As you may have already read, Miley Cyrus is totally embarrassed by the semi-topless (back view) photos printed of her in this month’s Vanity Fair. In a statement put out by her publicist, Ms. Cyrus, age 15, said, "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing Read More
While international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations may still seem remote to most Americans, those institutions symbolize the increasing integration of a planet that deeply needs capable, trusted and farsighted guidance. Not so long ago, the United States was known as the “indispensable nation,” the one Read More
The LA Times honorably tries to get Paul Wolfowitz, former deputy DefSec, to cop to his grievous errors about Iraq. In an email, Wolfowitz offers the Times his usual garbage-excuse on why he can’t talk about it:
I would like nothing better than to be able to get involved in this debate [over Iraq]. Read MoreA few weeks before the invasion of Iraq, Melissa Block of National Public Radio interviewed Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz about what war would mean for Iraq. It’s a good interview, worth reviewing. Wolfowitz is of course now at the World Bank. Here’s a taster’s selection of quotes:
Block: At the United Nations Read MorePBS’s “Frontline” aired a documentary last night called The Dark Side about the manipulation of intelligence by the vice president’s office in the runup to the Iraq war. This is now an old story, but it was well-told. Frontline assembled a number of former intelligence analysts to show how the CIA’s usual standards of Read More
When Richard Reeves set out to explain Ronald Reagan’s Presidency, he ran the risk—no, the certainty—of being accused by Reagan acolytes and book critics alike of “not getting it.” In the eyes of the faithful, the late President is such an inscrutable character that no biographer or observer, however skilled, will ever be credited with Read More
In what may be a high-water mark in complacent American self-praise, David Ignatius in The Washington Post recently told the world: “The reality is that this may be the most idealistic war fought in modern times.” The solipsism, the immodesty of the statement is irritating in and of itself-but, on top of that, it’s so Read More
Avarice and conspiracy invariably smell most foul when they seep into scenes of sacrifice and hope. The stench that made its way into Iraq this week, pulled in amid the powerful currents of triumph and selflessness, was unmistakable in its rankness. What should now be a moment of deep satisfaction-mitigated but not negated by terrible Read More
The physical wounds have mostly healed; the psychic wounds are going to take a little longer. I’m talking about my recent annual ski trip out West with a few friends from college. Don’t get me wrong: I had a good time. I’m one of those wimps who prefers bright sunshine to fresh powder, and there Read More
The authoritarian impulse of the White House Republicans is showing. In their ongoing campaign to discourage dissent and squelch investigation, they’ve employed not only distraction but also, increasingly, the manipulation of public fear. The crescendo of alerts from Washington-which have included solemn warnings to watch out for enemy scuba-divers in the Puget Sound-culminated in a Read More
