A journal of political, social, and other important, possibly even somewhat related affairs, including but not limited to: Central European Society, The European Union, HC Kometa Brno, American Politics, Film, and Beer.

19 August 2006

The UN

This link, from Mr. Harry Mount (yes, that's his real name, huh huh, huh huh) in the Telegraph is another terrific perspective on the glorious institution that is the UN, where justice means equality, even at the expense of what we used to consider justice.
Thanks to the folks at Direct Democracy for this tidbit.

02 August 2006

Happy Colorado Day!

On this date in 1876, Colorado became a state of a great union, one conceived in liberty. I guess Colorado has done fairly well on that front.

On this date in 1957, NORAD was also founded; its home, currently in Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, will soon move to Buckley AFB, also in Colorado.

So crack open a Coors, and toast the Centennial State!

01 August 2006

Cuba Libre?

We're seeing news reports that the old fatherly figure of Cuba, Fidel Castro, is ailing, and has turned over his régime to kid brother Raul. This adds a little extra spice to the world's geopolitical goulash, doesn't it?
There are three ways this can go. First, is that the Dear Leader makes a full recovery from intestinal surgery, and Raul steps aside politely, status quo ante. I find this unlikely. If we know that Fidel Castro is ailing, it must be serious. No recovery, at this point, will be "full." His age alone means he's fatigued (as in tired, not "clad in military uniform"), and we have seen his health degrade over the past few years. He certainly no longer strikes fear into his immediate subordinates, who are already doubtlessly preparing alliances and intrigues to take power in some sort of coup. This would of course lead to chaos, but might lead to a people-power sort of democratic revolution. The civil society is more homogenous and more 'civil' (in that liberal, government-savvy sort of way) than in Iraq, and may even come to power.

Second, that the old man dies on the operating table, or at least never regain power, which leads to two possiblities. Will we see a Khrushchev after this Stalin, or will we see a Havel after Husak?

I tend to believe, and certainly hope, for the latter. I don't forsee a crackdown being effective, nor do I see a peaceful despotic transition, as happened in North Korea. Cuba is simply not isolated enough, and the Cuban people have been preparing too long for this time.

We shall see. Cuba Libre!

Fukuyama, neoconservatism, etc.

Jonah Goldberg talks about the the End of History, and analyzes Fukuyama's new book, America at the Crossroads. The article is terrific -- as Goldberg notes, most of what has been written about 'neoconservatism' is either badly misinformed, horribly biased, reflexively anti-Bush, and synonymous with 'Jewish conservative.' Fukuyama apparently "explains" neoconservatism more accurately than most, but, as Goldberg notes, quoting Paul Berman, “'Neither his old arguments nor his new ones... offer much insight into this, the most important problem of all — the problem of murderous ideologies and how to combat them.'”

Jonah Goldberg is at his best near the end of the essay, however, noting that Fukuyama's greatest mistake is the assertion that America's military might is reflected in the phrase "When your only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, you tend to think of all problems as nails." The Europeans, however, are the ones missing tools in their toolbox. When they see rusty nails, they can merely hope to make rusty coatracks or hope they don't get tetanus. That's not a solution.