"American adjustments may have come too late and help too little ...
American adjustments may have come too late and help too little
In these hectic days, with the chief prosecutor and defenders of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) presenting their cases in the closure process, a slight change of tone can be detected in the rhetoric of Turkey's long-time ally and (as many take for granted) staunch supporter of democracy, the US.Gun views across the pond
As has been dominating the US headlines today, the US Supreme Court finally ruled that the individual right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment, though reasonable limitations can be applied. I was slightly surprised that the decision was split 5-4, considering the vast majority of the American people and politicians have been operating under this assumption for decades. It's unfortunate that every single decision has to become an ideological test instead of an application of some common sense. Even Barack Obama, who is loath to involve himself too intimately in this debate, has stated that he believes in an individual right guaranteed by the constitution.Top Interrogators Declare Torture Ineffective in Intelligence Gathering
Source: Human Rights FirstMiscalculation in Washington (2)
In my previous column, we dwelled on why the United States took up an impartial attitude -- "in the name of keeping an equal distance to both camps" -- toward the developments that paralyze democracy in Turkey even though the same developments have sent shockwaves across Europe.Muslim world speaks out on Obama
Yasser KHALILObama, McCain and Europe
Marco VINCENZINODignified MacShane-bashing
Denis MacShane is an unusual character. Rather a loose cannon as Europe Minister, he’s undoubtedly one of the most pro-EU MPs in the Labour Party. But his article on Comment is Free about European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson is wide of the mark, although the main gist of the article is fine.
Essentially MacShane’s line is that the European Commission has been right to argue for the reduction of agricutural tariffs in the WTO - it helps the world’s poor. He’s also right that France and Ireland are at the opposite end of the spectrum to the UK on agricuture - put up the barrier protectionists, and that Sarkozy was wrong to vehemently attack Peter Mandelson, blaming him for the French No vote. Bit cheap because the French were to blame for the European Constitution balls-up.
No rivals on Team Obama
Barack Obama is fond of citing Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, not least because the Illinois senator styles himself as Lincoln's heir, but also because, as he put it to Time's Joe Klein, "The lesson is to not let your ego or grudges get in the way of hiring absolutely the best people."
Getting to Know Obama
We are barely at the beginning of the long period in which most Americans will give their first serious scrutiny to the presidential candidates and decide whether Barack Obama or John McCain will get their vote.A New Social Contract
For the first time since 1964, Democrats have a good chance not just to win the White House and a majority in Congress but to enact a sweeping new liberal agenda. Conservative ideas are widely discredited, as is the Republican Party that the right has controlled since Ronald Reagan was elected. The war in Iraq has undermined the conservative case for unilateral military intervention and U.S. omnipotence. Economic insecurity has led Americans to question the rhetoric about "big" government, while President Bush's embrace of new federal programs has undermined GOP promises to cut spending.Political Segregation Increases Culture Wars in America
"Americans are increasingly choosing to live among like-minded neighbours. This makes the culture war more bitter and politics harder," writes The Economist
Barnett: "Don't expect Europe to step in line behind any new American president."
Thomas P.M. Barnett has a column in the Knoxville News Sentinel in which he reports on the mood of government officials in the Netherlands. There are a lot of interesting angles in the article -- for instance on McCain's 'League of Democracies', which the Dutch do not appreciate, and on European worries about trade rhetoric by Obama, which would be overblown as Obama is pivoting to the centre faster than the eye can see.
New Report from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life Finds Religion in U.S. is Non-Dogmatic, Diverse and Politically Relevant
Source: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life today released its second report on the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, which finds that while many Americans are highly religious, most are not dogmatic in their approach to faith. This new analysis examines the diversity of Americans’ religious beliefs and practices as well as their social and political attitudes. It follows the first report of the Landscape Survey, which was published in February 2008 and detailed the size, internal changes and demographic characteristics of major religions in the United States.
Senators McCain and Obama: How Will they Vote on the Wheelchair Bill?
By Patricia Lee Sharpe
While Obama and McCain play to the crowd on the oil price crunch, Congress is playing games with Medicare.
On the one hand, we have Republican politicians shouting that we can’t afford Medicare, much less universal health care, which many Democrats more or less support, while clinging to various coy and complex reservations. I include Obama in this flirtation with meeting American’s health needs, because he has not, to my mind, been sufficiently comprehensive in his goals or clear in his assertions. McCain is essentially for total health care privatization, which definitely won’t help to raise America’s life expectancy stats to a respectable level.