THE FLASHLIGHT, May 12-18, 2007
THE FLASHLIGHT, May 12-18, 2007
War against Terror
NY Times. David Brooks. 5-18. A new book by John Robb, Brave New World, reports that guerrillas around the globe are decentralized, but share information and learn from each other. Their aim is disrupt large political systems at little cost to themselves. The top-heavy bureaucratic nation state is relatively inefficient in its learning system.
U.S. Political News
NY Times 5-13. In an op-ed piece Frank Rich says that Republicans have little to sell. He shows how one federal department after another is dysfunctional because Bush, on the advice of Karl Rove, has appointment loyalists to run them, regardless of competence or ethics. Four inspectors general, who are responsible for overseeing administrative departments, are themselves under investigation, an all time record. The Republican Congressional leaders overspent on pork barrel legislation to buy the votes of Congressmen. In addition, no-bid contractors have sabotaged reconstruction in Iraq. Science has been politicized in government operations, especially in the Federal Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
An Independent Party?
CBS 5-13. Senator and Viet Nam veteran Chuck Hagel (R.) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City have discussed running on an Independent party ticket to attract threatened Republicans who no longer support Pres. Bush. [This may be intended only to pressure the Adminstration to withdraw from Iraq.]
Immigration Bill
CNN 5-17. A bipartisan proposal to settle the immigration problem has been drawn up by Ted Kennedy, John McCain et al. and has the support of the President. It would allow illegal immigrants to win citizenship by paying a fine of $5,000, learning English, staying on the right side of US law, et al. The Border Patrol would be expanded by 18,000.
Wolfowitz and Gonzales
CNN 5-17. Paul Wolfowitz has resigned as President of the World Bank as of June 30. The vote of the Board of the Bank made this inevitable.
NYTimes 5-18. All the leading members of the Senate Judicial Committee support a no-confidence vote in Attorney General Gonzales. It will be held next week. The case of the fired federal attorneys general has grown increasingly smelly.
Al Gore
Gore appeared on the cover of TIME the past week. People continue to talk about him running for President. His new book, Assault on Reason, will be published soon. Amazon offers a discount on a pre-publication order.
War against Terror
NY Times. David Brooks. 5-18. A new book by John Robb, Brave New World, reports that guerrillas around the globe are decentralized, but share information and learn from each other. Their aim is disrupt large political systems at little cost to themselves. The top-heavy bureaucratic nation state is relatively inefficient in its learning system.
U.S. Political News
NY Times 5-13. In an op-ed piece Frank Rich says that Republicans have little to sell. He shows how one federal department after another is dysfunctional because Bush, on the advice of Karl Rove, has appointment loyalists to run them, regardless of competence or ethics. Four inspectors general, who are responsible for overseeing administrative departments, are themselves under investigation, an all time record. The Republican Congressional leaders overspent on pork barrel legislation to buy the votes of Congressmen. In addition, no-bid contractors have sabotaged reconstruction in Iraq. Science has been politicized in government operations, especially in the Federal Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
An Independent Party?
CBS 5-13. Senator and Viet Nam veteran Chuck Hagel (R.) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City have discussed running on an Independent party ticket to attract threatened Republicans who no longer support Pres. Bush. [This may be intended only to pressure the Adminstration to withdraw from Iraq.]
Immigration Bill
CNN 5-17. A bipartisan proposal to settle the immigration problem has been drawn up by Ted Kennedy, John McCain et al. and has the support of the President. It would allow illegal immigrants to win citizenship by paying a fine of $5,000, learning English, staying on the right side of US law, et al. The Border Patrol would be expanded by 18,000.
Wolfowitz and Gonzales
CNN 5-17. Paul Wolfowitz has resigned as President of the World Bank as of June 30. The vote of the Board of the Bank made this inevitable.
NYTimes 5-18. All the leading members of the Senate Judicial Committee support a no-confidence vote in Attorney General Gonzales. It will be held next week. The case of the fired federal attorneys general has grown increasingly smelly.
Al Gore
Gore appeared on the cover of TIME the past week. People continue to talk about him running for President. His new book, Assault on Reason, will be published soon. Amazon offers a discount on a pre-publication order.
posted by THE FLASHLIGHT at 12:43 PM
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