Blogs & Politricks

by Jessica Reed

- Clive Davis, currently guest-blogging on Andrew Sullivan’s page, takes the defense of Europe (I’d call it a refreshesing view on, dare I say it, anti-europeanism):

If there’s one thing that has driven me mad about American conservatism lately, it’s the spate of columns and books banging on about the imminent “end of Europe”. Show me the the phrase “death spiral” one more time, and I’ll tear up all my back issues of National Review.

- The BBC’s Nick Robinson explains why the Beeb is not as “anti-politics” as some might think:

Predictable or not, inevitable or not – and not so long ago it appeared to be neither – the police’s first ever interview of a serving prime minister was a major news story. The context that had to be set out on that day was the fact that Mr Blair had not been cautioned, was not being treated as a suspect and that he, and indeed everyone else involved, may never face charges.

- From the New Republic’s staff blog: Michael Crowley comments on the recent rise of violent crime in the US and asks if it will be a threat to “post-racial” Obama (yes, I raised an eyebrow at the weird choice of adjective as well):

The steep crime drop of the 1990s neutralized many of the GOP’s traditional racial-wedge tactics. But might Republicans–who post-Katrina can hardly do worse with African-Americans–see an advantage in reverting to Willie Horton-style politics? And, finally, could that possibly complicate things for the “post-racial” Barack Obama?

In the news

Transition in danger: Violent fights erupted yesterday on many fronts in Ethiopia as the islamist ultimatum expired (Le Monde).

Canadian parliament uncontrolable: Harper says the country should get ready to vote, aiming for a majority government this time (Globe and Mail).

Iran is an “obstacle to hopes for peace” : those are Blair’s words today, as he called for an alliance against extremism (NYT)

David Irving on probation: The denier, who was after denying the existence of the Holocaust, should be released soon (BBC).

When you see this…: In a Washington Post interview, Bush admits -for the first time- that the US is not winning war in Iraq (WaPo).

…do you understand this? : George Bush wants to increase the size of the military (IHT).

Concerned. After thwarting three attacks in the last 18 months, French counterterrorist forces are growing alarmed by the boldness of the Algerian militant group GSPC, which has recently won the alleged backing of al-Qaida. (Madrid11.net).

In the news

Abducted: Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels kidnapped 21 students (BBC).

Death penalty and the WoT: Peruvian president Alan Garcia wants Congrass to back his effort seeking to impose death penalty for those accused of terrorist activities (Living in Peru).

Death penalty in Lybia – The Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor accused of having inoculated the virus of AIDS to children have been condemned to death by the Lybian court of justice (Liberation).

Cleared: Author Ipek Calislar was “acquitted of insulting modern Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk”. Calislar had mentionned Ataturk fleeing disguised as a woman in the biography of the politician’s wife, Latife. This was interpreted as an attempt to denigrate Turkishness (BBC).

“Menaced and misunderstood” – Islamophobia is on the rise in the European Union, claims a report published yesterday by the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (IHT).

Blair: What’s next? – The Chatam House’s report about Blair’s legacy is now online.

All time high – According to a quarterly report grudgingly released by the Pentagon today, attacks on American and Iraqi forces have reached an all time high in the months between August and November. (Madrid11.net)

Get your 2007 bets on.

by Jessica Reed

In the world of webjournalism, the end of the year usually means “painful lists of ‘most…’ and ‘best…’ things” – most publications are busy looking back at the events, innovations, peple and products that made 2006.

Some, like the Slog’s Josh Feit, write about how spot on their preditions were. Some, like the Webby Awards, gather thousand of voters to compile a list of best web-sites. Time magazine has made up a list of “100 people who shape our world” (where Angelina Jolie is in the Heroes and Pioneers section. I will try to refrain from commenting really, really hard). Wikipedia has an interesting 2006 entry, with the year’s events categorized chronologically. Salon has its own Person of the year article, and some are inspired enough to make a big list of lists.

At openDemocracy we will try another approach and peer (to peer?) into the future, teaming up with prediction markets company Inkling (Tony Curzon Price previously blogged about them for us here). We will soon publish a couple of 2007 predictions coming from our authors and specialists’ crystal ball – will Bush be impeached? Who Blair finally go? Will we see a government change in Iraq, and will India and Pakistan reach settlement over Kashnmir? What about a new “dot com” crash?

Stay tuned – and be ready to take bets (my crystall ball says you might even be able to win a cool prize). But in the meantime- what are your predictions? This morning Tan predicted another horrific Mel Gibson movie, and I’d be willing to bet on the proliferation of silly marketing terms such as “web 3.0″.

Your turn.

In the news

by Jessica Reed

- Judity Regan Pwn’ed: Rupert Murdoch sacked the OJ Simpson publisher as most employees were at the company’s Christmas party (Gothamist).

- How to flatter your readership’s ego: YOU are the person of the year, says Time magazine (BBC).

- Secrets unveiled: Link to the top Iraq expert Carne Ross’ testimony (aka the Butler Report) was made available yesterday. Its content? Britain saw no threat before war (CNN). Read the testominy here.

- Talk about setting up an example: National icon rock singer Jhonnu Halliday is an embarassement to his friend and presidential canditate Nicolas Sarkozy: the singer moved to Switzerland to bypass the massive taxes he ought to pay the French government (Liberation).

- Bye, Castro: He will surely “recover, but not return” (NYT).

- New elections in Palestine: Mahmoud Abbas takes the gamble of his career (Globe and Mail).

Stolen Friday Funnies

By Tan Copsey

What the oD office has found amusing this week:

Kos is funny, but only on Thursdays, so I ripped this Jay Leno quote yesterday:

“President Bush has received a copy of the 96-page Iraq Study Group report. When they gave it to him, President Bush said, ‘Don’t tell me how it ends.’ They said, ‘Uh, it doesn’t.’”

Continuing on the US politics theme are the onion, squeezing the last drop of myspace humour out of its now bloated Murdoch-owned carcass (note: I am a myspace member – please be my friend).

Not exactly new but I thought I’d also share with the world my love for John Safran and his amusing approach to placing Fatwa’s on rival broadcasters, The Guardian, Slate you have been warned (Warning: contains Hardcore Australian Humour).

Saturday night live has done a number on Mel Gibson’s new movie (Warning: contains Mel Gibson).

The Daily Show gave old Donnie Rumsfeld the type of high-falluting send off he deserved – gosh darn it!

Anyone who’s interested in getting creative work should head over to Fox.

The Spurt campaign is both funny-disturbing and disturbing-disturbing. I myself have never licked a transport white paper.

And in case you didn’t know, certain cats have been displaying dictatorial tendencies. Although a descent into fascism is probably their only option given Grist’s plans for them. Plus the overwhelming threat presented by the emerging bee-dog menace cannot be disregarded.

Of course nothing, absolutely nothing, tops our new Secretary General. Ladies and Gentleman, live from New York City, introducing MR….BAN….KI……MOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!(click on Ban link at the bottom-center of the page)!

Major problem for Dems

by Tan Copsey

Well that didn’t last long.

Breaking news here, there, and everywhere that US Senator Tim Johnson, Democrat of South Dakota, is in hospital in a critical condition. This of course could hand the Senate straight back to the Republicans as they control the Governors office in South Dakota, and it is the Governor who will appoint a replacement should Tim Johnson die.

Nevada thunder details the relevant history in a wonderfully informative post that features asides about Jim Jeffords, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon Johnson.

4 pundits chastise those intent on focussing on political implications and not the tragedy itself (does that mean me?) – with this rather grand aside:

‘Every human being, created in the image of God and possessing an eternal soul, is more important than transient political systems and issues. Our prayers should go out to him and his family’.

Indeed praying seems to be the most common response, would it be wrong to pray for an extended Democratic majority?

Traces of polonium and one dead quail were also reported found in his office (ed note: this is an outright lie).

In the news

Only in Belgium: National belgian TV channel announed yesterday that the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium had taken its independence – The King had fleed and new borders were being created. All hell broke loose as even diplomats were spoofed, as the TV channel explained it was a great way to take the ongoing debate more seriously (BBC).

Frankenstein’ed: If you created what you think will be the next great invention and want to sell it to the world, you might want to browse Google Patents first (Google Blog).

Doors closing down: The European Union wants to slow down the enlargment process, wanting to reform the Institutions first.

Public Health: New studies say circumsision may limit risk of AIDS (Globe and Mail).

50/50: South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson has suffered a stroke and is undergoing surgery. If incapacited, his replacement would be appointed by the State governor, who is a Republican. A Republican appointee would create a 50-50 tie, and allow the GOP to retain Senate control (CBS).

In the news

by Jessica Reed

-“One of the most complex and far-reaching EU regulations ever”: European parliament approves a law regulating chemicals found in everyday products (NYT)

- Fame politics:George Clooney already spoke at the UN to press decision-makers to make a move in Darfur, in which he said a “genocide is taking place”. He’s now in Egypt with Don Cheadle to plead for the cause, where both actors met with Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs Ahmed Aboul Gheit (Le Monde). Clooney repeated in “stay out of the political life”.

- Anything new? – In its latest report the World Bank praises globalisation as the tool which create an amelioration of the standards of living for a great number of people worldwide. But it can also destroy common goods. We resist replying with a resonating “oh really?” (Mail & Guardian online).

- About time: A tribunal judged today that Botswana’s bushmen are allowed to take back their lands, and settle in the Kahalari reserve. They had been evicted back in 1997 when the government declared wanting to exploit the land’s diamonds mines (Liberation).

- Who should really be punished? As the ‘Ipswich muders’ case dramatically unfolds, a journalist questions the curfew’s raison d’etre: women are not the ones making the streets unsafe (Guardian).

Welcome to the oDagenda

Welcome to the new addition in the openDemocracy blogs family: the oDagenda.

You may already visit our oDtoday blog (the personal news and views from our staff, updated daily) but the oDagenda’s main purpose is slightly different – I will blog the news that sparked a debate during our daily editorial meetings: what made us think, laugh or even argue about. I will also introduce the upcoming topics which will be treated on the openDemocracy homepage in our main articles – and try to give you a preview of what we wan to comission in the future.

Some of my colleagues – oD’s editors and contributors- might join the fun from time to time to write about global politics- of course it goes without saying that everyone (yes, you) is welcome to post comments, or alternatively drop me a line (odagenda at opendemocracy dot net) with suggestions, thoughts or even hate mail.

To know more about openDemocracy, please visit our “about” and “our team” pages.