Call It A Comeback
Steve Chapman points out that sovereignty means you get to make your own choices and your allies ought to respect those choices.
Germany is highly averse to fighting wars. They backed us in Afghanistan and they backed us in Kosovo. The fact that they are leary of Iraq isn’t a betrayal, it is their right. They certainly aren’t the pain in the ass that France is.
The Chicago Tribune dedicates the entire editorial page to a single death penalty reform. Police are good people for the most part, but because they are good people they do the best they can to prove a case. Unfortunately, this eagerness causes the system to be warped. Creating checks on that eagerness is reasonable and just.
Update:
On Sunday, Clarence Page points out the advantages of videotaping confessions in relation to the police. I have always been amazed at the resistance to the idea. It should reduce the number of coerced confession claims plummet. And provide some juries some good laughs as they watch the fools confess on camera and then claim they were coerced by the withholding of M&Ms.
One of the common screeds from conservatives advocating vouchers for schools (I’m a liberal advocate of vouchers), is that private schools are cheaper and so vouchers would save money.
This ignores that some private schools are cheaper than public schools based tuition. Tuition doesn’t cover all costs in such schools. Catholic schools are the primary example. Catholic schools are a horrible comparison to public schools. Most diosceses subsidize the schools, physcial plants are shared with other facilities, and teacher pay is low.
If you look at other secular private schools their tuition is similar or more than most public schools per student expenditures. And such schools often have other sources of income.
The NY Times Rothstein points out we have good examples of how to increase teacher retention and it shouldn’t be hard to figure what that is for those who understand economics. He suggests, increase salaries for teachers. Surprise, in New York this worked.
The claims of vouchers being cheaper fails to grasp this and many other issues. There is a pool of cheap labor out there for private schools, but it is limited and highly unlikely to expand greatly. Increasing teacher salaries is going to be necessary to increase the labor pool.
Duh.
This story describes the difference in operating methods and identifies some of the tensions seen in Somalia. While it shouldn’t be dismissed, the Special Ops guys don’t exactly play well with others. The specific incident is troubling, but one incident.
Instapundit appears to be confused. The polls are good for Dems and the three on the trip to Baghdad simply aren’t that influential. One is leaving Congress and got his butt handed to him in the Michigan gubanorial primary. The other two aren’t party leaders so I have to wonder how two backbenchers and a retiring leader out of public life are going to tarnish an entire political party?
Their argument about dishonesty is made by Kinsley and others in the press as well. This isn’t a fringe idea. Indeed, Weisberg (see below) thinks as I do, we should take on Iraq despite the dishonesty of the administration.
This series of posts shows the problem with most of the loudest supporters of Iraq. They don’t understand non-proliferation or the real precedent we are creating.
I’m for an attack on Iraq. Friedman and Weisberg make the point better than I do, I’d like to think because their jobs allow them the time. Counterpoints that have been especially well done include Steve Chapman (always a great read) & Michael Kinsley. And let me tell you, the dishonesty of the administration is unbelievable.
Non-Proliferation is a problem we should have been fighting the last 20 years. And some have been like Dick Lugar and Sam Nunn (an unfortunate member at Augusta). Others get in a tizzy over it when they see an example of someone they don’t like–Saddam Hussein.
We can, and should take out Hussein, but another will spring up elsewhere. Controlling fissile material has little to do with him and given the number of times we have found it being trafficked, this wasn’t necessarily going to Iraq. Or at least Iraq under Hussein’s control. Hussein is an issue of a specific threat with a relatively easy solution.
Non-Proliferation is a long-term problem in search of a strategy. Let’s not forget, Gephardt had to scare the administration into including full funding for the Lugar-Nunn initiative back in January. Did you hear about that at Instapundits site? Why not?
Update: This page lists several cases of theft of fissile materials. The confusion between the Iraq threat and the threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons has been completely confused by many in the current debate. What stuns me i s the lack of attention to serious non-proliferation and the mistaken notion that taking out rogue states like Iraq will solve the problem.
The Sun-Times offers up a tear jerker about affluent districts having to pinch pennies–er sort of.
The Des Moines Register reports Vilsack is opening up a lead.
The Sun-Times does a good job covering the details of the Cruz case and how it relates to Jim Ryan and Birkett.
While I’m happy to make fun of the Illinois Circular Firing Squad Team, the particular slate put up this year is disturbing in relation to their actions in the Cruz case.
A goo-goo with a good column on a recent report by Brookings on hiring of appointees.
ArchPundit