The Downing Street Memo

Tim Cavanaugh joins the growing chorus of Iraq war skeptics acknowledging that there's no 'there' there in the Downing Street Memo.

Of course, all but the most wild-eyed Bush haters never thought the "revelations" in this memo would be a major scandal. After all, most of it was conventional wisdom when the memo was released: the Bush administration thought Saddam Hussein had WMDs and were unenthusiastic about the changes of a UN-mediated outcome.

The real reason the Left loves playing up this memo is the fortuitous use of the phrase "intelligence and facts were being being fixed around the policy", which in the context of the memo almost certainly means that facts and intelligence supporting the case for the policy were being found (as in "to fix upon") and emphasized, which is exactly what happened.

However, through the lazy anti-Bush (and I suppose even more pro-scandal) filter of the media, this phrase gets summarized (as I heard it this morning on WBZ) as "allegations that the Bush administration 'fixed' intelligence to justify the Iraq war". Who cares if this is a rude mis-translation? The meme is out the door, and soon the scare quotes around 'fixed' will disappear.

Fred Kaplan, Broken Record

As anyone (yes all two of you) who read this blog regularly know, I'm a big fan of Slate. They provide a great mix of politics, pop culture, and the sort of uncategorizable stuff you don't find anywhere else. Where else can you find a lighthearted regular column on Supreme Court arguments? Left, right and center, Slate's stable of writers sets a high standard, and it's one that Fred Kaplan hasn't lived up to for a while. Take today's predictable assault on John Bolton. Is there a single insight here that I couldn't get from wire service reports and Democratic talking points?

...his intimidation of intelligence analysts who dared disagree with him, the dismal signal his appointment will send to the world...

...It takes enormous self-deception to believe that John Bolton is truly qualified...

...As an undersecretary of state in Bush's first term, he repeatedly sought the removal of intelligence analysts who dared to disagree with him...

Wow, that last talking point was so thrilling it got in there twice. Did he intimidate, then remove those brave State Department analysts? By remove he can't mean fired. Has anyone in the State Department actually alleged that their careers were hurt by their disputes with Bolton? Shouldn't spirited disputes over policy, which many of these were, be welcomed rather than seen as disqualifying? Doesn't the run up to the Iraq war demonstrate that policy makers should question intelligence analysts more and not less?

Kaplan's columns have been like this for a while. There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with the administration or being contrarian, but he should at least acknowledge the other side of the argument, if only to dismiss it.

When I know everything I'm going to read in a Fred Kaplan column from the title, why should I even bother?

Finally, I'd be willing to wager that John Bolton will turn out to be at least a competent UN ambassador, thus putting the lie to Kaplan's claim that he's obviously not "truly qualified". Though if he does, will Kaplan acknowledge that perhaps his distrust of the Bush administration led to his own "enormous self-deception"? I'm not going to hold my breath.

If I had the time...

John Tierney's smart column would almost be enough to get me to subscribe to the New York Times.

I love temporal mechanics

The Time Traveler Convention - May 7, 2005

It's things like this that make MIT the uhh... coolest place on earth... yeah that's it... cool...

The deep thoughts of a galactic tyrant

Via Slashdot, this blog is one one of those results of deeply disturbing geek obsession that makes you (well, at least me!) glad there are deeply disturbed geek obsessions with which to waste time.

Why I am not a Libertarian

I'm only 2/3 of the way through this excellent Jane Galt post, but I can already say it articulates precisely why I'm pragmatically drawn to conservatism over more liberal (really libertarian) thinking. It's ostensibly about gay marriage, but you could, as Jane Galt suggests, apply her argument to many policy changes that claim to eschew social engineering, but end up doing dramatic "unintentional engineering" (oxymoron alert!) in the long term.

I've been reading AA posts occasionally for years (back when it was "Live from the WTC" if I recall), but it's to the blogroll with her now.

Back from the Big Apple

I had a fun, tiring weekend in Manhattan. Went to a few places that were definitely worth the hype:

• Hotel QT - Still "under construction," but what's there so far is way cool. The rooms are "cozy" but stylish with lusciously soft beds. The staff is friendly and helpful. The pool would be a gem even without the swim-up bar.
• The new MoMA - At least a full day's activity. Obviously designed by people who love design, from the airy, sunlit interior to the ruthlessly efficient, yet delicious and relaxing Cafe 2.
  
• Una Pizza Napoletana - Perfect pizza. Well worth the wait and the price.
• Papaya King - They can't franchise fast enough for me.
  

"The Crackers"

Via Crooked Timber, this art hits the spot for me, and almost makes up for traveling to NYC a few weeks late to see "The Gates" (pro: also orange!, con: less snackable!)

Counterrevolutionary French Fries

McDonald's ran what seemed to me to be a pretty daring ad during the Oscar telecast tonight. It follows a pair of Chinese girls, the best of friends, from their youth in an idealized village, to graduation from a university (complete with a shot of diplomas featuring the visage of Chairman Mao!), to life in the big city. The jingle is something like, "Sharing was always so easy," until, that is, McDonald's french fries entered the picture.

I'm not even casually acquainted with the evolution of Chinese Communist doctrine, but the symbolism of the ad—a tempting product of the capitalist machine undermines cultural acceptance of communal property—is delightful, even if unintentional.

Endangered French Fries

The New York Times has a remarkably balanced article on the challenges facing the food industry as it moves away from transfatty oils. The main obstacle isn't industry greed; it's consumers who are used to their favorite products tasting a certain way.

The cycles of nutritional fads has had an unfortunate impact on many great American foods. Take the classic McDonald's french fry:

McDonald's replaced beef tallow with partially hydrogenated soybean oil in 1990. In September 2002, the company vowed it would use healthier oil in its 13,000 stores in the United States by February 2003.

The new fries are probably healthier than those fried in beef tallow, but boy I'd love to be able to taste those pre-1990 fries again.

It's not to be, though, since the advantages of mass marketing make it impractical for McDonald's to produce them again, and trademark laws (and probably more than a few trade secrets) doubtlessly make it impossible for a competitor to create and advertise "McDonald's fries like you remember them."

As the digital age makes it exponentially cheaper to store all sorts of information practically forever, I think we'll more and more feel the loss of experiences we can't save and savor.

Rum Run

On a happier note, while taking a run down Mass Ave this evening, I did find a liquor store that sells the heavenly Pyrat XO Reserve rum.

A few years ago my girlfriend brought me back a bottle of Bacardi 8 from the distillery in Puerto Rico. Ever since I've been a big fan of aged rum. (And even more a fan of my endlessly thoughtful girlfriend!)

The ideal destination for rum drinkers of all kinds is the Cuban-inspired Naked Fish. During an after-work trip to the Faneuil Hall location a few weeks ago, the bartender recommended the XO, and I was instantly smitten. It's sugary without being too sweet, molassas-dark without being syrupy—everything you'd want in a sipping rum.

Where to find Château Plissac-Bellevue?

Somehow my parents got a bottle of this 2000 vintage Château Plissac-Bellevue, Premieres Côtes de Blaye. Don't ask me what that means, I'm only an aspriring wine snob, but it was terrifically quaffable, and I'd love to get my hands on a few bottles.

Unfortunately, a Google finds me only European, Hawaiian and Hong Kong sellers, and until the U.S. Supreme Court overturns states' bans out out-of-sale wine purchases, like the one in puritan Massachusetts, it really wouldn't help me to find an Internet vendor, anyways.

Does anyone who happens to Google their way over here know where I can get some within 200 miles of Cambridge, MA? My eternal gratitude and a drink at the bar of your choice in Cambridge would be your reward.

New web tools

My last post reminded me to mention two web apps I've started to get a lot of use out of, both of which are well-designed (and free!):

• Google Maps: gee-whiz scrolling and zoomable maps with street names and multiple "pushpin" waypoints. When can I get this on my cell phone?
• Ta-da Lists: the best designed web app I've used. Simple, elegant, fast, and most importantly, shareable.

Check them out.