Today on the Dish, we finally got a clean end to the Iraq disaster, and Andrew hoped Obama would aggressively deploy his successful foreign policy in the campaign. Andrew and The Vatican got on board with OWS, the New York General Assembly marched to a different drummer, big banks subvert capitalism, but we don't really deplore the banker mindset. The greatest systemic failure of all time was probably unavoidable, the administration unleashed an ambitious mortgage program, and hermit crabs faced a housing crisis of their own. Reihan remembered the indigent, the Church of Scientology engaged in creepy criminality, and the TSA is creepy too. In our video feature, Andrew reconciled his sexuality and Catholic faith.
Romney's reckless neoconservatism quashed the big GOP foreign policy debate, Romneycared for illegal immigrants, and, in the absence of an actual campaign, Herman Cain is counting on his lucky number 45. Rick Perry flirted with birtherism, Santorum crusaded against individual freedom, and Rubio rewrote the Cuban exile experience. We indulged in some Bush nostalgia, referenced the Republican dictionary, and Pat Buchanan fearmongered a "nation within a nation."
We relived Qaddafi's final moments, Freddie DeBoer advised against premature congratulations, and Libya braced for a wave of war crime prosecutions. We cheered Tunisia's leading Islamist party, and drones trivialize and perpetuate warfare.
Jonathan Rauch celebrated the King of the gay rights movement, Steve Jobs hurt people, and humor masters the future. Serious gamers make great surgeons, simple training improves voluntary muscle control, and neighborhoods breed healthy neighbors. Divorce drove women to college, and Siri will probably replace human assistants. We looked at racial discrimination on eBay, social accountability might motivate us to cut back on energy consumption, and sex is an "old way" of feeling good.
Correction of the day here, VFYW here, FOTD here, MHB here (a mental health vacation here), YouTube horror show here, and the cutest occupiers of all here.
— M.A.
(Photo: Iraq War veteran Brad Hammond walks up the stairs on September 26, 2011 at his house in Lakewood, Colorado. Seven years after returning home from a year-long deployment in Tal Afar, Iraq, Hammond continues to experience severe post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the effects of traumatic brain injuries he sustained in combat. He suffers from chronic anxiety, headaches, night terrors, hallucinations and frequent bouts of aggression and cannot hold down a full time job. He helps his wife Dani care for their three children, while also taking a private mentoring classes to help improve his attention and cognitive skills. Hammond was on a team of U.S. soldiers who opened fire on a carload of Iraqi civilians on January 18, 2005 in Tal Afar, Iraq, killing two, when they did not stop at a checkpoint. By John Moore/Getty Images.)