One Week from Departure

This time next week, I will be snaking my way through Denver International Airport as I leave for Morocco. After stop overs in Newark and Lisbon, I land in Casablanca where I'll stay for a few days as I acclimate to my new surroundings and escape from what I expect to be punishing jet lag. I'm bringing a laptop and I envision photo updates here and on facebook. As one can guess, this week is filled with appointments, drinks, and time at home with Kate.

Playing Ball for Organized Labor and EFCA

By all appearances, organized labor is quieting what many considered it's number one priority, the Employee Free Choice Act, in favor of comprehensive health care reform. With the release of the White House guest logs, I was surprised to learn that Andy Stern visited 1600 Penn twenty-two times, which was more than any person whose name was requested. SEIU and Change to Win were vital elements in Obama's coalition that propelled him into the White House. Of course, there's no guarantee that Stern met with the president or any ranking cabinet-level officials. Trumka entered the White House seven times. I would not be surprised to learn that EFCA is still a possibility next year or two after Obama's big ticket agenda items pass.

With that in mind, the AFL-CIO released a snappy flyer with a roster of baseball players who support EFCA. With the title "A Level Playing Field is as Important in the Workplace as it is in Baseball," the advertisement grouped photos and positions of Heath Bell, Dave Bush, LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, John Lannan, Andrew Miller, J.J. Putz, Jimmy Rollins, Mark Teixeira, Justin Verlander, Shane Victorino and Adam Wainwright to express their support for EFCA.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/28/world-series-stars-push-e_n_336658.html

One Image that Encapsulates a Phish Festival

Mark Sanford's an Intellectual Conservative (!?!) & Ayn Rand in Newsweek

Mark Sanford (you know, the governor from South Carolina that managed to disgrace his family, office, state, and party) is waving and waving in an attempt to stay relevant and position himself as an intellectual conservative. In a pitiful attempt, Sanford beats a well-worn conservative path on Rand and why she and John Galt kicks mega ass in Atlas Hugged. Hugged is a poorly titled article that reeks like an 0p-ed of a person who's fighting for his political career yet fails to recognize that his indecency has pushed him far from the great white hope of the GOP. Blatantly wrapping himself in the ridiculous garb of compassionate conservatism, the piece is nothing more than a soapbox for Sanford's conservatism by beating the "government is the problem" drum.

Of course, what would the article be without a closing paragraph on the fallen nature of man? Sanford links limited government with man's sinful tendencies and salvation is lurking around the corner, presumably for his stupidity and the bogeyman of big government. "Men and women are imperfect, or "fallen," which is why I believe there is a role for limited government in making sure that my rights end where yours begin....In that sense, this is a very good time for a Rand resurgence." Weaving religion and limited government induces vomiting and his feeble shot at salvation is reprehensible.

ETA: Although Sanford mentions Jennifer Burns's new Rand bio as well as Rand's works, there's no semblance of a book review in this pointless "article."

Bernard Lewis is Still Kicking It

One often forgets that Bernard Lewis still has hand in the academic cookie jar. Even though the previous administration called upon his ideas and his personage, and with fan boys such as Reuel Gerecht tout his intellectual legacy, I often presume that Lewis is no longer a mover and shaker in academia. To your right, you will see a link for the Harvard Middle East Strategy Blog (MESH). By academic and popular standards, it shares a predominantly conservative line of thinking on the Middle East. (Every once in a while a post breaks from that pattern.) Which is why I wasn't too surprised to see an entry for WINEP book prizes or one celebrating the second meeting of the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA)--aka Lewis's MESA counter organization.

With the rise of Edward Said and a host of political economists, social historians, and cultural historians, Lewis's intellectual hegemony slipped from his grasp over the study of Middle Eastern studies. Historians bandy around Lewis's name and his philological approach as a synonym for antiquated methodologies or assumptions on life in the Middle East. Along with his sidekick Fouad Ajami, Lewis formed ASMEA to "to defend free inquiry, expand the boundaries of scholarship, and respond to the growing need for a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to studying the cultures, histories, and issues of the Middle East and Africa," according to the MESH post. ASMEA exists to preserve a tarnished academic legacy and further similar lines of study by empowering academics who need funding, publication, and conferencing. And who can blame them? Why not head up to your next ASMEA meeting to hear Bernie Lewis and cool, dispassionate luminaries such as John Bolton. At the very least, the ASMEA website pointed me to a review of Jon Kraus' Trade Unions and the Coming of Democracy in Africa.

Travel Reading for Morocco

I have eleven days before I depart. I have a laundry list of tasks that await completion before I leave. Fortunately, I have picked my books and most are resting on my bookshelf. So that's one less bump. Here is the list:

Julie Greene, The Canal Builders
Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell To Arms
Michel Foucault, The Order of Things An Archaeology of the Human Sciences
David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity
Mel Leffler, For the Soul of Mankind: The US, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War

Some of these I've started, skimmed, or wanted to tackle for quite a while. In addition to those six, I have my Lonely Planet Morocco book and a few more Arabic instructional books. For six weeks, they should keep me occupied.

TFA Interview Day Recap

When I left yesterday morning, I thought it would be entertaining to write a blog post entitled "Anatomy of a Failure: How to Flop on Your TFA Day." After I finished yesterday afternoon I had no desire at all to take a risk and joke. I don't believe in jinxes, really, but I could not muster the energy to try and be funny and have a rejection possibly happen. Although I was never presented with a form, I'm bound by a confidentiality agreement that I won't divulge the questions and interview content I encountered during the interview day. As one could guess, broadcasting them on my puny blog and facebook won't happen. I can say that it was a taxing day and I left with mixed feelings. My interviewer likened it to finishing the GRE, which wasn't a bad comparison.

The day started promptly at 9 and we broke at 1:00. I volunteered to go first and I thought my teaching lesson went well and I accomplished everything I set out to achieve. The twelve other applicants--three total males--were as prepared or less than myself. Some never finished their lessons and hurriedly concluded after being informed of the time. One young woman taught an entertaining African-American dance, one attempted a world history lesson over an esoteric incident and minor war that was in actuality closer to European history, yet no one taught any mathematics. I returned at 3:30 for my 3:45 interview, which ran around 45-50 minutes. Through reading the TFA website, blogs, message boards, and chatting with TFA corps members, I prepared for several topics including my graduate and teaching assistant experience. None of the questions were too surprising and my interviewer seemed to follow, quite faithfully, a form. For instance, when I mentioned that I'm traveling to Morocco in two weeks to study intensive Arabic, she had no spark or intrigue other than a perfunctory "oh, interesting" before advancing to another topic.

It's easy to say "I did my best." Looking back on my twenty-eight years, there are a few times where I can say I legitimately put forth my best effort and tried my hardest. Yesterday was one of those occasions, and I feel OK. Just OK about the whole day. Maybe I'm too hard on myself and it went better than I'm allowing right now. Either way, I will know the decision when I wake on November 11 in Morocco.

This is how I envision my TFA interview proceeding

I can find a mermaid for a position.

Dylan's Christmas in The Heart

Dylan's new holiday offering is quite possibly the worst Christmas album I've ever heard. However, I find it remarkably entertaining. Fortunately, Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot eviscerate the charity album--both labeled it a trash it--with DeRogatis rather humorously spearing Dylan's singing and presence as the raspy voiced uncle who ruins Christmas with his antics. Although both dub him a living legend and claim that he is one of the most important artists of the last fifty years, they cannot bring themselves to insist that the album sustains any redeeming qualities. The Sound Opinions duo paste Christmas in the Heart as campy and sloppy. A more accurate truth cannot be stated. Despite that fact that album could be named Dylan Murders the Christmas Classics, I foresee several playings around the holidays. Hear the review.

Vonnegut's New Collection of Short Stories: Look at the Birdie

Kurt Vonnegut's second posthumous work, Look at the Birdie, is slated to appear on bookshelves soon. It is a collection of short stories from KV's career, and I believe they were composed early in his career. Armageddon in Retrospect was a bit of a disappointment as the stories seemed hurriedly assembled to coincide with the market for his material following his death. While I know I cannot expect Monkey House with every collection, I'm a bit more hopeful for Birdie. "Look at the Birdie," the title story, is offered for free via the LAT. The sly, artful use of language is present and the story ends in typical Vonnegut fashion after odd twists and turns with a conclusion that neither settles nor awards.

Marisa Biaggi Answers My Queries on Bubbles the Chimp

Ayn Rand Bio

The New Republic's senior editor Jon Chait assessed a recent biography of Ayn Rand, titled Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right by Jennifer Burns. I'd be lying if I claimed that the article was an honest book review rather than describing it more accurately as a third review, a third attack on Rand, and a third editorial on the hysteria of conservatives over tax matters and governance. With that being said, Wealthcare is a fantastic yet long read that exposes Rand's vicious, imperious personality and how her ideas took hold in modern conservatism. Her acolytes adopted a cultish following where Rand wielded a totalitarian-esque cudgel within the group that demanded strict adherence to her writings and thoughts as well as unflinching loyalty to her as a person. Excommunications and personal attacks followed those who committed minor transgressions or questioned her will. All in all, a fascinating article with, for me, agreeable commentary on how the right's concern on taxes for the rich is unfounded. I'm tempted to purchase the book for my trip, but I'm uncertain if I need additional history luggage.

Winning the Nobel and Renewed Faith in the US

I am proud that our president received the Nobel Peace Prize. Like everyone else, I do not believe that his actions so far merited the award. Obama does not deserve the enmity directed at him by select Republicans and members of the conservative media junta. I doubt Obama wanted this now or at any time in his presidency. Politically, it's a wonderful honor, but a sticky one that carries positives and negatives.

Nevertheless, as I flipped through various news stories, I couldn't help but think that saying "he didn't deserve it yet" sees this from a limited perspective. I think we, as Americans, need to be clear on a few characteristics of the US's role in the world. Our country engaged/engages in unnecessary wars and has put its economic and social interests above those of every other country in the world. The developing world suffered disproportionately and continues to bear a greater burden as legacies of colonialism and neocolonialism hinder growth and peace.

With that being said, it would be foolish to not recognize the US's impressive power and basic fact that the US piloted the Western world through a long period of peace, stability, and prosperity. Despite prickly relations with France at points and several other states, since entering the Second World War, the US assumed and was invited to adopt a leading position in the world. I'm dismayed whenever I hear people claim that the US should remove all of its troops abroad and focus solely on the US. Rejecting a history of American responsibility as a global hegemon (imposed and invited) is dangerous and blind to the nature of international relations. Does that imply that the US should persist in supporting policies that magnify suffering? No, not at all and we as a country could do much more to alleviate hunger, war, etc. Still, it's an imperfect system with players who consistently attempt to one-up other states for material gain. As I mentioned in my reviews of John Perkins' books, there is no proof that an equitable set of global affairs or states will replace a receding US.

Quite possibly, the Nobel committee and certain states have restored faith in the United States to lead, and the peace prize should not be seen as a testament to what he has accomplished, rather his potential as well as renewal of faith in the United States. I think it's disingenuous to believe that the award was given as a reflection on Obama's score card and not as a hope to encourage the president on the part of the committee. Of course, one could discuss ideas of Western normative modernity and what the award represents from a handful of Scandinavian lefties.

Certainly he's not George Bush, however, I think it's simplistic to say that he received the award for simply not being Bush. All the political bluster of a year ago aside, John McCain wouldn't have been Bush. Would the Nobel committee have selected McCain? Unlikely. Obama reached out to the world in a fashion that many presidents never attempted, especially in such a narrow window. His early diplomatic efforts that occurred from the nomination in February until the voting in September should be praised. Still, it puts the onus on him to generate results from his initial successes. Although the Nobel bolsters the diplomacy of the past few months, it lands at an ironic time as the White House contemplates increasing troop levels. So Obama has to earn it and persevere regardless of Afghanistan. Even Michael Moore encourages the president to earn the award. It will be tricky, but I believe he won't languish and it's counterproductive for the US's stature to wish that he fails.

Orson Wells, Master Thespian

The Problem of Christopher Hitchens and Islam

I will give Hitchens some credit. He's intelligent, his work on Henry Kissinger is scathing, and it's entertaining to read his contrarian articles. Hitchens' behavior led to a recent ass whooping in Lebanon when he chose to deface a political poster. What is more endearing than a fleshy, arrogant white man acting on a condescending impulse in Middle Eastern politics? He's up to his old antics in a recent comment on the slaughter of pigs and Egypt and how it stems from Islam and anti-semitism.

When the swine flu started appearing on the world's radar, the Egyptian government foolishly decided to slaughter Cairo's pigs last May. As Michael Slackman pointed out in the NYT recently, the decision eliminated Caireans' primary source of trash collection and decimated the livelihood of some Christian Copts known as the zabaleen. The aftermath? Trash piled up and the fetid mounds of garbage generated a public health crisis. Garbage men from one of the Western multinationals striked, which only contributed to the mess.

So what was all of this? A silly policy decision on the part of bureaucrats? Not according to Hitchens. Although Slackman's article never mentions religion as a catalyst for the pig massacre, Hitchens uses his critical eye and continuing hatred for religion to find a story that isn't apparent, or real. He links unrelated comments on swine, Jews, and Islamic loathing of pigs to weave a story of how Islam was responsible. Forget any question if scorn for pigs originates from a pre-Islamic or other cultural legacy, as that's counter productive to his agenda of attributing blame to religion. Even though Hitchens doesn't speak Arabic nor does he produce any evidence from clerics, imams, or anyone at Al Azhar that advocated killing pigs and directed policy, he cannot locate any other culprit than Islam. He warns at the end "Leave it to people of faith. Leave it to them if you dare …"

Hitchens' shallow base of knowledge on Islam permits him to scream hysterically about non-existent threats and specters of religion. His ignorance contributes to erroneous opinions on Islam that ignores the reality of life, political economy, and culture in the Middle East. In favor of a nuanced grasp, he fancies generalized opinions that sustain the foolish myth of backward, monolithic Islam that pervades society at every level. Leave policy and cultural understanding to people like Hitchens. Leave it to them if you dare.

Final Harvest

Before we departed, the weather indicated a likely freeze was on its way for Denver, so I opted to collect all of the green tomatoes of decent size for indoor ripening. I collected them in a fabric grocery bag. The bulk were green with a few ones with bits of color dotting the bottoms of a few. Since pulling them, several ripened and we will slice them for grilled pizzas on Wednesday.

I placed the bag unevenly on a scale and it registered thirty pounds. After picking it up several times, we concluded that the bag weighed more than thirty, and closer to forty. Our total produce, then, totaled to approximately fifty-five pounds, with the obvious bulk from the green machines on the left. My goal this week is to pull the remaining vines and clear the area now that crisp fall days are here and my allergies are less likely to bother me. All told, we are happy with our garden, with clear improvements for next year if we're around.

Is that a steel frame from '88?

John Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and the Secret History of The American Empire

Shortly after they were published, I wanted to read John Perkins' books recounting his past as an economic hit man. We flew to Rhode Island for a wedding this weekend, and I took the opportunity to check the books out from the DPL. Confessions (2004) and Secret History (2007) offer insight into Perkins' past as an economic hit man. In short, he believes that the NSA or another shadowy government organization guaranteed his employment and training to build an economic empire for the US and to create massive networks of debt and economic subservience for the third world. In fact, the latter is not difficult to believe. I question whether he received some form of government training through a mysterious, vanishing woman named Claudine. To me, it strains credulity and introduces a conspiratorial element that I doubt and he cannot support outside of his reminiscences.

As I read Confessions, I kept thinking of James Frey's A Million Little Pieces. I do not question if Perkins participated in a process of economic warfare for private sector gain, rather if he received orders to carry the weight of empire building. Could he realize it well after the fact and express remorse for his actions? Certainly, and it appears that one of his motives for writing the book was to expose the sordid tale of American economic policies since the 1970s that produced little wealth for few except those in key positions in the private sector.

After reading Confessions, I was curious if Secret History departed from the script he laid out in his first book and contributed a new level of analysis. Secret History reeks of an author who pumps out a second book to build on the success of the previous work while providing stale insight. It continues his travelogue of rape and pillage capitalism with more sex, exotic locations and people, and dubious historic claims. His vision of American history is cloudy and, at times, wrong. He embraces the mythology of the Revolution for the purposes of drawing a distinction between his utopian vision of government and the current nature of domestic and international policy. I don't know where or how he settled on the conclusion that President Dwight Eisenhower acquiesced to anyone to oppose the British, French, and Israeli aggression against Israel. The transparent historical record disproves that wild-eyed claim, as well as others on the Middle East. (We never invaded Iraq twice, which he struggles understanding.) Then there's his prose and structure. The book is clunking and poorly edited. For instance: it's disdain not distain as he uses it; one loses a job, not looses; scorporatocracy is not a word, whereas corporatocracy is. Those three examples are the ones that I noted, but the book was not limited to those few instances. Too many chapters are inchoate missives that often fail to offer more than glimpses of ideas without fully developing them or tying them in a cogent manner to larger themes.

One of my primary complaints is that there's a larger question he nearly touches, but neglects to address. For all his pleading to reform American business practices and international capitalism, he doesn't propose an alternate vision that will improve the plight of developing countries. Is it feasible to reform American corporations while allowing them to maintain their hegemony? My guess is no, which begs the question of who or what will replace our titans of capitalism? The US launched a global campaign at the turn of the 19th century to spread its version of commerce and business arrangements, and I doubt anyone would say that the mission was a failure. In fact, one could argue that the story of the 20th century is how American policy makers convinced the rest of the world to adopt its economic structures and order. Due to that, however, it's foolish to believe that weakening American companies to make them less profit oriented would convince similar entities to pursue the same strategy. Capitalism is a no holds barred game and reforming the Americans doesn't guarantee that Chinese or another state's corporations won't take advantage of weakness and exploit the channels dug by Bechtel, Halliburton, etc. If Perkins wants to recast the function as well as form of the US business and economic practices, I applaud his efforts, no matter how fruitless I find them. I simply would not turn to his books as guides.

Sarah Palin and her Accessory Baby

Juan Cole's Top Misconceptions on Iran

Juan Cole is one of the most reliable and prominent bloggers on Middle Eastern politics. His purpose remains to dispel ideas on the Middle East, Arabs, Islam, and their danger to Americans. His recent post, top things you think you know about Iran that are not true, offers several pointed examples of false ideas on Iran that are propagated in the US. Here are two of my favorites:

Belief: Iran is aggressive and has threatened to attack Israel, its neighbors or the US

Reality: Iran has not launched an aggressive war modern history (unlike the US or Israel), and its leaders have a doctrine of "no first strike." This is true of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as of Revolutionary Guards commanders.

and

Belief: Isn't the Iranian regime irrational and crazed, so that a doctrine of mutally assured destruction just would not work with them?

Actuality: Iranian politicians are rational actors. If they were madmen, why haven't they invaded any of their neighbors? Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded both Iran and Kuwait. Israel invaded its neighbors more than once. In contrast, Iran has not started any wars. Demonizing people by calling them unbalanced is an old propaganda trick. The US elite was once unalterably opposed to China having nuclear science because they believed the Chinese are intrinsically irrational. This kind of talk is a form of racism.

Consumerist

I'm spending my week trying to step back from my computer and read a little in my free time from work. We leave early tomorrow to fly to Rhode Island for a wedding, and then I'm counting down the days for Morocco and furiously revisiting my Arabic. Apparently, Moroccan rail fares are quite cheap. For instance, it costs around twenty US for a round trip ticket from Rabat to Tangiers and the ferry crossing to Spain. I'm toying with the idea of spending Thanksgiving in Seville so I can finally visit Spain and get a bit more traveling under my belt. If Algiers wasn't fraught with danger, I might consider more African trips.

Regardless of that, I wanted to share a site I like to check. One of the websites I check daily includes the Consumerist. They collect a small sampling of deals as well as stories that relate to consumer fraud as well as other subjects that pertain to the motor of our economy. The site follows a typical formula of exposing the comedic ignorance of corporations and merging it with important consumer information. It doesn't do everything, but it's not a bad place for deals.