Friday on the Dish, Andrew underlined the concessions of Krauthammer and Douthat that Obama has indeed matched Reagan in historical significance, whilegranting Bhaskar Sunkara that the Marxist Left is making a comeback (and it’s the GOP’s fault). He paused to recognize the British government’s bill legalizing gay marriage and actually shared Michael Moore’s view on Zero Dark Thirty as art. Also, Andrew pulled back the curtain a bit to introduce past and present Dishterns, before he heard the echo of a once-shrill voice recede another degree further from public life.
In political coverage, we continued to collect feedback about the end of the female-combat ban, from soldiers and readers, Steve Coll examined the unintended effects of America training foreign troops, and Ackerman introduced us to the Blackwater of the high seas. We made good on our promise to keep tabs on the GOP’s plan to rig the electoral vote, figured that Marco Rubio’s stardom will protect him from any of his anti-immigration colleagues, and sized up Bobby Jindal’s ambitions for 2016. Meanwhile, the US showed up solid on a map ranking budget transparency while Harry Enten explained how we’re currently shivering on a warming globe.
In assorted coverage, Peter Andrey Smith interviewed a sonic historian of the US, Alyssa Rosenberg wanted to break up Hollywood’s clique of obvious directors, and Ed Yong discovered the DNA flashdrive. We heard from more readers about the theory and practice of veganism, debated the effect ofpro-life attitudes on widespread single parenthood and featured an achingly funny review of a super-effective hair removal gel. Christopher Mims argued that broadband access is no now nonnegotiable, Felix Salmon suggested we make up our minds about the self-driving car, and a reader cautioned us not to dismiss the rise of the machines.
Gregory Crosby described his own “catfish” experience, yesterday’s reader storiesspawned a few sequels, and Timepublished its own tome of a correction. Wewatched the sun rise on Death Valley, California during the VFYW, gawked at feats of awesomeness in the MHB, and observed the call of the pro-life movement in the Face of the Day.
Today on the Dish, Andrew took aim at the historical myths concocted by the gay left and religious right, and stared in disbelief at the criminalization of HIV in America. With the Israeli elections over, he studied the country’s deep division in light of the results and put his foot down about US meddling in Syria. Elsewhere, Andrew noticed that the pro-torture right has yet to really brandish Zero Dark Thirty as propaganda, groaned at the infinite lameness of the Democrats and Harry Reid, and spread the gospel of winter beardage.
On the politics beat, we rounded up coverage and commentary on the US military lifting the ban on women in combat, which saw both considered and boorish pushback. A reader tipped us off to the GOP’s quiet but disquieting effort to rig states’ electoral vote count, Neil Irwin assured us that the stock market’s current boom is no bubble, and Mary Elizabeth Williams earned herself a Yglesias Award for her honest remarks on abortion. Meanwhile, we kept an eye on Rhode Island’s push toward marriage equality, charted the cost of American empire since WWII, and examined why investors keep turning to sketchy hedge funds.
In assorted coverage, readers sounded off on yesterday’s anonymous letter in defense of Mel Gibson, while one shared a surreal college story that produced an unforgettable photo. We reaffirmed the truth of the moon landing, rolled out a canine atlas of NYC, and tried to give Internet comments the best of both accountability and pseudonymity.
Cristy Gelling introduced the birds whose brains are both a hazard and an asset, Paul Marks let cyclists know they can strap a GPS around their waist, and Jessica Dorr proved that libraries are as vital as ever. We sampled the morning mist on the Ucayali River, Peru for the VFYW, met the gaze of a particularly colorful Face Of The Day, and enjoyed every frame of today’s MHB.
Today on the Dish, Andrew repeated his call for Obama to address the madness of prohibition, as well as his disbelief at the MSM’s credulity throughout the Manti Te’o saga. He offered a full-throated defense of Lena Dunham’s Girls, and recommended Marty Lederman’s work on the upcoming SCOTUS cases on marriage equality. Andrew also pointed to his new interview at The Awl, and joined Michael Moynihan in drawing attention to one of Piers Morgan’s more unpleasant habits of late.
On the political beat, we continued to round up inauguration reax, Ezra Klain bemoaned the ongoing specter of the debt ceiling, and we spotted a snag for Democrats in the realities of immigration reform. Elsewhere, Charles Kenny tried to figure what citizenship is worth, Shamus Khan noticed the sickening thing about some Americans’ work schedules, and Bouie called out the side effects of increased school security. Roger Kimball tried to wax historical but just earned a Malkin Award nod, while, on the other end of the spectrum, Mike Mallow jumped in the running for a Moore Award. We studied the regional divide in access to abortion as Joanna Blythman worried about the effect that demand for grain might have on less developed countries, before readers pushed back.
In foreign affairs, we questioned whether Gaddafi’s downfall sparked the chaos now engulfing Mali, gaped at the candid journal of an American in North Korea, and received a jolt from a video on Mexico’s drug warfare. Meanwhile, Mairav Zonszein let an Arab stranger vote for her in the Israeli elections while we wondered if Palestinian leadership would ever get its act together.
In assorted coverage, Harry Enten doubted that Lance Armstrong’s Oprah moment will have any effect on his sinking reputation or other dopers’ choices, Mark Kermode served Naomi Wolf on her hot air over Zero Dark Thirty, and a reader chimed in on our discussion of the inaugural poem as literature. As Jesse Hicks gazed up at Vegas casino security cameras, we caught a glimmer of hope in technological remedies for carbon pollution and discovered that even jihadis need to report their expenses to HQ. Later, we explored the dos and don’ts of cover songs, surveyed the literary history of puns, and tracked the transformation of “ye” to “you.”
We marked off the robot apocalypse as unlikely, Elizabeth Preston debunked detox, and Andrew Marantz found that many Americans prefer to see dogs, rather than grown men, play ball. Readers paid a visit to Ho Chi Minh City in solving the latest VFYW contest, and we watched a young lad give his xylophone the Keith Moon treatment before letting the sunlight through in Pittsburgh during today’s VFYW.
– B.J.
(Photo: An Israeli woman rides her bicycle past campaign posters for Likud’s Binyamin Netanyahu and Labour’s Shelly Yachimovich in Tel Aviv. By Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)
Today on the Dish, Andrew live-blogged the inauguration ceremony and reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of the president’s address. He placed Richard Blanco’s inaugural poem in the tradition of American letters, collected some instant literary analysis, and posted the piece in its entirety. Finally, after Douthat and Continetti admitted Obama is the liberal Reagan, Andrew flashed back to the first time the phrase crossed his mind.
We rounded up reax to the speech, gathered the expectations beforehand, and noticed that Fox News seemed rather glum about the whole thing. Nate Silvercompared Obama’s second-term respite with those of past presidents, Mark Blumenthal and Emily Swanson measured Americans’ outlook on the president’s place in history, and Chait warned not to think of the chief executive as all-powerful in his second term. Relatedly, we asked whether America should brag about its record of handing off power so peacefully and surveyed the lexicon of words coined by heads of state throughout our history.
In assorted coverage, we gauged the varying ways news outlets are covering Mali, Katy Waldman identified the most vivid reels of our memory, and Derek Thompson graphed Americans pushing away Big Gulps for cappuccino. David Drake articulated how more a liberal immigration policy makes America more competitive, readers shared their thoughts on American workers’ time off, as wesaid good riddance to invasive body scanners at the airport. Drew Olanoffapplauded Google’s efforts to scan your chicken scratch, while Nicholas Carrcriticized the search engine’s myopic turn.
In an unusually sporty vein, we cataloged the gruesome toll professional football extracts from players, a reader piped up for Manti Te’o, and contra Lance Armstrong, we brought a truly honorable athlete into the spotlight. Later we peeredout of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta during today’s VFYW and then racedthrough each season of the year on the Nordland Railroad for a MHB.
– B.J.
(Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama waves as the presidential inaugural parade winds through the nation’s capital January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States. By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
This weekend on the Dish we provided our usual eclectic mix of religious, books, and cultural coverage. In matters of faith, doubt, and philosophy, Simone Weilthought about suffering and joy, Giles Fraser channeled Augustine and Freud, a Christian pastor exemplified trends in evangelical political engagement, and Joan Acocella proiled St. Francis of Assissi. Charles Fried pondered Lincoln’s moral genius, Walter Kirn reinterpreted the Fall, a piano tuner found freedom in giving up his possessions, and Daniel Dennett provided a hypothetical question religious fanaticism. George Herbert’s religious poetry proved its ecumenical appeal, Mark Oppenheimer mused on non-celebrity Scientologists, and Kinsley was Kinsley as he reviewed Lawrence Wright’s new study of Scientology.
In literary and arts coverage, Mario Bustillos read Edmund Burke, George Saunders ruminated on technology and fiction, Ruth Padel found the poet behind the Sylvia Plath mythology, and Robert Fay reminded us that T.S. Eliot was good at his day job. Vladimir Nabokav classified Kafka, Stefany Anne Golberg learned about love from Waiting for Godot, and great writers emphasized the importance of revision. Linda Besner surveyed the education of George Orwell, James Franco riffed on heteronormative love stories, Joshua Lewis believed Scrabble needs an update, and Jimmy Stamp visited a scent museum. Read Saturday’s poem here and Sunday’s here.
In assorted news and views, Jeremy Schaap interviewed Manti Te’o, Robert Moorgot in cars with strangers, pot turned out to be popular in North Korea, and Ann Friedman considered the tradeoffs of being a female breadwinner. Michael Popp recounted the impact of his cancer diagnosis, Laura June uncovered this history of pinball’s ban in NYC, and Aaron Gilbreth explored the fate of L.A.’s last dive bar. Mac McClelland reported on families of PTSD patients, Tom Dibblee defended Bud Light Lime, Jill Filipovic savaged a NYT trend piece on millenial dating habits, and Claire L Evans confronted her digital shadow. MHBs here and here, FOTDs here and here, VFYWs here, and the latest window contest here.
Friday on the Dish, Andrew cut to the heart of Lance Armstrong’s maliciousness, which was not the athlete’s doping but his vicious campaign against those brave enough to speak the truth. He reflected on David Remnick’s latest dispatch from Israel and discussed with readers his reaction to Jon Stewart’s interview with Zero Dark Thirty’s lead-actress Jessica Chastain. Elsewhere, Andrew gaped at the latest conspiracy theory from the far right and picked apart Piers Morgan’s rather suspect claim to represent journalism before pre-empting the talk show host’s next insult in today’s Angry Bird Watch.
In political coverage, we assembled reax to the news of a freshly raised debt ceiling, debated the importance of Obama’s inaugural speech, and shook our head as the GOP picked a strange location for their upcoming meeting on minorities. Gopnik expressed optimism regarding America’s gun problems, Mike RiggsenrichedRolling Stone’s list of famous prohibitionists, Phil Plait refuted a persistent trope of global warming skeptics, and a reader clarified the government’s role in informing the makers of Zero Dark Thirty. We heard from other readers who didn’t sympathize with Aaron Swartz’s means to free up information, while the young man’s trial led us to scrutinize the rationale behind plea bargaining as Balko showed how overbearing laws enable overbearing prosecutors.
On the foreign beat, we rounded up reactions to French intervention in Mali, as Marc Lynch repeated his view that a similar operation by the US in Syria would be a quagmire, which Waldman demonstrated by tallying up the costs of 136 months in Afghanistan.
In miscellanea, we met gold medalist Nicole Cooke, a cyclist whose accomplishments served a noble cause rather than an ego trip, collected some reader thoughts on the curious case of Manti Te’o, as Mona Gable wrestled with the likelihood of inheriting a family illness. Helen Rittelmeyer saw flashes of Dostoyevsky in Arrested Development, readers fact-checked an old story about the origin of the piggy bank, and we zeroed in on the human body’s smelly allele.
After the Dish earned a hat tip from Roger McNamee, we wondered if Heaven is here online, before John Tooby gave us a stellar reason to lose sleep tonight. We also tracked further developments in online-education, observed the self-correcting tendency of science, as Nilofer Merchant thought up ways to avoid the health risks of prolonged sitting. An Indonesian businessman trudged through flood water in the Face of the Day, we sang the blues of a hound dog during the MHB, watched the clouds rush over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and spent a moment with a brave reader in Chicago during today’s VFYW.
– B.J.
The rest of the week after the jump:
Thursday on the Dish, Andrew tried to make sense of the Daily Show’s recent segment on Zero Dark Thirty, expressed his disgust with the double standards of the DOJ, and called out the MSM for not quizzing McChrystal on his alleged involvement in torture. Andrew kept pushing Dreher on the normalization of pot and stood by Goldblog as he faced slander from left and right. He also answered more reader emails about Jodie Foster’s speech, assured heterosexual readers that they understand more about gay love than they know, and nodded in approval at a sexy gallery of beards.
In political coverage, we gathered a stack of reader emails about the NRA’s latest ad and rounded up reax on Obama’s ideas for sensible gun reform. We then charted the recent rightward drift of the GOP, traced the decline of cap-and-trade, and looked ahead at the future of the abortion debate. Douthat issued a word of wisdom to both Democrats and Republicans comfortable with the ongoing brinkmanship, offered a two-part reality check on both Obama’s favorables and party alignment since the election, assessed the current gains and losses for labor in a world of runaway technology, and cringed at a WSJ cartoon feeling sorry for wealthy people paying a little bit more in taxes.
We also surveyed a horrifying week’s worth of grinding violence in Syria, poked a hole in the logic behind persecuting Bradley Manning, and Jonnie Freedland expertly analyzed the disconnect between American and European understanding of anti-Semitism.
In assorted coverage, we wondered how the media botched the Manti Te’o story and tried to size up Te’o’s own role in the mess. James Wolcott suited up with digital trackers during exercise, Alex Klein chronicled Scientology’s latest shameful scheme, and readers voiced strong thoughts regarding Jon Brodkin’s piece on the future of broadband. We aired the dispute over Amazon’s trickle-down partnerships, discovered a non-boozy use for the breathalyzer, and spotted heavy fracking activity from space. Later we fleshed out a reader’s story about his war hero father, got lost in a purple trance during the MHB, and spent a crisp moment in Burlington, Vermont for today’s VFYW. Finally, we continued our direct discussion with readers about the future pay-meter of the new Dish, which you can still become a part of here.
Wednesday on the Dish, Andrew pursued the larger implications of “native ads” after The Atlantic’s apology for its Scientology spot. He digested Kathryn Bigelow’s remarks on Zero Dark Thirty’s veracity, and asked her whether she appreciates all the praise from torture-mongers like Hannity. Disgusted by Egyptian President Morsi’s unearthed remarks on Isrealis, Andrew lamented the effect of the Hagel smears on calling out real anti-Semitism. He also took on more readers for his criticism of Jodie Foster, and introduced us to his friend Norma Holt.
In political coverage, we assessed both the past and future of Obama’s debt-ceiling strategy and wondered whether the return of pork might satisfy Congress’s appetite for progress. Frum and Tomasky counted the ways the NRA blew their latest anti-Obama ad, but not without some pushback from readers. Meanwhile, Jamelle Bouie wasn’t ready to count the South out of politics, Drum took his lead-crime argument all the way to the question of race and Yglesias pondered the economic effects of a super-sleep drug.
On the foreign beat, we looked at why Malians are supporting French boots on their ground, Michael J. Totten weighed the benefits of monarchy against democracy, and Liam Hoare traced the latest spat over the Falkland Islands. Also, we studied Israel’s increasing drift to the right and remembered a time when American cities looked quite a bit like smoggy Beijing.
In assorted coverage, we reflected on the real crux of the Lance Armstrong scandal, figured out what to make of Coke’s fresh ad campaign, and promised that this video from NASA will keep you glued to the screen. Trevor Butterworth envisioned the death of punditry in the new era of automated content analysis, as Tom Vanderbilt explored the streaks of bigotry in Google search queries. Rebecca Greenfield waxed pessimistic about Amtrak’s WiFi overhaul while Aymar Jean Christian downplayed the potential for web series to innovate TV.
While Shalom Auslander struggled to reconcile his rabbis loving words with his awful deeds, Rebecca J. Rosen glanced at the new biggest object in the universe. We witnessed film critics and skateboarders overcome their blindness, and Freddie searched the English language for the singular “their.” We trekked up to Fairbanks, Alaska for today’s VFYW, watched an old game take on a new rhythm in the MHB, and had to tip our hat to The New York Post’s penchant for black comedy.
Tuesday on the Dish, Andrew recoiled at The Atlantic’s egregious Scientology advertorial, voiced his discomfort at the dark side of “native advertising” in general, and made note of one crucial Hagel endorsement. He agreed with Blake Hounshell about the perils of withdrawing from Afghanistan but urged a stoic departure in the face of danger. Andrew also responded to more reactions over his critique of Jodie Foster’s coming-out, turned up the pressure on Dreher’s agnosticism on pot legalization, and joined George Packer in bemoaning Dixie’s long-term effects on the GOP.
In political overage, Bill McKibben singled out climate change as an exponentially worsening policy problem, while we brought some of the nuances of climate change debate into focus and tried to measure the effects of NYT’s shaking up its environment desk. The US manufacturers’ lobby ended up buying Chinese while Llewellyn Hinkes-Jones shined a light on the seedy business of incarceration. We glanced at the scoreboard of the debt ceiling standoff and made use of a handy death-calculator to look at the Supreme Court’s future.
Later we read a first hand account of the human aspect to the drug war and walkedthrough the average day of an addict in the city. We were also pleased to help circulate the petition to unseat Aaron Swartz’s prosecutor, and we rubbed our eyes in disbelief at a sober, reasoned exchange on gun control. Looking abroad, Evan Osnos coped with some particularly bad air in Beijing, we took Tunisia’s post-authoritarian temperature, and watched U.S. guns spike the homicide rate in Mexico.
In miscellania, Tim De Chant reimagined local newspaper coverage while Martyn Daniels revealed that Ebooks hovers over our shoulders as we read. Alyssa Rosenberg praised FX for shows’ honesty about the modern male and Erika Christakis reviewed proper sneezing etiquette. We enjoyed The Onion’s red carpet realism, confirmed the toxicity of comment sections, and discovered that the metric system may rest on shaky ground. We peeked into a garden in Cardiff by the Sea, California, surveyed the south of France from Mirepoix in announcing this week’s VFYW winner, pulled quite a stunt during the MHB, and welcomed nightfall with a poem by Catherine Barnett.
Monday on the Dish, Andrew denounced the undue viciousness of Aaron Swartz’s prosecutor at DOJ, and wondered whether academic literature could be made a public good. He applauded Matt Stone and Trey Parker breaking free of Hollywood studios and called out Jodie Foster on her narcissistic coming-out speech at the Golden Globes. He chided Dreher and Frum on their arguments to shield the poor from pot, continued to ruminate on the legacy of Richard Nixon and sang the praises of DC bear culture. Elsewhere he urged popular opposition to the GOP’s ongoing economic terrorism, which will likely earn them the scorn of the public.
In political coverage, we questioned whether or not guns are a safeguard against Big Brother and circled back to Drum’s original evidence connecting lead and crime. We juxtaposed two quotes in which a former member of the Knesset sighedat Israel’s swing to the right while an American senator called Israel our hands-down greatest ally. Seth Masket joked about Obama’s vulnerability on intergalactic defense, readers sounded off on Anne Lowrey’s unkind portrait of the nation’s capital, and we revisited the data about movies and violence in light of Tarantino’s recent outburst on the subject.
In assorted coverage, we compared the hazards of driving drunk to driving stoned, got a taste of the power of tea in Pakistan, and revealed the one word that will burn Brits’ grits. We remained diligent about flu vaccination, and kept up with the debate over the benefits of bare feet while running. Jane Shilling argued that power of the Internet would make Socrates glow, while Geoffrey Nunberg saw Amazon users’ book annotations as a window into their collective consciousness.
Meanwhile, we rounded up some more insightful reader reax to impending Dish independence, followed a famed photographer duo as they scouted locations via Twitter, all as the great showdown between mutant ducks and tiny horses raged on. An old MHB received an update from a talented music class, while we gazed over the red rooftops of Malacca, Malaysia in the VFYW and watched the doors of a health clinic close on the Face of the Day.
Last weekend on the Dish, Andrew castigated Piers Morgan’s “dumb, disgusting desperation” and defended Washington, DC, from its condescending critics. We also provided our customary coverage of religion, books, and culture, high, low, and in-between.
In matters of faith, doubt, and philosophy, David Bryant elaborated on faith in an unknowable God, Mark Galli meditated on grace and parenting, and Casey Cep remembered the idiosyncratic Christianity of Reynolds Price. John Jeremiah Sullivan considered his secular appreciation of gospel music, Lorin Stein praised the understanding God of Psalm 139, and Justin Erik Haldór Smith ruminated on the unlikely places he finds God. Jim Shepard thought about Flannery O’Connor and epiphanies, Richard Feynman riffed on the beauty of a flower, and Daniel Baird wondered just what justice requires.
In literary and arts coverage, David Mikics uncovered how Emerson and Freud compete for Harold Bloom’s soul, Greg Olear argued that Nick Carraway of The Great Gatsby was gay, and Anthony Paletta detailed Oscar Wilde’s trip to America. Rebecca Lemon showed how Shakespeare deployed alcohol in his plays, James Hall traced the difficulties the artist Raphael poses for biographers, Emily Elert highlighted the experiences for which English has no word, and Marcy Campbell plumbed her book club for insight into today’s literary market. Megan Garber found a novel in your outbox, Michael Thomsen was disappointed by drug writing’s inability to capture the psychadelic experience, readers continued our thread on fonts, and Stephen Marche believed the art bubble might be ready to pop. Read Saturday’s poem here and Sunday’s here.
In assorted news and views, a Dish reader honored the activist and polymath Aaron Swartz, Joshua Coen appreciated the public beauty of Central Park, and Dave Bry earned an Yglesias nomination for his thoughts on Chief Keef’s latest album. The White House dashed the hopes of Star Wars fans, Daven Hiskey let down drinkers who think booze can keep them warm, and Devendra Banhart narrated the story of a great and crazy soul singer. Julian Baggini theorized why Nespresso won a taste-test, Gregory Ferenstein offered a cautionary tale about Wikipedia, Jon Brodkin reported on satellite companies providing broadband Internet access, and Derek Workman mused on the vagaries of foosball in a flat world.
We asked the Leveretts anything here and here. MHBs here and here, FOTDs here and here, VFYWs here and here, and the latest windown contest here.
Today on the Dish, Andrew raved about the "Book Of Mormon," weighed in on homophobia's evolutionary roots, and countered Damon Linker on the fascistic undertones of neoconservatism. Andrew defended the duty of opinion bloggers to take a stand and cheered the unbelievable Arab Spring and the real American exceptionalism being helmed by Obama. NATO is taking control of the no-fly zone, Babak Dehghanpisheh visited a Benghazi prison camp, and Andrew debated Scoblete about whether Bill Kristol really believes Iraq was a victory. Larison challenged Kristof on humanitarian gains, Liz Sly expanded on Qaddafi's supporters, and the unrest in Syria spread. Andrew followed this week's violence in Israel, and the resultant neo-fascist laws. Frum outed Al Qaeda as being mobile, Newt blathered on, and Freddie DeBoer reminded us that this war will never be the last time we play sheriff.
Andrew called out Palin on her mixed David and Goliath metaphors, and Michelle Bachmann inched closer to the Washington elite. The Catholic tides shifted, the US Hispanic population surged, Scott Morgan tracked the emerging cannabis markets, and J.F. at DiA grappled with drug courts for addicts. Kate Sheppard mapped nuclear danger zones, Helen Epstein tracked the political problem of malaria, Haiti beat Japan in donations, and Dave Roberts contemplated the harder virtues to celebrate. Barry Eisler opted to self-publish for more money, history turned us on, grammar made us laugh, and Hitchens was always two steps ahead. Readers dished on Pawlenty's Minnesota disappointments and rebutted Paglia on today's curvy women, and Andrew tube-crushed. Money made rich people sad, baldness made Andrew exotic and erotic, and unlike mole rats, humans need to be alone sometimes.
Classified ad of the day here, creepy ad watch here, quote for the day here, VFYW here, MHB here, and FOTD here.
Ventura, California, 8 am
Thursday on the Dish, Andrew deconstructed the divisions on the right's foreign policy, Wilkinson weighed the suffering factor in Libya, Julian Sanchez connected Bush and Obama on universal morality, and Andy Bacevich concentrated on removing Qaddafi. Andrew began to understand his pessimism as stemming from the Irish belief in Sod's law, and wondered if Obama had meep-meeped him again. Larison abandoned hope for an anti-war right and theorized why Germany didn't veto the UN resolution, and Rory Stewart stuck it to both pro and anti-interventionist sides. Ackerman wanted us to call the war in Libya a war, Adam Garfinkle critiqued our slipshod strategy, and Fox battled CNN on the other Libyan front. A new report outlined the torture under Bush as a form of warfare, rather than an attempt to stop a ticking time bomb, and Heather Hurlburt distrusted the Libyan endgame. Misurata took a turn for the worse, the rebel force is smaller than expected, and Libya isn't WWII. Twenty thousand may have marched in Syria, Assad may be caving, but the violence ratcheted up.
Catholicsfavor gay marriage (even the ones who attend church weekly), and Andrew held out hope for a change in DOMA and immigration policy. Andrew soaked up the results of the Coalition government's austerity measures, Nick Clegg left his mic on, and Andy Sumner examined international poverty. A straight, Catholic Republican student in Indiana supports gay marriage, Pareene got giddy over gay Republican candidate Fred Karger, and readers didn't underestimate T-Paw. Julian Sanchez pondered copyright and Google Books, Caitlin Truman endorsed euthanasia for the dead relationship, and a judge grappled with sentencing based on numbers alone. LSD confronts you with yourself, Arizona brought a tank to stop a cockfight, Dana Goldstein admired a charter school's dedication to diversity, and Andrew was off to celebrate the new pro-faith show of "Book Of Mormon." Groupon offered solutions for being hungry or bored, Camille Paglia praised Liz Taylor's body, and Lileks found a man who'd never heard of an iPad. A paywall is less humiliating than a pledge drive, and this doctor wanted to solve your symptoms the tech way.
Wednesday on the Dish, Andrew urged Obama to avoid leadership and to let Sarko own it, while questioning the very nature of the uprising in Libya. Andrew chastised those who would support this war as if Iraq never happened, reacted to the Obama Undoctrine of pragmatism, and Ezra Klein went after Wieseltier. Qaddafi supporters scared us more than Fox News, Stephen Budiansky understood the military's limits in tactical regime changes, and Andrew called bullshit on "logistical contributions" from Kuwait and Jordan. Readers differentiated between Libya and the Greek War for Independence, and the Arab League's bets could backfire. Adam Rawnsley decoded "Operation Odyssey Dawn," Qaddafi exposed himself, and Syrian crackdowns escalated. Matt Steinglass characterized the vague goals of "winning" as being intentional on the administration's part, and a dispatch from Misurata praised the positive effect of the strikes. The kidnapped NYT reporters recounted their harrowing tale, while the NYT still refused to call what we do at Guantanamo torture. The Tea Party turned nationalist for the Libyan war, Gingrichflip-flopped, and Matt Larimer questioned how the GOP morphed into the party of perpetual war.
Palin skirted the shores of Jews For Jesus, illegally fished for life, and Andrew guffawed at Janet Malcolm's review of Sarah Palin's Alaska. Huckabee challenged Pawlenty on being the most anti-gay candidate there is, and conservatives cooed over non-procreative marriages of old people as long as they weren't gay. GDP output exploded, tax fundamentalism ruled the GOP, and a town paid rent on an empty Borders store. A Mexican police chief tortured to curtail the corruption, and new nuclear reactors are built smaller. Bloggers debated final chapters, HuffPo landed Balko, and a reader explained that the BBC isn't free. Lewis Black cautioned everyone over smallpox, the gallows humor kept rolling in, and Christians pole-danced for Jesus. People envy their neighbors more than millionaires, policies change when rich opinions do, and Scott Adams taught us how to fall asleep. Readers called us on our frog necrophilia, and Andrew marveled at a new model for Ken the ideal boyfriend, Kurtis Taylor, a mountain of mocha muscle.
Tweet of the day here, quotes for the day here, here, here, how to have a rational discussion here, cool ad watch here, VFYW here, MHB here, and FOTD here.
By Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images.
Tuesday on the Dish, Andrew magnified Frum's examination of why Obama didn't ask Congress for approval, and examined his own scars from Iraq and the last ten years. Obama promised a hand-off soon(ish), and Andrew praised Egypt's huge steps towards democracy. Bill Kristol loved war, Obama supported most US military interventions, Romney didn't like nuance, and Douthat didn't defend Bush. Larison feared we were encouraging weak rebellions, Tom Ricks demolished the idea of an exit strategy, and Freddie DeBoer skewered the colossal arrogance of any interventionist logic. A reader tracked Joe Biden's role in the resolution, and Dylan Matthews policed Leon Wieseltier's fight with Ezra Klein. A reader offered 1831 as a better example than Arab 1848, and Andrew wished for Secretary of State John Quincy Adams' response. Libya adventure has already cost more than the discretionary spending cuts desired by the GOP, Reihan considered the astronomical costs, and rebels ate Snickers.
Palin skipped the West Bank possibly because she forgot it isn't part of Israel, broke the rules and offended the Republican Jewish Coalition, and a reader berated her for sporting a Star of David. We sized up Pawlenty's presidential bid, Johann Hari interviewed Gideon Levy, and Charlie Chaplin narrated events in the Middle East. The Economisttallied Japan's earthquake damage as the costliest ever recorded, Richard Posner considered the politics of unlikely disasters, and since no one has gotten a lethal dose of radiation from this nuclear meltdown George Monbiot now supports nuclear energy. Readers skirted the NYT paywall and offered other fundraising alternatives, Timothy B Lee wanted to support real reporting elsewhere, and Andrew posed questions behind a paywall. The Argentine military stole babies in the 1970s, Andrew was grateful for modern medicine, and the week's news was too much for some. Politicians lagged behind public opinion in Indiana on gay marriage, Meghan bought a house to live in, and healthcare opinions haven't changed. Katie Roiphe wrote recommendations for 18-month olds and real talent requires grit.
Cool ad watch here, question of the day here, answer here, chart of the day here, headline of the day here, Yglesias award here, quotes for the day here, here, here and here, map of the day here, FOTD here, MHB here, and VFYW here, and VFYW contest winner #42 here.
Monday on the Dish, Andrew considered this war's effect on Jihadism, and historic predecessors like British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston who exercised restraint in aiding others' democratic movements. Chait, Klein and Andrew asked why intervene this time, Goldblog's jaw remained dropped, and the right sniffed Obama's blood in the water. Andrew couldn't get behind Marc Lynch's argument that Libya determines how other dicatators act in the Middle East, PM Carpenter believed in Obama's character, and Ambinder parsed Clinton's developing doctrine. John Lee Anderson interviewed one of Qaddafi's fighters and shook hands with the rebels, Issandr El Amrani questioned the non-violent intentions of Libyan rebels, and Megan Scully and Exum calculated the cost of this war. Andrew meditated on the tao of Derb, Peter Beinart reminded us we can't control the rebels, Manzi warned of an international arms race, and insurgencies started. The African Union and Putinechoed the Arab League, the UAE balked, and the British split, confused over Resolution 1973. Weigel didn't foresee a congressional vote, Yglesias demeaned the "better than Iraq" yardstick, and David Boaz missed the anti-war movement in lieu of an anti-war president. Public support dwindled, Tripoli quieted down, and Alan Taylor viewed the war through the photographer's lens. Yemen's regime may be approaching an end, and Steven L. Taylor saw Libya as an incentive for dictators to go nuclear. Frank Gaffney jumped from Libya to Israel, and Palin plastered herself with Israeli flags.
Seth Masket compared Japan to New Orleans, we viewed the tsunami from a boat, and XKCD charted radiation dosages. Schools traded calories for IQ points, Simone Eastman bemoaned being the poster couple for gay marriage, and Freddie DeBoer wondered why a longread on gentrification didn't feature any poor people. Readers fell on opposite sides of tasteless jokes, medical workers shared tales of laughter in hardship, and Felix Salmon argued the paywall will prevent people going to the NYT in an emergency. Andrew 80's-gasmed, and the arms trade landed in stoners' hands.
Billboard of the day here, quotes for the day here and here, nit-pick of the day here, chart of the day here, Malkin award here, MHB here, FOTD here, and some pure joy here.
