online archive

Global warming, Russia, the Middle East and American politics

From The Progressive, Scandinavia gets serious on Global Warming. Today, an Indian child consumes one ninetieth of the energy of her American counterpart. Such comparisons discredit the consensus that it is simply the mass activity of "man" which is responsible for global warming. Russia Claims the North Pole: Putin looks to deliver on his promise of an "energy empire" by claiming vast swaths of hydrocarbon-rich polar territory. The Tyrant's Turn: Russian President Vladimir Putin was supposed to be a pro-American reformer. So what went wrong? You thought the mullet would never come back. That it had passed into the dustbin of hairdo history, forever. The Mullet. It's back, it's everywhere in Russia, and it's bigger than ever, and more than anything, these mullets are 100% irony-free.

From The American Conservative, the Bosnian Connection: Brendan O'Neill on the civil war that inspired both liberal hawks and Islamist jihadis. Why did the Cairene cross the road? To help Americans understand how democracy works in the Middle East. The World’s Stupidest Fatwas: No central authority controls doctrine in Islam, one of the world’s great religions. The result? A proliferation of bizarre religious edicts against targets ranging from Salman Rushdie to polio vaccinations. More Troops for What? Hoping to sound tough on terror, US politicians and pundits of all political stripes are calling for a massive expansion of the U.S. military. But adding more troops has nothing to do with fighting terrorism, and would merely serve the same failed strategy that gave us Iraq Exit Strategies: Would Iran take over Iraq? Would Al-Qaeda? The debate about how and when to leave centers on what might happen after the US goes.

From Government Executive, what's the Big Idea? Coming up with a moon-shot goal can be tricky, but fear of failure is no reason not to try; and Rules are Cool: Sometimes it's better to embrace red tape, not cut it. A career executive in the federal government, earning the maximum salary allowed by law, draws an hourly wage of $80.50. That's not shabby, but it underscores the old saying that people do not go into public service expecting to get rich. E. J. Dionne Jr. on how reformers need to be more creative when it comes to the supply side of the political money equation. Shankar Vedantam on how campaign contributions change priorities, not beliefs.

From TNR, Fred Thompson has become a front-runner for the Republican nomination, thanks largely to his unusual brand of masculinity. But is he really man enough for the job? A review of A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Carl Bernstein and Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr. Alan Dershowitz on how the Democrats can lose the presidential election.