online archive
2:20PM
JUN 12 2007
Political theory, biology, science, Richard Rorty and academia
From Democratiya, Claude Lefort on the concept of totalitarianism (and a response by Robert Fine); The Eichmann Polemics: Michael Ezra on Hannah Arendt and Her Critics; Keeping the Republic: Dick Howard on reading Arendt’s On Revolution after the Fall of the Wall; a review of What is Genocide? by Martin Shaw; Norman Geras on the limits of international law; a review of Emergent Conflict and Peaceful Change by Hugh Miall; and a review of Retribution and Reparation in the Transition to Democracy.
From Entelechy, Simon Baron-Cohen on The Biology of the Imagination; memory works in strange ways, scientists are still unsure how it is stored, and even more baffled by the fact that it seems to change over time; Not Just-So Stories: Reflections on an EP conference through an EP lens; and did you know that your academic productivity can be attributed to your subconscious desire to avoid thinking about your own possibly imminent death? The Clone Wars: A review of The Case Against Perfection by Michael Sandel.
When sources of "normal" news head out, science journalists get more ink, and there are four things readers should look out for. An interview with Benjamin Radford, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer, on myths and monsters. A majority of Republicans have doubts about evolution, and more Americans believe in the creationism theory, according to a new Gallup poll.
From Sign and Sight, philosopher, poet and friend: Jürgen Habermas writes an obiturary for American philosopher Richard Rorty. From Kritika & Kontext, democracy and philosophy: Richard Rorty outlines the anti-foundationalist premise of his philosophy. Richard Rorty combined scepticism about the truth with a passion for social justice, while being ironically upbeat in dark times. Damon Linker on Rorty's blasé liberalism.
Searching for life’s meaning: Despite what sceptics say, philosophy can help us answer the big questions that always tease mankind. When academic Stephanie Trigg discovered she had breast cancer, she started a blog that became a meditative lifeline between her personal and professional lives. Dual careers worry academia: Scholarly couples are lured away. The Perpetuation of Privilege: When enormously wealthy individuals give millions to enormously wealthy universities, it’s time to stop calling it philanthropy. In Praise of Immigrant Students: The educational odysseys of foreign-born college graduates disprove the lies spread by anti-immigrant politicians. Three times perfect: They grew up dressing alike, but at Dartmouth these triplets forged their own successful paths; now they've made history. When College Ends, So Does Activism: Why selling out is a depressingly rational choice for many graduates.
2:20PM
JUN 12 2007
Global warming, religion, liberalism and conservatism
From The Observer Magazine, a special issue on Eco-ethics. An interview with George Monbiot on Heat. Dr. Des Voeux and the invention of smog: A rumination on the origins of a surprisingly longstanding urban affliction. There is a tremendous irony in public lands ranching: An interview with George Wuerthner on dispelling the Cowboy Myth. Communal Cars: If we’re serious about going green, Americans will have to learn to share. Coal Futures: Will this energy standby truly last for centuries—or just decades? The price of virtue: How to get people recycling more—even if they do not particularly want to. Porno for Progressives: An interview with alt-rock activist Perry Farrell on being green.
From Discover, sci-fi author predicts the future: David Brin knew all about the Web, global warming, and more. This is how the world ends: A review of Under a Green Sky: Global Warming, the Mass Extinctions of the Past, and What They Can Tell Us about Our Future by Peter D. Ward. From Cracked, an article on surviving the End of the World and what we've learned from movies. With this template, you won’t even have to pack a slicker the next time you’re sent to cover a natural disaster.
From Asia Times, the faith that dare not speak its name: While cloaking themselves in revealed religion, "presentable" Islamists such as academic Tariq Ramadan are in fact neo-pagans. The End of the Jewish People: Judaism must prepare itself for a world after peoplehood. The publication of just six anti-religious books has managed to provoke outrage from the devout - - this reveals a profound insecurity. From Chronicles, an article on Americanism, Then and Now: Our pet heresy.
From Democracy, thanks to Bush, doubt is back in American politics. But which form of doubt is right for progressives, and good for America? William Galston investigates; and a review of Freedom's Power: The True Force of Liberalism by Paul Starr. Jonathan Alter on the best ideas for fixing America: Listen to Gore and Bradley. The Party of Economic Seriousness: Democrats may be supplanting Republicans as the grown-ups on globalization. Why did the self-confident predictions of the Marxists and equally self-certain predictions of the 1980s-90s globalizers fail so miserably?
Kathryn Jean Lopez on the Right’s love-hate relationship with George W. Bush. Why all the hostility toward Hispanics on National Review? Conservative Linda Chavez wants to know. Divide & Rule: James Pinkerton on the Republican insiders’ guide to ethnic manipulation. The GOP's Fading Populism: Losing its political grip on terrorism, the GOP badly needs a cause that can mobilize its base.
2:20PM
JUN 12 2007
Asia, terrorism, the Middle East and Islam
From Dissent, From Marx to Confucius: Changing discourses on China’s political future. An interview with John Pomfret, author of Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China. From Asia Sentinel, a series of articles on How Hong Kong Really Works. Tough and timeless: Mongolia’s physical isolation has kept its strong traditions and vibrant culture alive. There's not a lot to do when you're a closely watched visitor in North Korea except hit the karaoke at day's end. An interview with Charles L. Pritchard, author of Failed Diplomacy: The Tragic Story of How North Korea Got the Bomb.
From the US Department of State's eJournal, a special issue on Countering the Terrorist Mentality, including Walter Laqueur (CSIS): Terrorism: A Brief History; Bruce Hoffman (Georgetown): A Form of Psychological Warfare; Gabriel Weimann ( American): Mass-Media Theater; Jerrold Post (GWU): Collective Identity: Hatred Bred in the Bone; John Horgan (St. Andrews): From Profiles to Pathways: The Road to Recruitment; Mia Bloom (Georgia): Women as Victims and Victimizers; Mohammed Hafez (Missouri): A Case Study: The Mythology of Martyrdom in Iraq; an interview on terrorism and children; an essay on New Paradigms for 21st Century Conflict; and a look at Terrorism in 2006. The Bomb Under the Abaya: Judith Miller on women who become suicide bombers.
From Government Executive, a review of Richard Posner's Countering Terrorism: Blurred Focus, Halting Steps. An interview with Tom Farer, author of Confronting Global Terrorism: The Elements of a Liberal Grand Strategy. Entrapping Inflated Threats: Was the terrorist plot to blow up JFK Airport a threat or a joke? The vicious circle: Exaggerating the threat posed by terrorism leads to a more fearful society - - and may embolden extremists to carry out deadly attacks. Smokey and the Bandit: To borrow a buzz phrase from earlier this decade, if the President stops dancing the malaria dance, the terrorists will win.
From Democracy, A Thin Blue Line in the Sand: Iraqization is a dead-end strategy. But there is still some hope of saving the country, and it lies in an unlikely place: local Sunni militia and police; and now is no time to give up on supporting democracy in the Middle East. But to do so, the United States must embrace Islamist moderates.
From The Economist, how to be Islamic in business: Ensuring that financiers comply with sharia is becoming big business. In Saudi Arabia, a view from behind the veil: As a woman in the male-dominated kingdom, Times reporter Megan Stack quietly fumed beneath her abaya. Even beyond its borders, her experience taints her perception of the sexes. The Arab defeat: The Arab world is in a protracted and deepening decline that is less to do with the regimes that govern it than with its society and culture, says Hazem Saghieh.
2:20PM
JUN 12 2007
Europe and literature, writing, magazines and art
A review of In Europe: travels through the twentieth century. A review of The Berlin Wall: A World Divided, 1961-1989 by Frederick Taylor. Vaclav Havel writes three roles for himself: A review of To the Castle and Back. As Rutka Laskier awaited the final horrors of the Holocaust in the Bedzin ghetto of Poland in 1943, she committed her arresting thoughts to a diary. In his final book before he died earlier this year, Ryszard Kapuscinski hails his inspiration and travelling companion Herodotus as a "vivacious, fascinated, unflagging nomad". There is no more fitting description for Poland's celebrated foreign correspondent himself, says Margaret Atwood; and more on Travels With Herodotus. Blind exorcism in Poland: Ryszard Kapuscinski, the prize-crowned reporter who died this year, is the latest of a string of Polish intellectuals to have their secret police past uncovered.
From The Quarterly Conversation, two essays on Roberto Bolaño; and talking with translators: Interviews with CM Mayo, Chris Andrews, and Natasha Wimmer. To whom it may concern: Authors agonise over their dedication as it is the most revealing page in the whole book. How to Feed the Monster: One of the most important literary dilemmas facing writers today is the writer's relationship to the truth, whether she believes in it and how she chooses to handle it. Character studies: When writers are describing a face, discretion is generally the best rule, but with artists it is all in the detail. Lynne Truss reflects on the difference between capturing real and imaginary people. Gazing into the Abyss: The sudden appearance of love and the galvanizing prospect of death lead a young poet to a “hope toward God” Site of the living dead: There is life after death and it's called MySpace.
From The New York Review of Magazines, The Nursery of Genius A brief survey of ten magazines of influence; Going Green: How the business magazine climate is changing; independent publishing is Dead. Long live independent publishing: Six months after their distributor collapsed, small magazines are still picking up the pieces; and I Love the 90s: An article on life after zines.
Stand Still and Rot: A review of The Eclipse of Art: Tackling the Crisis in Art Today by Julian Spalding. Gods on display: An exciting exhibition in Berlin awakes a plea for the return of stolen treasures of Khmer art. On Lexus, Hairapy, and the Scherzo from Beethoven's Ninth: (with a nod to Kubrick): By making Beethoven's Ninth an image of our humanity, we have conditioned ourselves to filter out all of those elements in the music that make it a worthwhile (if troubling) listening experience. Monumental Vibrations: A blind man listens to the world’s longest song.
