Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Selling Out
I usually don't do link dumps around these parts, but there are a few quick hitter stories that you might want to check out without the gratuitous thousand words of E-Mart commentary tacked on. In some particular order:
Ezra Klein links to an informative, easy to read graph charting the relative trajectories of CEO Pay vs. average worker pay over the past 10 years or so. Any guesses on the trends?
Kevin Drum has a nice rundown of many of the Bush administration's contradictory and hypocritical policies vis-a-vis "terrorism." Much to the surprise of all, I'm sure, the Bush team is willing to sponsor and support terrorists that target our adversaries. Although Kevin left out the Cuban/anti-Castro storyline this time.
Rob Farley has two very smart pieces on the recent revelation that the Bush administration circumvented UN sanctions on North Korea (sanctions that the Bush administration had spent years securing support for) in order to funnel arms to Ethiopia. Kevin flagged this as one instance of hypocrisy as mentioned above, but Farley ties it, quite nicely, to the broader attitude in conservative circles toward the UN and multilateral organizations in general.
Speaking of Ethiopia, Matt Yglesias is manning the Somalia watch today - no doubt influenced by news such as this:
UPDATE: Oh, and I was criminally negligent to fail to link to this Tony Karon post. Others have linked to it, so you might have had the good fortune to come across it already. If you haven't, though, do go read. A remarkable essay - even if not entirely new, it is a superb summary and compilation.
Ezra Klein links to an informative, easy to read graph charting the relative trajectories of CEO Pay vs. average worker pay over the past 10 years or so. Any guesses on the trends?
Kevin Drum has a nice rundown of many of the Bush administration's contradictory and hypocritical policies vis-a-vis "terrorism." Much to the surprise of all, I'm sure, the Bush team is willing to sponsor and support terrorists that target our adversaries. Although Kevin left out the Cuban/anti-Castro storyline this time.
Rob Farley has two very smart pieces on the recent revelation that the Bush administration circumvented UN sanctions on North Korea (sanctions that the Bush administration had spent years securing support for) in order to funnel arms to Ethiopia. Kevin flagged this as one instance of hypocrisy as mentioned above, but Farley ties it, quite nicely, to the broader attitude in conservative circles toward the UN and multilateral organizations in general.
Speaking of Ethiopia, Matt Yglesias is manning the Somalia watch today - no doubt influenced by news such as this:
Recent clashes pitting Ethiopian and Somali forces against clan militia and insurgents killed at least 1,086 people and wounded more than 4,300, according to a local committee set up to assess the damage.Making friends. Influencing people.
The committee's report obtained by Reuters on Tuesday said 1.4 million people fled their homes in the Somali capital because of the March 29-April 1 battles.
"This is a rough estimate and the number is going to be much higher because we have not ventured out of the main roads," Siayaad told Reuters.
"The dead bodies are still there and it will take weeks to collect all of them."
UPDATE: Oh, and I was criminally negligent to fail to link to this Tony Karon post. Others have linked to it, so you might have had the good fortune to come across it already. If you haven't, though, do go read. A remarkable essay - even if not entirely new, it is a superb summary and compilation.
