Today's News and Views
Dotty Lynch: What Would Lee Atwater Do?
Self-Loathing Dept: Zell Miller loathes policies of majority of our nation's modern Democrats-hopes they lose
Niagara Falls Reporter: When ignorance becomes mendacity: George W. Bush's "war on terror"
GovExec.com: Groups call for the resignation of Sept. 11 commission director Philip Zelikow
Independent UK: September 11: the shocking evidence of secret deals, missed chances and fatal misjudgements
Robert Scheer: President Bush failed country in its hour of greatest need
Ellen Beck/UPI: Medicare solvency ticking away
Intervention Magazine: 9/11 Commission- why is Condoleezza Rice refusing? What is she hiding?
SF Gate: Hamas leader: Militants not targeting America
Guardian UK: Rising oil prices and a weak dollar could shatter the global economy
Fred Kaplan: Dick Clarke Is Telling the Truth- Why he's right about Bush's negligence on terrorism.
Entertainment news at Yahoo: Fred Rogers Being Honored for Music Work
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My daily weblog of politics, humor, philosophy...and a constant and nagging reminder of the existence of universal love....
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
David Kay at Harvard University:
"The cost of our mistakes with regard to the explanation of why we went to war in Iraq are far greater than Iraq itself. We are in grave danger of having destroyed our credibility internationally and domestically with regard to warning about future events. The answer is to admit you were wrong, and what I find most disturbing around Washington is the belief you can never admit you're wrong."
--David Kay 3-22-04 speech at Harvard University's
John F. Kennedy School of Government
"The cost of our mistakes with regard to the explanation of why we went to war in Iraq are far greater than Iraq itself. We are in grave danger of having destroyed our credibility internationally and domestically with regard to warning about future events. The answer is to admit you were wrong, and what I find most disturbing around Washington is the belief you can never admit you're wrong."
--David Kay 3-22-04 speech at Harvard University's
John F. Kennedy School of Government
M. A. Muqtedar Khan: France's radical secular fundamentalism will not enhance civil peace
I have written previously about the issue of the French banning Muslim head scarves and how it did not "sit right" with me when I think of government facilitating the truest of freedoms on behalf of its citizenry.
From the Iddybud archive February 11, 2004:
Opinion: "French Assembly Votes to Ban Religious Symbols in Schools"
What do you think about this assembly vote? I am not at all comfortable with it. When a government attempts to wipe away all outward signs of the spirit, it would seem to be only for the promotion of a non-spiritual, 'religion-void' society. Is this not what the most infamous authoritarians of the past have attempted to do?
The radical secular fundamentalism of France will, in my opinion, enhance rather than diminish the prospects of a clash of civilizations. Secular, Westernized Muslims have little influence in the Muslim world. Islam has become the dominant idiom of the Muslim world and the West must find a way to cooperate and coexist with moderate/liberal Islamists who believe in democracy, tolerance and pluralism, but within the Islamic rubric. French-style secularism is neither welcome in the Muslim world, nor in the US, nor by a majority of French Muslims who now constitute about one-fifth of the French population.Kahn is a visiting fellow at Brookings Institution and director of international studies at Adrian College in Michigan.
I have written previously about the issue of the French banning Muslim head scarves and how it did not "sit right" with me when I think of government facilitating the truest of freedoms on behalf of its citizenry.
From the Iddybud archive February 11, 2004:
Opinion: "French Assembly Votes to Ban Religious Symbols in Schools"
What do you think about this assembly vote? I am not at all comfortable with it. When a government attempts to wipe away all outward signs of the spirit, it would seem to be only for the promotion of a non-spiritual, 'religion-void' society. Is this not what the most infamous authoritarians of the past have attempted to do?
Spain 10 days after the elections-
11 days after the bombings
Gustavo de ArÃstegui: "The terrorists had more than one reason to strike against Spain..it's folly to think they struck us simply for Iraq."
Jose Maria Aznar: "My government has told the truth. I can put up with political criticism, but I will never accept being accused of lying or manipulation. These are accusations that are intolerable, and which soil the memory of the victims. Some forget that it is this memory, and nothing else, that should be guiding our actions today.."
Ivo H. Daalder: The Warning in Spain's Election-Governments that ignore the wishes of their own people—and that over time fail to convert them to their cause—will likely suffer the consequences at the polls. The same goes for governments that manipulate information or mislead their voters. It is a lesson all democratic governments, interested in reelection, would do well to heed.
11 days after the bombings
Gustavo de ArÃstegui: "The terrorists had more than one reason to strike against Spain..it's folly to think they struck us simply for Iraq."
Jose Maria Aznar: "My government has told the truth. I can put up with political criticism, but I will never accept being accused of lying or manipulation. These are accusations that are intolerable, and which soil the memory of the victims. Some forget that it is this memory, and nothing else, that should be guiding our actions today.."
Ivo H. Daalder: The Warning in Spain's Election-Governments that ignore the wishes of their own people—and that over time fail to convert them to their cause—will likely suffer the consequences at the polls. The same goes for governments that manipulate information or mislead their voters. It is a lesson all democratic governments, interested in reelection, would do well to heed.
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