Every week, the Watcher's Council nominate two posts each, one from the Council members and one from outside for consideration by the whole Council. The complete list of this week's Council nominations can be found at the site of our fearless leader, Watcher of Weasels
Watcher's Council News: There is a vacant seat on the Council. Sadly, ShrinkWrapped has unfortunately left us to pursue other goals..I'm sure you'll miss his insightful articles as much as I will. if you're interested in applying for the vacant Council seat, go here.
Here's this week's lineup:
1. J O S H U A P U N D I T: The Real Holocaust deniers This week, I focused on Iran's government sponsored Holocaust denial conference. Many Western leaders profess to be shocked by this, but they avoid any notion who the real modern day `Holocaust deniers' are.
I also explore Ahmadinejad's central premise: that, since the Arabs had nothing to do with the Holocaust, why should they have to put up with Israel being established in their midst, rather than say, Germany? Does he have a point?
2. Gates of Vienna: Democrats Held Meetings with Hamas In this week's essay, Dymphna writes about the the reputed meeting of Democratic congressmen with Hamas, and uses it as a link to explore the entire notion of negotiating with people like Iran and Syria.
nb: While meeting with Hamas would be against US law, apparently Senator Bill Nelson (d-FL) did meet with Syria's Assad, and Democratic Senators Dodd and Kerry apparently have plans to do so as well. What this does to the negotiating posture of the US and the current administration is apparently of no concern to these people.
3. Done With Mirrors: War and War Calimachus has a position on Iraq, and he sticks to it. He says we started it and we had better finish it. Or, as he puts it `You can't just send the war back because it's not the one you ordered.'
4. Soccer Dad: Baker's bad recipe Soccer Dad writes about James Baker and the ISG buying into the fallacy that if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were `solved' that the problems of Iraq and elsewhere in the region would magically disappear.
Of course, the only thing that would disappear if the Israelis are pressured into a settlement is Israel and the Jews..which is probably what Baker's Saudi masters have in mind anyway. Good stuff from Soccer Dad.
5. Right Wing Nut House: A DAY OF INFAMY Rick gives it up with one of his typically well written pieces on the Pearl Harbor attack.
6. The Sundries Shack: Iran’s Plan, on the Second Page This week, Jimmie Bise writes about the Iran Holocaust denial conference and its political aim: to delegitimize Israel and set up the rationale for a second Holocaust.
7. Rhymes With Right:Pearl Harbor, 65 Years Later -- A Family Connection Here, Greg writes about a personal connection to a fascinating and little known group of heroes who helped win WWII - the civilian shipyard workers who performed miracles restoring the ships and facilities at Pearl Harbor after the attack, and even more significantly, took the badly damaged aircraft carrier Yorktown and in three days got it seaworthy and ready to fight at Midway, where it played a decisive role.
For more on this miracle, read Victor Davis Hansen's chapter on Midway in`Carnage and Culture.' You'll be amazed at what these men accomplished.
8. The Glittering Eye : The Sticky Parts of the ISG Report Recommendations This week Dave writes about the more problematic aspects of the ISG and the likely problems ensuing.
9. The Education Wonks: Court-Protected Racial Discrimination?
Here, EdWonk writes about a Federal Appellate Court upholding a tax-exempt Hawaii organization's policy of barring "non-Hawaiian" students from their schools.
10. AMERICAN FUTURE - Vietnam and Iraq: Public and Government Opinion Marc writes this week examining the government and press reactions to events in the Vietnam war , how they affected public opinion and what parallels there may be with the Iraq War.
11. Andrew Olmsted : The Peace Myth Major Andrew Olmsted writes about what he considers the mistaken idea that peace is the normal condition of mankind, and relates this to our situation in Iraq.
He makes one side point that I disagree with totally; that the Bush Administration's decision not to confront Iran and Syria was a wise one, even though he admits they are waging a de facto war against us, because it would have expanded the current war.
IMO, confronting Iran and Syria would have been the only right decision because (a) faced with American resolve, and perhaps a calling card in the form of some Reagan-esque air raids on Tehran and Syria, they would have backed down and gotten out of the way and (b) even if they hadn't we are merely postponing the inevitable to a time of Iran and Syria's choosing.
That's this week's lineup..enjoy
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