US Politics:
Nukes Against Nukes in Iran: In case you haven't already read it, Sy Hersh's newest research in the New Yorker leaves no doubt that Bush plans a nuclear strike on Iran soon.
Bush Buys 'Moral Hazard' Myth: Hendrik Hertzberg, also in this week's New Yorker, shows that Bush's health care policies are driven by the assumption that given the chance, the public will use health care needlessly. Malcolm Gladwell has already thoroughly debunked this neocon myth, but of course Bush isn't interested in listening.
The Republicans as a Religious Party: Kevin Phillips in the Washington Post explains how the party has grown more and more dependent on the support of the religious right, and the cost of that support, notably extreme hostility to all secular thinking. Thanks to Communicatrix for the link.
Bush Anti-Global-Warming Skeptic Was in Pay of Big Tobacco:
Dr. Frederick Seitz, a former president of the National Academy of
Sciences and one of the most often-quoted skeptics on global warming,
was paid over half a million dollars
by the tobacco industry to obfuscate the connection between smoking and
cancer. Seitz then went on to spearhead a campaign to cast scientific
doubt about global warming. This guy gives prostitutes a bad name.
Thanks to sustainablog for the link.
The Environment and Energy:
Recycling Your Old Computer:
If you're not careful, it will end up in landfill, either in your own
country or a struggling nation, leaching masses of toxic chemicals into
the soil and groundwater. Salon's Elizabeth Grossman provides some alternatives.
Carnival of the Green Now Subscribable:
For those looking for environmental news and eco-blogs, there's a
weekly 'carnival' of postings. I'll be hosting it later this year. If
you want to check it out the latest one is here, and the del.icio.us link to all the weekly carnivals (RSS-subscribable) is here.
Oil Crosses the Peak: From the London Times, more evidence that oil production has now peaked,
meaning a sharp drop in production, followed immediately by a sharp
drop in consumption and skyrocketing prices, is not far off. Thanks to Dale Asberry for the link.
The Long Emergency Explained in 35 Minutes: Jim Kunstler summarizes his book in five short video segments produced by Orion Magazine. Thanks to Cyndy Roy for this link and the one that follows.
Why Only a Local, Community-Based Economy Can Save Us: Wendell Berry, also in Orion, explains the intrinsic wisdom of small, self-sufficient, local intentional communities, and how they avoid the dysfunctions that bedevil our massive, top-down, trade-dependent economy. Excerpt:
The
idea of a local economy rests upon only two principles: neighborhood
and subsistence. In a viable neighborhood, neighbors ask themselves
what they can do or provide for one another, and they find answers that
they and their place can afford. This, and nothing else, is the
practice of neighborhood. This practice must be, in part, charitable,
but it must also be economic, and the economic part must be equitable;
there is a significant charity in just prices.
Of course,
everything needed locally cannot be produced locally. But a viable
neighborhood is a community; and a viable community is made up of
neighbors who cherish and protect what they have in common. This is the
principle of subsistence. A viable community, like a viable farm,
protects its own production capacities. It does not import products
that it can produce for itself. And it does not export local products
until local needs have been met. The economic products of a viable
community are understood either as belonging to the community's
subsistence or as surplus, and only the surplus is considered to be
marketable abroad. A community, if it is to be viable, cannot think of
producing solely for export, and it cannot permit importers to use
cheaper labor and goods from other places to destroy the local capacity
to produce goods that are needed locally. In charity, moreover, it must
refuse to import goods that are produced at the cost of human or
ecological degradation elsewhere. This principle applies not just to
localities, but to regions and nations as well.
The principles
of neighborhood and subsistence will be disparaged by the globalists as
"protectionism" - and that is exactly what it is. It is a protectionism
that is just and sound, because it protects local producers and is the
best assurance of adequate supplies to local consumers. And the idea
that local needs should be met first and only surpluses exported does
not imply any prejudice against charity toward people in other places
or trade with them. The principle of neighborhood at home always
implies the principle of charity abroad. And the principle of
subsistence is in fact the best guarantee of giveable or marketable
surpluses.
Entrepreneurship Aids:
Support Group for Women Entrepreneurs: Make Mine a Million campaign shows women how to help their fledgling business reach critical commercial mass.
Two New Free Communication Tools: I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Evoca, a podcast recording tool, and Gizmo, an alternative to Skype with built-in recording that works with its sister product Jabber, cross-platform IM tool (the one used by GMail). Anyone used any of these and have comments on them?
Just For Fun:
Owen & Mzee Blog:
The lovable Hippo baby rescued from the tsunami and the 130-year-old
tortoise who has adopted him are still, as the picture above shows,
inseparable, and now they have their own blog.
In Defense of French Dirigisme: John MacArthur, publisher of Harper's magazine, writes a clever and eloquent editorial about the schadenfreude (delight in others' misfortune) exhibited by many North Americans over the French youth demonstrations,
as if somehow these demonstrations indicate their political system is a
failure and vindicate our failed laissez-faire approach to managing
national affairs. The relative success of the French approach on many
issues, he argues, exemplifies the superiority of pragmatism over
ideological absolutism. Thanks to Umair Haque for the link.
Secret Message to Salon Bloggers: There are 20 to find. Apologies to Sloggers who have moved to blog tools whose comments servers don't accept eggs.
Happy Easter, everyone! Taking a day off blogging for family stuff tomorrow. Back Monday.
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