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.

The position on the Watcher’s Council has been filled. Welcome, ‘Okie’ On the Lam. I’m not familiar with your work but I look forward to doing so.

The Colossus of Rhodey, “Well, Y’See, He Has Rights”

I’m not sure I’m entirely in agreement with Hube on the subject of Andrew Speaker, the Atlanta lawyer now being treated in Denver for anitbiotic-resistant tuberculosis. I agree that Mr. Speaker acted irresponsibly. That’s what happens in a world in which people are swaddled in cottonwool from birth and insulated from actual danger and its potential consequences. The insurance guys call that “moral hazard”. What I think is that the CDC folks should have acted in accord with the law, whatever that may be. If they had the authority to stop Mr. Speaker from travelling, they should have done so. No “We prefer” or “We suggest”. If they didn’t have the authority, they should have shut up entirely.

The Glittering Eye, “Almost One of Us”

Why is it that every single Democratic candidate for the presidency including Mr. Zakaria’s obvious preference, Barack Obama, understands that retaliation in response to attack is a political necessity here in the United States but Fareed Zakaria doesn’t?

The Education Wonks, “Middle School Teacher Sues Students!”

I generally think that the increasing litigicization of our society is an extremely damaging development so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a middle school is suing students for defamation of character over the students’ lampooning of her in a student film. I have no idea what the laws on defamation are in Indiana but my understanding is that it’s typically pretty hard to prevail under such circumstances. For Why do suits like this make it to the courts at all? I think the attorneys bear considerable responsibility.

The Bookworm Room, “The Six Day War in Real Time”

In recognition of the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War, Bookworm synopsizes Life Magazine’s article on the war, noting the resonance with today’s commentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Rhymes With Right, “Diplomas Denied Over Family and Friends?”

I suspect that Galesburg High School’s denying five students the diplomas for which they’d fulfilled the requirements over their friends’ and families’ rowdiness is probably actionable. What were they thinking? What could the students have done? How is it their responsibility?

Cheat Seeking Missiles, “Smelt Stink”

Laer comments on the Endangered Species Act, environmental litigation, and the firms that specialize in it. I guess my biggest problem with this entire matter is that I don’t believe in activist attorneys. I remember a time when fomenting litigation was considered unethical.

Done With Mirrors, “Tweedle”

As usual I agree with Callimachus: it must be very comforting for those who see things in such stark blacks and whites when all I can see is shades of gray.

‘Okie’ On the Lam, “LA Times Jumps the Shark on Global Warming”

In his freshman outing with the Council, ‘Okie’ objects to the LA Times support for a carbon tax as a strategy for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. This editorial caught my eye, too, and I brought it to the attention for my main resource on energy policy, Lynne Kiesling of Knowledge Problem. Lynne’s preference is a carbon market. I continue to think that there’s a role for incentives in this discussion. Isn’t the most direct solution to pay people to do what you want them to do?

Soccer Dad, “3 Spies and Six Days”

Soccer Dad notes the importance of effective intelligence in Israel’s victory in the Six Day War forty years ago.

Joshuapundit, “Loyalty and Love: D-Day 63 Years Later”

Freedom Fighter reflects on the anniversary of D-Day and a speech by Ronald Reagan, seeing in the faces of our present-day soldiers the same courage, dedication, and determination that moved those men so long ago. My most vivid D-Day-related memory is attending a matinee showing of Saving Private Ryan. I was the youngest person in the audience by, perhaps, 30 years—many of the others in the audience were World War II-era retirees. As the movie unfolded I sat and listened to these men, some of them no doubt veterans of D-Day, softly weeping in the dark.

Big Lizards, “Salvation à la Mode”

Dafydd ab Hugh posts on developments in Iraq and remarks that slow progress, Iraqis taking the initiative in fighting the insurgency, and a political solution among the Iraqis is “how counterinsurgency strategy wins”. I’m not optimistic (it would not be in my character). I think that in September we’ll be roughly where we are right now and that the Democratic leadership has crossed a rhetorical Rubicon that I’m having a hard time seeing how they’ll step back from.

Right Wing Nut House, “It’s Not Dead, It’s Resting”

The Dead Parrot Sketch. The GOP. Rick Moran isn’t optimistic and, since Rick, too, lives in Illinois where the Republican Party is in complete disarray I can see how he’d think so. Still, here in Illinois, too, the Democratically-dominated legislature hasn’t been able to bring themselves to pass the Democratic governor’s budget so if there’s one ray of hope for Republicans, it’s probably the Democrats.

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