Obama From Ramallah

Bernard Avishai blogs:

We speak about a war of ideas; some go on about a clash of civilizations. We hold seminars about the relationship between Islamic theology and Islamist ferocity. But like most people without a lot of time on their hands, this cab driver had simply put a face to the problems he was experiencing, as he navigated through an infuriating life. That face was George Bush’s, who was somehow (and a little magically, perhaps) not considered a part of the American people. The answer to Bush was Khaled Meshal.

But what if the face of America were Obama’s instead, and the warmth of feeling extended to Americans could not instinctively be denied their leader? What if the posters of Mohammed Ali would come down and posters of, of all things, the US president would be filling their spaces—filling, that is, some of the holes in the hearts of fruit vendors, terrified by globalization, from Palestine to Jakarta? Obama’s campaign, and many pundits, have made the point, so I won’t go on about it. But I thought I might report that one cannot take a cab in Ramallah and not run into what this means.

When The Far Right Re-Groups …

John Cole predicts:

We will be regaled with long tales of madrassas, Obama’s first name will become Hussein, and everyone’s pets will be running around frothing from all the dog whistles. Obama is getting a free ride at the moment because of the intense, nutty, and 15 year old hate for the Clagina (in all honesty, I was a hater up until a few years ago when I realized cold and calculating competence is better than willful dishonesty and feckless incompetence). But if and when the queen is vanquished, all that venom will need a target, and that target will be Obama.

But the smarter ones know it will not be easy to do this without being exposed in due course as a poisonous force in our culture and politics. Targeting a minority candidate in this sleazy way is not something a future majority party will want to do. But then they may simply get desperate.

Crystal Island

Sebastianbarquetsized

Foster and Partners unveil plans for the world’s biggest building – set, appropriately, in the new petro-capital, Moscow. It’s so big it will allow Russia’s new monied elite to live and work independently of their brutal winter climate. Norman Foster:

"Crystal Island is one of the world’s most ambitious building projects and it represents a milestone in the 40 year history of the practice. It is the largest single building in the world, creating a year-round destination for Moscow and a sustainable, dynamic new urban quarter. It is a paradigm of compact, mixed-use, sustainable city planning, with an innovative energy strategy and ‘smart’ skin which buffers against climate extremes."