We have hit botÂtom in Iraq. And you know it because the debates over Iraq (whether the war was just, whether we planned it adeÂquateÂly, whether we have a meanÂingÂful exist stratÂeÂgy, etc.) have ground to a halt. The big defendÂers of the war effort have mostÂly gone silent, or they’re no longer takÂen seriÂousÂly, and what we’re left with is a deficit of ideas all around. There are those who talk about stayÂing in Iraq, but can’t articÂuÂlate a credÂiÂble stratÂeÂgy for movÂing forÂward. And those who talk about leavÂing, but can’t outÂline how we’ll leave Iraq in a moralÂly defenÂsiÂble posiÂtion. We hear a lot in the way of platÂiÂtudes, litÂtle in the way of subÂstance.
This Fresh Air interÂview (stream it here) with Thomas Ricks, author of the bestÂseller FiasÂco: The AmerÂiÂcan MilÂiÂtary AdvenÂture in Iraq, helps fill the idea void a bit. (His book, by the way, comes out in paperÂback latÂer this week.) HavÂing recentÂly returned from Iraq, Ricks talks about the real options now availÂable to the US, and what steps the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion will likeÂly take durÂing its last 18 months. Also, he disÂcussÂes how the AmerÂiÂcan milÂiÂtary has changed its m.o. in Iraq. Gone are the days when polÂiÂtics dicÂtatÂed a sunÂny outÂlook and no real plans. Now, adults are runÂning the show, and they’re getÂting a good deal more realÂisÂtic and pragÂmatÂic. But even they recÂogÂnize that this newÂfound wisÂdom is comÂing perÂhaps too late.
RelatÂed Note: George PackÂer, the main jourÂnalÂist who covÂered the war effort for The New YorkÂer, has recentÂly rolled out a blog for the magÂaÂzine. It’s called “InterÂestÂing Times” and it’s sure to help fill the idea void as well. Give it a look here.
Edward GibÂbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire – It’s a major work of the EnlightÂenÂment, a book that shaped how we modÂerns write hisÂtoÂry (and, for that matÂter, how we aspire to write in the EngÂlish lanÂguage), and it’s now availÂable as a free podÂcast thanks to LibÂrivox. Or at least VolÂume 1 is. With a runÂtime of almost 20 hours, this audioÂbook — click to access indiÂvidÂual files or the full zip file — will make it so that you’re not lookÂing for the remainÂing volÂumes any time soon. But don’t worÂry they’re evenÂtuÂalÂly comÂing.
PubÂlished first in 1776, just as the US declared its indeÂpenÂdence from EngÂland, GibÂbon’s Decline and Fall looked to offer an empirÂiÂcal explaÂnaÂtion for why Ancient Rome fell as a powÂer, and he genÂerÂalÂly pointÂed to a decline in civic virtue among its citÂiÂzenÂry (why bothÂer fightÂing the Empire’s wars when you can get merÂceÂnarÂies to do it?) and to the rise of ChrisÂtianÂiÂty (why worÂry about Rome when a betÂter life, an eterÂnal afterÂlife, awaits you?).
In part, GibÂbon’s work has endured because it speaks to quesÂtions that modÂern powÂers have on their minds. What brings Empires down, and what (implicÂitÂly) allows them to endure? These quesÂtions have a cerÂtain amount of relÂeÂvance these days in an anxÂious US. And indeed GibÂbon’s name was immeÂdiÂateÂly invoked in a recent podÂcast that asked whether AmerÂiÂca, today’s empire, is on the brink. (Click to lisÂten.) The parÂalÂlels between GibÂbon’s Rome and the conÂtemÂpoÂrary UnitÂed States have also been directÂly explored by the proÂlifÂic, young HarÂvard hisÂtoÂriÂan, Niall FerÂguÂson. You may want to check out his OctoÂber 2006 piece in VanÂiÂty Fair, Empire Falls. And dependÂing on what you think, you can give time to his two books on Empire — the first (and betÂter) one focusÂes on the British Empire, and a secÂond one devotes itself to the US.
These days, there is no shortÂage of pubÂlic thinkers launchÂing a vigÂorÂous defense of atheÂism. Most recentÂly, ChristoÂpher Hitchens has come out with God is Not Great. And, holdÂing true to form, he has used this book and relatÂed media camÂpaign as an opporÂtuÂniÂty to fight out the ugly culÂture wars once again. All of the expectÂed ingreÂdiÂents are there — the blusÂter, bad behavÂior, and genÂerÂal unwillÂingÂness to engage in a civÂiÂlized and subÂstanÂtive debate. To get a quick taste of Hitchens’ M.O., just lisÂten to this NPR-ish interÂview. The longer the interÂview goes, the more he hits his stride.
On the upside, there is always Richard Dawkins. Yes, the man has strong opinÂions and can someÂtimes sound smug. But you can’t deny this: he goes out there, takes the debate seriÂousÂly, thinks through the angles, and answers critÂics’ quesÂtions with crisp, intelÂlecÂtuÂalÂly preÂcise arguÂments. It’s all a welÂcomed reprieve from the style of debate that we’ve become accusÂtomed to in the UnitÂed States. Below, you can get a litÂtle taste of what we’re talkÂing about, or click to watch the video here.
Unless you’ve been livÂing in a bunker someÂwhere, you’ve probÂaÂbly heard about Live Earth, a 24-hour, 7‑continent conÂcert that’s been orgaÂnized to raise awareÂness about globÂal warmÂing and to inspire action on the enviÂronÂmenÂtal front. You can watch these shows live by clickÂing here. The conÂcerts in Asia are already underÂway, and the WestÂern HemiÂsphere shows will start tomorÂrow (SatÂurÂday). Thanks to Al Gore for proÂmotÂing this event and this imporÂtant largÂer cause.
For some, it came as no surÂprise that “Sicko,” Michael Moore’s latÂest film and critÂiÂcal look at AmerÂiÂca’s healthÂcare sysÂtem, got strong reviews at The Cannes Film FesÂtiÂval. What else would you expect from Europe’s lefty intelÂliÂgentsia? Then there was this litÂtle curveÂball. The right-leanÂing Fox News also called the film “brilÂliant and upliftÂing.” How likeÂly is that? The odds are next to zero. But it hapÂpened, and it says someÂthing rather extraÂorÂdiÂnary about the film. (You can watch the trailÂer for the movie on your iPod here.)
In the meanÂtime, Google has gotÂten itself into a bit of a PR debaÂcle with the release of Sicko. Last week, a Google employÂee took the posiÂtion on a Google healthÂcare blog that “Moore’s film porÂtrays the indusÂtry as monÂey and marÂketÂing driÂven, and fails to show healthcare’s interÂest in patient well-being and care.” And then she invitÂed the healthÂcare indusÂtry to use Adwords, the comÂpaÂny’s monÂey-rakÂing ad platÂform, to showÂcase for the pubÂlic all the good that they do for us. When Google got the inevitable blowÂback, the corÂpoÂrate PR folks kicked things into gear. Soon enough, we were told that the Google employÂee had been speakÂing out of turn and they released an addenÂdum on their main corÂpoÂrate blog, which says someÂthing and yet nothÂing at the same time. Where does Google realÂly stand on the issue? Who knows. They’re playÂing things preÂdictably safe, and that’s to be expectÂed when your comÂpaÂny stands to genÂerÂate bilÂlions of ad revÂenue from a mulÂti-trilÂlion dolÂlar indusÂtry. MeanÂwhile where does Fox stand on all of this (and I am talkÂing about the comÂpaÂny, rather than the indiÂvidÂual film reviewÂer citÂed above)? ProbÂaÂbly nowhere good.
Below, you can find Michael Moore talkÂing with Bill Maher (HBO) about the healthÂcare probÂlem that cuts across the politÂiÂcal divide. Give it a good look, but betÂter yet, go see the movie.
AmerÂiÂca’s 42nd presÂiÂdent spoke this weekÂend at HarÂvard’s Class Day, a traÂdiÂtionÂal event held for gradÂuÂatÂing seniors. While Class Day often feaÂtures pop icons and comeÂdiÂans — take this speech by Ali G from a few yeas ago — ClinÂton’s speech was a bit more seriÂous and ideÂalÂisÂtic, and it reminds us that there may be again a day when we can look to the White House for subÂstance and inspiÂraÂtion. This too shall pass. You can watch Part 1 of his preÂsenÂtaÂtion below. Here are links to Parts 2 and 3.
AmerÂiÂca’s 42nd presÂiÂdent spoke this weekÂend at HarÂvard’s Class Day, a traÂdiÂtionÂal event held for gradÂuÂatÂing seniors. While Class Day often feaÂtures pop icons and comeÂdiÂans — take this speech by Ali G from a few yeas ago — ClinÂton’s speech was a bit more seriÂous and ideÂalÂisÂtic, and it reminds us that there may be again a day when we can look to the White House for subÂstance and inspiÂraÂtion. This too shall pass. You can watch Part 1 of his preÂsenÂtaÂtion below. Here are links to Parts 2 and 3.
YouTube is a litÂtle more than two years old. It’s a mere todÂdler. But, it’s now owned by an overÂgrown, fulÂly-beardÂed nine year old. Yes, that would be Google, and that means that YouTube is ready to storm its way into the media mainÂstream, pamÂpers and all.
You can be sure that GooTube has already cooked up sevÂerÂal strateÂgies that will lead the video unit to media domÂiÂnaÂtion. But, even to the untrained media observÂer, it’s fairÂly clear that Google’s video unit has choÂsen the 2008 elecÂtion as an areÂna in which it intends to comÂpete with othÂer major media outÂfits for eyeÂballs.
In April, YouTube launched its politÂiÂcal chanÂnel CitÂiÂzenÂTube (get more info here) and, along with it, its first major line of video proÂgramÂming called You Choose ’08. The conÂcept here is simÂple and promisÂing: CitÂiÂzens ask quesÂtions to the ’08 canÂdiÂdates, and the canÂdiÂdates respond. The results, howÂevÂer, have been largeÂly disÂapÂpointÂing. When you strip everyÂthing away, what you get are politiÂcians speakÂing the same platÂiÂtudes that we’ve seen for decades on TV. (See a samÂple reply here.) The only difÂferÂence is that the video qualÂiÂty is worse, and they’re manÂagÂing to get their platÂiÂtudes in front of a young demoÂgraphÂic, which is no small feat. For betÂter or for worse, YouTube is to the ’08 elecÂtion what MTV (rememÂber Bill playÂing the sax?) was to the ’92 elecÂtion.
While neiÂther CitÂiÂzenÂTube nor the politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns are using the video platÂform in revÂoÂluÂtionÂary ways, the milÂlions of averÂage users who make YouTube what it is are doing a betÂter job of it.
Of parÂticÂuÂlar interÂest is the way in which videos are emergÂing on YouTube that counter images being careÂfulÂly proÂjectÂed by canÂdiÂdates and their camÂpaigns. Here are two quick examÂples.
GOP canÂdiÂdate Mitt RomÂney has been preÂdictably workÂing to cast himÂself as a social conÂserÂvÂaÂtive. Twice in recent months, he has shown up at Pat RobertÂson’s Regent UniÂverÂsiÂty to delivÂer lines like this:
“We’re shocked by the evil of the VirÂginia Tech shootÂing…” “I opened my Bible shortÂly after I heard of the tragedy. Only a
few versÂes, it seems, after the Fall, we read that Adam and Eve’s
oldÂest son killed his younger brothÂer. From the beginÂning, there has
been evil in the world.”
…“PornogÂraÂphy and vioÂlence
poiÂson our music and movies and TV and video games. The VirÂginia Tech
shootÂer, like the Columbine shootÂers before him, had drunk from this
cesspool.”
But then, howÂevÂer inconÂveÂnientÂly, videos from Mitt RomÂney’s past politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns show up on YouTube, ones which should make evanÂgelÂiÂcals think twice, and there is not much RomÂney can do about it. The past hurts, but it doesÂn’t lie:
Then there is Hillary ClinÂton. She’s got the monÂey, the parÂty machine is backÂing her, tryÂing to wrap up the nomÂiÂnaÂtion with a bow. But then a damnÂing attack ad crops up on YouTube. This pitch for Barack ObaÂma remixÂes the “1984” TV ad that famousÂly introÂduced Apple comÂputÂers to AmerÂiÂca, and it casts Hillary as a politÂiÂcal automaÂton, an image that rings true for many. (The ObaÂma camÂpaign denies havÂing anyÂthing do with the video, and its creÂator remains unknown.)
It is with videos like these that YouTube gets politÂiÂcalÂly interÂestÂing. Just as quickÂly as a politÂiÂcal camÂpaign projects an image for RomÂney or ClinÂton, your averÂage web user can scrounge up footage that calls that image into quesÂtion. A retort is always posÂsiÂble, which was nevÂer the case on TV. And the cost of delivering/countering a mesÂsage runs next to nothÂing. Again a first. YouTube equalÂizes, and it isn’t a terÂrain on which the rich can instantÂly claim vicÂtoÂry. Just ask RomÂney and his over $200 milÂlion in perÂsonÂal wealth. What good has it done him in YouTube land?
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We have hit botÂtom in Iraq. And you know it because the debates over Iraq (whether the war was just, whether we planned it adeÂquateÂly, whether we have a meanÂingÂful exist stratÂeÂgy, etc.) have ground to a halt. The big defendÂers of the war effort have mostÂly gone silent, or they’re no longer takÂen seriÂousÂly, and what we’re left with is a deficit of ideas all around. There are those who talk about stayÂing in Iraq, but can’t articÂuÂlate a credÂiÂble stratÂeÂgy for movÂing forÂward. And those who talk about leavÂing, but can’t outÂline how we’ll leave Iraq in a moralÂly defenÂsiÂble posiÂtion. We hear a lot in the way of platÂiÂtudes, litÂtle in the way of subÂstance.
