News & Comment

Laura Rozen finds an article discussing the connection between Al Qaida and the gem trade, a link that's been all but completely ignored by the Bush administration. Also, she points out that China is getting involved in Africa, and likely the Sudanese genocide, in a bid to secure its energy future. Now, if only there were a powerful country who was respected around the world as a fair and honest broker that could step in and try to negotiate a reasonable solution...

From Crooked Timber, Texas is working to strike mentions of evolution, pollution, contraception, global warming, and overpopulation from its school textbooks. If this is true, medical and science students can heave an enormous sigh of relief in coming years, because they will stop having to compete for space with applicants from Texas. Another post talks about how the costs of global warming will be inflicted on the global underclass, which may be the reason why Luddites like Bjorn Lomborg continue to insist that it won't cost enough to bother fixing it.

Dave Neiwert speaks about the Right's determination to eliminate the enemy, which is to say, liberals. Considering that the more radical among them consider Republican Senator Arlen Specter unacceptably liberal, that doesn't leave much hope for vast swathes of the populace.

This article about the censor wars whose most recent target was the airing of "Saving Private Ryan", brings up a couple other points of interest.

...Robert Knight, of the curiously named Concerned Women for America, told Associated Press recently that [Professor Alfred Kinsey] was akin to the notorious Nazi pseudo- scientist Dr Josef Mengele.

...The American Family Association also calls for a general boycott of Disney, because the company has encouraged gays to visit its theme parks, and of food giant Procter & Gamble for hiring gays. ...

BOPNews: The electoral map of 1896 will look curiously familiar to anyone who saw the map of the 2004 election, except that the parties are reversed. An article every Democrat and activist should read about how to be an opposition party, especially the part where it's explained that "If you didn't oppose [the party in power], then you can't later hold them responsible."

A Daily Kos diarist infiltrated the local Evangelical groups, the better to report back to the rest of us. Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks to Michael Berube.

Feministing on the bad science being passed on to women seeking abortions in some states, also resources that explain why gender inequality has become the prime mover in spreading the AIDS epidemic around the globe.

Juan Cole shares a guest article suggesting that Arafat's death won't solve much. In Iraq Ayatollah Sistani calls for a peaceful solution in Fallujah, and a plan to split Iraq into larger ethnic provinces is examined.

MyDD on the House races of 2006. It's never too early to start planning ahead.

Here in Washington, the governor's race is still too close too call, with around a quarter of the outstanding ballots here in King County. For any other races you might have been interested in, go to the Secretary of State site and browse to your heart's content.