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 Council has a new member: Soccer Dad. Welcome!

The Glittering Eye, “Theseus’s Clew: Strategies, Meta-strategies, and “Wicked Problems””

In my submission for this week I consider ways to approach the big problems, how to choose, and the class of problems that have no solutions.

Done With Mirrors, “We Could Be Heroes”

Callimachus considers the heroism of ordinary people especially in the context of the movies that have started to come out about the events on September 11, 2001.

Socratic Rhythm Method, “Government Sucks At War, Too”

Matt Barr reflects on some posts from Alex Tabarrok at Marginal Revolution. The only thing that I would add is that inefficiency is a feature of our political system, not a bug.

Joshuapundit, “The War Against the Jews and the War Against Us”

Freedom Fighter discusses what Israel faces with its neighbors, the War on Terror, the European reaction, and the American reaction. There’s much I agree with in his post and some I disagree with. I don’t think that Europeans are quite as vile or feckless as he seems to. My own view is that in the current situation they’re inclined to overvalue palaver and undervalue a credible threat of force. America is conversely inclined to undervalue palaver and overvalue the effectiveness of force.

Where I think we might disagree is that, while I think that the U. S. has a vital interest in Israel’s security problems, I don’t think that Israel’s problems and particularly their approach to resolving their problems are synonymous with U. S. interest.

AbbaGav, “A Few Points That Are Not Morally Equivalent”

I must say that I’m enjoying reading Gavriel’s posts. In each one either I learn something new or am urged to think of things I already know in a different way. The point he does not make in discussing the relative moral worth of Israel and Hezbollah is what I find that most commentators fail to understand: Hezbollah’s military acts, offensive or defensive are wholly illegitimate and cannot be justified by a change in tactics.

Gates of Vienna, “Castro and Le Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre”

Dymphna posts on Castro whose status is currently unknown and Cuba’s patron saint.

ShrinkWrapped, “Clans of the Alphane Moon”

ShrinkWrapped’s title comes from a Philip K. Dick novel in which the inmates are running the asylum which I, too, read 40 years ago or more. His point: doesn’t that remind you a bit of current events?

Right Wing Nut House, “Hiroshima: Same Time, Next Year”

Rick Moran remembers the anniversary of the first and only (so far) uses of nuclear weapons in war, which passed this week.

The Education Wonks, “Parental Activism: Retaking Their Kids’ Summer Vacation”

EdWonk reports on the status of parent’s fights to control the start and end of their kids’ summer vacation from school in various states.

Rhymes With Right, “Ignoring a Minor Detail”

Apparently, it’s as true in Houston as it is here in Chicago that the laws were made for others than the political and economic elite. Greg reports on such an instance affecting the family of Houston’s mayor.

The Sundries Shack. “Let Us Hurry Castro On”

Jimmie Bise concurs with a column of Peggy Noonan’s suggesting that we encourage Fidel Castro in his transition to another (although not necessarily better) life by seizing the opportunity to start building bridges to secure the freedom of the Cuban people.

Soccer Dad, “Edward Cody Now and Then”

Newcomer Soccer Dad castigates Washington Post correspondent Edward Cody.