Recently, Taliban insurgents overran an Afghan National Army base killing 21 soldiers as they slept. It was said to be the worst single blow to government forces since 2010. Corruption remains rampant in Afghanistan, fueled by the inflow of American aid. NPR's Morning Edition today laid out more of Hamid Karzai's despicably deceptive behavior. Today's New …
Continue reading Staggering human costs of Iraq and Afghanistan
15 years ago the Atlantic Rim Network hosted a symposium here on the dangers of the decline of international news coverage and the importance of making world events relevant to parochial audiences. It was January 1999. One participant, a CBS news producer, pointed to the other panelists (e.g. CNN, USA Today, NYTimes), telling them they were missing …
When President Obama back in 2010 said of the flawed Affordable Care Act, pass it now, fix it later, perhaps he never dreamed of the extent to which politics would have paralyzed the U.S. Congress. In the past, with major laws like Medicare and Social Security, legislators took an engineering model approach. Pass it. Test …
The initial images of the Sochi winter Olympics - tap water the color of urine, treacherous unfinished sidewalks, bathroom doors that wouldn't open, failed opening night electronic display - have given way to images of skiers doing death-defying summersaults off the chutes, elegant ice skating, breathtaking bobsled runs, the excitement of the T. J. Oshie goal …
Shirley Temple was three years old back in the 1930's when she started her performance career. She achieved major league stardom between the ripe old ages of six and 11. With her curly hair and twinkly eyes, she sang and danced and achieved the moniker of America's Sweetheart well before the days of American Idol. …
Claps for the Boston Sunday Globe's photojournalism spread by Mary Beth Meehan showing the pattern of violence in New Bedford against Mayan Guatemalans. They fled the war in Guatamela and came here for peace and opportunity, but they're being beaten and robbed by African-Americans and Puerto Ricans. They live in constant fear. Seems there's no end of viciousness that …
We believe in informed consent. What about informed dissent? The New Hampshire Union Leader recently reported that Granite State legislators will consider a proposal to allow voters unhappy with their choice of candidates to mark their ballots for "none of the above." What it says is that they care enough to go to the polls but …
Continue reading None-of-the-above an option for dissatisfied voters?
No mistake about it. Woody Allen's latest movie, Blue Jasmine, was deserving of an Oscar nomination, especially for Cate Blanchett's performance. Allen also recently won lifetime achievement recognition in the Golden Globes. This is more troubling. Allen is prolific and creative, but what does lifetime achievement really mean? NY Times' Nick Kristof last weekend published an open letter …
Continue reading Does moral turpitude negate high art or sports accomplishment?
