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Saturday, December 21, 2002
posted by gbarto at 3:07 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde: "Generics": negotiations hit a roadblock. The US won't sign on with others as to how generic drugs are to be dealt with.
Le Figaro: Hans Blix pins up Iraq report. The inspectors are almost as unhappy as everyone else with Iraq's arms declaration to the UN.
Libé: Five million Muslims with one single voice. It regards the commission representing France's official Islam, about which we've written in the past.
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posted by gbarto at 2:56 AM:
Speaking of not getting it, go to Common Sense and Wonder to see how principled Democrats reacted to Lott's remarks.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:44 AM:
Sharp column from Peggy Noonan on why it's good that Lott has gone (it was actually written about why it would be good for him to be gone).* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:19 AM:
Climbing on BoardBritain, France, Germany begin to form military coalition against Baghdad
We noted in the French news last night that France must be ticked, having gone the distance to make the US stand down and give Iraq a fair shot, only to be handed a misleading and incomplete report. It seems, however, that things are going even more swiftly than I would have expected in Paris.
We'll take it a little easy on France since they were mainly trying to prove they still mattered and always tried to find a way to work within a framework that would be acceptable (if barely) to the US.
But Germany? The TurkeyBlog offers only a cackle for the self-righteous chancellor, now shown to be a posturing fool and not a principled voice for peace.
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posted by gbarto at 2:11 AM:
GOP to Pick New Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist of Tennessee is favored to become Senate's next top Republican after Trent Lott's resignation
Good. In today's Chronicle, Deb Saunders had this to say about Lott and his inability to get the full effects of racism and segregation and why both his thoughts and words seem horribly, tragically out of step:
Lott was the life of the Thurmond's birthday party. Now he's a drag on his political party. Lott should not be the GOP's top Republican in the Senate, not because of what he said, but because of what he doesn't know, and clearly hasn't cared to learn.Not so many years ago, we referred to unreconstructed liberals - those who still were living in the sixties. Trent Lott is, to all appearances, an unreconstructed fifties states' righter. He's been undergoing some reconstruction, but as Saunders noted, reversing all your old views in two weeks time does not prompt confidence either in those to whom you're reaching out or those who have supported you. Lott, in these past two weeks, has shown that he cannot master himself, let alone the Senate. We hope that in a less prominent position, he will have time to think on how he arrived there and find redemption yet, redemption of the personal sort, more than the political.
Shelby Steele had a nice piece in the Journal on Wednesday (I just got around to opening the physical paper, forgive the lapse) giving a little more background. Apparently, he had been called by Lott's people for advice on the situation:
I offered nothing that wasn't obvious. He should talk about growing up in a segregated society and admit that he was affected by it. He should discuss in detail how he came to the realization that segregation and racism were wrong. Was there an epiphany, an incident, a process? They asked for language, so I gave them what I wanted to hear: "I loathe segregation and racism with everything in me. This loathing is, for me, the starting point of human decency." "He won't do all this," one of them said. "Then he should go down," I said.Steele's essay should be read in toto, for there is much in it that goes far beyond the Lott question. The most important point is about making the fullest use of "democratic imagination," thinking of how democracy applies not merely to oneself but to the citizenry in general and to those in different situations in particular:
Democracies expand individual rights past the barriers of race, class and gender precisely by encouraging imaginative identification with difference--by asking men to put themselves in the shoes of women, whites in the shoes of blacks, and so on. And minorities are always asking others to put themselves in their place because they know this is how equality will be experienced and become undeniable. Minorities also know that racism and bigotry are always a failure of this kind of imagination. In the face of difference, imagination is the only way to common humanity. Thus minorities also know that racism and bigotry are the perfect collapse of imagination.This is a lesson America has been learning from its inception in ways, certainly during the last fifty years. Trent Lott, sadly, did not catch on fully to the need to think not only of what he thought he was saying but of what he was actually saying and how it would sound to people whose memories of Strom's glory days might not be so fond. It is good that Lott will have some time to meditate on these questions a little further from the spotlight. Perhaps, he will get it yet.
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Friday, December 20, 2002
posted by gbarto at 3:16 AM:
A Dog's Life on some horrible people doing awful things to dogs. Glad to say, the TurkeyBlog's dog is already tucked in safe and sound for the night, having had his kibble and a few snausages (his favorite).* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:54 AM:
How to Pack Your Bags RightFeds giving air travelers tips on preparing luggage for inspection
An inspector who asked not to be quoted said that a $50 on top could rapidly speed inspections for those who seemed otherwise to pose no threat. But for all the 95-year old grannies out there, forget it. Your stuff will be dropped on the floor while you remove your shoes.
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posted by gbarto at 2:51 AM:
Frist May Challenge LottTenn. senator wants leadership post
While I'm not sure Frist would be the ideal, he beats the hell out of Lott. And as much as I like Nickles, his big claim to leadership is being Trent Lott's whip. Can you remind me again of the glorious deeds of a unified Republican coalition during his leadership?
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posted by gbarto at 2:48 AM:
Clinton Calls GOP HypocriticalThe former president deemed Republican response to Lott's offensive remark insufficient, proving they don't really care about racism.
He said that if Republicans want to be regarded as sincere in their beliefs, they will have to follow the Democrats' courageous lead in doing ... er, whatever they did... in response to the Lewinsky affair to prove their committment to fighting sexual harrassment.
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posted by gbarto at 2:43 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde says: "Iraq: the UN deplores, the US denonces." Inspector Blix says the only thing more incredible than the lack of new info in Iraq's report to the UN is the lack of proof that WMDs or ABCs as you prefer have actually been destroyed.
Libé says "Iraq worsens its case," noting that the UN is unsatisfied with its report and the US is again ratcheting up threats.
Libé also has a story that should be of interest to all who love international diplomatic sqabbling: "France's Indulgence [toward Iraq] softens." That France's approach is "indulgent" is a welcome acknowledgment; that a frustrated France's position is nearing that of the US is a welcome development. Iraq has played Paris businessmen and government economic ministers for fools, convincing them they could nobly stand up to an unreasonable and arrogant US and reassert France's position in the world. That Iraq has subsequently done so little to reassure them of the righteousness of their cause is a double blow, making it look like France was not only self-deceiving and vain but behind the US in terms of savvy about the way the world really works.
Le Figaro's lead is "How to Save the Post Office," regarding what La Poste will do with private courriers coming and the organization being more responsible for financing itself.
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Thursday, December 19, 2002
posted by gbarto at 3:48 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde: "Presidential Election in South Korea." A new president, but from the incumbent party.
Le Figaro: "Inquiry into Planet Al-Qaeda." Millinary sect or terrorist multinational? The experts, says Le Figaro, are divided.
Libé: "The Republic of Pals." The left (in France) is upset by the number of government jobs going to Chirac cronies. We are astonished!
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posted by gbarto at 3:39 AM:
Lott Defensive About His FutureRefutes rumor Bush wants him out
• Clinton Calls GOP Hypocritical
When the second story broke, the internet experienced a momentary shortage of the letters for spelling "pot" and "kettle".
Still, the TurkeyBlog has been reading (he does sometimes do that before forming an opinion) and must say that Lott is making things pretty rough for the GOP. I read a column in the Merc this A.M. about this being the GOP's opportunity to prove it's beyond this thinking by giving Lott the boot - and found myself agreeing. It's not that we know definitively that Lott's a racist, as this column by the always excellent Leonard Pitts points out. It's just that he sure as hell looks like one. Pitts noted in an earlier column that Lott has been having these "miscommunications" (my word) for quite some time now, that the GOP has "bobbled" a lot of opportunities to do real - as opposed to photo-op - minority outreach, and that it strains credulity to have someone like Lott around while claiming said outreach is genuine. He's right.
The bottom line is that we cannot know the fullest depths of Trent Lott's soul. But we can judge his effectiveness as a representative of the Republican Party and its causes. As Republican leader in the Senate, he has routinely flubbed the latter. As for the former, if he has effectively promoted what the Senate GOP is about, I want no part of that party. If he has effectively imparted what he is about, I want nothing to do with the man. But if the man and the party are better than everything about his words and deeds of late indicate, we need somebody who can show that. Trent Lott is welcome to serve in the back benches - the people of Mississippi are entitled to elect whomever they want. But if Republicans still think it wise to call him their leader, they are idiots at best.
It's time for a new majority leader.
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posted by gbarto at 3:15 AM:
New at our Language Pages, very elementary easy French lessons. They won't have you reading Proust, but if you want to have a coffee - or even ask someone to join you! - the building blocks are there. Three lessons so far; more to come as time permits.* * *
Wednesday, December 18, 2002
posted by gbarto at 4:34 AM:
Cause for concern about Turkey? We all know about the Holocaust. Rwanda and Yugoslavia remain in the popular memory. And at least some know about Stalin's mass starvations.In the late 1920s, things got very ugly between the Greeks and the Turks. The city of Smyrna, among others, was burned to the ground as violently as Troy in the Aeneid. And now some Greeks are arguing that the actions of Turkey against Greeks, Assyrians, Armenians and Christian populations weren't just part of an ugly war. They say Turkey committed genocide on the basis of race, nationality and religion with many of the participants considering themselves holy warriors.
Turkey has since become a much more secular state, and many (including President Bush) feel this secular, Western outlook should be encouraged by the admission of Turkey to the EU. Comes the question, with the election of a new Islamic party to run the government, are we to celebrate that even it vows to serve secularly, or do we need to be concerned that rising Islamic sentiment might lead to a repeat of the events of the 1920s.
The TurkeyBlog has not read enough to form an opinion one way or the other, but will point out this site put up by Greeks who want the Greek government to declare Turkey's actions genocide. Those with other viewpoints and good information sources are encouraged to e-mail.
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posted by gbarto at 4:21 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde: Al Qaeda network still a threat
Le Figaro: The Islamists were preparing a chemical weapon
Libé: The Hunt for Bad Drivers (new plans for traffic safety)
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posted by gbarto at 4:15 AM:
Cicero has one helluva piece on the actions of France during the Algerian civil war and the implications for uglier parts of the war on terror. The piece also deals with the way "thought crimes" are emerging within the domain of war crimes. The post below this (very long post) has a troubling case.* * *
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
posted by gbarto at 2:54 AM:
Congrats to A Dog's Life, which turned one the other day.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:50 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde: "Successful Trap in Islamic Movement." Three men suspected of being terrorist caught in an infiltration of Islamic groups in Paris.
Libé has a much more explosive headline: "Chemical Weapon Explosion Thwarted at Paris?" Le Monde emphasizes police work; Libé emphasizes that these guys had stocks of still unidentified chemicals and Islamist documents.
Le Figaro: For all devotees of European health-care, here's the headline: "Mattei launches a revolution for maternity wards." Among the great innovations (designed to help the government health insurance get out of debt), limiting new mothers to a couple hours in the hospital after giving birth. Mattei, incidentally, is Minister of Health.
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posted by gbarto at 2:27 AM:
Pacific Storm Batters West CoastWinds up to 100 mph and torrential rains responsible for six deaths
Happily, it seems to have settled down, at least here in Silicon Valley, but as of this afternoon a lot of homes and businesses were still without power. And the road to the TurkeyBlog's digs still has mud and rock on it, though at least the street no longer looks to be flooding all over. A lot of force unleashed, and quite a mess left in its wake.
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posted by gbarto at 2:22 AM:
Senate Republicans to Meet Jan. 6 to Decide Lott's FateSo Lott has a little time to prove himself. He'd better get to work, because the Republican party has to have a more active agenda than apologizing for Trent Lott's idiotic remarks.
On yet another day where the headline could have been about the agenda of incoming lawmakers or could have been about something completely apart from politics, the top story seems to be the latest Lott apology. In other words, we're getting plenty of reminders the Republicans are returning to the Senate but there doesn't seem to be a lot of joy in the news.
I've also read rumors that if Lott loses his leadership post, he'll resign the Senate, giving Mississippi's Democrat governor the right to appoint a replacement and probably returning the Senate to 50-50. I hope Lott knows better, appreciating that neither embarrassing the party nor wrecking its majority will secure to him any measure of glory. But judgment isn't among his strong suits, so we'll have to wait and see.
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Monday, December 16, 2002
posted by gbarto at 1:42 AM:
Too damn late and the lights are blinking again as the second wave of the storm comes through, so I'm signing off for now. Hope to be back tomorrow.The TurkeyBlog
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posted by gbarto at 1:41 AM:
Cicero rightly reiterates his call for new Republican leadership in the Senate. However, the TurkeyBlog, unlike Cicero, likes Mitch McConnell, though he does recognize the danger of transitioning from white Southerner to white Southerner in this climate, especially since McConnell has stood by Lott (this should be unsurprising to those who know him first and foremost as head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, but for those who don't, it's problematic).* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:38 AM:
French news round-up:Says Le Monde, "Credit Agricole favored by Lyonnais." The troubled Credit Lyonnais has approved a takeover offer from Credit Agricole, apparently catching rival suitor BNP by surprise. Banque National de Paribas says it's exploring its options and that this won't be the last word on the story.
Libé: "On the left, the militants retake the upper hand." This time, the greens are on the march, picking a tighter platform though no leader.
Le Figaro's site isn't responding.
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posted by gbarto at 12:32 AM:
What happened to the TurkeyBlog:500,000 lose electricity
A powerful Pacific storm rumbled through Northern California on Saturday, flooding roads, soaking holiday shoppers and snuffing out power to hundreds of thousands of customers as 50- to 60-mph wind gusts toppled trees and snapped power lines.
By John Woolfolk / Mercury News
The power flickered a few times Saturday morning; by Saturday afternoon it was out along major stretches of highway 17. I was at a local McDonald's enjoying my lunch when a sudden gust, then darkness, indicated I would be among the last served there for a while. My fiancee and I were outside with the dog. Neither she nor the dog seemed to like it much. Coming from Michigan, I'd seen blizzards that felt worse so did not appreciate the fact I was in the midst of the last hurrah of a typhoon whose gusts are even now causing the lights to flicker now and again. Anyway, at the time I normally type up the French news, I was out buying candles (!) because all the pet stores were closed and these were the only readily available heat source for the tortoise (who still was not happy to be kept at 70 instead of 110). Happily, there are now heat packs in the house in case such a thing happens again (which means it probably won't).
My thanks to my little sis (turkeysister) for making sure that the world knew Le Monde's top headline when they got up this morning. If the power holds, you'll have already read today's French news before you get here.
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posted by gbarto at 12:17 AM:
A note on our advertiserWhen I got power back and checked e-mail, I was astonished to see a "blogad" request since I hadn't written any ads lately. Frighteningly enough, it was a paying advertiser! This was something new!
If you look to your left, you'll see an ad in the blogads for something called "artswag.com". Now, unlike all those ads run for other gbarto.com offerings, the TurkeyBlog does not have editorial control over this one. The site description certainly doesn't sound like something that would go with TurkeyBlog content. So I visited. It's a cafe press store with t-shirts whose captions run from amusing to offensive. There are also links to less than reputable content. The TurkeyBlog is nothing if not free-market; still, he has limits. Because all potentially offensive content is plainly marked and there is other content that is worthwhile, this site falls within the limits. If you are looking for shirts with party affiliations, flags and indicators of mood, personality, etc., this isn't a bad site to visit. In fact, please do so, and make the TurkeyBlog worth advertising on. If you're looking for the other stuff... what you do with your own computer is your own business. I'm only posting this note so that none of my respectable conservative readers will click on a site with "fun stuff mostly for adults," click on the keyword "adult" and be shocked to see something other than martini recipes.
Incidentally, those who would like to see ads on the TurkeyBlog for sites wholly free of controversy are invited to purchase them. Our rates are reasonable.
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posted by gbarto at 12:02 AM:
Our thanks to turkeysister will be given again, but I'd like to thank her here for updating. The TurkeyBlog is again operational.* * *
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