Buck Naked Politics

Update/News Round-Up: Rising Death Toll in India; Commentators Questioning Links to Al Qaeda & Allegations that Attacks Were Aimed at Foreigners

by Damozel | Further update:  Death toll is now at 119.  A BBC update indicates that the death toll has risen from 80 to 101.  Gunmen are holding people captive in an office block.  (BBC News 11-27)    Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister suggests that the attackers are "from outside India." (CNN)  In the same article, CNN reported that six of the dead are foreigners.  Among 314 wounded, seven are Britons and two Australian citizens.  The same reported estimated that there were 26 gunmen.   According to a CNN report from Indian media, NDTV reported at 9 pm ET that 5 have been killed, 9 arrested, and 3 have been escaped.

The New York Times has published an update.  At present the alleged Al-Qaeda link is being questioned, as are allegations/implications that the attack was primarily aimed at Westerners. (NYT)  Was it or was it not linked to Al Qaeda?  Experts most definitely disagree.

Indian Terror: Attackers Targeting Americans & Britons?

by Damozel |  Though this is now being widely questioned elsewhere [see update],  The Times of London reported earlier that the attack has "all the hallmarks" of an Al Qaeda attack.  "It look[s] to be the most co-ordinated terrorist operation since the targeting of the Twin Towers in New York in 2001," says their report.According to Sky News:

Eyewitness reports say the attackers were targeting Britons and Americans.

Alex Chamberlain, a Briton caught in the attacks, told Sky News an attacker asked tourists if they were British or American before opening fire.

He added there was "no doubt" in his mind the attacks were from a fundamentalist Islamic group.

The attackers have taken hostages.  Michael Evans of the Times of London reports that at least 40 Britons are being held.  The head of Mumbai's anti-terrorism unit and two senior officers have been killed. (BBC News2)

Media Again Misrepresenting Hillary's Record & Positions

by Damozel |  Sigh. Now that she's apparently going to be SoS, all the old discarded slurs are being dragged out and dusted off for recycling.  Thrifty!  Yes, she's baaaack:  eeevil, scheming Hillary Clinton!  Re this delightfully cryptic post from Mike Memoli at Ambinder's blog:

A delightfully cryptic comment issued earlier from Hillary Clinton's Senate office, following the simple headline, "STATEMENT" (On what? one might ask)...

New York Times, among others, says she'll resign her Senate seat to accept Pres-elect Obama's offer to be Secretary of State.

We'll deal with the gossipy bits first.  After that, we'll examine her voting record and the policies she has supported.

From Democrats.Com: "Baracking Around the World"

by Damozel |  It's nice to see that America finally did something to make the rest of the world happy.  All around the world, people celebrated, and are still celebrating, the election of Barack Obama.  This one's definitely worth clicking on and scrolling. 

On a related note, also Arianna Huffington discussing Obama's win on BBC News' Newsnight with Thomas Friedman and Christopher Hitchens.  (Hitch--who endorsed Obama--expresses certain reservations about all this Obama love and jubilation.) 

Worldwide Economic Meltdown: No Rules = No Responsibility?

by Damozel | At The New York Times, George Mason economics professor Tyler Cowen discusses the trends that led to the current trainwreck.  Nothing he discusses would startle anyone who has been paying attention for the past couple of months as the crisis unfolds. 

But though I am your average ignorant layperson when it comes to economics as science, I feel amply qualified to be annoyed by the following:

Former Python John Cleese: Michael is No Longer the Funniest Palin

by Nicholas | For the enjoyment of British comedy fans and the bemusement of others....

Bonus Pythonage below, for those who wish to learn or reminisce:

Krugman's Win Draws Loud Cheers and a Few Dispirited Boos

by Damozel | Yay! The New York Times reports:

Paul Krugman, a professor at Princeton University and an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on Monday....Mr. Krugman received the award for his work on international trade and economic geography. In particular, the prize committee lauded his work for “having shown the effects of economies of scale on trade patterns and on the location of economic activity.” (NYT)

The Nobel announcement, detailing his contributions, is here.  Bill Kavanagh commented on his win here.

Many of us at Buck Naked Politics, and at our sister blog, I Don't Like You Either, are devoted readers of Krugman's columns and of his blog, The Conscience of a Liberal.   

European Agreement Leads Markets Higher

by Bill Kavanagh:  A European agreement, made this weekend at their Paris summit, has had a major effect on Asian and European markets in early trading.  The Euro countries have agreed to follow the British initiative of partial nationalization and also to guarantee interbank lending.  Their plan takes the lead, while the Treasury and Fed here in the U.S. are in the unfamiliar position of following along.

It appears that the Fed is doing the next best thing to guaranteeing interbank lending: they are increasing swap lines with European central banks that are guaranteeing overnight loans.  The reaction in Asian and European stock markets is encouraging, as they are buying for the first time since the crisis gripped them.

The Federal Reserve is increasing those lines “to accommodate whatever quantity of U.S. dollar funding” the central banks demand.  It’s encouraging to the extent that it will lend security to the global financial system.

The Apocalypse of Banks Part ####: The Meltdown Spreads Across the Globe

by Damozel |  Apparently, only a global rescue plan can save us now---if anything can, that is. (NYT)

Government officials struggled to fashion a coordinated response to the ailing global banking system before going to Washington for annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

With credit markets still frozen and stock markets around the world in a deep swoon, there is a growing consensus that the crisis is now so fast-moving and harmful to the global economy that it demands an unprecedented degree of worldwide coordination(NYT)

WSJ says that economists expect the crisis to spread.  But I'm a glass half-full, kumbaya kind of a person.  I don't see this as a crisis.  It's an opportunity for cooperation!   Look, David McCormick says so.   

“As this thing has spread, the opportunities for cooperation have risen,” David H. McCormick, the under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs, said. “We need to promote and highlight these common areas.”

Others---others who have been right for far longer, I should say--- are less sanguine and more urgent.  Permabear Nouriel Roubini, whose erstwhile doleful predictions are being vindicated by reality, bleakly sums up the situation and what needs to happen now, as in NOW. 

Let Jeremy Paxman Moderate All Our Debates

by Damozel | Why do we allow---or insist that---debate moderators grovel instead of grilling? How, please, is that in anyone's interest?  It's a mystery. 

Want to see what a real journalist/political interviewer/debate moderator does? 

That's what a real journalist, interviewer, and debate moderator does.  Watch Jeremy "'Why is this lying bastard lying to me?" Paxman's approach to evasion----and imagine him with McCain, Obama, Biden, and Palin.  Clarity by definition is NEVER warm and fuzzy. 

We're so insistent on making everyone pretend to be friends that we have to rely on SNL to point out the candidates' evasions and on FactCheck.org to Monday-morning-quarterback misstatements.  Why, oh why, does our toothless media consist solely mainly of smirking, preening talking heads, dancing poodles, bland bores, posturing prats, and mean-spirited hissy-fit-throwing partisans, none of whom have anything to offer but ill-informed bloviating?  No wonder we turn to "the satiro-industrial complex" for information;  comedians (and Rachel Maddow) are the only pundits Americans have any reason to trust. 

Jon Stewart Interview: Tony Blair

by Damozel | Part the First (in which Mr Blair discourseth on Globalisation and divers & sundry related matters):

Pakistan to Begin Inquiry Into Honor Killings; Three Arrested

by Damozel | Over protests of locals and one politician, the Pakistani government has begun an inquiry into the deaths of five women buried alive in "honor killings." (NYT)   The women were buried alive. (NYT).

[T]he victims were three young women who had planned to marry men of their choice — a blot on family honor — and two older female relatives.

Brits Gone Wild? Resorts Complain of Rowdy Behavior of Brit Tourists

Posted by Damozel | Having been married to a total of two (2) English men---at different times, of course--- and living here in Florida, I have often observed the curious changes that happen when shy, reserved Brits go on vacation.  But are they starting to take their fun too far?

The New York Times reports:

Tense Georgian President Chews His Tie (BBC)

Via Wonkette.

He really is a bit high strung, isn't he?  If he were a presidential candidate here, this would finish him:  this image would be shown in every political ad from now till November. You know, I thought he was pretty attractive---sexy even. Not so much now, though. 

Do our Media Understand the Russia-Georgia Conflict?

by Deb Cupples |   I don't know much about the current conflict between Russia and Georgia, and some media accounts differ so widely that I'm confused.  For example, a recent Slate article begins with this paragraph:

"It is impossible to think about the Russian assault on Georgia without feeling like a heartless bastard or a romantic fool. Should we just let Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev roll their tanks into Tbilisi in recognition of Moscow's sphere of influence—and let a fledgling democracy die?"

That paragraph gives the impression that Russia is acting out of pure meanness, with no reasons whatsoever. 

The Times of London recently published an article (Analysis: roots of the conflict between Georgia, South Ossetia and Russia), which starts with quite a different paragraph:

Admiral Fallon Discusses US foreign policy on BBC's Newsnight

Posted by Damozel | Highly recommended.

Fallon is the CENTCOM Chief who resigned last year. 

Fallon opposed the “surge” in Iraq and...consistently battled the Bush administration to avoid a confrontation with Iran, calling officials’ warmongering rhetoric “not helpful.”  (Think Progress)

Whatever he may have thought before, he says that the situation in Iraq generally is greatly improved. He also discusses troop withdrawals, Iran, and his own role in US foreign policy.   At any rate, it's an interesting interview by a serious interviewer; and Fallon makes an excellent showing.

The Times Of London Weighs in on Obama's So-called 'Pivoting'

by Damozel | The Times of London rather gleefully comments on Obama's perceived 'reversals,' on which I have just this moment commented at some length.  First, they sum up the positions which have so disappointed the party's progressive wing, and which are bound to disgust a large number of conservative Brits:

Last month he dropped his opposition to a Bill before Congress that would give telecoms companies immunity from prosecution for carrying out illegal wiretaps on potential terrorist suspects.

He told a cheering crowd of Israel's supporters of his fervent commitment to the security of the Jewish state and added, for good measure, that an “undivided” Jerusalem should be the nation's capital. He said that he likes free trade after all, and that his primary campaign pledge to dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement was a case of “overheated rhetoric”.

British Government to Introduce Legislation to Outlaw Age Discrimination

by Damozel | Every now and again I like to consider what it would be like to live in a country where individual interests sometimes win out over the interest of corporations.  I am not even sure what I think of the proposed bill..  I'm just startled to see something like this with a chance of being enacted into law.

Equalities Minister Harriet Harman is expected to announce the plan on Thursday as part of a package of measures in an Equalities Bill....   Age discrimination in the workplace has been illegal since 2006, but the new legislation will tackle more widespread forms of age-related prejudice.

Travel, health and motor insurance is also expected to be included, where cover is simply withdrawn beyond a certain age or is prohibitively expensive. (BBC News)

Imagine.

BBC: Around $23 Billion Lost in Iraq Due to Contractor Fraud & Mismanagement

by Damozel | My colleague D. Cupples has been all over this issue from the get-go, but it's good to see that the mainstream press --- the mainstream British press, anyway --- is on the case. 

A BBC investigation estimates that around $23bn may have been lost, stolen or just not properly accounted for in Iraq.

For the first time, the extent to which some private contractors have profited from the conflict and rebuilding has been researched by the BBC's Panorama using US and Iraqi government sources.  (BBC news)   

Good for them.  This is information the American public is entitled to have. Sadly, '[a] US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations. The order applies to 70 court cases against some of the top US companies.'  (BBC news)  ('While George Bush remains in the White House, it is unlikely the gagging orders will be lifted,' the article adds.)

Trial of Eight terrorist Suspects Begins in the UK

Posted by Damozel | According to the prosecution, the eight men now on trial  "planned to detonate bombs aboard flights from London across the Atlantic to create deaths on an almost unprecedented scale." (BBC News)   "Their plan was to smuggle homemade liquid bombs on board several translatlantic passenger flights and to detonate them mid-flight."(BBC News)    This is why after August 2006, passengers were banned from taking liquids on board aircraft, says the BBC.  Good.  Let's keep it that way, I say. 

Apparently, the men planned to use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and other substances disguised as delicious fruit-flavored beverages. (BBC News)  "A sugary drink known as Tang would be mixed with the solution to add power to the explosion." (BBC News)   Tang!  Can you still buy Tang?  And who knew that the drink of the astronauts could be subverted to such a dire and evil purpose?  The conspirators intended to build detonators that could be concealed in 1.5 volt batteries and ignited by a disposable camera. (BBC News)