They say that they’ve achieved their goals, but with nearly 1,200 Palestinians dead and the cease fire not actually involving Hamas, I can’t help but think that this is a tenuous peace at best.
From BBC:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel had achieved its goals and Hamas – which has been firing rockets at Israel – [...]

“Terrorism is a deadly tactic, not an institution or an ideology.”
- British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on the limits of the phrase “War on Terror”
Here’s more…
The foreign secretary wrote that since 9/11 the phrase “war on terror” had “defined the terrain” when it came to tackling terrorism and that although it had merit, “ultimately, the [...]

The Wall Street Journal explains why we shouldn’t put a “buy American steel provision” into the upcoming stimulus plan.
1) The domestic steel industry cannot supply all our needs (20-25% of our steel is imported).
2) American steel companies have become highly consolidated and, without international competition, would be able to raise prices and bilk the government.
3) [...]

I’ve written at length about my opinions of extraordinary rendition, Guantanamo Bay, etc., but the idea that people will vigorously defend policies that put a completely innocent man through 6 years of hell still leaves me completely baffled.
Seriously. This is one of those issues for me where there’s absolutely zero common ground because I simply [...]

Privatization sounds sexy in theory, but there’s a reason Social Security is called a safety net, and all you need to do to understand why faith in markets is a recipe for disaster is look to the current situation in Italy.
From Bloomberg:
The global market meltdown has created losses for those who agreed to shift their [...]

The fighting is growing more intense as Israel has started their ground offensive. And if Israel doesn’t realize that they’ve overreached here and are losing sympathy around the world, then they better wake up and realize it soon. You can’t kill this many women and children and not get a ton of backlash.
From CNN:
“Every couple [...]

First, the US numbers…

In the United States on Friday, a crucial measure of manufacturing activity fell to the lowest level in 28 years in December. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said its manufacturing index was 32.4 in December down from 36.2 in November.
“Manufacturing activity continued to decline at a [...]

New Years is usually a time for optimism. But here at Donklephant, we’re committed to discussing both sides of everything. So, for all you pessimists out there, here’s a list for you. It’s Saxo Bank’s outrageous predictions for the coming year. I’ve added my own commentary to spice things up.
1) An Iranian revolution. Because that [...]

A powerful message about women in developing worlds…

Just something to think about on this day when we celebrate family, friends and abundance.
More here.

Ambinder is talking to the Obama team, and they don’t think the economy is going to get better any time soon…
It’s quite unsettling to talk to members of Barack Obama’s transition teams these days, especially those who are helping with the economics portfolio. Without going into details, the sense I get from them is that [...]

Prorogue

transitive verb:
1 : defer , postpone
2 : to terminate a session of (as a British parliament) by royal prerogative

intransitive verb:
to suspend or end a legislative session

Canada has been in the international headlines recently as Stephen Harper’s minority conservative government faces dissolution from a coalition of opposition parties.
The best overview I found is What Is Happening [...]

Why?
Because it’s still a mess…
BAGHDAD – For the past two weeks I’ve been embedded with the United States Army in Baghdad, and I find myself unable to figure out what to make of this place. Baghdad, despite the remarkable success of the surge, is as mind-bogglingly run-down and dysfunctional as ever, even compared with other [...]

You’ll watch it, but you still won’t believe it.

Hey…I wonder if this guy could help Obama balance the budget!
Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here forever…don’t forget to tip your bloggers.

Amid the turkey and stuffing, I neglected to update everybody on this good news…
In a vote heralded by supporters as a momentous step toward restoring Iraqi sovereignty, lawmakers here passed a crucial bill Thursday, setting out a three-year timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi soil.
The bill passed after months of backroom negotiations [...]

Nicholas Kristof shares his findings from the troubled country, and it’s not pretty.
In short, Obama better keep his eye on this nuclear power…or else.

After watching this I can’t help but think that, regardless of what this panel says, the incoming administration realizes the unique position Pakistan has on the world stage. After all, they’re really [...]

Writing for The Atlantic, Robert D. Kaplan thinks Barack Obama has made a good decision by choosing political rival Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State. But Kaplan foresees success for Obama not just because of the team he’s assembled but because international conditions are favorable for success:
[T]he real reason that Obama and Clinton might [...]

Vladimir Putin continues to consolidate power…
From TNR:
If any proof were needed that the Russian political system operates in its own time-space continuum, it came this morning, when the parliament decided to deal with the country’s economic meltdown by amending its constitution.
The Duma fixed the 1993 text by decoupling presidential and parliamentary elections and approving [...]

It’s supposedly a done deal, so now the press can stop chattering about the Clintons being duplicitous and just accept the fact that Obama is genuinely forming a team of rivals.
From NY Times:
Mrs. Clinton came to her decision after additional discussion with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role and his plans for [...]

I thought something was odd about this, and many thanks to Jimmy for sharing this video.

I wonder how quickly this will get around the blogosphere.

(See update here about how Bush didn’t snub anybody)
Rick Sanchez points something out about Bush’s seeming lack of graciousness at the G20 Summit…

I hate to kick a guy when he’s down, but what could possibly be the explanation for this? Was he afraid they wouldn’t shake his hand and he’d lose face?
What’s your guess?