Aggrepost: Of Critiques, Reunions, and Reform
» LAT: Mega-projects could reshape L.A. growth (Cara Mia DiMassa)
Interesting read, if only for what it might have in store for what we can expect here in Houston. I'm more than a little wary of most grand "smart growth" attempts. The story linked yesterday about Wallis, TX offers a few micro-lessons in how poor bets can have an ill effect on a community years down the road, also. Still, read the thing and see what you think.
New issue out now. There's few articles that just jump out at me for immediate reading, but that's not likely to prevent me from reading it cover to cover anyways. Interesting choice for inclusion though: Jeff Faux on globalization. That's not your average DLC/PPI style pick there. More in line with the type of stuff I'm expecting is this article on socially responsible. How can you miss with a subtitle like this:
Progressives need to end their fixation with corporate social responsibility–and focus on reform that actually works.
Clay Risen is another good bet for good reading. So if you're not going to read the whole thing, there's your short list.
» Hillary, Meet Barack. America, Meet the New Storyline
» Hey, Victor Davis Hanson! It's Not Our Fault
Paul McLeary has a twofer of must-reads over at CJRDaily that your week isn't made until you've read them both.
» RATT and Van Halen are both reuniting (minus Robbin Crosby, of course). The summer tour season might be fun after all. Actually, I saw Dave "sing" at the Sam & Dave tour with Hagar years back. He clearly didn't have it anymore and his performance was a complete joke. I swore then that, as a diehard Van Halen fan, I seriously did not want to see DLR back in the band. I think I'm just coming off that due to the fact that it'd still be Eddie playing guitar on a stage and I might be willing to pay the $100 ticket price to see the original lineup (I passed on the Van Hagar version at that price). Whatever ... just get on stage and play guitar.
» WaPo: Beyond Baker-Hamilton (Barry McCaffrey)
Best for last here. McCaffrey's been critical of the ISG from the get-go and his critique is one that has to serve as surprising in terms of the ISG leaving this out there. Maybe that's why the report is such an orphan right now, with no party really wanting to pick it up and run with it despite popular support for the report by the public.
Let me add a note of caution regarding a deceptive and unwise option that springs from the work of the Iraq Study Group. We must not entertain the shallow, partisan notion of rapidly withdrawing most organized Marine and Army fighting units by early 2008 and substituting for them a much larger number of U.S. advisers -- a 400 percent increase -- as a way to avoid a difficult debate for both parties in the New Hampshire primaries.This would leave some 40,000 U.S. logistics and adviser troops spread out and vulnerable, all over Iraq. It would decrease our leverage with Iraq's neighbors. It would not get at the problem of a continuing civil war. In fact, significantly increasing the number of U.S. advisers in each company and battalion of the Iraqi army and police -- to act as role models -- is itself a bad idea. We are foreigners. They want us gone.
Lack of combat experience is not the central issue Iraqis face. Their problems are corrupt and incompetent ministries, poor equipment, an untrained and unreliable sectarian officer corps (a result of Rumsfeld's disbanding the Iraqi army), and a lack of political will caused by the failure of a legitimate Iraqi government to emerge.
We need fewer advisers, not more -- selected from elite, active military units and with at least 90 days of immersion training in Arabic. Iraqi troops will not fight because of iron discipline enforced by U.S. sergeants and officers. That is a self-serving domestic political concept that would put us at risk of a national military humiliation.
Add-on thoughts ...
» Bring it on! .... indeed. You just gotta love that old man Al's breakin' the news to beauticians. I've also heard he sent a letter to area pastors pleading bankruptcy as his basis for running again. Borris apparently wasn't hurting. After winning the primary he chipped in some change to folks named Hopson ($2000), Thibaut ($4000), Farabee ($1000), Vo ($1000) and Robbie Cook ($1000). And don't forget the fact that the guy made sure Dot Nelson had a nice chunk of change to get her "Roll.Everywhere" campaign going up in HD150. Dude hasn't even been sworn in yet and he's done more for his party than Al Edwards ever did.
» Oh yeah ... Joel on Barbara Walters' lil show: my thoughts over at the other blog. Suffice it to say, but I think the old lady would do better to fascinate herself elsewhere.