There is nothing surprising in this passage, "It is important to note that the Jews did not forcibly expel Palestinians." Then you find out that Muammar Qaddafi wrote it. In the New York Times.Gail Collins said the Obama inaugural was like "Woodstock without mud," but she can't decide if the new president is Jimi Hendrix or Country Joe and the Fish. Collins frets about the potential Treasury Secretary's tax problems and wonders why Nancy Pelosi left Charles Rangel in charge of the Ways and Means committee, despite Rangel's "incredibly sloppy personal finances." Fair question.
Kristoff, like everyone else, was thrilled by Obama's speech. The writer gushes about so-called soft power, making the rather obvious point that the US cannot always rely on military force. Kristoff cites this passage from the Inaugural; “Our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.”
Which is a lovely thought. It was equally lovely when George Bush said the same in 2000 and 2001, dropping gems like "We must be proud and confident of our values, but humble in how we treat nations...," "...We will show purpose without arrogance" and "pursue a humble foreign policy." Funny. It sounds a lot different when Obama says it.
The new president has already moved to close the prison at Guantanamo. But, says the Chicago Tribune, that leaves "the vexing problem of suspects who appear guilty and dangerous, but can't be tried in federal court." For instance, some suspects may be impossible to convict because putting forth evidence would compromise intelligence sources. That's most likely the case with the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks. We've got to do something with the guy.
U2 has a new album. The first single "Get On Your Boots," will be released as a digital download February 15th, with a physical format following the next day. Listen to the new tune here.
The album, "No Line On The Horizon," was produced by Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Steve Lillywhite, in Morocco, Dublin, New York and London. Yeah, it's hard for a band to stay relevant when the whole group is over 40 and is already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, especially if you are as cloyingly omnipresent as Bono & Co. But we are still interested enough to give it a listen; at the very least to hear what Eno and Lanois have done.
