Month: September 2008

Jonah Lehrer says we are "extraordinarily sympathetic creatures."

Robert Bateman says not to worry about the Russian navy:

Today the Russian Navy is a shell of its previous self. Someday that may change, but for now it seems they have only one small aircraft carrier (which would not even have that title in the US Navy, because it is too small), two "Battlecruisers," three Cruisers, 26 Destroyers, and 16 Frigates. It is unknown how many of these can do more than float while securely tied up at a pier. What is more, they lack the resources and experience to maintain a combat force far from home for more than a very short while. In other words, it’s all flash here and no bang.

Peter Alsop takes a harrowing look at overfishing:

What has transpired off the shores of Cape Cod is not unique. The same has occurred on coasts throughout the world. In 1988, at the peak of the output of the world’s fisheries, boats around the globe landed something on the order of 80 million tons of fish. Since then, depending upon which numbers you believe, the world’s annual catch has either plateaued or fallen by as much as 500,000 tons a year.

[…]The demise of commercial fishing is beyond the limits of even our darkest environmental imaginations. And yet the evidence of the ocean’s diminishment is everywhere. Leaving aside the legitimate concerns of conservationists, the possibility of a broad fish collapse is harrowing for other reasons. At a time when we are mired in a global food crisis, nearly 1.5 billion people depend upon the sea as a source of food or income. The destabilizing effect of such a collapse would be tremendous, bringing communities and countries into conflict over a resource we once considered boundless. It is fair to say that the endgame has begun.

Quilting and genetics collide.

Colin Kahl argues Iraq is not the "central front in the war on terrorism":

In this environment, the United States should be able to gather sufficient intelligence to effectively target AQI and prevent a safe haven from emerging in Iraq even as our troops draw down. We need to seize this opportunity to shift more resources to confront the challenge posed by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bush has announced the withdrawal of 8,000 U.S. forces (including one combat brigade) from Iraq by next March, and the deployment to Afghanistan of one additional Marine battalion in November and an Army brigade in January. Given the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, it is clear that more is needed. And the sooner the better.

Bernard Gwertzman interviews Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Washington:

The fact is that we are winning the war that is unpopular in Iraq, and we are losing the war that is popular in Afghanistan. We simply can’t wait for the next president to try to respond to what’s happening in Afghanistan. We are almost going to have to have a winter campaign simply because the Taliban has built up its capabilities, particulary in eastern Afghanistan, in the course of this year.

Beirut, Lebanon, 7.34 pm.

Thank you for your many emails of concern. For the record, I’m absolutely fine, nothing has changed with this blog, no one is pressuring me to write or not write anything, and I spent part of the day yesterday with my husband soaking up the last moments of summer together.