some recent posts

1. after a long silence, "river" is blogging again:

I remember almost immediately, Western media began conjecturing on which Islamic group it could have been. I remember hoping it wasn’t Muslims or Arabs. I remember feeling that way not just because of the thousands of victims, but because I sensed that we’d suffer in Iraq. We’d be made to suffer for something we weren’t responsible for.

E. looked at me wide-eyed that day and asked the inevitable question, “How long do you think before they bomb us?”

“But it wasn’t us. It can’t be us…” I rationalized.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s all they need.”

.....................

2. Jonathan Schwarz forgets to be funny about 9.11-- he takes note of 2 quotes:

...if the collapse of the Soviet Union and 9/11 bookend a major shift in international politics, then this is a period not just of grave danger, but of enormous opportunity. Before the clay is dry again, America and our friends and our allies must move decisively to take advantage of these new opportunities.

—Condoleezza Rice, April 29, 2002

Targeting America in Iraq in terms of economy and losses in life is a golden and unique opportunity. Do not waste it only to regret it later.

—Osama bin Laden, December, 2004

and unpacks the freight they carry. I know: you're going to say I'm saying this because Jon has said nice things about HZ before, but the results are worthy of Günther Grass. Go see for yourself if you don't believe me:
" ...The Fourth Anniversary Of An Enormous Opportunity"


3. Haroon Moghul has a useful roundup from the blogosphere on BushCo's hurricane response-- "the bane of the hurricane"

4. And Bob Harris maps it out for us in "Upsidedownland." (hat-tip from Arvin Hill.)