Author: Andrew Sullivan

A reader writes:

Diehl is unbelievable.  He describes the reason for the ejection of Mossad's top officer in Britain as a "flap"?  Using British identities in an international assassination?

This was the second time Mossad used British passports, and the last time Britain made it crystal clear that this should never be done again.  It is also a direct insult to Britain and the other nations, since it is telling that no US passports were used, as far as we know. 

Since these were taken from the identities of dual citizens of Israel by the Israeli government, the biggest opportunity for use was American passports.  Yet Israel was worried enough about an American reaction that they avoided using US passports.  That may be lonely evidence that Netanyahu doesn't think the U.S. will put up with anything he does.  But it is also evidence of complete Israeli disdain towards the governments of Britain, France, and Germany, and a cavalier willingness to endanger the lives of all those who hold those passports.

A "flap"?

Kinsley continues the conversation. Avent replies:

[H]yperinflation is by far the most painful of all of the options. It is the equivalent of holding a gun to the head of the legislature and saying, "balance the budget or I'll shoot". However painful balancing the budget may be, it's better than the alternative.

By Flickr user Mr_Grim. More pictures of puppies eating ice cream here.

Nyhan outlines why it will be difficult for Republicans to repeal health care even if they win back control of congress and the presidency. Edward Glaeser calls upon pragmatic libertarians:

From a purely libertarian perspective, the status quo — with its vast and growing public health care expenditures — was no nirvana.    Pure libertarians will never succeed in just wishing the government out of health care, but pragmatic libertarians may be able to push more modest reforms that can make the public role in health care less expensive.

Pivoting off the "ten books" meme, Julian Sanchez "got to thinking a bit about just what we mean when we say a book 'influenced' us":

Suppose I say I was influenced by Ernest Hemingway’s books. If I’m an aspiring novelist, I probably mean this in the formal/practical sense: I want to write novels like his, and will probably turn out a lot of painful stuff full of terse declarative sentences. But I might have a more substantive influence in mind: I’ve adopted a particular kind of vision of masculine virtues with a premium on physical courage, “grace under pressure” and so on. Where that falls on the theoretical/practical dimension depends on whether I actually take up bullfighting or enlist in someone else’s civil war.

They may still pay more.

Ezra Klein's hunch:

[W]e're eventually going to have to face up to the elephant in the room: prices. We can't keep paying twice as much as other countries pay for each unit of care and get our costs under control. I think there's virtually no chance that this system evolves toward single-payer. But I think there's some chance that the government eventually begins setting payment rates for private payers, much as happens (successfully!) in Maryland.

(Image: White House's Flickr)

Today on the Dish, the GOP began to back down over healthcare repeal, Benen boasted over a boost in polling, Yglesias gloated over liberal victory, Ruffini wrung his hands over the Republican wilderness, Reihan provided more constructive criticism, and readers revolted over Megan's railing against Dems. Nathan Brown and Russell King offered some advice to the GOP. 

In drug coverage, California decided to vote on pot legalization, Sports Illustrated illustrated how prevalent pot is in college football, and Tom Bissell talked about playing video games on coke. In other news, Gates appeared ready to relax DADT and Palin joined the annals of reality TV.

In random commentary, Dreher argued against celibacy, Gideon Rachman and Hillary Clinton reinforced the theory of HCR helping Obama abroad, Wieseltier laid into Israeli settlers, and Greenwald took down Shales over Amanpour. Kinsely led an Inflation round up. Malkins here, here, and here. Von Hoffman here. Hathos here.

— C.B.

Thoreau rejoices:

The marijuana legalization ballot measure is expected to make it onto the November ballot. Whatever else may happen, if this passes then 2010 will be a good political year, because it will be the year that the drug warriors suffer their worst setback ever.  If this passes, criminal organizations will lose money.  Police will receive fewer bribes.  Fewer harmless people will go to prison.  Police will have one less excuse to pull over a black man driving a car.  (They’ll do it anyway, but they won’t be able to drag him to jail if they happen to find something harmless in his car.)  And the propagandists will be revealed for the  liars that they are if weed is legalized and the sky does not fall.

Mark Blumenthal studies the latest CBS poll.