Weekly Roundup 5/30/2012

Man of War  

Stephen Metcalf, Slate, May 25, 2012

Synopsis: This appreciation of cultural historian Paul Fussell, whose 1975 book, The Great War and Modern Memory, describes in intricate detail how the irony-soaked culture of the 20th century emerged from the battlefields of World War I.  “The Great War chronicles the loss of the old rhetoric, of high pieties, of sacrifice and roseate dawns, in favor of ‘blood, terror, agony, madness, shit, cruelty, murder, sell-out, pain and hoax,’” Metcalf writes.

Takeaway: Fussell died last week at age 88. The Great War and Modern Memory, his masterpiece, is well worth a read, not only for its compelling thesis but for the wealth of evidence he assembles on the way to his conclusions.

For background see “Stopping Genocide,” Aug. 27, 2004, “The United Nations and Global Security,” Feb. 27, 2004, and “Ethics of War,” Dec. 13, 2002.

--Marcia Clemmitt, Staff Writer

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To Save Some Species, Zoos Must Let Others Die 

Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, May 28, 2012
 

Synopsis: Zoos are being urged to focus more on conservation of species facing extinction than merely on entertainment and education, according to Times’ science correspondent Kaufman. In the process, she writes, zoos must sometimes make the hard choice to “winnow species in their care and devote more resources to the chosen few.” The St. Louis zoo, for example, is working on a breeding program for the black-and-white tufted lemur, but giving up on the more perilously threatened lion-tailed macaque.
 

Takeaway: “Some days,” Kaufman says, “the burden feels less like Noah building an ark and more like Schindler making a list.”
 

For CQ Researcher coverage, see “Disappearing Species,” Nov. 30, 2007, and “Zoos in the 21st Century,” April 28, 2000.

--Kenneth Jost, Associate Editor 

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U.S. Efforts Fail to Curtail Trade in Afghan Opium

Alissa J. Rubin and Matthew Rosenberg, The New York Times, May 27, 2012, p. A1

Synopsis:  Over the past decade, the United States has spent more than $6 billion in efforts to eradicate the opium poppies that help finance the anti-government insurgency and fuel corruption.

Takeaway:  Despite the ongoing anti-opium efforts, which are seen as vital to creating stability in Afghanistan, U.S. officials are doubtful they will have much success before the end of the NATO military mission there ends in 2014.

For background see “Afghanistan Dilemma,” Aug. 7, 2009 (updated May 5, 2011).

--Thomas J. Colin, Contributing Editor

Eurovision – Dark shadows Over Azerbaijan’s Big Moment

The April 17, 2012, CQ Global Researcher,  “Future of the EU,” included  a feature about how politics and music often collide during the annual Eurovision Song Contest, in which European countries nominate a song to represent them in the grand finale competition held each May. This year is no different. Politics has threatened to drown out the music altogether, much to the consternation of last year’s winners and this year’s host, Azerbaijan. The central Asian country had hoped the contest would portray it in a positive light. Instead, a bizarre, unholy alliance by those on both the right and left is heaping embarrassment on the organizers and the host.

First, neighboring Armenia boycotted the contest because of a dispute over Nagorno Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian separatist enclave in Azerbaijan. Then, international human-rights groups began protesting the Azeri government’s record of suppressing free speech and repressing political opposition. Then, ultra-nationalistic, homophobic groups inside Azerbaijan launched cyber-attacks that crashed Eurovision’s websites. The groups claim the glitzy, campy pop music contest is a glorified “gay pride” parade that will sully the nation’s reputation. Then, neighboring Iran withdrew its ambassador, in part because of the gay pride claim and partly because its arch-foe, Israel, competes in the event.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s performances will be spellbinding enough to eclipse the negative spotlight generated by those exploiting Eurovision for their own political purposes.

--Brian Beary, Contributing Writer, CQ Global Researcher

Weekly Roundup 5/21/2012

Want to end partisan politics? Here’s what won’t work – and will 

Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, The Washington Post, May 17, 2012 (print edition: May 20)
 

Synopsis: Veteran politics experts Mann (Brookings Institution) and Ornstein (American Enterprise Institute) have stirred debate with the thesis of their forthcoming book “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism.” In this Sunday opinion-section piece, they discount five supposed remedies offered by others: a third party, term limits, a balanced budget amendment, public campaign financing and “stay calm—things will get back to normal eventually.” But they say four possible steps could help: “realistic” campaign finance reform; reducing partisan redistricting; curbing Senate filibusters; and expanding the electorate.

Takeaway: The recommended steps amount to a “sensible” reform agenda “focused on fixing the party system and addressing the roots and the weapons of political partisanship.”
 

For CQ Researcher coverage, see Peter Katel, “Voter Rights,” May 18, 2012;   Kenneth Jost, “Redistricting Debates,” Feb. 25, 2011; Marcia Clemmitt, “Lies and Politics,” Feb. 18, 2011; Kenneth Jost, “Campaign Finance Debates,” May 28, 2010; Peter Katel, “Tea Party Movement,” March 19, 2010, updated May 23, 2011; and Alan Greenblatt, “Changing U.S. Electorate,” May 30, 2008, updated Aug. 9, 2010.

--Kenneth Jost, Associate Editor

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Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain    

Phil Angelides, Huffington Post, May 21, 2012

Accidentally Released – and Incredibly Embarrassing – Documents Show How Goldman et al Engaged in “Naked Short Selling” 

Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone Taibbi Blog, May 15, 2012

Synopsis: Evidence keeps emerging that shows big banks engaged -- and continue to engage – in much riskier business than they acknowledge, according to longtime finance-industry critic Taibbi and Angelides, former chair of the government’s Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.

Takeaway: “All of the five behemoth banks rely on sophisticated financial models to gauge their trading risk,” writes Angelides. “However, time and time again, these models have proven to be woefully inadequate in modeling human behavior, recognizing that the marketplace often defies neat statistical patterns, and predicting the black swan events that inevitably shake the financial markets. When Paul Volcker spoke to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission of ‘the hubris of financial engineers,’ he undoubtedly had in the mind these models, which bankers construct to rationalize the risky behavior that led to the financial crisis and that evidently persists today.”

For background and related material, see, Kenneth Jost, “Financial Misconduct,” Jan. 20, 2012; Marcia Clemmitt, “Financial Industry Overhaul,” July 30, 2010; and Thomas J. Billitteri, Financial Bailout, Oct. 24, 2008, updated July 30, 2010.

--Marcia Clemmitt, Staff Writer

This Week’s Report: “Voter Rights”

With this year’s presidential election fast approaching, a bitter partisan fight has arisen over whether voters should have to show a government-issued identification document before casting ballots.

As veteran journalist Peter Katel writes in this week’s report, conservative lawmakers believe strict voter-ID laws are needed to inhibit voter fraud and instill confidence in the electoral system. Liberals, argue, however, that there is little evidence of significant fraud at the polls. They charge that new ID laws are aimed at suppressing turnout by Democratic-leaning voters, including minorities, students and the elderly.

Katel’s compelling report is particularly timely and highly relevant for classes and papers in political science, civics and civil rights.

--Thomas J. Billitteri, Managing Editor

Weekly Roundup 5/14/2012

As gay marriage debate rages on, Massachusetts couple enjoys married life

Eli Saslow, The Washington Post, May 12, 2012 (print edition: May 13)

Synopsis: Linda and Gloria Bailey-Davies have been together for 49 years and married for eight, thanks to the ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in a lawsuit that they helped bring. “This is what President Obama has decided he is for,” the Post reporter writes after watching the couple’s marriage video. “This is what North Carolina has decided it’s against.”

Takeaway: Editorial opinion on the issue remains divided. After Obama’s announcement, The New York Times said the president “took the moral high ground on what may be the great civil rights struggle of our time.” But The Washington Times said Obama’s stance was based on “political expediency” even though it will ultimately hurt his re-election effort.

For CQ Researcher coverage, see “Obama Backs Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage,” CQ Researcher Blog, May 9, 2012, and my earlier report Gay Marriage Showdowns, Sept. 26, 2008, updated Oct. 15, 2010; new update forthcoming soon.

--Kenneth Jost, Associate Editor

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Once Hailed as Army Pioneer, Now Battling to Stay on Job  

James Dao, The New York Times, May 11, 2012

Unseen: Trailblazing Military Women Forced to Fight for Recognition, Equal Treatment   

Molly O’Toole, Huffington Post, May 14, 2012

Synopsis: More military roles have recently opened up to women, but with most front-line combat jobs still male only, many male service members remain skeptical of servicewomen’s ability to lead.

Takeaway:  “When Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa L. King was named the first female commandant of the Army’s elite drill-sergeant school in 2009, proponents of gender equality in the military hailed the news. But it did not take long for the grumbling to start. Traditionalists asked: How could a woman with no combat experience manage the Army’s school for training the trainers who prepare recruits for war?”

For background on this issue see our report, “Women in the Military,” Nov. 13, 2009.

--Marcia Clemmitt, Staff Writer

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Can You Call a 9-Year-Old a Psychopath?
Jennifer Kahn, Huffington Post, May 14, 2012

Synopsis: Dan Waschbusch, a researcher at Florida International University, studies “callous-unemotional” children — those who exhibit a distinctive lack of affect, remorse or empathy — and who are considered at risk of becoming psychopaths as adults
 

Takeaway: Waschbusch’s hope is that spotting potentially psychopathic children early will give doctors and parents  a chance to teach them empathy and other normal emotions before it’s too late.

For background on the issue, see our reports, “Youth Violence,” March 5, 2010;  “Sex Offenders,” Sept. 8, 2006.

--Thomas J. Colin, Contributing Editor