Economist Watch

The Economists' coverage of the Six Day War in 1967...

Their current issue's story about Israel and the Palestinians bugs me because it mentions the wall, but not the reason it was built - yes, it divides the poor Palestinian people, but it has also virtually eliminated what were weekly suicide bombings. If those bombings had not taken place, there would be no wall.

From their survey of the city in last issue:

One feature common to most of the spilling-out-all-over cities of the developing world is a huge difference in wealth between the slum-dwellers at the bottom and the rich at the top. In virtually every misgoverned city, which is probably most of them, the politicians in power are among the rich. Any well-governed city is likely to have an honest administration.

What's the implication there? That rich people are not honest and will not run a good city?!? Yes, the Economist has been drifting Bolshie for a while, but seriously. Guess what? Two paragraphs down they are praising Richard Daley of Chicago...you don't think he's rich? You don't think he's part of the elite?

Then they have some livability index of major cities, which scores Hong Kong at 41 and Los Angeles at 47. Maybe I am prejudiced, but I find Hong Kong to be a polluted rat's nest. (With excellent subways, though.)

I don't know what to say

Good on' ya, Dennis

Warlords of Afghanistan

I found this wacky website where you can buy coasters featuring Afghani warlords.

Actually, its a very good website.

I'd like a set of the coasters, so if anyone wants to buy 'em for me, let me know.

Captured Americans

Mohamad al-Janabi, a reputed al-Qaeda member in the nearby city of Salman Pak, said in a telephone interview that he was unable to contact his comrades in Mahmudiyah to determine whether they were responsible for the attack.

But he added: "I can assure you that we will start pressuring Bush in a new way at the same time he is facing pressures from the Democrats and the American people. And there will be no problem to sacrifice 10 soldiers in order to abduct a single American soldier and get him on television screens begging for us to release him."

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism, but it must suck when that dissent is perceived to be a useful tool for our enemies.

Presidential Campaign Poltical Gaffes

So far this week or so it's been:

Obama said 10,000 people died in Kansas when it was only 12. (He was tired.)
Romney said that there is a type of 7 year marriage contract in France. (actually that's in an Orson Scott Card novel.)
Obama said that cars in China and Japan typically get 45 m.p.h. to the gallon. (Uhhh, no.)
Romney said his favorite book is Battlefield Earth (Mormons + Scientologists = Win?)

Okay, maybe Romney wasn't making a gaffe there, and it really is his favorite book. I have read it, and it wasn't that bad. Actually, I liked it. I guess he couldn't take the safe route and say "the Bible" because he's a Mormon, but he could have prepared a better answer than that.

Oh, and a couple weeks agao Guiliani didn't get the price of milk / bread right - yeah, yeah, I know - if you don't know the retail prices for commodities off the top of your head, you really are not ready to be President.

I am looking forward to this campaign cycle.

UPDATE:

Sen. Sam Brownback...

drew boos and groans Friday at the Wisconsin Republican Party convention when he used a football analogy to talk about the need to focus on families.

"This is fundamental blocking and tackling," he said. "This is your line in football. If you don't have a line, how many passes can Peyton Manning complete? Greatest quarterback, maybe, in NFL history."

Oops, wrong team to mention in Wisconsin, once described by Gov. Tommy Thompson as the place "where eagles soar, Harleys roar and Packers score."

Realizing what he had said, the Kansas Republican slumped at the podium and put his head in his hands.

"That's really bad," he said. "That will go down in history. I apologize."

His apology brought a smattering of applause and laughter. He tried to recover, saying former Packer Bart Starr may be the greatest of all time, but the crowd was still restless.

"Let's take Favre then," Brownback said. "The Packers are great. I'm sorry. How many passes does he complete without a line?"

"All of them!" more than one person yelled from the back.

"I'm not sure how I recover from this," Brownback said. "My point is we've got to rebuild the family. I'll get off this."

Maybe he can claim he was "tired." More likely is that he thought he was in Indiana. As dumb as that may sound, I once saw Jerry Brown make a similar mistake - he thought he was at San Diego State, but he was at UCSD. That said, I hope this gaffe sinks Brownback.