Recommended Reading
One of these is overdue as the holidays interrupted my normal blogging schedule.
Top Billing! EDGE: World Question Center “WHAT HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND ABOUT? WHY?” (Hat tip to Ginny at Chicago Boyz)
SWJ Blog – “Sneak Preview: Iraq and the Evolution of American Strategy”
Dr. Steven Metz of the SWC has a new book.
Abu Muqawama – “Al-Qaeda in Pakistan … and Final Thoughts on Benazir Bhutto ”
Whomever Abu is, I’m enjoying his blog.
The Duck of Minerva – ” The Bhutto Connection”
No foreigner with aspirations to a throne has ever had as many influential friends as Benazir Bhutto since Herod last visited ancient Rome. The propraetors weep profusely in Manhattan and Georgetown.
Steve DeAngelis ventures into cool visualization graphics
Ross Mayfield – “Collapse: How Startups Choose to Fail or Succeed”
There must be some kind of Jared Diamond revival going on in the blogosphere lately.
My good friend Dr. Von has returned to blogging after a long hiatus and a successful brush with local elective office.
Andrew Sullivan is awarded favorable mention for meritorious mockery of Hillary Clinton’s anal-retentive, angry aging honor student, control-freak on the road, campaign.
That’s it!
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Ms. Bhutto’s cheering section is pretty amazing, given the reality of her corruption and other negative traits. The mere fact that she went to elite schools, spoke English and was attractive made her a superstar amongst the policy-makers.
What would the world be like if Ahmed Chalabi had been a striking looking woman in exotic but tasteful garb, who spoke charmingly accented but impeccable Ivy League English? "She" would have been installed in Baghdad by our panzers and landsers, since the senior ranks our Gov would have rallied to "her".
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Hi Lex,
Bhutto was a telegenic crook and psuedo-democrat, twice booted from office, who happened to be tight with the Boomer-Left elite of theDemocratic Party and MSM who found in her youthful anti-Americanism, a morally validating reason to bestow their political support forty years later. That’s all she was.
To flip your premise, if she had been "Ben" Bhutto the story would be page 16. Frankly, and as unpopular as it is to say this, not only is America better off with Musharraf instead of Bhutto, Pakistan probably is too.
January 4th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Zen, your razor sharp description of Ms. Butto will stand the test to time. Sadly, it supports thesis that if you are beautiful and charming, it is almost impossible to believe that you are capable of being a crook, let alone being convicted of anything.
January 4th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Most crucially, Bhutto also nurtured the very terrorist elements that are troubling Pakistan right now. I hate to speak ill of a fellow HuffPo blogger, but it has to be said.
January 4th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Hi Hg99,
Thank you and unfortunately, evolutionary biology research tends to say that you are correct.
Hi AE,
Very true. Like a lot of politicians, she was willing to make Faustian bargains and then gamble on her ability to ride the tiger.