Monday, February 25, 2008

The f’ing cradle of civilization! (4:49 pm)

Nice recap of the Bush Administration’s weak record in Africa by Joshua Kurlantzick. It’s an topic the president is often celebrated for, even though his major policies haven’t addressed the crucial needs of the continent — whether it’s strengthening links with some of Africa’s most brutal regimes in the name of fighting terror or the refusal to fund AIDS prevention programs focusing on needle exchanges and aggressive condom promotion in favor of scientifically-questionable abstinence promotion schemes. Coupled with the Iraq war and the continent’s long and destructive legacy of Western colonialism, it’s no surprise Africans are suspicious about AFRICOM.

posted by Adam Doster | start the discussion

Lunchtime links (12:44 pm)

1) Elizabeth Warren on the changing politics of bankruptcy.

2) J Street, Hayes’ new Nation blog. I’m up for reading anything tangentially related to John Jay.

3) Judis on Obama as an Adamic figure. I’m not sold on the idea that there exists a “radical center” where moderate ideology and the desire for good government overlap in the way Judis describes, but a thought-provoking piece nonetheless.

posted by Adam Doster | start the discussion

Teenage wasteland (11:11 am)

Christopher Leinberger takes to the pages of the Atlantic with this piece on the possible decline of suburbs.

For 60 years, Americans have pushed steadily into the suburbs, transforming the landscape and (until recently) leaving cities behind. But today the pendulum is swinging back toward urban living, and there are many reasons to believe this swing will continue. As it does, many low-density suburbs and McMansion subdivisions, including some that are lovely and affluent today, may become what inner cities became in the 1960s and ’70s—slums characterized by poverty, crime, and decay.

It’s an interesting read, but I’d just like to dig a little deeper.

Although he briefly discusses the different challenges individual communities face at the end of the piece, it’s worth pointing out that suburbs are not monolithic by any means. In many inner-ring suburbs — abandoned by industry with outdated housing stock and a limited tax-base to fund crucial services like transit and schools — these changes occurred long ago, mostly hidden in an American policy blind spot. This is only a new phenomenon in far-flung exburbs, one that the mortgage crisis has certainly sped up.

Also, I agree that America’s growing preference for higher-density, urban housing is undoubtedly a good development. But, as always, when moneyed populations relocate in large numbers, the poor and working class are the ones forced out and/or left behind. And a major knock against New Urbanism (which Leinberger strangely calls Lifestyle centers) is that the communities do a poor job providing for mixed-income housing. If we’re serious about infilling our cities, we need to implement solid, fair housing policy regulations, like inclusionary zoning, land banking, thoughtful subsidy dispersal, to mitigate the negative effects of gentrification.

posted by Adam Doster | start the discussion

Fili-Busters (11:04 am)

Remember when movement conservatives hated filibusters? Well, they still kind of do.

Back in 2005, Senator John McCain of Arizona and fellow members of the so-called Gang of 14 were hailed as heroes in some quarters when they fashioned an unusual pact that averted a Senate vote on banning filibusters against judicial nominees.

Now Mr. McCain’s central role in that effort, which cleared the way for confirmation of some conservative jurists, is cited as one reason for lingering distrust of him among many conservatives.

Except when it’s part of their governing strategy, that is.

posted by Adam Doster | start the discussion

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Our (Yellow) Bodies, Ourselves (11:44 am)

Some videos on YouTube appear to be made almost exclusively for my own enjoyment. This is one of them:

(H/T Feministing

posted by Brian Cook | 1 comment

Saturday, February 23, 2008

McCain’s media love (12:42 pm)

I think Ezra Klein is wildly off-base in his assessment of why the media adores John McCain.

What very few (male) reporters feel comfortable with is their personal physical courage. Their ability to fare well in a bar fight, or make a credible threat to someone stalking their wife, or endure five years of torture in a Vietnamese prison camp. McCain has something that they don’t understand, and that they want. And it’s one reason they like him. Because not only does he possess those qualities, but he also appears to like them. And that validation from a tough guy is reassuring.

That seems like highly-generalized, unsupported psycho-analysis to me. Another reason, which Jason Zengerle pointed out last month, seems a lot more sensical.

The simple explanation is: McCain affords the press access like no other candidate. In the McCain campaign, there’s no barrier between candidate and reporter. If you have a question for McCain, you don’t have to bother going to his press secretary; you simply go ask him.

Even in my very short career, I know how annoying it is to work through press flaks. Easy access is incredibly valuable, especially for reporters working on tight deadlines, and probably, reason enough to cut a guy some slack here and there.

posted by Adam Doster | 2 comments

Friday, February 22, 2008

Unions are good for workers? Preposterous! (5:12 pm)

Nathan Newman has reasons, Ezra Klein has a chart.

posted by Adam Doster | start the discussion

dead prez in the Times (4:57 pm)

Well, Kristof’s blog. But still dope.

And don’t fret, Mr. Okun. There’s another way!