Soccer Dad

Submitted 06/27/2007

This week's Watcher's Council submissions are in.

The Glittering Eye uses an episode of the Twilight Zone to wonder if invading Iraq was a folly unique to George W. Bush, or would President Hillary Clinton have found it necessary, too, to invade in That Haunted Look. Writing about Rod Serling makes him wonder about who the best writers for television were/are. If you want to add your 2 cents to his survey feel free.

In The SciFi Channel: Human Invaders, Colossus of Rhodey.Hube discusses a new series in which humans are the cruel interstellar conquerors striking fear into the hearts of peace loving aliens all across the galaxy. He finds it unlikely that a society advanced enough to develop interstellar travel would not "come in peace." Though he brings a few counterexamples from popular culture to demonstrate the conditions where such a twist could occur.

Done with Mirrors writes of the Take Back America conference, in Backing America. He argues that even those who disagree with the nature of the conference can see something of themselves in the Take Backers, but he marvels at the event that inspired them to join the "storefront political commentary racket."

In life with an old dog Okie on the LAM a tribute to an old "canine" friend. And Okie, don't worry about the personal submission, we were treated to a similar tribute a few weeks ago.

Bookworm Room takes issue with A stunningly dishonest piece of advocacy writing about the Supreme Court. She shows how an article by Jeffrey Toobin equates taking the elasticity of the elastic clause with reversing a previous decision. It isn't, rather it is an exercise in interpreting the law as written instead of liberally creating new rights and freedoms.

In another legal analysis, Rhymes with Right in Is Tinker Dead? looks at the Supreme Court's recent "Frederick" decision and finds it disappointing that the Court supports restrictions on student speech by public schools. The council has considered similar territory here and here.

In Dividing and Conquering or Dancing with the Devil? Big Lizards considers the news that the Bush Administration is looking into the possibility of engaging the Muslim Brotherhood. He thinks it a good idea and that it is exactly what the army has been doing in Iraq in turning tribal leaders against Al Qaeda. Though I'm skeptical of the idea he makes a strong case that it's worth a try.

The education wonks leave the classroom for a soapbox in NEA Boondoggle or money well spent? wondering if the noble idea of the NEA is really worth funding given other priorities at this time.

Cheat Seeking Missiles seeks out the Most Ridiculous story of the year (2) and finds it in an argument to withdraw the troops from Iraq. In response he argues that progress is being made and that things can get worse. (This reminds me of the debate candidates Steele and Cardin had on Meet the Press. Cardin said that things in Iraq couldn't get worse, to which Steele responded they certainly could. Alas Cardin won the election.)

JoshuaPundit assesses the success of Operation Arrowhead Ripper in General Petraeus: Fighting on two fronts winning and playing for time. He's encouraged that the United States is finally carrying out a sustained offensive and bringing the fight to the enemy. Of course if the General is to complete the job he's assigned he'll have to win on the ground on a different battlefield - Congress. May I suggest as a companion piece Understanding Current Operations in Iraq by Gen David Kilcullen?

"If pro is the opposite of con then the opposite of progress is Congress" seems to be the theme of Right Wing Nuthouse's Tinkering with Immigration bomb will only set it off. He argues that a bad bill, such as the one current being considered is worse than doing nothing, but Congress eager to show that it has accomplished something, anything, is dead-set to get it passed regardless of the consequences. As with Cheat Seeking Missiles he's arguing that Congressional Democrats have been weaker than one may have thought since their big triumph in November.

My own contribution was Abbas over Easy, a critique of Charles Krauthammer's uncritical judgment of the 'moderate" Palestinian president.

Read. Enjoy. Be informed.