Insert a Trite Metaphor for a Corral #47

Posted on February 7, 2007 in Roundup

I can’t believe that, after the Iraq lies, Democrats are actually keeping the option of a war in Iran “on the table”. We elected them for firm resolve after a wishy-washy six years of yessing Bush’s every whim. Still, the leading Democratic candidates for president play into the rhetoric. I have to agree with Joshua Frank who says: “Times like these require bravery. They require a fight. A fight against immoral and illegal policies. A fight against tyranny. A fight for freedom. Freedom from hatred. Freedom from occupation. Americans and the people of the Middle East deserve better than [[Hillary Clinton]], [[John Edwards]] and [[Barack Obama]]. They deserve to live their lives without the threat of warfare and bloodshed. They deserve to live without fear.”

On with the show:

• Helping the Terrorists: Bin Laden has no greater ally in this world than our leaders in Washington according to Adam Elkus. “According to Atwan’s analysis of [[al-Quaeda|al-Qaida’s]] “20-year plan,” the organization aimed to bring about the fall of the American empire by first provoking with the September 11 attacks — Washington into irrationally invading Muslim lands in pursuit of revenge. Al-Qaida’s grand strategists calculated that the invasion would propel the [[ummah|umma]], the Muslim community, into joining the [[jihad]]. Following the fall of the secular socialist Hussein regime, Iraq has indeed become a training ground for limitless waves of foreign jihadis.” Anyone who’s read [[Franz Fanon|Franz Fanon’s]] The Wretched of the Earth should have seen this coming. (In related news, the Guardian examines how bombers do little or nothing to win a war.)
• The Mind of A Criminal: “We think the older female who initiates the young boy in sexual activity is doing them some kind of favour,” says Dr Lisa Bunting, author of NSPCC report “Females who sexually offend against children”. Jacqui Saradjian, a clinical psychologist and author of Women Who Sexually Abuse Children, believes we just can’t picture women as abusers. “If you have a 14-year-old girl and a nearly 30-year-old man, then you’d think it was an assault. But if the victim’s a boy and the predator a woman, we don’t see that as an assault. So why is it different? We find it very difficult to picture the people – ie, women – we put in the caring, nurturing role as also the people who are committing abuse.” It seems to me that the issue isn’t one of assault or rape, but of interfering and rushing development in many cases involving both women and men. (This isn’t to deny the existence of genuine rapes by school teachers.) Read about the woman who may have inspired Notes on a Scandal.
• Governments and Their Toys: The much-ballyhooed epassport chips in Britain have only a two year warranty. “They are so new, no-one knows how long they will last, or how the scanners reading them will work, the National Audit Office said.”
• Cell Phones on Trial: NY is prepared to fine people who walk across the street listening to iPods or talking on their cell phones. “Government has an obligation to protect its citizenry,” [State Senator Carl] Kruger said in a telephone interview from Albany, the state capital. “This electronic gadgetry is reaching the point where it’s becoming not only endemic but it’s creating an atmosphere where we have a major public safety crisis at hand.” Was banning cell phone use in cars a slippery slope?
• The Opposite of What You’d Expect: The less you sleep the more likely you are to be overweight says a new study. “We found even an hour of sleep makes a big difference in weight status,” said Snell, a Northwestern doctoral student in human development and social policy. “Sleeping an additional hour reduced young children’s chance of being overweight from 36 percent to 30 percent, while it reduced older children’s risk from 34 percent to 30 percent.” I’m going to bed now.
• Another Study: Vagal nerve stimulation may do more than stave off depression. If mice are any indication, it can also prevent diabetes and hypertension.
• The Avant Garde: Check out this icon of Lenin trimming the beard of Saint Luke. Greek Orthodox traditionalists are up in arms about the image and threatening legal action.
• Too smart pet tricks: Observe this cat which figured out how to flush a toilet – repeatedly.

If you find any articles worthy of mention in these roundups, send the URL to gazissax at best dot com. And feel free to comment!