Friday, December 17, 2004
Weekend Reading
Some fine reading to tide you over during the weekend:
Laura Rozen points to this Matthew Yglesias post which calls out Washington Post columnist David Ignatius for some "columnist-amnesia-itis" regarding his apparent flip-flop on Iran's influence in post-invasion Iraq. Today's Ignatius rather contradicts the cock-sure predictions of pre-invasion Ignatius. Matt also points to Ignatius's Post colleague Charles Krauthammer's own amnesiac assessment of Iran's increased presence in Iraq. Reminds me of TIA's diagnosis of columnist-amnesia-itis over Krauthammer's revisionist apologia for civil war in Iraq. The only constant is the condescending tone with which their critics are dismissed.
Publius points to a short but important history lesson from Kevin Drum on the real story behind the economic miracle of Reagan's vaunted tax cuts and why, yes, deficits matter.
Also via Publius, Digby's got the right idea about the tone to take when fighting the upcoming battle over the future of social security. If the Republicans are going to demagogue the public with duplicitous claims that Social Security is collapsing, manipulating the media to crowd out reasoned debate, then fight fire with fire. Make the reasoned arguments about the plan's specifics when and wherever possible. Otherwise, cry bloody murder about the GOP's attempt to scrap Social Security altogether, because that has always been their underlying goal.
Juan Cole with a piece on the confounding bureaucratic workings of the Bush administration and how they are thwarting democratic reformers in Iran.
Mick Arran, slightly acidic tongue placed firmly in cheek, on why the critique of Alberto Gonzales's torture memos from some military personnel shouldn't raise an eyebrow during confirmation hearings.
See you on Monday.
Laura Rozen points to this Matthew Yglesias post which calls out Washington Post columnist David Ignatius for some "columnist-amnesia-itis" regarding his apparent flip-flop on Iran's influence in post-invasion Iraq. Today's Ignatius rather contradicts the cock-sure predictions of pre-invasion Ignatius. Matt also points to Ignatius's Post colleague Charles Krauthammer's own amnesiac assessment of Iran's increased presence in Iraq. Reminds me of TIA's diagnosis of columnist-amnesia-itis over Krauthammer's revisionist apologia for civil war in Iraq. The only constant is the condescending tone with which their critics are dismissed.
Publius points to a short but important history lesson from Kevin Drum on the real story behind the economic miracle of Reagan's vaunted tax cuts and why, yes, deficits matter.
Also via Publius, Digby's got the right idea about the tone to take when fighting the upcoming battle over the future of social security. If the Republicans are going to demagogue the public with duplicitous claims that Social Security is collapsing, manipulating the media to crowd out reasoned debate, then fight fire with fire. Make the reasoned arguments about the plan's specifics when and wherever possible. Otherwise, cry bloody murder about the GOP's attempt to scrap Social Security altogether, because that has always been their underlying goal.
Juan Cole with a piece on the confounding bureaucratic workings of the Bush administration and how they are thwarting democratic reformers in Iran.
Mick Arran, slightly acidic tongue placed firmly in cheek, on why the critique of Alberto Gonzales's torture memos from some military personnel shouldn't raise an eyebrow during confirmation hearings.
See you on Monday.
