Author: Andrew Sullivan

Clegg, Britain’s First Vice President

Massie outlines Clegg's duties:

The single most important thing in this government is the relationship – and level of trust – between Cameron and Clegg … Clegg's role, in some ways, might be compared to that of a ship's Master. Yes, the Captain is in command of everything and has the final say but he depends heavily upon the Master to ensure that the ship sails properly and reaches its rightful destination. On a huge range of issues, then, Clegg is likely to be responsible for ensuring that agreements are met, policy co-ordinated and everyone kept happy. That's actually a pretty hefty job.

And how would that differ from the role Brown performed for Blair for so long? I guess the answer is that Clegg is likely to be more loyal.

The Old Right, Ctd

Douthat sharpens his point:

Larison has every right to tout the work that he and other [The American Conservative] writers have done to distance “paleo” ideas from some of the more toxic habits of the paleoconservative fringe. But all of this work will be for naught if a figure like the younger Paul, on the cusp of becoming the face of a new old right in American politics, can’t resist the characteristically paleocon temptation to relitigate the Civil Rights Act.

Pixar’s Secret Ingredient

Loads of constructive criticism:

Pixar’s secret? Its unusual creative process. Most of the time, a studio assembles a cast of freelance professionals to work on a single project and cuts them loose when the picture is done. At Pixar, a staff of writers, directors, animators, and technicians move from project to project. As a result, the studio has built a team of moviemakers who know and trust one another in ways unimaginable on most sets.

Which explains how they can handle the constant critiques that are at the heart of Pixar’s relentless process.

“An Epidemic Of Not Watching” Ctd

A reader writes:

No matter how much you write, I think it comes down to this. Either there's a possible compromise or there isn't. I think TNR would say, and mean, that under some conceivable terms they would support a Palestinian state. Have the Arabs ever reciprocated that? Is there any conceivable Zionist/Jewish state the Arabs have said they would accept, permanently, to leave in peace forevermore? If the answer to that is "no" then the question of the settlements seems almost trivial in comparison.

Well, Egypt and Jordan made their peace. The Saudi peace plan suggests a settlement is possible. The new Palestinian leadership on the West Bank seems open to compromise and a far cry from the lies of Arafat. A new president who could actually restore some neutrality in the US position was just elected. The war against Jihadism makes a peace deal in both Israel's and America's interests … but the Israelis keep building settlements and won't budge, and AIPAC is right behind them. In those circumstances, given the demographic and political realities facing Israel, the kind of anti-anti-Israel posturing among the neocon left and right really is sad. And, in my view, fatal to the country they love.