The Daily Wrap

Today on the Dish we put out an especially varied mix, given the lack of news. The president's poll numbers looked up, both at home and abroad, while anti-gay forces in Maine continued their awful campaign. (And speaking of awful.)

In punditry, Andrew owned up to the McCaughey affair, Conor went another round with Breitbart, Reihan defended Rove, Bartlett received a great review (buy his book!), Beck talked to Newsmax, Cohen countered Galston, AL reeled in Greenwald,  readers revolted against an anti-atheist post, and Andrew discussed why he prefers Ptown to DC.

For such a slow day, it's no wonder that this post was our most popular.

— C.B.

Fighting On Behalf Of Russia, China, And India

Bob Kaplan's view of the war in Afghanistan:

Everyone keeps saying that America is not an empire, but our military finds itself in the sort of situation that was mighty familiar to empires like that of ancient Rome and 19th-century Britain: struggling in a far-off corner of the world to exact revenge, to put down the fires of rebellion, and to restore civilized order. Meanwhile, other rising and resurgent powers wait patiently in the wings, free-riding on the public good we offer. This is exactly how an empire declines, by allowing others to take advantage of its own exertions.

Kipling understood. At some point, the American people will ask why their kids and their money are being leveraged to help China win the race for the 21st century.

How American-Grown Marijuana Is Hurting the Drug Cartels

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Steve Fainaru and William Booth report:

Almost all of the marijuana consumed in the multibillion-dollar U.S. market once came from Mexico or Colombia. Now as much as half is produced domestically, often by small-scale operators who painstakingly tend greenhouses and indoor gardens to produce the more potent, and expensive, product that consumers now demand, according to authorities and marijuana dealers on both sides of the border. The shifting economics of the marijuana trade have broad implications for Mexico's war against the drug cartels, suggesting that market forces, as much as law enforcement, can extract a heavy price from criminal organizations that have used the spectacular profits generated by pot sales to fuel the violence and corruption that plague the Mexican state.

Now imagine the blow to the Mexican drug cartels if prohibition were lifted. But we couldn't do that, could we?

(Hat tip: Reason)

Face Of The Day

KingAfghanistanGetty
Spc. Matthew King of Lompoc, California, who has been without a shower since July 4 of this year, rubs his face in a below ground bunker October 6, 2009 in Forward Operating Base Zerok in Paktika province, Afghanistan. Conditions are harsh for the soldiers of the 3-509 US Army's 25th Infantry Division and their Afghan Army counterparts at the Zerok field base near the border with Pakistan. The troops stationed at the base frequently patrol the adjacent mountains on foot and endure frequent attacks by militants, as well as living without showers or laundry for months. By Chris Hondros/Getty.

Creepy Ad Watch, Ctd

A reader writes:

Don’t you think your Creepy Ad Watch from today ought to acknowledge (1) that you linked this very same VW advert in January 2005, and (2) that you also discovered in January 2005 that it is a fake. It still amuses me, in its dark way, so I’m pleased if a new generation sees it because of your re-post today. 

Yes, now you remind me, I do remember it. When you've been blogging a couple hundred posts a week for ten years, total recall of every link or post, especially when you are always absorbing new material, can elude you, Apologies.

Dissents Of The Day

There has been much response to this post, the tone of which I apologized for here. A reader writes:

I’m 55 and have been an atheist for as long as I can remember. Throughout my life I’ve had to listen to smug preachers railing against the evil of atheism, gleefully describing the torment we’d endure after we died.

I was very active at one time in state politics as an employee of the state Democratic Party. I got interested in running for office, but was told unless I was willing to join a church, preferably a Baptist church, I could forget about it. I listened to the U.S. president publicly state that “atheists should not be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots.” On those few occasions where I let people know about my lack of belief, reactions ranged from supercilious pity (“You poor, pitiful lost soul…I will pray for you that you may see the light.”) to outright hostility.

I was a scoutmaster for 10 years, well liked and appreciated by the kids and their parents. But, the entire time I knew that if a parent ever found out that I was an atheist; I would have been immediately removed. With all that, and more, do you really wonder why I have a general disdain for religion and all the wonderful things it does for our society? Throughout my life, religious belief has been nothing but a sword hanging over my head, ready to fall the moment my lack thereof was discovered. Do you really wonder why I would like to see that sword broken and cast into the forge?

Another reader:

There really are two different types of people in the world: religious and non-religious. Your final sentence about the appeal that 'the Christianity of the Gospels shines like the sun' really means nothing to me. I knocked my head on church doors for years thinking something was wrong with me that I couldn't understand what is meant by statements like that. Finally, just like coming out, I realized that I'm just not that sort of person and to hear of a whole conference of people feeling the same way about God is just like hearing of rumors of gay bars where… everyone is GAY!

Another:

Dennett a atheist bigot? Really? He is as intellectually opposed to fundamentalism as you are. He also speaks of being deeply moved by religious icons and music in very personal terms. He even says that the world is better off with them (contrary to your best buddy Hitchens who in no uncertain terms says religion is a net evil). His primary "atheist" contention is that everyone should be exposed to comparative religion(main beliefs, tenants, etc), beyond that teach children which ever you like. His primary contention is that religions that are truly good, will have no problem being exposed to the beliefs of others. Calling a circular argument/statement (God is god behind god), is not bigotry. Creating an argument that rests upon itself, is intellectually devoid of value.

Another:

First you declare that an atheist meeting is "one big snarky smugfest", but then in the next breath you declare Scientology "The Super Adventure Club."  What makes Christianity any more believable than Scientology?  What is the difference between worshiping Xenu and worshiping a Zombie Carpenter?  What makes Christianity superior to Pagan beliefs, Muslim beliefs, Nordic Beliefs or Hindu Beliefs?  The double standard is disgusting and quite obvious that you only advocate "one" religion and not another.  If you want to be critical of "snarky smug" atheists and in the same breath berate other religions, I suggest you take a good look at your own beliefs and imagine seeing them from the point of view of someone who doesn't believe in them, and then tell me who belongs in a super adventure club.

Another:

An atheist pointing out that a sound-byte is intellectually vacuous is not "bigotry". It is not based on hatred, or discrimination, or anything but adherence to the rigorous demands of our own intellect. If the Creationists, ID supporters, and theists in general want to run with the big boys, they should expect to be treated like everyone else on the field. If they say meaningless things, they deserved to be called on them. Why should we be expected to hold our fire? As you were so fond of saying during the Palin farce, deference, please!

Another:

Your complaints about atheists seem to center on their tone – the fact that Dennet is not "really charming" when exposing some vacuous statements masquerading as spirituality. (They're not all rude – your debate with Sam Harris was respectful on both sides). But perhaps they have a right to be a bit rude – they are the most unpopular minority in the USA, with no chance of electoral representation, and they feel as if the country has been overtaken by the Christian right for the last twenty years. Plenty to be rude about, in my opinion.

“Safe Schools”

The anti-gay forces flooding Maine with ads right now have honed in on the issue they think will work: the age-old fear that gay people will corrupt children. In fact, schoolkids will not be in "safe" schools if they are told about the mere existence of gay married couples. Maine's school curriculum has no content that could be used to indoctrinate kids; but it seems to me that the existence of gay married couples should not somehow be excised from what children are taught. Gay marriage is now part of the world's reality. It has been the law in a nearby state for several years. This is a difficult balance, but just as Catholic kids need to know they live in a country where divorce and contraception exist, even though their own church disavows and opposes both, so simple information about gay couples seems to me to be part of a proper education. I think it should veer on the side of extreme caution so as not to offend parents or tilt into propaganda. One reason I back marriage rights is that the existence of such couples in itself is an educational tool that schools simply need to acknowledge, not proselytize for. I think the details are best conveyed by parents, not schools.

But the underlying truth is: this ad is designed to provoke fear of a small minority and its factual basis in Maine does not exist, which is why they have to cite California. Against this kind of fear, reason has a Sisyphean task. But I trust the people of Maine – not an easily intimidated lot – will see through this. Or rather I hope so.

The Bill For The Bill

The CBO scores the Baucus bill and concludes that it would shave $81 billion off the deficit over ten years. Marc's parsing:

Baucus says he can get this bill to the floor. It's a bill that at least one Republican — Sen. Olympia Snowe — could vote for. And no Democrat — or Republican — can argue that, based on the shared reverence for the CBO source, health care will add to the deficit… even though, as the CBO admits, a projection is just a projection.

Further thoughts from Suderman, Cohn, and Klein.