Frederick W. Kagan has an article in National Review Online that attempts to refute some of the antiwar arguments about Iraq. I haven't read the whole thing---It's a huge piece that covers a lot of ground, and some of it may even be correct---but there's a pretty glaring example of the broken-windows fallacy in the first section: The "$3 trillion war." Simplistic economic … [Read more...] about Broken Windows and the Iraq War
Slit Skirts – Sunday Song Lyrics
The other day I heard an acoustic version of Pete Townshend's "Slit Skirts" and actually got to listen to the lyrics. It's depressing stuff: The incense burned away and the stench began to riseAnd lovers now estranged avoided catching each others' eyesAnd girls who lost their children cursed the men who fit the coilAnd men not fit for marriage took their refuge in the oilNo … [Read more...] about Slit Skirts – Sunday Song Lyrics
This Is Not a Good Sign
About a month ago, I wrote a post about a school principal who ordered a strip-search of a 13-year-old girl accused of possessing prescription-strength ibuprofen. I thought it was outrageous, and I made the point that if any other adults had asked for a look at the girl's private parts they would have been rightly arrested for some sort of sex offense. To emphasize this angle, … [Read more...] about This Is Not a Good Sign
Battlestar Galactica – All Will Be Revealed
On Friday, April 4, at 9pm central time, Kara Thrace will lead Battlestar Galactica to its end. And one of the best science fiction shows---one of the best television shows---will begin its final season. The producers are saying there will be no standalone episodes. This season will be one long story arc that will bring everything to a close. They're not going to make … [Read more...] about Battlestar Galactica – All Will Be Revealed
Obama’s Glamour
Virginia Postrel has an interesting article in the Atlantic in which she argues that the glamour of Barack Obama has attractions and dangers. For some reason, perhaps the magical origins of the word glamour, her argument makes me think of a couple of things in the Harry Potter universe: To supporters Obama is the Mirror of Erised, showing people what they desire … [Read more...] about Obama’s Glamour