Soccer Dad: Submitted 11/20/08

November 20, 2008

Submitted 11/20/08

The Watcher's Council submissions are UP!

Intolerant Gays Attacking Religion - Rhymes With Right writes about three instances where gay activists resorted to protesting against religion and asks where has freedom of religion gone and why have these episodes not received much coverage?
The Coming Mortgage Class War - When I was applying to college there was a story about two families who had identical income. One family was frugal and saved for their children's college education. The other went on nice vacations every year and got a new car regularly. So when it came time for college which one would get the government aid? The Provocateur - and later see the Glittering Eye - writes about how the government fix to the mortgage crisis will have the effect of helping those who were reckless and have a possible effect of causing resentment among those who were responsible. Related see here. (via memeorandum)
The Afghanistan Blues - Joshuapundit writes about the challenges facing the United States in Afghanistan. I especially liked this observation:

Back when Musharraf was in power, the Pakistanis leaned a bit more towards looking the other way when we bombed the North West Frontier Provinces. But he's gone now, and the President-elect had a part in his demise. Hearing an American presidential candidate from a major party talking about invading part of Pakistan helped undermine Musharraf, who was seen by the people now in control of the country as a US stooge.

Yes loose lips.
Oh, the musical memories ... - Most submissions to the Watcher's Council are political, but every once in a while there's a personal reflection.The Colossus of Rhodey.Hube recalls a trip he took at the end of high school to Europe as part of a school jazz band. It's a great story.
Perpetually Selfish Anger and Victimhood - Bookworm Room writes about the groundbreaking work of Martha Gellhorn in profiling the Palestinians. She notes that Gellhorn observed that what motivated the Palestinian refugees was not their displacement - which could be solved by resettlement - but hatred of Israel and the West that's endemic to their culture - a quality not given to a solution. Elder of Ziyon has written about Martha Gellhorn's article before here and here. He also noted that an award was named in her memory though the people associated with the award, clearly have little understanding of what he she had written.
COIN of the Realm -
The Razor writes about the lesson to be taken from Iraq and suggests that the same counter-insurgency strategy be implemented in Afghanistan. It would appear, that the United States is at least doing something similar in opening schools on the Afghan border with Pakistan.
Names will never hurt me - the double standard - I wrote about the stark contrast in the reactions of Israel's critics to the comments of Rahm Emanuel's father as opposed to their silence when Israel's actual "peace partners" say (or don't say) things that call into question their commitment to peace.
Winners and Losers- Like the Provocateur above, The Glittering Eye is concerned with the government supporting the losers and the possible ramifications of such actions.

Detente In Our Time - Obama Prepares To Sell Out Poland In The Face Of Russian Aggression. Again. (Plus: By The Way, Missile Defense Works) - Mere Rhetoric writes about President-elect Obama's failure to back up Poland on the subject of cooperation on missile defense. I wonder if Anne Applebaum, whose husband is a former defense minister in Poland is starting to regret her endorsement.

On the non-council side I nominated Time for a Culture Change at Laz-a-Fare about his observations in a Baltimore courtroom,

Read. Enjoy. Be informed.

watcher's council.