Milton Friedman, the grandmaster of conservative economic theory in the postwar era and a prime force in the movement of nations toward lesser government and greater reliance on free markets and individual responsibility, died today. He was 94 years old.

Milton Friedman, a Leading Economist, Dies at 94 - New York Times

Watching “Eyes on the Prize” again was like reminiscing with an old friend or relative about the bad old days that, in some important respects, were also the good old days.

Already the story so brilliantly told by this masterpiece of documentary filmmaking, the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and ’60s, is fading, like the images on old film stock, from our collective consciousness.

It’s fantastic to have a memorial to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall in Washington. But “Eyes on the Prize” is the most powerful reminder we have of how broad the struggle was, how many people of great courage — from small children to very old men and women — signed on to it, how many of them suffered and sometimes died, and what all of us owe to all of them.
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“Eyes” first ran in 1987 and is being shown again this fall on PBS. Understated, mostly in black and white, it has lost none of its startling emotional impact. There were moments, as I watched the episodes unfold, when I wanted to jump through the television and throttle somebody.
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“Eyes on the Prize” is a demonstration that even the greatest challenges can be overcome. It’s a national treasure, important for all the reasons that history is important.

A Story of Struggle and Hope - New York Times

Iran is ready to share its missile systems with friends and neighbors, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards said, after he showed off missiles including some he said had cluster warheads.

Guards commander-in-chief Yahya Rahim Safavi also told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam TV late on Sunday the Guards had thousands of troops trained for suicide missions in case Iran was threatened although he said any U.S. attack was unlikely.

"We are able to give our missile systems to friendly and neighboring countries," Safavi told Al-Alam. A text of his comments in Farsi were obtained by Reuters on Monday.

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, was quoted by Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency on Sunday as saying the Islamic Republic was ready to supply air defense systems -- without giving specifics -- to the Lebanese military.

"Tehran also considers this as its duty to help friendly countries which are exposed to invasion of the Zionist regime (Israel)," Sheibani was quoted saying, in response to what he said was a request by Lebanon's army commander, General Michel Suleiman, for help from friendly states.

Military experts said the exercises were to show off Iranian technology, although they say many systems are based on modified versions of equipment from other countries, such as North Korea.

Reuters | Iran ready to share missile systems with others

Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear its brunt.

This is not about the midterm elections. Regardless of which party wins Nov. 7, the time has come, Mr. President, to face the hard bruising truth:

Donald Rumsfeld must go.

not a surprising sentiment but an interesting platform for this view

Army Times - Editorial

As activists organised by the group Stop Climate Chaos gather in London to demand action, one of Britain's top climate scientists says the language of chaos and catastrophe has got out of hand.
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I have found myself increasingly chastised by climate change campaigners when my public statements and lectures on climate change have not satisfied their thirst for environmental drama and exaggerated rhetoric.
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The IPCC scenarios of future climate change - warming somewhere between 1.4 and 5.8 Celsius by 2100 - are significant enough without invoking catastrophe and chaos as unguided weapons with which forlornly to threaten society into behavioural change.

I believe climate change is real, must be faced and action taken. But the discourse of catastrophe is in danger of tipping society onto a negative, depressive and reactionary trajectory.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Chaotic world of climate truth

An interesting way of watching to focus of history change.

US Presidential Speeches Tag Cloud - Chirag Mehta : chir.ag

The bullet passed through Lance Corporal Juan Valdez- Castillo as his patrol moved down a muddy urban lane. It was a single shot. The marine fell against a wall, tried to stand and fell again. His squad leader, Sergeant Jesse Leach, faced where the shot had come from, raised his rifle and grenade launcher and quickly stepped between the sniper and the bloodied marine. He walked backward, scanning, ready to fire.
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In recent months, military officers and enlisted marines say, the insurgents have been using snipers more frequently and with greater effect, disrupting the military's operations and fueling a climate of frustration and quiet rage.

Throughout Iraq, the threat has become serious enough that in late October the military held an internal conference about it, sharing the experiences of combat troops and discussing tactics to counter it. There has been no ready fix.

Waiting for the ghost's next move - Americas - International Herald Tribune

Can gardening help reform habitual drug abusers? Celebrity gardener Monty Don has taken a group of ex-offenders under his wing, and two years into this pioneering project, is starting to see rewards.
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The effort so far has been "hard, grim and battling" says Don. Their low came when one of the group, Martin, died.

"When somebody you know, 23, is found dead with a needle in their groin in the lavatory, that is a horrible disaster, a tragedy so it's shocking."
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High points came with an open day where families, friends and even police and magistrates, were invited on site "to eat our sausages from the pigs we raised and salads we had grown".

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Digging out of drug abuse

Decius wrote:

adam wrote:
I, although I'm English, believe in a decent America, a moderate America that speaks at the ballot box but is generally quiet and modest.

Thanks Adam... Its been noted somewhere that our political parties have become dominated by the fringes.

First, you've got to be a hot shirt to want to get involved in the first place. Most nonlawyers are too focused on their lives to become really involved in politics.

Second, you're not welcome if you're not partisan. You have to work for one team or the other. Its a party system, and people who aren't playing don't go far. (For example, I think given the age of this blog, if it was clearly partisan one way or the other it would be a lot more popular than it is, because partisans who have the attention of a lot of people would promote it because it serves their interests. It doesn't serve interests, and so it isn't useful. Same thing with people in the political system. If you want to get ahead you have to pick a side.)

Third, the candidates are largely chosen by the powerful members of the parties. They hold primaries, but you have to get into the primary, and the primary doesn't have all of the power, in particular with regard to the Presidential election.

There is a hell of a lot of money in the system, and its really directed by two small groups of people. Its even questionable whether access to one of those groups is a meritocracy, as our Congressional positions have become increasingly hereditary. The sons have instant access to the circles that control access to the primaries.

The sources of dialog are mostly controlled by this money. There are a few outliers like MSNBC who clearly serve other interests. But most of the big outlets are either left or right.

I hope you're right, that there is this great, silent, moderate America, but it has no voice, and its hard to beleive that its real when you never hear from it...

I disagree the world has heard from it in art and felt their acts. I would add to my list (ie the farmers in Steinbeck etc) by including Band of Brothers. A country that produces Major Winters and the men of Easy company has clear hidden depths like a sunlit lake. Keep your eyes on the prize brother.

RE: Media Matters - Media uncritically reported Bush's false claim

Decius wrote:

BUSH: The Democrats just follow a simple philosophy.

Just say no.

When it comes to listening to the terrorists, what's the Democrats' answer?

It's just say no.

When it comes to detaining terrorists, what is the Democrats' answer?

Just say no.

When it comes to questioning terrorists, what's the Democrats' answer?

AUDIENCE: Just say no.

BUSH: When it comes to trying the terrorists, what's the Democrats' answer?

AUDIENCE: Just say no.

BUSH: So when the Democrats ask your for vote, what's your answer?

AUDIENCE: No!

Mr. Bush's own lawyers argued "just say no" on the matter of trying terrorists, preferring instead hold them forever without trial:

There is no obligation under the laws and customs of war for the military to charge captured combatants with any offense and, indeed, the vast majority of combatants seized during war are detained as a simple war measure without charges. Similarly, there is no general right to counsel under the laws and customs of war
for those who are detained as enemy combatants.

John Kerry has been getting tarred and featherd for 24 hours because of a misinterpretation of something he said. He didn't mean it, but half the country is mad as hell about it anyway.

As someone who cares about the system of checks and balances, civil liberties, and the rule of law, I agree with Democrats who've argued that the President should follow FISA. I don't think the President should be able to apprehend someone in an airport in Chicago and call it a "battlefield detention." I don't think the President should be able to detain people, citizens in particular, indefinately, without charges. I think these things strike at the very heart of the fundamental underpinnings of our system of government and I am mad as hell about it.

Am I misinterpreting the above remarks when I conclude that the President thinks I'm opposed to combating terrorism because of my concerns? No. I'm not. He means it.

Why is it OK to tar and feather one man for something he didn't say, but no one would raise a finger to question another man for something he did say. THIS is offensive! Why isn't anyone, anywhere, expressing any anger about this?

because in many ways you have a silent majority and I don't mean that in convensional terms there is some sort of built in GOP majority or moral majority, with all the built in assumptions about social morality that implies. I, although I'm English, believe in a decent America, a moderate America that speaks at the ballot box but is generally quiet and modest. The farmers of John Steinbeck. The sheep hands in Bareback Mountain. The world of Garrison Keillor. Small town America in It's a Wonderful Life. Twelve Angry Men. People, if I may be so bold, like you Mr Cross.
The Democrats may not take the Senate and lessons in humility are hard to learn but I think Nemesis has noted the hubris of certain politicians and I think maybe planning to pay a visit.

RE: Media Matters - Media uncritically reported Bush's false claim