhat concerned about the notion of patriotism as a transcendent value, however. I think that love of God and its close relative, love of goodness, must be higher values.
Joshuapundit, “Narcissism In Another Color”
I agree withi everything that Freedom Fighter has to say in his post on Rene Marie’s substitution of Raise Ev’ry Voice and Sing for The Star Spangled Banner. I should hope we don’t confuse disapproving of Ms. Marie with disapproving of Raise Ev’ry Voice and Sing. FF doesn’t and draws the line at just the right place.
Bookworm Room, “Socialized Medicine”
Bookworm comments on the decline of BNHS. I would urge her and anyone else who’s concerned about reform in our own healthcare system to consider what reforms she’d like to see here and how she thinks the reforms can be made politically palatable rather than digging in her heels about “socialized medicine”. We already have socialized medicine and I don’t see any great likelihood that we’ll step back from it, indeed, I see rather good reasons that we won’t. I also should note that I don’t know of any mainstream politician of either political party who’s proposing a fully socialized system like Britain’s. Indeed, as best as I can tell nobody, including the British, wants a fully socialized system like Britain’s.
The Education Wonks, “New Solution To An Old Problem”
EdWonk posts on bullying and what to do about it. I think the first step is engagment with the issue on the part of first parents and second school administrators. Back in primary school I was a sort of anti-bully—the biggest kid in class who protected smaller kids from bullying.
Rhymes With Right, “Obama Speaks — Selectively — Of His Faith Journey”
Greg notes that certain aspects of Sen. Obama’s faith journey have disappeared down the memory hole.
Well, I’ve decided which posts I’ll vote for this week. Which posts would get your votes?
