TMI
My brain has been working way to fast since I got back from silence and solitude. Thus, two posts in one day. If you have limited time and are more in the mood for something trite then you should stick to the earlier post.
I was reading the latest issue of Time Magazine last night and it has some articles that are worth checking out. The first is an opinion piece by Peter Beinart entitled Return of the Nixon Doctrine (link). It does a good job of outlining America's foreign policy from Nixon to the present and does so with great efficiency. I think Beinart does us a great service in explaining some of the turns in foreign policy that are going on right now, but also explaining why we can't rely on them forever. What it doesn't take time to do is flesh out some of ways in which the current terrorist issues we are dealing with in Afghanistan and in the Middle East are direct results of getting too infatuated with the Nixon Doctrine. Nonetheless, it's a piece that is well worth the couple of minutes it takes to read.
Another piece of note is an excerpt of a book that will come out later this summer about Billy Graham and his relationship with various presidents (link). The excerpt deals with President Ford's Christianity and how his spirituality led him to pardon Nixon. It also fleshes out why a very Ford wouldn't allow his devout Christianity to be a huge part of his election strategy versus Carter. It makes me really want to read the book when it comes out.
Finally, there was a good piece on John Edwards and his Presidential Candidacy (link). Edwards is in my top 4 for '08 (with Obama, Brownback and McCain). BTW, it still weirds my wife out a little that I'm so pumped about Brownback. Oh, and I am a little ticked that TIME typecast him this week as a rural conservative Christian. No magazine is perfect. Back to Edwards...I love his platform. His five points of emphasis are: "(1) Provide moral leadership in the world (2)Strengthen our middle class and end poverty (3)Guarantee universal health care for every American (4) Lead the fight against global warming (5)Get America and other countries off our addiction to oil." That's what I'm talking about. You go boy.
If you dislike John Edwards and feel like reading something less uplifting you ca read this op/ed piece from Kathleen Parker instead (link).
And in case you missed it today, Barack and his big old grill were smiling away at the top of the op/ed page this morning (link). It was the first thing I've heard (or read, rather) him say that was hardcore policy.
Ok. Last thing. I promise.
Did you know that China is forgiving $75 million dollars worth of African debt. A prominent African financial advisor noted that "China is not like the World Bank; they don't attach all these conditions on the money." Hmm. I wonder who he is talking about. Probably not the US, even though though the US pretty much runs the World Bank. He must be talking about somebody else.
There is a sad irony in the fact that certain countries raped and pillaged Africa and now they loan her more money than she can pay back in an effort to "help" her get back on her feet. It's insane. Not that China's motives are necessarily pure and philanthropic at their very core. They know that Africa provides great opportunity to sell cheap goods. They know that as the second Big Dog in the world right now that if Africa can ever get rebuilt they will be a formidable ally. But still. Why should Africa owe the World Bank (*US**cough**US**cough*cough**) anything?
Happy reading.
Fair Dinkum
I was reading the latest issue of Time Magazine last night and it has some articles that are worth checking out. The first is an opinion piece by Peter Beinart entitled Return of the Nixon Doctrine (link). It does a good job of outlining America's foreign policy from Nixon to the present and does so with great efficiency. I think Beinart does us a great service in explaining some of the turns in foreign policy that are going on right now, but also explaining why we can't rely on them forever. What it doesn't take time to do is flesh out some of ways in which the current terrorist issues we are dealing with in Afghanistan and in the Middle East are direct results of getting too infatuated with the Nixon Doctrine. Nonetheless, it's a piece that is well worth the couple of minutes it takes to read.
Another piece of note is an excerpt of a book that will come out later this summer about Billy Graham and his relationship with various presidents (link). The excerpt deals with President Ford's Christianity and how his spirituality led him to pardon Nixon. It also fleshes out why a very Ford wouldn't allow his devout Christianity to be a huge part of his election strategy versus Carter. It makes me really want to read the book when it comes out.
Finally, there was a good piece on John Edwards and his Presidential Candidacy (link). Edwards is in my top 4 for '08 (with Obama, Brownback and McCain). BTW, it still weirds my wife out a little that I'm so pumped about Brownback. Oh, and I am a little ticked that TIME typecast him this week as a rural conservative Christian. No magazine is perfect. Back to Edwards...I love his platform. His five points of emphasis are: "(1) Provide moral leadership in the world (2)Strengthen our middle class and end poverty (3)Guarantee universal health care for every American (4) Lead the fight against global warming (5)Get America and other countries off our addiction to oil." That's what I'm talking about. You go boy.
If you dislike John Edwards and feel like reading something less uplifting you ca read this op/ed piece from Kathleen Parker instead (link).
And in case you missed it today, Barack and his big old grill were smiling away at the top of the op/ed page this morning (link). It was the first thing I've heard (or read, rather) him say that was hardcore policy.
Ok. Last thing. I promise.
Did you know that China is forgiving $75 million dollars worth of African debt. A prominent African financial advisor noted that "China is not like the World Bank; they don't attach all these conditions on the money." Hmm. I wonder who he is talking about. Probably not the US, even though though the US pretty much runs the World Bank. He must be talking about somebody else.
There is a sad irony in the fact that certain countries raped and pillaged Africa and now they loan her more money than she can pay back in an effort to "help" her get back on her feet. It's insane. Not that China's motives are necessarily pure and philanthropic at their very core. They know that Africa provides great opportunity to sell cheap goods. They know that as the second Big Dog in the world right now that if Africa can ever get rebuilt they will be a formidable ally. But still. Why should Africa owe the World Bank (*US**cough**US**cough*cough**) anything?
Happy reading.
Fair Dinkum