Textual Healing 12.30.2008

The Israeli Defense Force has opened a channel on YouTube to post videos showing why they’re fighting Hamas. One of the most-viewed shows Hamas terrorists loading rockets into a truck in a residential neighborhood. Hamas supporters are using YouTube’s “flagging” feature to get the, videos removed: What YouTube Doesn’t Want You to See.

Here’s the pulled video, still available on Liveleak:




The New York Times Editorial Board weighs in on the current Gaza conflict with absolutely nothing new to say. Israel "must make every effort" to limit civilian casualties while Muslim countries should "pressure Hamas" to accept a new ease-fire. The Times blames the conflict on Israel for failing to halt settlements and goes on to suggest that Hamas, irredeemably committed to wiping out Israel, should be "pressed" by Arab states to renounce violence. Don't hold you breath waiting for that to happen.

A much more interesting Times story comes from guest columnist Judith Warner, who continues the discussion of suburbia prompted by "Revolutionary Road." In "The Lure of Opulent DesolationWarner says children born in the 60's and 70's never rebelled against the suburban life like the Baby Boomers. Having "experienced divorce or other sorts of family dislocation, " Gen X'ers don't see the comfortable, stable life depicted by"Leave it to Beaver" and "Happy Days" to be such a thing.

Anne Applebaum in the Washington Post writes about "The Greatest Speeches of All Time," a CD she gave her husband as a Christmas gift. Applebaum quibbles about a few of the disc's choices and points out that any recorded collection of speeches can't have greats like Lincoln or Cicero, but the collection still moves her to muse of the unique glory of America as expressed the words of its leaders.