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For a brief 90-minute stint on Saturday, I had this huge smile on my face. Well, yes, I was watching The Devil Wears Prada. Those who know me know I read too much into things and that I tend to “project.” Well, as it turns out, I connected with the movie in a very personal, political way.
Okay, the Truman stuff is getting boring. This site is already way too wonky. It needs to stop. I'm copying here a letter I received from an individual who, I believe, represents a good way to restore balance. I'm hoping that sharing it here can serve as a truce.
BTW, I'm just going to have a tiny rant: We really have no "Left" in the USA. Although we should. I have worked with an actual revolutionary Left. They were not scary nor interested in making pipe bombs in the basement. They were decent people being shafted by their government. This was East Germany. I've worked with the left of the Left here in the USA also, in the House of Representatives. Never have I heard one of them say something anti-military, disloyal, or even "weak" on defending the USA. They may let their rhetoric get blurred by idealism occasionally--but that's the worst of it. And you know what? THEY HAVE BEEN RIGHT. On the war, on our budget priorities, on climate change, on economic inequality, on long-term thinking, on individual freedom and citizen responsibility, on taking care of veterans, on taking care of our roads, bridges, ports (otherwise known as critical infrastructure). I could go on and on....
Here's the letter...
Here are the new Democratic Members of the Armed Services Committee in the House of
Representatives.
Congresswoman-elect Nancy Boyda of Kansas Congressman-elect Joe Courtney of Connecticut Congressman-elect Brad Ellsworth of Indiana Congresswoman-elect Gabby Giffords of Arizona Congresswoman-elect Kirsten Gillibrand of New York Congressman-elect Hank Johnson of Georgia Congressman-elect Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania Congressman-elect Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania
I am working with a couple of techie friends to set up a wiki for me and readers to collaboratively work on individual national security profiles of new Members of Congress, particularly the progressives. Having detailed background information on Members' interests may well help create a more effective political constituency for those of us seeking changed priorities and a better strategic concept (It can't be too hard to beat pre-emptive war, after all).
Speaking of change, I received a nice list of websites from the Army War College this week. They've started an email notice list to create a better network for those who care about about Stability, Security, Transformation, Reconstruction and Peace Operations (hold your breath for the acronym) SSTR&PO. Write me off site if you'd like more info on how to get on this list.
A few days ago, Suzanne postulated a number of possible outcomes for Iraq. I’ve been thinking about the other events – outside Iraq and its immediate neighbors – that could and probably will come along to challenge our hamstrung foreign policy capacity in the next two years. I think the chances of one or more of these happening are excellent – and readers will no doubt have their own candidates. As my mother likes to say, “life is what happens while you’re making other plans.” Progressives need to think about how we'd deal -- and how we'd want to help the country deal -- with any and all of the following:
1. Castro dies. Wheeeee. Miami goes nuts. Presidential candidates from both parties face ugly dilemmas with respect to Florida and New Jersey votes. One wing of the Administration wants to “offer assistance” with lessons learned from Iraq. It isn’t pretty.
2. Lebanon blows up. More than a year ago, someone wrote that Lebanon was a dozen assassinations away from civil war. Umm, are we there yet?
3. Nigeria blows up. If you like something more esoteric, Chavez takes Venezuela’s oil off the market – or, a really scary one, the Saudi government goes under. We’re talking a development that is bad in its own right, bad for stability in the region concerned, challenging for perceptions of the US and traumatic to the oil market. Oil heads toward that magic $100 a barrel, and world markets and polities alike freak out.
A couple weeks ago, I heard a prominent journalist say that Lyndon Johnson was the greatest president the US has ever had (this journalist, for his own sake, will remain unnamed). When I heard this, it struck me as a rather comical thing to say. I tried hard not to interrupt the talk by chuckling uncontrollably. And then I realized he was totally serious. In this spirit, I thought that after their drubbing last week, conservatives would resort to similarly absurd superlatives. And they certainly have. But, as far as I can tell, nothing can still top what Michael Novak said a week before the midterms:
I call Donald Rumsfeld the best Defense Secretary the U.S. has ever had. Close behind him, in my book, is Secretary Richard Cheney, and we have been lucky to have a number of other very good Secretaries of Defense during the past century.
I hereby declare this the reigning champion. But I propose a challenge: can anyone find a more absurd superlative then this?
At the risk of forever marking myself as a dour, humorless scold (see my critique of Talladega Nights, to which one reader, "Mikedbot," crisply responded, "I don't think you fully understood the movie, but then I don't think I fully understood your post.") I want to say here that I thought Borat was a problematic movie -- and even risky.
I was heartened to read a story yesterday on CNN where Sacha Baron Cohen found himself on the defensive about the film's obsessive anti-Semitism. His argument:
He said he always had faith in the audience to realize this was a fictitious country and the mere purpose of it was to allow people to expose their own prejudices.
"I think part of the movie shows the absurdity of holding any form of racial prejudice, whether it's hatred of African-Americans or of Jews," said Baron Cohen, a devout Jew who keeps Kosher and observes the Sabbath when he can.
There is a fine line between entertainment and satire; there is another fine line between satire and education. I don't believe the movie even crosses to satire, much less education. And this is because of its strangely obsessive, almost totally raw, depiction of anti-Semitism.
1. The Guardian turns pro-American? Simon Jenkins tell us that "Americans Should be Proud."
2. Natonal Review self-parody alert....ummm...where to begin? Why is Kathryn Jean Lopez so obsessed with Rick Santorum?
3. David Tell of The Weekly Standard gets award for best election prediction in a conservative mag.
4. Most impressive piece of day after spin. From Hugh Hewitt:
And it is a wonderful day for new media, especially talk radio. For two years we have had to defend the Congressional gang that couldn't shoot straight. Now we get to play offense.
5. Democratic troops liberate planet Rush.
6. Ennis wins Montana for Tester?
7. Gracious in defeat? Tally one for Rep. Mike Pence. Self-criticism is cool again in conservative circles. In a statement released earlier today, Pence says:
Election day 2006 will be remembered as a turning point in American political history. Twenty-five years after the Reagan Administration came to Washington with a conservative agenda of limited government, the American people chose a different course.
It is the duty of the losing party in a free election to humbly accept defeat and to acknowledge that the people are sovereign in the People's House.
As we examine the results of this election, it is imperative that we listen to the American people and learn the right lessons.
Some will argue that we lost our majority because of scandals at home and challenges abroad. I say, we did not just lose our majority, we lost our way.
Among many, here's one key thing this election is about: the American people's gradual decision, after five years of reflecting on the Bush Administration's particular foreign policy of fear and fear alone, that fear alone won't work as a response to 9/11.
For its power to sustain, a unilateral power must attract admiration as well as awe. Neocons have never understood this. People Michael Ledeen have wrongly cited Machiavelli's supposed adage "it is better to be feared than loved" for stuff like the following:
"We can lead by the force of high moral example, [but] fear is much more reliable, and lasts longer. Once we show that we are capable of dealing out terrible punishment to our enemies, our power will be far greater."
Machiavelli actually said something much different. Machiavelli never it's better to be feared than to be loved. He says instead that it's safer to be feared, "if one of them has to be wanting."
It seemed like no one inside the Administration really ever recognized this, which is why it's seemed like such a harsh, almost willfully unreflective pocket of groupthink.
But we can read today about a fascinating shaft of light today from Richard Armitage, the leading member of Colin Powell's what-might-have-been team. In a speech in Australia, he said:
I'd like to welcome Marc Grinberg of the Truman Project and blogger Ali Eteraz to Democracy Arsenal, where they'll be guest blogging for the next two weeks or so. If you haven't already, make sure to check out the important work the Truman Project is doing on national security. Also, schedule a visit to Eteraz's always provocative "Muslim reformist" blog Unwilling Self-Negation, recently nominated for an International Best of Blogs Award.
To our readers, don't cut these guys any slack.
Still on the road with baby in tow...On Sunday, I watched the Chinese boat swamp at the famed Head of the Charles regatta in Boston. Right beneath the Elliot Bridge it went down with the entire crew...valiantly trying to keep it going forward. Maybe our fears of a rising Chinese navy are premature? The launch boat was really slow to the rescue, and Notre Dame lost a chunk of time, but everyone got out okay.
Two noteable items from this past week:
The world public opinion poll that found seven in ten Americans favor Congressional candidates who will pursue major changes in US foreign policy, want less emphasis on use of military force to solve problems and want to work more cooperatively with the United Nations. Most favor direct talks with North Korea and Iran to boot!
And this article by Kevin Tillman--the brother of Pat Tillman (pro football player turned Army Ranger) who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004. It is a concise and raw summary of where we've been these past five years.