Sometime Blues

2004-07-26T08:12:00.000-04:00

BBC News: Homeless World Cup Helps To Rebuild Lives

This story spoke to me. Many ask what we need to do for homeless people to help them reclaim their lives, and still many others say that we should do nothing as a society because the homeless need their own chances to help themselves. This is a tremendous example of how both approaches to the problem of destitution need to be applied in creative ways. Everybody feels the results of homelessness in increased crime and increased public spending on housing and food. That is why we should actively encourage efforts to let homeless people help themselves. In an age where criminally deranged teenagers have taken to filming so-called "bum fights" and abuse of the homeless is disturbingly high, this is a prime example of what can work to help both the homeless and those among the population who feel unsure what to do about them. Now let's just see if we can get a U.S. team to win.

2004-07-25T12:20:00.000-04:00

Well this little project has reached a milestone. I still can't figure out how to use my site meter, or maybe it is true that nobody has ever visited this site; but somehow, we have reached the rank of 11943 in the blogosphere. Thanks to all those who I know have visited, including Ben, Miles, Brian, Jonathan, and Alex. You have made this worthwhile by... Ben posted something funny and Brian posted some good comments, and Jonathan and Alex had a miniature war discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict (and Miles just wasted space). Thanks again for your continued support. If anybody is offended that their name is not on this list, please submit a comment and you will get a free gift from the person who maintains this site. Disclaimer: Sometime Blues takes no repsonsibility for the actions of the proprietor which may result in injury, pregnancy, or mental anguish.

On a serious note, thanks everybody.

2004-07-25T03:47:00.000-04:00

CNN.com Kerry Advertisements

Okay, I can admit when I see offensive bias, whoever is the perpetrator. I don't understand why Kerry's ads are featured all over CNN. I will admit I frequent this site, because I think Fox News is even more offensive as a veritable advertisment in itself for the Bush-Cheney campaign from Bill O'Reilly to the bullying of Sean Hannity and the choreographed sniveling of pathetic, spineless, and maybe reluctant conservative apologist posing as a liberal, Alan Colmes. However, I cannot understand why CNN would display the Kerry ads so prominently. No overwhelming bias comes through in there programming, as it does on FNC. So why would CNN open themselves up to more attacks on this subject. Sure I like to see Kerry ads everywhere, but maybe a news site isnt the place. Perhaps Bush never tried to place adds on CNN.com, but regardless, I wish CNN would keep it toned down a little. As for this site, I try to keep the bias to a necessary minimum. Sometime Blues will not endorse any candidate this election cycle, but if anybody asks the writer and host who to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, I will tell them John Kerry and John Edwards (D).

And in Illinois, Barak Obama, and in South Dakota, Tom Daschle (much as it pains me to have him as the caucus leader), and in North Carolina Erskine Bowles (who has federal experience unlike his challenger, I think), and in Virginia, since we don't have an election for the Senate (and the DNC doesn't run Senate candidates in VA anyway), I'd have to support John Warner (R) for his next time up for re-election and anybody who runs against George Allen (R), because I think him as one in the same with George Bush, Rich Santorum, and Bill Frist (telegenic conservatives who do not care at all about those who disagree with them). Ok, that's all.

2004-07-25T03:21:00.000-04:00

The Economist:
The Crisis in Uganda
The Flames of Darfur

These two stories highlight two examples of crises that are being ignored for all intents and purposes on this very day. The civil war in southern Sudan, which happens to involve one of the largest supplies of oil on the African continent, gets all kinds of attention from the administration, but the brutality in Darfur, named as genocide by the U.S. Congress, has inspired little action. The southern civil war has raged for decades, and the Arab government fighting for control of oil resources, that the U.S. may or may not be interested in, has worked closely with Osama bin Laden in 1980's and 1990's. Meanwhile, in Uganda, and country close to Rwanda and the chaos of other Central African trouble spots, a fundamentalist "Christian" cult has been perpetrating almost the exact same crimes that insurgent guerrillas did in the genocide in Rwanda of a decade ago, and in Sierra Leone and Liberia recently. When will the world, especially the only world power that has committed itself publicly to battling terror and despotism throughout the world, recognize terror when its shows itself openly. Hoepfully the U.N., NATO, or the EU will pursue action when economic and political pressure inevitably fail to change the position of Khartoum. What would Sudan have to do to provoke a U.S. attack. Apparently supporting terror is not enough anymore, if it ever was.

2004-07-23T18:35:00.000-04:00

I know its been a while, nearly three months. A lesser man might be discouraged by such a gap. It might deter him from the business of keeping his constituency informed. It might even (have) led him to scrap his blog entirely. But not this man. I will forge ahead with a new sense of purpose.

So reader(s), I hope your summer(s) is(are) going well. Mine is. I am working at Georgetown but in a better position then in summers past. I am also getting in better shape, working hard on the rush efforts on behalf of THE BAKER'S DOZEN , and writing my own pieces again. Look forward to seeing some soon.

So to get to the point. I frequently hear conservatives laud George W. Bush and celebrate his unceasing dedication to principle. "He is a steady leader in uncertain times" Well I'm we can all agree that singularity of purpose CAN be a good thing, but is not always called for. For instance, had Saddam Hussein never chosen to cease being an American stooge and chose his own path for his megalomania, he never would have been ousted. Had he only remained under the less than subtle influence of the U.S. Dept. of Defense under President Reagan, he might still be the democratically elected president of Iraq that he claims to be.

Bad example? Try this one.

If the founding fathers had stayed committed to the principles of limited government embodied in the Articles of Confederation, arguably the model for the later Confederate Constitution, then the United States would never have been blessed with the Constitution. In fact, the Constitution which we hold so dear (which by the way, we should never let be cheapened by attempts to exploit its provisions for political gain), was a COMPROMISE, something with which the radical conservatives in control of the majority party seem unfamiliar.

Now we turn to President Bush. His unshakable "resolve" made him resolved to go to war. Enough of us recognized the truth, that his warnings that he would reserve war as a last resort were nothing more than a warning of the impending war, long before any commission anywhere started to report on intel failures. His faith in his notion of God also leads him to obedience to his Christian values which prompted him to execute record numbers of inmates as the Texas chief executive and to cut the funding to institutions that seek to use stem cells to pursue medical process.

While I disagree with some, like Bill Maher, that Bush shapes his foreign policy (if at all himself) according to the Book of Revelations, but I assert that the obvious truth of this administration has been intrasigence with respsect to many issues; from obstructing congressional investigations of secrecy and misconduct to the course we took in the action against Iraq and its people. John Kerry may not always know how to stand unflinchingly in the face of reality, but he at least knows that sometimes you need to open your eyes and look at reality before you confront it.

Oh yeah, and Kerry has better hair.

2004-04-28T04:45:00.000-04:00

Running For the Right: Life and Liberty

My friend Brian saw the film We Were Soldiers and produced this statement in favor of President Bush's war. I think this emotional response to a movie is symptomatic of the emotionalism that reigns in the decision-making of some conservatives. The only meaningful insight made is that he realizes that he sounds simplistic, because of course, this argument is incredibly simplistic and ignores the history behind the situation is Iraq, the traditional formation of US foreign policy, and the issue of the secrecy that surrounds this administration. Of course Brian would disagree.

2004-04-18T20:57:00.000-04:00

The Economist: Southern Culture

Jonathan lives near Bossier City. Go figure.

2004-04-09T15:50:00.000-04:00

BBC: Belgian Police Clock Mini-Cooper at Mach 3

Belgian Police accused this guy of driving at three times the speed of sound. I find this really amusing. If this were America, the guy would sue the cops. I know that I would, mostly because I want to recover some of the money that I have lost in speeding tickets. Odds are their radar malfunctioned and the guy will just have a funny story to tell. But those Mini-Coopers are pretty fast...

2004-04-08T02:12:00.000-04:00

BBC: Crimean War Tortoise Dies

Perhaps it is my own ignorance of biology, but I still find it interesting when I hear about the long life spans of some animals compared to humans. This tortoise lived to the age of 160. Something like that makes me wonder why humans are designed to live such a short life and if we would generally enjoy living longer. More importantly, I wonder if the ship whose mascot he was, actually performed any more effectively because of their mascot turtle. I mean tortoise.

2004-04-05T13:33:00.000-04:00

Debka: Analysis of the Recent Fighting in Iraq

Debka is one of my favorite sites for news and analysis. This article is a good example of what they're all about. I think the article gives some insight into the motives of some of the important decisionmakers in Iraqi and Middle East politics. It also indicates just how difficult it will be for the US to extricate itself from Iraq. (On the other hand, I'm not sure how much of the article is based on solid intelligence and how much is based on speculation -- but I hope you'll find it interesting nevertheless.)

2004-04-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

Telegraph UK: Watergate Aide Compares Bush White House to Nixon Administration

Clearly the timing of this comment and book release, just after the blockbuster release of Richard Clarke's book, must make one suspicious. Dean has profited from his role in the Watergate scandal in the past. However, one must also consider that Dean, as a participant in the most important political scandal of the last half-century is in a unique position to judge the indicators of a corrupt administration. While Dean must judge the current White House as an outsider, as must we all, he recognizes the frequent use of executive privilege to justify extreme secrecy as a political tactic.

2004-04-03T15:46:00.000-05:00

Sports Illustrated: Debut of Freddy Adu

This story has caused quite a stir in American soccer circles. As a player from this area, I know people who have played with and against Adu and speak highly of him. His seems to be a very mature soccer player and quite a well adjusted person. I invite any comments on the situation of a child of his age becoming a professional athlete.

2004-03-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

So we played with fire and sort of got burned. If you want to post long arguments, that is cool, but please do it in the form of comments in the future. Otherwise people will think this site is just about Jonathan's encyclopedic knowledge about Israel or Alex's course notes, or my ranting about racism, economic injustice and the virtues of Seinfeld and Elimidate. That being said, allow us to move on.

AP: Bush Campaign Attacks Soft Money Use by Opponents

In an effort to discredit Kerry, who does have a precarious record on fundraising, the Bush campaign has filed a complaint with the FEC regarding the use of soft money contributions by Anti-Bush groups. Firstly, Kerry has definitely done nothing illegal. His campaign would have to do very little to motivate many of these groups, which arose before he began his candidacy, to raise outrageous amounts to defeat Bush. Secondly, it shows the inherent flaws in the federal campaign funding system that Bush can raise bundles of hard money and still collect if from large single donors and it is still technically legal. Ideally we could get Russ Feingold (D-WI) to run for president, but in his absence, defeating Bush will be the biggest step forward for campaign finance reform.

The Economist: Uzbekistan Deals With Terror

While no reasonable person can support terrorism anywhere, I condemn the Uzbek government just as much as the Islamist militants who perpetrated these attacks. Karimov's government is scarcely different than that of the worst Soviet dictators, which Karimov was until the veil of capitalism became enough cover to deter American "justice". Groups like these are only able to take root in Uzbekistan, as they have throughout the Muslim world, because of corrupt and repressive dictators like Karimov that have all to often been supported by world powers like the Soviet Union and the United States. I find it repugnant that Karimov is our ally because he is certainly not a far cry from Saddam Hussein. The main difference is that Karimov is much more in control of himself. Until the current administration makes some effort at regime change in Uzbekistan, I will hold to my contention that a double standard is in use to identify "rogue" regimes.

Running For the Right: God Bless America

It is great that America is taking a stand to defend the rights of this girl to wear what she pleases and practice her religion freely, but do not use this an an example of why America is more principled than France. We are not fighting a war against all enemies of freedom, but selected enemies. We are not invading Russia, Uzbekistan (see above post), North Korea, China, or ceasing to support anti-democratic insurgents the Americas. America chooses its battles carefully, as it should, but not always according to any one principle. I am not going to say that this is a PR stunt (albeit trivial), as I would have no evidence with which to back up that claim. But I would not be surprised if it was.

2004-03-31T02:33:00.000-05:00

I'd like to thank Alex for his informative response to my post. I've read the World Net Daily article again, and while I certainly agree with Hagee's conclusions regarding UN actions in Israel, it is true that he throws in a few other points without providing any real evidence. Clearly, Hagee's article is no substitution for a thorough history of the entire conflict, and in particular the 1948 war. That said, I cannot agree with all of Alex's conclusions.

The crux of the matter seems to be Hagee's statement, "When you declare a war – and lose that war – you must be prepared to live with the consequences of that war." I'll get to that in a moment, but first I'd like to introduce another quote. "This will be a war of extermination and momentous massacre, which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades." That was the Arab League's secretary general, Abd al-Ahlman Azzah Pasha, on the eve of the 1948 war. There are many similar quotes, but I think that this one is particularly vivid. Had the Arabs won, there would have been no Jewish refugees -- only Jewish corpses. Accusations that Israel acted too harshly ignore this crucial fact.

To keep my post from being longer than the articles themselves, I’ll skip the important issue of how large numbers of Palestinians became refugees – in other words, what exactly Israel’s actions were – though perhaps I’ll get back to it another time. Instead, I’d like to talk about the Palestinians themselves. “When you declare a war – and lose that war – you must be prepared to live with the consequences off that war.” The first phase of the war, lasting from November 29, 1947 until April 1, 1948, was a Palestinian offensive resulting in heavy Jewish casualties – and therefore Palestinian Arabs share the blame for the attempted “war of extermination.”

But should Israel have let the Palestinian refugees back in anyway, as the UN asked? I don’t think so; the following words of the Egyptian foreign minister speak for themselves: “it is well known and understood that the Arabs, in demanding the return of the refugees to Palestine, mean their return as masters of their homeland, and not as slaves. More explicitly: they intend to annihilate the state of Israel.”

So much for the Palestinians’ intentions; but what of their historical claims? Have “the Arabs of this territory lived there for centuries?” I don’t think so – the vast majority moved to Israel to take advantage of the economic opportunities that resulted from Jewish settlement, and indeed from 1921 to 1939 far more Arabs immigrated to Palestine than Jews. At the same time, there had always been a Jewish presence in Palestine, especially in Jerusalem. While it is important to understand the anger of the Palestinians, it is also important to recognize that their anger could stem from something other than an actual historical wrong – for example, it could come from the constant incitement to, in the words of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, “Murder the Jews. Murder them all.” Similar incitement continues to this day on PA television and in PA-controlled mosques.

Finally (and I know I’ve gone on way too long), I question whether Hagee’s idea that the Arab states could accept the Palestinian refugees is indeed foolish. They do indeed share a common language and culture, and Israel assimilated an even larger number of Jewish refugees from Arab states. Addressing the past in a truthful and open manner is a starting point for finding real solutions, and I think that one person who may realize that is Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), recently the prime minister of the PA, who has said that the Arab armies abandoned the Palestinians after they “forced them to emigrate and to leave their homeland and threw them into prisons similar to the ghettos in which the Jews used to live.” No lasting peace is possible until the Arabs stop cynically exploiting their own refugees. “We brought disaster upon…Arab refugees…” said the former prime minister of Syria, Khalid al-Azm, in 1972, “in the service of political purposes.” No lasting peace is possible until the political purpose of the Arab states ceases to be the destruction of Israel.

2004-03-30T02:22:00.000-05:00

Visitors may notice that they can now post comments on posts they find interesting. This has happened for two reasons: 1) Some new people have begun to post things that might elicit comments 2) I found the code to make comment posting possible. What a world we live in.

The Economist: Rwandan Recovery

Here is a good example of when democracy goes wild. For nations making a transition from colonialism to self-rule, sometimes democratic government is not the best starting point, especially when ethnic tensions have built up as they had here. This example reminds me of the Balkan states from the period between the World Wars and immediately after the end of the Cold War and of contemporary Iraq. With respect to the potential for horrifying ethnic violence, Central Africa seems no different from any other part of the globe.

I think the Rwandan example is a good one for other Central African nations that have endured decades of ethnic violence that seemed to be a unending cycle. Certainly the policies of the current government will need to be altered in the future and hopefully a democratically elected government will eventually be able to rule in peace in years to come. However, I can imagine no better temporary solution to the perpetual blame game that led to the bloodiest civil wars ever than to forget about them for a while and remember how to live in peace. If only the Union had been as good about de-programming Confederates at the end of the Civil War, perhaps we would not have the strains of bigotry and separatist terrorism that haunt America today. Hopefully Rwanda can continue to learn from the mistakes of others.

2004-03-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

World Net Daily: UN Israel Policies

Above is an article Jonathan posted to add to our understanding of what's going on in Gaza. This article talks a lot about the 1948 War, which is very important because it's consequences are the roots of the current situation. I have learned some about this war in my history class on this conflict, and although I don't know a whole lot, I know enough to see that in this article Dr. John Hagee is making some serious historiographical errors.

In 1948 Palestine had just been handed over to the United Nations by the British, whose mandate over the Ottoman territory they had acquired after World War One proved disatrous. The conflict between Palestinians and Jews was becoming worse and worse, so the UN voted to divide up Palestine into an Arab State and a Jewish State. The Zionists proclaimed the independent state of Israel and very quickly the Arabs attacked, and impressively and surprisingly quickly the Israelis had repelled them and taken territory that the UN had set up to be Arab land. Most importantly, nearly 100,000 Palestinians who had been living in the land now called Israel and in the extra area Israel conquered, were gone. Some of them fled, some were encouraged by their own leaders and by Israelis to get out of the way of the war, and some were undoubtedly exiled and forced to leave the country.

Many villages were destroyed and the remaining ones were soon filled with Israeli settlers. Dr. Hagee says that the Palestians had all 'fled' their homes and makes it seem ridiculous that they now want to come back even though their homes happen to no longer exist. But after extensive debate between historians it seems quite clear that the Palestinians did not all leave on their own volition. The UN asked that the Palestinians be given back thier homes once they wanted them, but Israel has refused.

Hagee says, "When you declare a war – and lose that war – you must be prepared to live with the consequences of that war." There are several problems with this insinuation. First, he simplistically equates Palestinians with all the other Arab states that fought Israel in 1948. Second, it is important to remember that from the Arab point of view, the war was declared when a foreign country was suddenly and artificially created right in the middle of their territory. I do not mean to imply that Israel did not have a right to exist there, but I just think that seeing it from the Palestinian point of view is helpful to fully understand the situation. Third, Israel did not just defend it's right to exist as the UN mandated, it took new territory. Finally, it must be remembered that once, in 70 ad, the Jews lost a war and were expelled from Eretz Yisrael, lived in the Diasopora for centuries, and then fought to regain the territory, citing their rights to the historic homeland. Similary, the Arabs of this territory lived there for centuries, and now were forced out of it, and still to this day are struggling to regain it. This comparison is clearly flawed because the Jews did not use suicide bombings to get their state, but by looking at it in this way we may understand what makes the Palestinians so angry.

Making them more desperate and humiliated and wishing that they would just dissappear into the neighboring Arab states where Hagee foolishly assumes that they would be welcomed because they have "the same religion [and] speak a common language," certainly isn't going to help. I don't pretend to know a solution because many of the mistakes were made nearly half a century ago, and I'm just starting to educate myself on this issue, but I know that if any solutions can be found we cannot let history be written like Dr. Hagee did.

2004-03-29T12:02:00.000-05:00

Hello Matt -- and hello, America. Well, maybe just Matt. I would like to comment on the "silly" nature of Israel's actions regarding Gaza. Let's talk about what exactly Israel has done. Has Israel kicked UN aid workers out of Gaza, or forced the UN to stop immunizing children? No, of course not. Israel has tightened the Erez border checkpoint, the site of numerous suicide bombings and frequent gunfire. Is this action "silly"? Moreover, is it "harebrained," which according to Microsoft Word is a synonym for "silly"?

Middle East Info: Erez Checkpoint

Take a look at the article on the above website. The Erez checkpoint was supposed to be a checkpoint where Palestinian Arab workers could move in and out of Israel with a minimum of hassle and delay. A Palestinian woman responded to this opportunity by going to the checkpoint, pretending to be an ailing invalid, drawing sympathy from the Israeli soldiers, and then murdering those soldiers and a nearby civilian.

How do I know that there have been numerous other attacks, including frequent gunfire? That's because it says so in the CNN article itself! "Abu Hasna said the crossing is the site of frequent gunfire and exposes U.N. workers to unnecessary risk." In other words, when Palestinians are launching terrorist attacks on the crossing, the U.N. doesn't want to be around -- but they insist that Israelis leave themselves in harm's way by not tightening security around the checkpoint. Sure U.N. workers want to drive right through the checkpoint -- but do you think Israel is stopping those cars and containers because they hate it when Palestinians get food and immunizations? No, it's because Israel's first priority is, and must be, stopping suicide bombings.

This "silly" priority is especially important in light of the UN's lack of neutrality when it comes to Israel. The UN spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year in Gaza -- on food and immunizations, yes, but also on arming Palestinian terrorists and ensuring that these unfortunate Palestinians endure a "permanent refugee" status, where their squalor can always be blamed on Israel. This article lays it all out:

World Net Daily: UN Israel Policies

Through this -- and numerous other anti-Israel and anti-Semetic policies -- the UN has forfeited all right to special neutral status in Israel at the expense of security against suicide bombers.

2004-03-29T02:04:00.000-05:00

CNN: UN Withdrawal From Gaza

I agree with my friend Brian that this approach seems quite silly. Punishing those is Gaza is not an effective tool to change the behavior of Israelis or and militant groups on the other side of the conflict.

2004-03-29T01:52:00.000-05:00

The Drudge Report: Clark Book Deal

Obviously this story and others like it are meant to highlight the gains that Richard Clark is making in order to characterize him as an opportunist who has no regard for the state of the nation. However, nobody makes those accusations when Sean Hannity or Ann Coulter write books that use the war on terror or some other sensitive issue to level criticism exclusively at liberals. Clearly the timing of this book release is not ideal because it will influence voters, but this election cannot happen in a vacuum. And more to the point, why should Clark be vilified for presenting his opinion of the facts. If the administration would declassify his testimony and perhaps provide some evidence of their own besides attacks on Clark's character and credibility, then perhaps the American people could make an informed decision on their own without the standard partisan information dissemination that happens with every story from inside the beltway.

2004-03-29T01:42:00.000-05:00

New York Times: Kerry Delivers Speech to Missouri Congregation

I do not understand how the White House can find fault with Kerry speaking about compassion in a church. If Bush can use his spiritual beliefs in speeches about abortion rights and gay marriage, then why can Kerry not discuss his in a church of all places. The White House is using some strange double standard in this regard. Kerry's comments may have been a bit odd in light of the already bitter tone of this campaign season, though I agree that Christian compassion is a valid point to address in a president to admits to let his religion guide his policy decisions, but the reaction is the real demonstration that this race has too much of a negative focus to sustain interest. If the Republican Party is trying to turn people off from the election in the hope that low turnout will help Bush, they are off to a good start but our electoral system is not.

2004-03-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

Well I'm back from Spring Tour. That means that I will be recovering for the next few weeks. However, I am not too weak to set the record straight. Miles, if you ever want to punch me in the face, come and try it. Also I run this site and if you don't like it, well that's tough luck.

Also, anybody visiting may notice the link I am putting up for the Baker's Dozen Website. Go and buy a CD and write in that you bought it because of Matt Robinson.

Here are some news stories for people. Remember, more Americans get their news from sometimeblues.blogspot.com than any other nationality (I stole that from the Daily Show).

The Economist: Taiwanese Elections

So the president of Taiwan got elected again but his referendum to plunge the Pacific into a war failed. Good news all around.

BBC: Oklahoma City Conspirator On Trial Again

This is sad, because it will mean that those hurt by this tragedy are going to have to live through some of it again. But one positive is it will draw attention to domestic terrorism, something the current administration has ignored for far too long. However, this may just be a way to satisfy critics without actually focusing on the problem of domestic terrorist groups. If you want to comment, as always, e-mail me at matthew.l.robinson@yale.edu.

2004-03-03T22:41:00.000-05:00

The Economist: Regenerative Dentistry

This is a really strange story about the most mundane human imporvement that can result from stem cell research. Also, this is terrific. My teeth are lame, and I have always wanted new ones. It now appears that in a few decades I will be able to discard these and start changing them every few years. Now all I need is a way to grow a new circulatory and digestive system. Then I will be set.

2004-03-02T04:47:00.000-05:00

BBC: Scottish Chef Crowned Curry King

Well I promised gastronomical news, so here it is. This guy, like great Indian food, is awesome.

2004-03-02T04:31:00.000-05:00

Pravda: Epicenter of Racist Violence

What I cannot understand is that in a world where America and her "allies" (like Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Russia) claim to be fighting terrorism, how can racial violence fail to be called terrorism. Just because these criminals don't attack ethnic Russians, doesn't mean that they are not using violence to provoke fear in a population. In Russia it is easy to write off the apathy of law enforcement as the detactchment of a government concerned only with Chechen rebels and political rivals. However, racial violence is not dead in America, and George Bush has seldom if ever addressed the issue of domestic terrorism that doesn't involve Muslim fundamentalists. Why, if this "war" is primarily concerened with putting an end to terror, are some forms left to be dealt with later? This is not a lost generation. This is one face of yet another international conspiracy to terrorize millions of civilians.

2004-03-02T04:28:00.001-05:00

Fugufish.org: Gay Marriage

I know that mine is not a totally unique view, but I believe it has a place nonetheless. I agree that the government should get out of the "marriage business." I believe that marriage is for one man and a woman but I also believe that the religious beliefs of myself or others should not govern acts like sexuality and marriage, which do not threaten anybody's right to life, liberty, or property. If the government wants to represent all Americans and not a narrow electorate of conservative voters, which requires cleanly funded elections and significant voter turnout, it will restrict its regulation of family arrangements to child welfare and legal/economic arrangements like civil unions, different from marraige in that they do not rely on love or religion to validate them. I think it is just to restrict civil unions to two people because, if not, lots of people could dramatically take advantage of the economic benefits of civil unions unfairly. Aside from this, there should be no restriction of legal "marriage" (a term which I feel has no place in legal discussions.

I also think that dismissing a comparison between forbidding gay "marriage" and anti-miscengenation laws is careless. Those who forbade romance and legal interactions between blacks and whites of opposite sexes used their own historical definition of marriage to provide justification for a certain type of injustice which was illegal. I think that the government should give no recognition of romantic relationships, only economic ones. but if any of these relationships are recignized, then all of them must be recognized to ensure that no Americans are treated and second class because history has shown that this can happen, even in a republic that worships at its own altar, celebrating its own traditions of liberty and justice.

2004-02-26T09:59:00.000-05:00

Fugufish.org - The newest crap from the University of Chicago

My friend Alex Moore made the above blog. It is a big fancy blog with places to comment on each story and cool gaphics. Alex is a huge nerd. Anyway, he put a link to this site so I am putting up a link to his site the only way I know how; not through flashy links and controversial comments, but through an ordinary link in a mundane post. As always, e-mail me at matthew.l.robinson@yale.edu to be added to this blog because that is the only way I have found to respond to anything you might read here. Also e-mail me if you are familiar with blogspot and can tell me its secrets (Moore this means you).

Addendum: You may note the link to this site on the right side of this screen. That means that I have in the last few minutes I figured out how to add links. So please ignore the above message except in the case that you want to be added, still e-mail me at matthew.l.robinson@yale.edu, or you are Alex, whom you are probably not.

2004-02-26T09:49:00.000-05:00

Manhattan Institute: Anit-Nuisance Laws

This article is garbage. The rigorous enforcement of anti-nuisance laws means that you can't urinate off a train anymore. I have this friend, it's not definitely me, who recently had to go to court. He had to pay about $30 for train fare and a $50 fine to a city in which he does not even live just to have the opportunity to relieve himself out of sight in a place away from other people because it happened to be in between two train cars; but he was wrong, it was stupid and he is very sorry.

2004-02-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

Yale Daily News: Disordered Eating Panel

When I saw the headline for this story I thought it would be about eating schedules and how many students don't find time to swipe during dining hall hours and this sponsor the Broadway economy by patronising Gourmet Heaven at 2:00 am, however, I quickly discovered that it was abotu something much more interesting. Easting disorders are widespread in a society that is increasingly overweight. Young people trying to buck the trend devote a lot of attention to making their bodies look right for a number of reasons including the satisfaction their internal needs for superficial reinforcement (I think that means feel good about how they look).
It is refreshing to read about experts who put some emphasis on media constructs as sources of pressure for not only women, but men as well. Even more importantly, this piece outlines why the "steroidization of male bodies" is also dangerous. Many men and women in college do attribute greater value to the figures of varisty athletes, gymnasts, and dancers, but do not realize what danger those value judgements pose. One part of the solution to this problem is for men and women to be conscious of their judgements of appearance and be open to interaction with people of all body types. Do not reward those "activist" bodies that reflect physical preoccupation with perfection. In short, hot girls should give guys like me a chance.
Personally I advocate a physical regimen composed of sparse, light weightlifting and maximal hyperactivity with vocal exercise.

2004-02-23T01:19:00.000-05:00

CNN: Defeat of Iranian Reformers

The inevitable defeat of the reform movement in Iran has been realized. Many are asking why did they lose? That question may not be as important as determining whether or not their defeat will be the end of liberal reforms in Iran. Conservatives in parliament are promising to continue reform efforts that have softened life for Iranian youth and somewhat improved the human rights record and overall international standing of Iran. However the Iranian economy is still ailing and the recent actions of the Council of Guardians suggests that some reforms maybe a lost cause for now.

2004-02-23T00:58:00.000-05:00

The Economist: The Jews of Uganda

There are other black Jews, besides me, in the world who are not Ethiopian. I think that the refusal to recognize these people may demonstrate that criticism of Israel for racism is not completely unfounded. Also I note that Israel sold arms to Idi Amin. Granted they stopped the sale after a point, but America also took a while to stop arms sales to a tyrant in Iraq in the 1980's. That doesn't make them, Israel or America, any less culpable for their part in the damage done by these two brutal dictators. I would also like to note that Likud, more Sharon than the party as a whole, is taking a brave step in exploring dismantling of the settlements. Even if it is a diversionary tactic, I am happy to see it done. So hopefully this week there will be some more good news for the Jews (all of us).