The Next Hurrah

Friday Hurrahpertif - Open Thread

By Meteor Blades

The History News Network has reprinted from the Austin American-Statesman a provocative essay by Thomas G. Palaima - a professor of Classics at the University of Texas - on why we need a new Iliad:

Ironically, prominent historians of classical Greek warfare such as Victor Davis Hanson and Donald Kagan have argued for preemptive warfare and unilateral assertion of power, in direct contradiction to the lessons that most thinking human beings derive from the fate of classical Athens in the second half of the fifth century B.C.E. And they, like us, have not addressed what damage an all-volunteer army - something tantamount to a mercenary force and rightly unimaginable in the ancient Greek city-states - will eventually do to our country's social and political fabric.

We really do need an "Iliad" to bring us back to reality. The movie "Troy" held promise, but its director thought that the key to understanding the meaning of the quintessential Western story of war was that Achilles is Superman and Hector is Batman. So "Troy" gave us entertaining costume epic and soap-opera emotions and special effects. …

"The Iliad" gives an honest picture of all aspects of warfare: betrayal of "what is right;" egotistical high command foul ups and their consequences for the common troops; a wide range of behaviors, from cowardice to courage; the tragedy of war for civilians in a city under siege and ordained to be taken and destroyed; "berserker" rage; fellow feeling for the enemy, most famously in the private "truce" between the Trojan ally Glaucus and the great Greek warrior Diomedes; the truly human affections of a king named Priam and a queen named Hecuba for their son Hector, affections that are publicly displayed in gut-wrenching personal terms with no thought for political delicacy or spin; the love of Hector, whose very name means "holder" or "preserver" of his city, for his son Astyanax and his wife Andromache - and her fierce attachment to Hector; the gory, clinically accurate violence of over 200 detailed combat deaths; war for less than noble purposes; betrayal by the gods and the ineffectuality of piety; the joyful pleasure battle can give some men; the role of blind luck in combat; and even what von Clausewitz, more than two millennia later, called the "fog of war."

"Superman" and "Batman" had some great sword fights in Troy, the only good thing about that movie.

Let's Make a Deal: A Word on Judy's Timing

by emptywheel

There's been a lot of discussion on the timing involved in Judy's deal with Fitzgerald. Was it Franklin's plea bargain? Was it DeLay's indictment? Of course, none of these make sense, since she has been working on a deal for almost a month and a half.

Actually, Murray Waas tells us what the catalyst to Judy talking was. In large part, his own article.

A short time after that story appeared (indeed a very, very short time-- about a week later), Miller's attorneys and Libby's attorney, Joseph A. Tate, began prolonged negotiations that would lead to Libby finally providing her a personal waiver that would lead to her release and testimony. There is quite a backstory there, and my then unnoticed Prospect story paved the way, in large part, I am told for those negotiations.

My guess, from this, is that Judy used the news that Scooter had already talked about the meeting himself as an entre to start negotiations. Moreover, I imagine she felt a little exposed here. Imagine going to jail to protect a source, but in so doing, allowing him to tell his side of the story but not you to tell your side of the story. I think that'd make me a whole lot less willing to take the fall, particularly if I felt Libby had misrepresented the story. Particularly if I were as interested in self-preservation as Judy.

Bird Flu - What's A Reasoned Approach?

by DemFromCT

We've been blogging about avian flu and the threat of a pandemic here and at Daily Kos for over a year. In that time, concerns have gone from fringe awareness to mainstream. The internets have done their part, with flu boggers leading the way.

This week seems to have been a turning point, perhaps because of the cluster of unrelated cases in Indonesia. In addition to the National Geographic cover story, PBS covered pandemic flu in the opening of the series Wide Angle, and yesterday the Senate weighed in, passing a 3.9 billion pandemic flu amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill, capped off with a joint Frist-Reid apprearance on Nightline. All this is competing with some meaty political stories but still getting play, and this morning the AP reports:

GENEVA -- The U.N. health agency on Friday said it was impossible to estimate how many people may would die from a new influenza pandemic, adding that it has warned countries to prepare for a death toll of up to 7.4 million.

"We think that this is the most reasoned position," said World Health Organization spokesman Dick Thompson, warning that "you could pick almost any number."

While some still downplay the risks, it's clear this isn't all hype and stage lighting. The political and medical community are gearing up for a major prevention effort, which has to start with education.

We at Flu Wiki are part of that process. We are cooperating with multiple web sites to promote Pandemic Flu Awareness Week Oct 3-9. And as to predicting the risks, that can't be done. But Katrina taught us that uncommon things still happen, they just hapen uncommonly. The risk of getting struck by lightning is one in six million, yet it's still foolish to play golf or swim in the midst of a thunderstorm.

We don't all need to turn survivalist today, but educating ourselves about the potential risks and keeping up with the news is a prudent thing to do. Some preparation efforts will serve you in a hurricane, a blizzard, a blackout or an earthquake. The difference with pandemic flu is that everyone is affected, and that's another thing to keep in mind (you can't expect huge amounts of help from a neighbor state).

Certainly there's more information to come, and seemingly much more 'official' news from the feds. In the meantime, keep informed, and use the internets to its best advantage. No one can predict where and when a pandemic starts, but right now, all eyes are on Indonesia. As impossible as it seems, low probabability is not the same as no probability. How else would insurance companies make a living?

I may not know why a caged bird sings--but I've got my guesses

by emptywheel

And so the martyr for the First Amendment ends up betraying her source.

Around 6 pm tonight, the Philly Inquirer first broke the story that Judy Miller had been released from jail after agreeing to testify. Judy claimed she had been released by Scooter Libby to talk. But if I had to guess, I'd say she backed Libby into a corner so she could get her "release."

The Inquirer story, at first, depicted Libby's side as rather taciturn about the development.

Libby's lawyer, Joseph A. Tate of Philadelphia, declined to comment.

Since then, however, he has undeclined to comment.

Thursday Hurrahpertif - Open Thread

By Meteor Blades

Ever since my blogmate, DemFromCT, started scaring the pants off me with his avian flu pandemic commentary and links, I’ve been looking for something to repay the favor.

Today’s Independent delivered, combining two apocalypses in one:

Last week, the latest study to track global warming revealed that Alaska's snowless season is lengthening. As the world warms and ice-sheets and glaciers begin to melt, most of us worry about how the earth will respond and what kind of impact climate change will have. Will flooding become a regular feature, or is the land going to become parched? Are hurricanes and typhoons going to spring up in places they have never visited before? Is the rising sea level going to swallow some of the world's most fertile farmland, along with millions of homes?

All of these are valid concerns, but now it turns out that the impact of global warming could be worse than we first imagined. Ice sheets are mostly frozen water, but during the freezing process they can also incorporate organisms such as fungi, bacteria and viruses. Some scientists believe that climate change could unleash ancient illnesses as ice sheets drip away and bacteria and viruses defrost. Illnesses we thought we had eradicated ... could reappear, while common viruses like human influenza could have a devastating effect if melting glaciers release a bygone strain to which we have no resistance. What is more, new species unknown to science may re-emerge. And it is not just humans who are at risk: animals, plants and marine creatures could also suffer as ancient microbes thaw out.

Gree-aaa-t. Maybe we’ll get to find out firsthand what really wiped out Neandertals.

In The News

by DemFromCT

Did you hear Tom DeLay got indicted? And that DeLay and Hastert wanted Drier but conservatives said no way? And that Dreier as a skilled Rules committee person (and no threat to DeLay) would have been a help, but conservatives said no way?

There was one big problem: When DeLay's indictment was unsealed yesterday, conservatives in the GOP caucus immediately erupted in anger over rumors that the selection of Dreier, whom they regard as too moderate, was being presented as a fait accompli.

Did you hear tha there'll likely be a SCOTUS nominee announced as soon as Bush can put down his FEMA jacket and put on a tie? And that it'll eother satisfy everyone or no one? And that it'll be <whisper> because he needed to satisfy <whisper>??

Your turn. There's lots to talk about today.

[UPDATE: CBS News radio says no new nominee this week]

She's The President

"Commander in Chief" , the new ABC drama about a female President, got off to a strong start last night. The premise of the show, if you haven't already heard, is simple - a Republican Presidential candidate, sagging with female voters, asks university president/former Congresswoman Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis) to be his running mate. 2 years into his term, he dies. The mustache-twirling Speaker of the House (Donald Sutherland) expects Davis to resign, but she refuses, setting up a battle of wills between "good" and "evil". There is also a healthy dose of family life - a whiny, right-wing daugther, an underwear model esque son, and a confused husband (Kyle Secor) who, in the best moment of the pilot, stares in abject horror at a painting of Nancy Reagan.

The show has already been slammed as an "infomercial" for Hillary Clinton. So embarrassed by this tenuous connection were the producers that they devoted several moments to a minor White House staffer who essentially tells the First Husband not to do anything Hillary did. There has also been extensive criticism of the show for an anti-Republican bias. The speaker is belittled for supporting Creationism, and blood drips from his fangs every time he appears oncamera.

Personally, I felt that the show was far from a liberal propaganda outlet. Once you get past the speaker, all other Republican characters were presented as compassionate, sensitive, or at the very worst, competent. The Republican administration was presented as diverse. Much sympathetic attention was given to the Republican chief of staff, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Senator Barack Obama. The deceased President was presented as a droll, intelligent man who was deeply loved by all around him. The pilot repeatedly reminds us that Davis was an independent (or perhaps, "NOT A DEMOCRAT, REALLY SHE ISN'T!!"), and that she left Congress because she was sick of gridlock. She does not spend the first episode railing against polluters, or defending abortion or same sex marriage or welfare - she threatens to bomb Nigeria unless they release a woman who was sentenced to death for committing adultery. Entering into a potentially endless war, even under the best circumstances, isn't exactly the liberal position these days.

House Katrina Panel: Dem Boycott Busted; Who's to Blame for Throwing the Blame Game?

by Kagro X

Not sure precisely how I want to read this one, but Gene Taylor (D-MS), Armando's pick for Democratic front man on Katrina (a selection which caused some controversy) has broken Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's boycott on the official (and Republican-led) House investigation:

After Rep. Pelosi declined to appoint members to fill the nine Democratic seats on the 20-seat panel, charging that the investigation was a "sham," chairman Davis invited three Democrats from the Gulf region to participate on their own. In a gesture of good will, Davis asked Rep. Gene Taylor (D) of Mississippi, who lost his home in hurricane Katrina, to open questioning in the panel's first oversight hearing on Sept. 22.

Taylor takes with him Democratic Reps. Charlie Melancon and William Jefferson (of  "most corrupt" list fame), both of Louisiana.

Wednesday Hurrahpertif - Open Thread

By Meteor Blades

The good folks over at Media Matters have noted that there’s some movement, if not yet a sea change, in how media figures view their coverage of Mr. Bush.

In recent weeks, several prominent journalists have publicly acknowledged that the U.S. media accorded President Bush too much deference following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman and NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams both noted that it was only in observing government failures in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort that journalists began seriously to challenge the administration. NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell conceded that reporters have been "less challenging" since the attacks. Friedman wrote that the 9-11 attacks created in the media a "deference" towards the administration. Williams described the press corps as "settling in to too comfortable a journalistic pattern," a phenomenon he described as the "9/11 syndrome." …

[From the 9/17 Los Angeles Times:]

DeLay Out... Indicted On Criminal Conspiracy

by DemFromCT

DeLay must step down by House rules, likely relaced for the moment by Dave Dreier. This is about Texans For A Republican Majority's PAC. The rest of his sleazebag history is still out there.

The political implications of this are huge. And the idea that Abramoff is the tip of the iceberg just got some major public reinforcement. This is a party that doesn't play by the rules. In fact, they rewrite the rules to suit themselves.

Life just changed on Capitol Hill. And methinks, for the better. Any spin that suggests that DeLay's removal doesn't matter is just blowing smoke.

This is an open thread.