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Saturday, January 25, 2003
posted by gbarto at 2:09 PM:
Says Den Beste:Stardate 20030124.0351Especially because it's true.
(On Screen): The rhetoric just keeps getting stranger and stranger. I think there really must be something wrong with the water in Europe; have they all gone collectively insane over there?
Rumsfeld rejected the idea that (highly) vocal objections to an Iraq war by the governments of France and Germany was a major stumbling block to us in actually fighting one, and disparaged them as being "old Europe" while pointing out that many of the "new European" countries such as the Czech Republic were far more supportive of us.
Of course, that was like a red flag in front of a bull; to actually suggest that France and Germany are decadent, self-absorbed, decrepit, pretentious has-beens is simply intolerable.
Even though it's true.
Steve also gives three jeers to Bild, which wrote an editorial about American ingratitude. Here's what it said:
In an editorial, Bild reminded Rumsfeld of his German roots and the ideals of the French Revolution which inspired the United States' constitution.Here's Den Beste's response:
"Mister Rumsfeld, hundreds of thousands of your G.I.'s fell for 'old Europe' because they freed us from the tyranny of Hitler. You are sinning against your own heroes by disparaging 'old Europe'. Your G.I.'s died for the ideals of your place of origin," Bild wrote in an editorial.
Let's see; the US Constitution was written in 1787 and was largely based on principles discussed in the US as early as 1774, if not even earlier. Many of those ideals are in the Declaration of Independence written in 1776. So how, exactly, was this influenced by the ideals of the French Revolution, which took place in 1789?It is fast becoming apparent that in their drive to matter, Europe is fast heading into psychotic frenzy. What to make of this? A Dog's Life says that harsh criticism from Europe is:
Actually, historically speaking it was the other way around: the revolutionaries in France were in large part inspired by the American example, though only imperfectly. Not to put too fine a point on it, they screwed it up. The ideals of the French Revolution led to the guillotine, Napoleon, and 20 years of devastating war in Europe leaving behind more than a million dead. France is on its, what, fifth republic since then? Something like that? (And we're still working on our first. I guess we're falling behind.)
like getting mauled by a sheep.But there's more going on here. Europe has always viewed the United States as its troubled stepchild, of the same stock but just a bit touched in the head. But a funny thing happens in life: things die. Europe is dying because it has chosen to try to remain what it thinks it once was instead of adapting, changing and being reborn. Its courting of Iraq and its flourishing anti-American sentiment can be easily understood: It's the old man saying, "pah, Mr. Fancy-pants thinks he's so smart with his computer; in ten years no one will care about computers." It is the elderly man making a pass at the candy striper in the nursing home, thinking himself suave as he drools strained peas. Out of kindness, the US should do its best to make these sad nations feel loved and needed when possible. Out of compassion, however, it will have to make sure they don't have to live with the decisions they would make. They're no longer competent to do so.
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posted by gbarto at 1:37 PM:
Powell States U.S. CaseAt World Economic Forum in Switzerland, secretary of state tells global community 'not to step back from the solemn responsibility to disarm Iraq'
DAVOS, Switzerland — Secretary of State Colin Powell said Saturday that the world must use force if necessary to disarm Iraq, and warned "the going is getting tough."That's the core of this whole thing: Iraq was given a chance to come clean, a chance to indicate that it preferred moving toward respectability among the family of nations to holding on to illicit weapons. It has chosen to instead give every indication it intends to continue as a rogue nation. Which makes the craven appeasement of some in Western Europe look like they've forgotten the Sudetenland compromise of the last century. It's almost as if they want Iraq to rise again.
"The burden is upon Iraq. It must comply, or it will be made to comply with military force," declared Powell upon arriving at the World Economic Forum, where 2,300 world political and business leaders have gathered for an annual meeting....
He reiterated that Iraq's 12,000-page weapons declaration does not account for biological and chemical agents, chemical shells and nuclear documents — each of which "has the potential to kill thousands upon thousands of innocent human beings."
Of course it is interesting that the Western European nation most sensitive to Iraq's feelings about being disarmed is... Germany.
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posted by gbarto at 3:32 AM:
Iraq Weapons Inspections Could Be ExtendedAmid international pressure to avoid war, White House considering whether to allow arms probe to continue after inspectors report to U.N. Security Council Monday
A very bad idea, sending, as it would, the message that denial, obfuscation and just plain obstruction are acceptable negotiating techniques.
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posted by gbarto at 3:25 AM:
Here's your French news headlines:Le Monde: "African Summit in Paris." A meeting of the heads of state from Africa opened in Paris today; on the docket, cooling off plans for the Ivory Coast.
And whaddya know: Le Figaro leads with, "African Summit in Paris to seal Ivorian accord."
Will Libé make it a hat-trick? Nope, the Ivory Coast is their second story. Running a bit behind (no doubt due to the server problems we mentioned last night), Libé is now leading with the "End of la dolce vita for Agnelli," who ran Fiat.
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Friday, January 24, 2003
posted by gbarto at 3:28 AM:
Trying this top-blogs thingie over with the links. They claim they'll link the coolest blogs, but if you scroll down you might find us anyway. We'll see. All I know is they sent me an e-mail with the info and since they nowhere demanded a credit card number, I figured, why not?* * *
posted by gbarto at 3:08 AM:
The human side of Ariel Sharon, at Common Sense and Wonder. And, we'd add, the human side of what happens when those who murder in the name of their culture are given aid and comfort, not moral condemnation.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:59 AM:
Too much important stuff at USS Clueless to link just one or two posts. Click the link and read from the top down. Big things a-comin', says Mr. Den Beste.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:27 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde: Guess the war's not as big a deal as some might think. The top story of the moment is "Death of Giovanni Agnelli [Johnny Lamb?], head of Fiat." Due to complications from prostate cancer, it says. He was 81.
Le Figaro: Here's the war - "US-Europe: Is there really a fracture." For those who missed, Rumsfeld dismissed "Europe's" concern about Iraq as really being "Old Europe's" concern, implying that the nations further east that support the US are where Europe's future lies. It's true that the new nations are more generally with us, but it's amusing to see that for once France isn't boasting about the longevity of its society. It's tough to judge whether France is old or new. The Fifth Republic hasn't yet been around a half century, but the French have been surrendering at every opportunity since way back at Waterloo, the low point being Prussia's (!) efforts to get the Third Republic started so that there would be a government to surrender to it. Of course, nowadays France is quite lovey-dovey with the descendants of Bismarck. But I digress...
Libé: "Daewoo factor burns." There have been questions about the factory, which has been shut down since the 19th of December after losing money big-time. Its destruction promises to raise more.
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posted by gbarto at 2:09 AM:
Got bored in the bookstore today and started reading Deepak Chopra'sHow to Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries. (You should read it too, maybe by buying it at the link and helping out the TurkeyBlog rather than messing up a bookstore copy.) The book suggests that the way we related to God, and indeed the world, is based on the different ways our brains process information and which ones dominate. In the midst of the discussion, Chopra notes that snails take three seconds to process neural events, so if one is looking at an apple and you grab it, it will appear to the snail that the apple just vanished into thin air. Chopra says the same is true of us, with all our fuzzy little quantic probabilities buzzing about and us thinking we see reality rather than what's in between the blinks during which reality's course is decided. The discussion is quite interesting and whether one buys any of it or not it makes for a good read. It also inspired this poem, which I like to think Billy Collins might have written if he had a lot less talent and a lot more time on his hands:
Too Deepak For Me
We are like the frames of a movie,
he said,
Our little quanta blinking on and off so fast
We don't even notice
When we're off.
I wonder,
Do we disappear all at once
Then reappear just as fast
All at once?
Do our little quanta
Blink off and on in alternating fashion
Like gaudy Christmas lights?
Or do parts of us blink on
While others blink off?
Arm gone, arm back, but
Whoops!
Nose gone, nose back
On the opposite cadence.
I think this is it
For my toe was nowhere near the hearth
Before I stubbed it this morning
And yet with that sudden jolt
I looked down and there it was.
Now you know why I translate Victor Hugo's poetry at the Hugo Pages rather than writing my own.
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Thursday, January 23, 2003
posted by gbarto at 7:52 PM:
The TurkeyBlog likes this post from ScrappleFace. The highlight:"Going through France may be the long way to get to Iraq," said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, "but it's worth it. We want to show our troops the land we saved from Hitler on our way to the land we'll save from Hussein."It's really got to hurt to be France, trying to retake the high ground among nations only to meet all this mocking.
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posted by gbarto at 7:44 PM:
Here's a clearer explanation of the TurkeyBlog's dark rumblings about France, Iraq and oil. (via Instapundit)* * *
posted by gbarto at 7:01 PM:
From WaPo:"Each member of the Security Council, including the United States, reserves the right to act in a way that's consistent with its international obligations as well as its own national interests," Powell said.The TurkeyBlog noted yesterday that this isn't about the US's ability to build a coalition against Iraq. It's about whether UN resolutions represent the international community's commitment to peace and order or the UN is just a big joke.
"To say never mind now, or walk away from this problem or allow it to be strung out, I think, would be a defeat for the international community and a serious defeat for the United Nations," he said.
It's beginning to look like France, Germany and Russia would prefer that it be a joke. Fair enough. Then if the US takes on Iraq unilaterally, what are they going to do? Get a UN resolution against us?
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posted by gbarto at 6:48 PM:
Iraq Says Scientists Demanded Gov't Officials Attend U.N. InterviewsWell... what would you expect them to say? "Ya know? If it's up to me, I'd really like to give the impression that I have things to say that these people with power over the lives of me and my family shouldn't hear."
Please. Like so much of what the UN gets involved in, this is just plain idiotic. Interviewing scientists is worthless so long as the penalties for ratting out Iraq are potentially greater than the penalties Iraq would face for forcing silence or getting caught in a lie.
My suggestion, though neither cheap nor pleasant follows thus: Any site the Iraqis refuse to let us inspect, we bomb. Any site where we find things the Iraqis weren't straight with us about, we bomb. And - here's the fun one - for every third weapon the Iraqis were supposed to destroy but won't account for, we bomb a presidential palace. I'll bet they'd cooperate with inspections very quickly under such an inspection regime.
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posted by gbarto at 6:25 PM:
U.S. Pushes for Consensus on IraqSecretary of State Colin Powell says he hopes U.N. will come to agreement on dealing with Iraq as Russia joins France, Germany in opposing war to disarm Saddam
Because otherwise he's going to have to give up on State and let the Defense Department take care of things all on its own. He might suggest to France that Mr. Chirac isn't going to get the glory of stopping a war, that the choice is between being a hanger-on and facing irrelevance.
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posted by gbarto at 5:58 PM:
Three cheers for the mighty Dr. Weevil. If you scroll down about ten (here), you'll find a correction; we misread a Joanne Jacobs post the other day.However, we celebrate the good Doctor for sharper powers of observation than this. Here he is on Scott Ritter's misfortunes:
His transformation has been so complete that I've long wondered whether he's being blackmailed as well as bribed. Compromising photos, threats to his loved ones, it hardly matters which -- maybe they have both.That was way before the latest revelations.
And here he is, catching what can't just be a slip of the tongue on Hitchens' part. I've seen Hitchens on an interview show or three and I have to say the expression on his face as he wrote that must have been delightfully malicious.
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posted by gbarto at 2:40 AM:
Bastards! But when will well-meaning lefties come to terms with the fact that in order to oppose the US in the war on terror they have to support those who commit censorship by death?Or is keeping "Heather has two mommies" in the school library more important than keeping Fahal Wazab alive to offer a different perspective in lands Islamic? (I support both.)
Wait, I figured it out! Because Muslims aren't Christians they're multicultural, so expecting them to act like civilized human beings is unreasonable. In fact, it might even be denying them the right to their heritage! Anyway, it's not like we're talking about people. They're just zoo exhibits, ya know?
(For the four people who can't figure it out, the above is in jest and intended to mock multi-culturalists who think it's noble to keep the people "over there" in abject living conditions and political systems that they wouldn't tolerate American homeless people or convicted murderers being subjected to.)
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posted by gbarto at 2:15 AM:
A Dog's Life sets Star Wars in Scotland. Cute.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:12 AM:
Sanctions Would Be 'Act of War'U.N. official says North Korea won't take kindly to punishment
Mr. Bush, good news! You don't have to negotiate with the UN to work things out on Iraq. Just openly defy them, display contempt for everything they stand for and announce that if the UN doesn't let you invade Iraq, you're invading Iran too and they'll start offering concessions like you wouldn't believe!
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posted by gbarto at 2:09 AM:
Fat Chance for McLawsuitJudge dismisses case against fast-food giant on behalf of overweight kids
Good. The suit was idiotic from the start. When I was at McDonald's today, I tried for all I was worth but could not get them to force their food on me until I was addicted. In fact, they demanded I give them a dollar before they'd even hand over a Big-n-Tasty.
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posted by gbarto at 2:02 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde: "The Shadow of Iraq over Davos and Porto Alegre," two big conferences starting Thursday. Le Monde seems concerned above all that the economic forum at Davos will be principally devoted to worrying about the crisis. With all due respect, I can't get worked up over a think tank having to think about unpleasant things. However, I do worry about having that many of the world's best and brightest gathered in one spot like that. Forgive me, though, for thinking the big threat to civilization isn't George W. Bush's determination to deal with Iraq but Islamic extremists' determination to damage and destroy our way of life (though if something happens, you can bet they'll blame Bush for wanting to enforce UN resolutions, not the actual evil-doers).
Le Figaro: "Paris and Berlin: A Day Hand in Hand," expressing their desire to use their new alliance to become the center of Europe and the EU. I'll bet those on the outer ring are thrilled. The EU was actually created so that France and Germany would have too many common interests to keep starting Europe-wide and world wars. Now it looks like they think they should be rewarded with special pride of place and power for having been the troublemakers of the last two centuries. Merde und Scheisse et sacre bleu! What arrogance.
Libé is having problems updating.
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posted by gbarto at 12:06 AM:
I posted this on an AOL forum a few minutes ago; thought I'd put it here too:It's the UN's war, whether they have the nerve to fight it or not
France, Russia hurt own credibility and UN's by putting commercial interests ahead of UN resolutions
The bottom line is that in 1990, George HW Bush put together an international coalition to deal with this state. He did so under the auspices of the UN and the war was concluded by an agreement with the UN - not the US. The terms of the agreement were intended to promote peace, regional stability and the protection of human rights in ways consistent with the UN's understanding of them.
Saddam has been violating that agreement by, among other things, supporting terrorism with $5,000 checks for the families of Palestinian suicide bombers, making noises about a pan-Arab state that he would lead and seeking to acquire the necessary materials for weapons of mass destruction (eg, the reactor being built with Russian assistance).
That France and Russia are opposed is no surprise. France has been taking advantage of Iraq's ostracization to get cheap oil and Russia has been selling it the parts for nuclear reactors, among other things. As for Germany, Gerhard Schroder has been all over the map trying to hold on to the peacenik part of his coalition.
France and Russia's objections present some problems on the diplomatic front, of course, but for the UN, not the US, in the long run. The United States has generally viewed the UN as a handy cover for doing what it wants to do anyway. It's Russia and France, with their much smaller militaries, that rely on the UN for clout. If they wish to sabotage UN resolutions to maintain commercial interests, they may hold back the US for a time. But in so doing, they will let the world know that UN resolutions are meaningless pieces of paper whose terms can be reduced or eliminated if the price is right. That is, in thwarting the US in the short term, they'll turn their leading source of power in the international arena into a joke. In fighting a war on the UN's behalf - without UN consent - the US and UK would really be safeguarding the interests of France and Russia by doing the hard work that these lesser nations cannot bring themselves to do - make the UN and its agreements matter.
Further, if the US and UK go it alone, it will not be the UN signing agreements this time. It will be the US and UK, which means that the process of marginalization of France and Russia will have already begun: by trying to hang onto their short term interests in Iraq, the French and Russians will lose their say in what becomes of Iraq after and lose their commercial interests to boot. This is, of course, to be expected from the nation that hasn't managed to fight a war on its own without taking it in the chops since the days of Napoleon. As for Russia, it looks the former superpower's descent continues.
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Wednesday, January 22, 2003
posted by gbarto at 12:18 AM:
Here's Joanne Jacobs on sending our "babies" off to war. Says Joanne, her daughter - headed for Kuwait - isn't a baby; she's a full-grown woman and is to be respected as such.The TurkeyBlog salutes all those in the armed forces for their courage in defending us, and wouldn't think of calling a single one of them a baby within a mile of arm's reach. May God watch over them all, and indeed over all of us in this crazy world where the likes of Sean Penn are more worried about giving Saddam a second chance than giving even the time of the day to the brave men and women who make sure that no one interferes with the showing of his films, the guarding of his basic liberty and the assurance that when he hops on a plane to Baghdad there are safe air routes for him to take back home.
The TurkeyBlog is grateful, damn grateful, that these folks make possible this fine country where any idiot with a modem - even yours truly - can share his thoughts without fear of the midnight knock on the door, the mysterious disappearance of himself and/or his publications, & c. God bless the USA and all those who protect her.
Update: Maybe I read Joanne wrong. Says Dr. Weevil,
I think your post yesterday is mistaken. It's not Joanne Jacobs' daughter who just shipped off to the Gulf: the 'Sgt. Mom' she's talking about is not herself but one of the posters on Sgt. Stryker, mother of 'Cpl. Blondie'.Thanks to Dr. Weevil; we like to get stuff right.
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Tuesday, January 21, 2003
posted by gbarto at 11:58 PM:
Bush's Patience With Iraq Running OutPresident tired of Saddam's 'bad movie'; Asst. Secretary of State Armitage rails at Iraq's deceptions and lack of compliance
Here in the South Bay area, the newspapers are focusing on France's complaints; the San Francisco Chronicle is (surprise) the most excited by France's actions. But France's only real choices are to pretend to help and hope we'll pretend they matter or to be shown as irrelevant if the US acts. And it sure looks like the US is going to act.
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posted by gbarto at 11:52 PM:
French news round-up:Le Monde: "Paris-Berlin: Past, Present, Future" notes the 40th anniversary celebration of the Elysée treaty, which reconciled Germany and France after years of conflict.
Le Figaro: "France-Germany: A special day."
Libé: "Herr Schroder and Monsieur Chirac: Again an effort" [to get these two countries on the same page].
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posted by gbarto at 6:45 PM:
Interesting article at Slate:American directors have no moral rights to their movies.
by Drew Clark
At issue, companies that either alter DVDs to eliminate offensive scenes or publish software instructing a DVD player to skip it. Apparently, some directors are offended.
The article discusses the French idea of droit moral or moral right, including the idea that an artist can require that viewers only view his art the way he intended it to be viewed. We don't have this, viewing works of art as products from which copyright owners get the right to royalties. Period. It should probably be that way: the creation of an art work is only one part of the creative process; interpreting it or responding to it is the other and such restrictions would infringe upon the viewer's free speech right to view a work in the context in which he desires.
The wisest voice in the whole piece is Michael Crichton's. He suggests that rather than picking fights, the studio do an end-run around these companies and offer their own edited versions.
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posted by gbarto at 2:14 AM:
Hospital Sorry for Mastectomy 'Mixup'Mistake resulted in the amputation of a healthy woman's breasts
Its malpractice insurers are really sorry.
The hospital says the right woman has been contacted and treated.
We are faced with the question of what's worse: the fact the one woman had unnecessary, life-complicating surgery or the fact that another was walking around with an extremely dangerous cancer yet believed herself fine because she'd had all the right tests, seen all the right doctors and been told she was ok. An ugly situation all 'round.
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posted by gbarto at 2:07 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde leads with "Iraq: Dialogue of the deaf," about France's efforts to push for a UN solution, the US and UK's indifference to its pleas, etc.
On the same subject, Le Figaro asserts that "Irak divides the UN." It notes that the US and the UK are indifferent to the "good will" shown by Iraq in beginning to cooperate with inspection teams now that one week remains before the first scheduled report.
Libé, on the other hand, leads with "Metaleurop gets rich, pollutes and goes," about a plant near Paris that just got shut down without warning for at least the short-term and which is among many plants closing in a troubled economy.
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Monday, January 20, 2003
posted by gbarto at 3:08 AM:
For all the language-learning people out there, the expansion of gbarto.com's language bookstore continues. Many years ago, I wrote a paper on the question of whether all languages or most languages could ultimately be shown to have a common ancestor (the so-called Nostratic hypothesis). In researching that paper and in pursuing other projects since then, I've used way too many language textbooks, grammars, readers, etc. Based on what I've learned, I've started a page devoted to resources for learning unusual or difficult languages. I now have recommendations for languages from Old English to Irish to Russian to Arabic to Japanese and Chinese, with more to come. And as of tonight, I've added the TurkeySister's recommendations for Lao! So if there's an odd language you'd like to learn, visit the exotic languages page and see if it's there (if it's not, send me an e-mail and I'll let you know if I can recommend anything).* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:18 AM:
French news round-up:Le Monde leads with "Christine Malevre, white angel of euthanasia?" She's on trial in the death of seven patients.
Libé fronts the "Antiterrorist raid in London," in which seven people connected to the Finsbury Park mosque were arrested amid questions about ricin.
Le Figaro has an interview with Le Président de la République française: "Jacques Chirac: Our ambition is to refound Europe," this said with respect to questions about the EU, the Franco-German partnership, etc.
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posted by gbarto at 2:09 AM:
Powell Breaks With White House on Affirmative Action CaseWe see a minimum of conflict here. After all, breaking with the White House on foreign policy hasn't cost him anything.
In all seriousness, Powell is a guy who believes in what he believes in. And has sufficient self-confidence to state it. Fortunately, George W. Bush also has a lot of self-confidence - enough to seek out people who can work with him to do what he - as president - decides needs doing rather than having to find yes-men to keep his ego soothed. While there has been a fair share of carping about Powell from time to time (including here), he always toes the administration line in his duties once a decision has been made by the president. But let's the pres. know where he stands until that time. So long as it works for Bush, Gen. Powell is serving him well, criticisms notwithstanding. Should it cease to work for Bush, I expect Gen. Powell would be gone, a fact both men know and respect.
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posted by gbarto at 1:58 AM:
King Family Says Don't Wait for Leader [of civil rights movement to emerge]Wise counsel in an era when Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are vying for the title. King, for all his human flaws, would no doubt be disgusted by what's been done in his name by too many people who really aren't, when you come right down to it, willing to take the risks or make the sacrifices he did.
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posted by gbarto at 1:54 AM:
Iraqis Cough Up Four More Empty WarheadsChief U.N. inspector Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, head of International Atomic Energy Agency, report 'some progress' in Sunday talks with Iraqi officials
"We are saying in no uncertain terms that time is running out," ElBaradei told Associated Press Television News after the first round of talks. "We cannot, the international community cannot, just wait for things to happen in the pace it has been happening in the past few weeks since we started inspections. And I think that message has been registered with the Iraqi authorities."Hmm, so Iraq had how long to come clean about these warheads? And they're turning over a few of the requested documents? Probably good enough for a UN that cares only about pretending to relevance or utility. But not good enough for those who would like to know that Iraq is no longer a threat to its neighbors and to international stability.
As a sign that Baghdad might be more forthcoming, Blix said that the Iraqis told them during the talks that they had found four more empty chemical weapons warheads similar to 12 others discovered by U.N. inspectors Thursday at an ammunition dump south of Baghdad.
Blix also said the Iraqis offered three or four of 11 documents requested by the United Nations.
Incidentally, we've heard occasional questions about Iraq and terrorism. Those who were marching with signs declaring "Iraqis are people too" need to be reminded that Israelis are, as well, and that Saddam's government has been paying the families of Palestinians who massacre them $5000 bucks - a direct connection to terrorism that has been discussed on Fox News among other places. So, for those who wonder whether we're after Iraq for terrorism, weapons of mass destruction or oil - why not all three?
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posted by gbarto at 1:45 AM:
The Golden Globes are done and Chicago picked up the three biggies - best actress, Renee Zellwegger; best actor, Richard Gere and best musical or comedy. Well deserved honors. The film is a marvel, with its mix of music, dance and drama, and I recommend it highly (those with sensitive ears beware, however, the language can be rough). Gere was fantastic, Zellwegger played her part to a tee and Catherine Zeta-Jones did a bang-up job. The big surprises, though, were Queen Latifah - who can sing and act! - and John C. Reilly, Roxie's unappreciated husband, whose performance of Mr. Cellophane was absolutely splendid.The best dramatic film, according to the Globes, was The Hours, for which Nicole Kidman won best actress honors. Kidman's portrayal of Virginia Woolf did exactly what a great actress' should - one watched the character without thinking about Nicole Kidman. The film is a bit disturbing but extremely well-played. Those who like dramas of existential angst will be delighted. Those who are less taken with the genre (including me) will still admire the production.
Incidentally, John C. Reilly is in this one as well; he plays a well-meaning dad whose overwrought wife walks out on him and his two children when she just can't take any more. This gives him the dubious distinction of playing an unloved husband in the best drama and best comedy for the year. But if you're gonna be typecast, better it be in the award-winners than the straight-to-video market.
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Sunday, January 19, 2003
posted by gbarto at 2:22 AM:
A Swedish world domination conspiracy? Bjørn Stærk is moderating a discussion on the issue.* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:12 AM:
Cicero says putting anti-missile technology on airplanes is a sop to business travelers who want more safety at taxpayer expense. Not likely. More likely, she's looking for more work for down and out California "heavy" tech companies (Lockheed springs to mind as one possibility).* * *
posted by gbarto at 2:01 AM:
Here's Instapundit with info on the French demonstrations from various sources. As we said below, 1/20th of one percent of Paris turned out. Not exactly a revolution. They get more people out for a bus strike.* * *
posted by gbarto at 1:50 AM:
French news on a Saturday, meaning the focus is on Le Monde:top headline: "Bush threatens; the anti-war people march."
Among other tidbits, organizers claim 20,000 marched in Paris (a city of 10-12 million depending on how far you go into the suburbs). Worse, the police say it was only 6,000 (that's 1/20 of 1% of the population; the organizers claim 1/6th of one percent). In Strassbourg, Kurds held a counter-demonstration calling for the Kurdish sector of Iraq to be freed.
In Washington, AFP counted 30-40,000 demonstrators; organizers claimed 50,000, while the DC police, as usual, didn't have much to offer.
It's worth noting that Le Monde's lead focuses entirely on the demonstrations, though the web link implies a story contrasting Bush's push for war versus others' demands for peace. The Bush story plays below, with the headline, "Washington takes a harder line with Baghdad." Because their site has suddenly stopped responding, the TurkeyBlog will update on this a little later if it comes back.
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posted by gbarto at 1:27 AM:
U.N. to Iraq: Time's Running OutTop U.N. officials warn Saddam of fast-approaching Jan. 27 deadline for weapons inspectors; U.S. general says Iraq still has time to come clean
Among the details:
One inspection was scrubbed after Iraqi officials insisted on following a U.N. team by helicopter into the northern "no-fly" zone from which Iraqi aircraft are banned, the United Nations said.Why weren't the Iraqis simply informed that they were not allowed to follow and would face consequences for doing so? The UN is doing its best to take a tough enough line that it will be at least a little difficult for the Bush administration to tut-tut them as too spineless to stand for their own resolutions, but when Iraq gets a partial pass on one resolution being enforced by threatening to break another the UN is falling short. Incidentally, here's the UN's take on that little game:
The U.N. team said a group of missile inspectors gathered at an air base Saturday to fly to a site in northern Iraq. The team canceled the mission "for safety reasons due to the insistence by the Iraqi side to fly their helicopter into the no-fly zone following (U.N.) helicopters," a statement said.Given the way the UN handles things, I'd want anonymity too if discussing the ways in which the UN can be made to play the fool and beg for more insults. Here's one guy from the UN who's not so cowed, however:
U.S. and British jets patrol no-fly zones in the north and south of the country to protect Iraqi Kurds and Shiite Muslims. A U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the Iraqi attempt as "indirect interference" in the inspections.
ElBaradei said the documents appeared to be related to the use of lasers to enrich uranium, possibly for nuclear weapons. ElBaradei said that if the Iraqis had not disclosed information contained in the documents, "it obviously doesn't show the transparency we've been preaching."At least in the story, however, El Baradei (seemingly Blix's right hand man) doesn't connect the dots to the implications of that.
It looks more and more like Iraq is not merely being disingenuous; it's making idiots out of those who try to defend them. How long will it take for Schroeder and Chirac to lose patience? We'll see, though the latter case does involve a country that has shown a remarkable penchant for coming up on the losing side of conflicts ever since they sent Napoleon to Elba.
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