MetaFilter

Pentagon officials are pushing for action they believe could destabilize the government of Iran. Why? Intelligence reports suggesting al Qaeda operatives in Iran played a role in the May 12 suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia. Sound familiar? Time to brush up on Iran's history and change the Q to an N on your No War With Iraq signs?
comment posted at 9:38 PM on May-25-03

Robert Byrd speaks to the Senate, May 21, 2003 Regarding the situation in Iraq, it appears to this Senator that the American people may have been lured into accepting the unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation, in violation of long-standing International law, under false premises. There is ample evidence that the horrific events of September 11 have been carefully manipulated to switch public focus from Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda who masterminded the September 11th attacks, to Saddam Hussein who did not...

...We cower in the shadows while false statements proliferate. We accept soft answers and shaky explanations because to demand the truth is hard, or unpopular, or may be politically costly.

Words of wisdom from a senior US Senator.
comment posted at 12:25 PM on May-22-03
comment posted at 12:36 PM on May-22-03
comment posted at 12:51 PM on May-22-03

Women in Iraq
some worry that women are being sidelined as never before. Thikra Nadr, a novelist in her mid-forties who published a tale about a government that ruined the country through deprivation and war, said she cannot remember a time when women had less visibility or freedom. “The long period of sanctions reduced the role of women in Iraq,” she said as a generator roared across the street from her ground-floor apartment in the middle-class Mansour district. “But this period we’re living in right now has completely canceled the role of women in society.”
Isn't it time that this issue was addressed? Or was the "liberation" talk just another sound bite from the spin machine?
comment posted at 3:38 AM on May-22-03

Heavy metal music and popular American children's songs are being used by US interrogators to break the will of their captives in Iraq. Uncooperative Iraqi prisoners are being exposed for prolonged periods to tracks by rock group Metallica and music from children's TV programmes Sesame Street and Barney in the hope of making them talk, reports the commies at the BBC today.

Barney the dinosaur would break me in a nanosecond. What would *you* play to break the spirit of your boss, childhood enemy, or - beautiful image- to wipe that smug smile of Barney's crimson visage and leave him whimpering in the arms of Baby Bop?
comment posted at 6:07 PM on May-20-03

"You look like a pimp," said the principal of a Chattanooga school to a student who wore a suit to graduation. Girls in gowns were also forbidden to walk across the stage to get their diplomas. Other than wearing, say, a chicken suit or something, can one be too dressed up for graduation?
comment posted at 6:13 PM on May-19-03

Ari needs a new job. According to his announcement, he plans to "do something more relaxing — like dismantle live nuclear weapons". It's likely he'll follow in the footsteps of his predecessors Joe Lockhart (consultant) or George Stephanopoulos (TV pundit) or Mike McCurry (Chairman and CEO of a software company). I'll bet this company could use a CEO. Maybe these people need a consultant? Come on, let's find Ari some work!
comment posted at 11:36 AM on May-19-03
comment posted at 12:16 PM on May-19-03
comment posted at 6:49 PM on May-19-03

Psychology has failed. It's not often that an entire academic discipline collapses, but according to Peter Watson, author of A Terrible Beauty, that's what is happening to Psychology. "....it has failed technologically, philosophically and is already in an advanced stage of decomposition." [more inside]
comment posted at 1:13 PM on May-19-03

She works, he doesn't Last week's Newsweek had a story about women who work and their husbands don't-either laid off or for other reasons. Personally, I know of at least 10 couples where the woman has been the "alpha earner" as well as where the men have been out of work for long periods of time. They may not go out and golf the whole time and they surf the internet "looking for jobs", but the bottom line is they don't go out and get a job, any job, to pay the bills, and appear to be okay letting their wives (who aren't happy about it) earn the money. Why is this happening? It wasn't "ok" just a few years ago. Is it a passive-aggressive thing? A reaction to years of expecting to be the sole bread winner? Why do all my women friends in this situation agree that if they were laid off, they would get ANY job immediately, but their men seem to think it's okay to coast for months to years. And why the double standards? Why does being the sole earner make women angry and resentful, even though they may embrace the feminist agenda wholeheartedly?
comment posted at 6:14 PM on May-15-03

There are 8.8 million people unemployed in the United States. Unemployment is measured annually as the percent of the labor force that cannot find a job. The labor force comprises adults who want to work. Uncounted are those who do not seek employment, or who have become discouraged enough to stop looking.
comment posted at 6:25 PM on May-15-03

Help celebrate National Underappreciated Librarian Month Nominate your favorite librarian for The New York Times 2003 Librarian Awards. "The New York Times has long been committed to fostering literacy and building awareness of issues important to society. We are proud to support and honor public librarians across the nation, who do so much to nurture a better-informed society.
The awards honor those librarian[s] who consistently demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism, knowledge and public service in the execution of their duties."
Read the Eligibility and Rules download the Nomination Form and nominate Someone today!
comment posted at 7:03 PM on May-14-03
comment posted at 7:47 PM on May-14-03

Once again its Bike to Work Week (now) and Day (tomorrow). There are at least 40 reasons to ride to work. Obviously, riding a bicycle is good in many ways. This isn't just for out of shape Americans, either. Will you be out there on a bike tomorrow?
comment posted at 3:58 AM on May-15-03

Be heard! A Survey of Blogs and Bloggers.
Any opinions regarding weblogs vs. regular news coverage, or the war in Iraq?

Researchers at the U of Tennessee would like to know. Would you read something that has lots of in-depth information, even if it's not particularly fair, accurate, or believable? Even if you disagree with it? Does the stuff you run across online influence your opinions, or are you more interested in entertainment / finding something to talk about with people? Do you like the standard commercial media, or do you put more stock in instant messaging, group weblogs, and (yikes) real live humans?
comment posted at 6:04 PM on May-8-03

More on the "bullshit the American public" saga. The real saving of Pte Lynch.
comment posted at 6:12 AM on May-8-03

Ashleigh Banfield was recently "demoted." "Coincidentally," this came after her public comments about coverage of the war in Iraq. I have thought about her in the past, but never as an ideologue, and certainly not as a journalist on the level of Maria Bartiromo. It is shocking that her career might be a casualty of war. Thoughts about this fallen soldier, as a journalist, or as a hot little firecracker?
comment posted at 2:23 PM on May-6-03

Sure I'm insensitive, but you're fat. This jabeep may be on to something -- has our hot-or-not culture done away with all pretense of looking further than skin deep? fat may not be a "moral failing" anymore, but our growing national waistline doesn't seem to slow continued mockery of the non-slim...can't we be gorgeous ingenue hotties too, not just funny sidekicks? (via Bifurcated Rivets)
comment posted at 3:17 PM on May-2-03

Revolution is not an AOL keyword. "You will not be able to stay home, dear Netizen.
You will not be able to plug in, log on and opt out ..."
comment posted at 1:38 PM on Apr-27-03
comment posted at 3:26 PM on Apr-27-03
comment posted at 3:37 PM on Apr-27-03
comment posted at 4:04 PM on Apr-27-03

Dalai Llama muses: meditating monk sets "positive emotion" record : The 14th Dalai Llama, Tenzin Gyatso, muses on new research on the benefits of mindfulness meditation: "A University of Wisconsin-Madison research team has found that a small amount of "mindfulness meditation" results in positive, lasting changes in the brain and immune system." The mainstream medical community in the U.S. has now acknowledge the significant benefits of mindfulness meditatiion - "...a significant decrease in symptoms, both during and after the course."

[ Tenzin Gyatso ] "The calamity of 9/11 demonstrated that modern technology and human intelligence guided by hatred can lead to immense destruction. Such terrible acts are a violent symptom of an afflicted mental state. To respond wisely and effectively, we need to be guided by more healthy states of mind, not just to avoid feeding the flames of hatred, but to respond skillfully. We would do well to remember that the war against hatred and terror can be waged on this, the internal front, too.".....I once was host to Tenzin Gyatso's brother and several other Tibetan monks for a few weeks - and was never again quite the same. So, when Tenzin Gyatso speaks, I listen.
comment posted at 6:34 AM on Apr-26-03

Is this your fetus? Are you the one I slept with? Remember when we discussed this before? Florida has now been forced by 4 plaintiffs and the ACLU to repeal the so-called Scarlet Letter law that forces women who are pregnant and giving children up for adoption to take out an ad local papers once a week for 4 weeks, stating her name and her sexual history in the last year, to let men know if they *might* be the father. Here is the ACLU legal brief. The details about the decision are in the first link. Thank god for the ACLU.
comment posted at 4:08 AM on Apr-30-03

Robert Scheer on the so far non-existant Iraqi WMDs. If the President went to war without real evidence of a threat would this be considered an impeachable offense as Scheer suggests? What's Ken Starr been up to lately?
comment posted at 5:52 AM on Apr-25-03

Where Iraq's desaparecidos wound up. This is about Iraq, but it's not about the war. It's about a graveyard, its manager, and his "awful green book." The reporter is an Arab, which makes a difference, as you can see in the striking last sentence of this paragraph:

All of the dissidents buried at the Kirkh Islamic Cemetery were once held at Abu Ghreib prison, the country's largest and most notorious jail, from which Hussein released nearly 10,000 inmates last October. When word of their release came, the prisoners—from petty thieves to political dissidents, and all kept in horrendous conditions—overran the guards and stampeded the iron gates. Abu Ghreib is also the name given to Iraqi fathers who no longer have children.

comment posted at 6:57 AM on Apr-24-03

Walk thru of the now destroyed Iraqi Museum Even though I saw some discussion on MeFi on the Iraqi Museum, this link really brought it home. Forgetting the political BS, it's just a tragedy.
comment posted at 10:38 PM on Apr-14-03

How to police Iraq, and where to sign up. The US Army Peacekeeping Institute site is full of useful information for understanding the nuts-and-bolts of putting together a successful military occupation. Even though this is exactly the kind of material that journalists, students, and policymakers ought to be reading these days, some of it may be about to disappear. The Peacekeeping Institute website is shutting down on May 1. Will the Google cache preserve its contents for us?
comment posted at 7:12 AM on Apr-15-03

A dissappearing history. The National Museum of Iraq recorded a history of civilizations that began to flourish in the fertile plains of Mesopotamia more than 7,000 years ago. But once American troops entered Baghdad in sufficient force to topple Saddam Hussein's government this week, it took only 48 hours for the museum to be destroyed, with at least 170,000 artifacts carried away by looters.
comment posted at 7:25 AM on Apr-13-03

Let The Iraqi Looters Loot: there's pleasure and there's payback in looting! [A little more inside]
comment posted at 4:38 AM on Apr-12-03
comment posted at 5:05 AM on Apr-12-03

The General Motors EV1 electric car is soon to be a museum piece: "As California retreats from its strict pollution regulation, GM is taking the cars off the road when leases expire because it can no longer supply parts to repair them", according to this article. CARB (the California Air Resources Board) has proposed pushing back its Zero Emissions Vehicle timetable another two years [PDF link], to 2005. Is the success of the hybrid vehicle killing progress on the all-electric vehicle?
comment posted at 12:57 PM on Apr-9-03

Civil Disobedience Training (html version), The Handbook for Nonviolent Action and Civil Disobedience Training, Nonviolent Action Handbook, and Non-violence Discipline. And then there's that crackpot who wrote in the Dhammapada that "hate is not overcome by hate; by Love (Metta) alone is hate appeased. This is an eternal law." One imagines other texts on the timely topics of peace, nonviolence, and war resistance may exist -- Martin Luther King pointedly noted, "there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was seen sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because a higher moral law was involved. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks, before submitting to certain unjust laws of the Roman empire."
comment posted at 5:37 PM on Mar-18-03

How does one assure global stability in a world where there is only one strong power? John Perry Barlow (previously mentioned here) thinks Dick Cheney has the answer.
comment posted at 7:07 AM on Feb-26-03

"If the Americans think this is success, then outright failure must be pretty horrible to behold." something for US, British and world citizens to think about as we bang the drums for war on Iraq.
comment posted at 4:07 PM on Feb-24-03
comment posted at 4:10 PM on Feb-24-03
comment posted at 4:21 PM on Feb-24-03

The Bush Administration could do with a little more cooperation and a little less unilateralism Well, no duh. This article by my favorite love/hate columnist hits the nail on the head describing my anxiety about the current administration's attitude and foolishness in confronting Iraq. I think that like many, I fall into the "we need to deal with Saddam" category. Yet the article has a good subtext that I'd like to highlight: If we're in this war to increase international stability and lessen Al-Qaida's influence, why not frame the argument thus?
comment posted at 8:55 AM on Feb-21-03
comment posted at 9:07 AM on Feb-21-03

Korean Web Weekly The Korea WebWeekly is a non-partisan, non-profit news magazine dedicated to Korean issues. All news summary and editorials are contributed by volunteers. Start here: Korea Web Weekly Editor Interviewed. Other samples: How Many Nukes in North Korea's Arsenal?. Especially for Postroad!--Who Was Rhee Syngman? Korean History Online. Who is Kim Jong Il? Who Was Yo Wun Hyung? The Sacrificial Lamb of the Cold War - The Nationalists of Korea (It's not a flattering reflection of American polciy, that's for sure.) Young Sik Kim, Ph.D - the man behind Korean Web Weekly. A former spook, among other things here's his Korea Intelligence/Counter Intelligence But Wait! Click Now And We'll Add--At No Extra Cost!-- Paul Noll's Korean War Memoirs and his superb South Korean Flag, History, and Statistics. Bon Appétit!
comment posted at 8:58 AM on Feb-18-03

Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights in Iraq! Some hundred or so bloggers are sporting logos supporting democracy and human rights in Iraq, just twenty-four hours after a campaign was kicked-off by Dean's World blog publisher Dean Esmay. The campaign is supported by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, an activist umbrella group of pro-Democracy Iraqi organizations inside and outside of Iraq. It's a groundswell that will hopefully counter the anti-democratic and anti-Iraqi spirit of recent ANSWER demonstrations, and notable here because it's at this point strictly a blogworld phenomenon, but one that might actually have an effect in the real world. We'll see. Cyber-activism up until now has mainly been ineffective, and the feeling of many activists (cf. Barlow) is that it's more a distraction from real-world activism than an aid. Pro-democracy bloggers are a different breed from many traditional, trend-driven activists, and this might be the difference.
comment posted at 5:25 AM on Feb-17-03
comment posted at 8:08 AM on Feb-17-03
comment posted at 10:18 AM on Feb-17-03
comment posted at 6:10 PM on Feb-17-03

The coolest Living Frenchman I can think of is Dominique de Villepin, the Ladies' man who swept the UN off its feet, Colin Powell's latest arch-nemesis (although they used to get along) who has, by speaking against the US war effort, seriously reduced the likelihood of a war against Iraq, and may have engineered great changes in the way that global problems are resolved. But the main link is to an interview that de Villepin conducted with the Times of India several months ago. And I'm asking: don't you wish that all politicians could speak so well, that all politicians had his intelligence, his education, his sensitivity, his understanding of global concerns, and just his ability to quote from an actual book and understand what it meant? And if they did, can you imagine the sort of world we could be living in now?
comment posted at 6:44 AM on Feb-16-03

"Give me your heart / Make it real / Or else forget about it." Baghdad snapshot action. The sounds of an actual chemical attack. A Republican, Ron Paul of Texas speaks his mind on C-SPAN. (RealPlayer). Feisty members of the Greatest Generation sass a Defense Department spokeswoman at a town meeting. Apartheid leader Pik Botha takes up the cause of nuclear disarmament.
comment posted at 7:06 PM on Feb-15-03
comment posted at 1:03 PM on Feb-16-03

As Man Lay Dying, Witnesses Turned Away "D.C. police released a startling surveillance tape yesterday that shows a daylight killing at a Northeast Washington gas station and witnesses doing nothing to report the crime or tend to the victim as he lay bleeding on the concrete." Is this just a product of D.C.'s crime and chaos or signficant of a more callous nation?
comment posted at 10:50 AM on Feb-15-03