Posts by WH
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BillRalston69 (No Fixed Abode)
I'll leave the analysis of that most famous of equations to the boffins, but who hasn't been impressed by John Key's handling of the Einstein crisis? Apart from an alarming inability to negotiate stairs, Key has not put a foot wrong.
Unencumbered by worn out ideologies, Barack Obama and Key have taken a reassuringly pragmatic approach to the question of whether E really does equal mc^2.
When the cynic in me wonders whether the theory is just more Beehive spin, I remind myself that "the ground has shifted". Still, so far all we have heard is rhetoric - it will be many months before we see whether these big ideas are workable.
HOT
The Manhattan Project
John Key
Media trainingNOT
Big Government
Opposition MP's
Civil servants
Gypsies
Bloggers -
I'm not entirely certain, but I think your comments put you at odds with Colin Espiner -- and some consider him to be New Zealand's finest political commentator.
Look - I don't take Colin to be suggesting that we respond to uncertain times in an ignorant or simplistic way, but by the same token we can't afford to make the mistakes that Chicken Little or Pollyanna might have made. As Colin says, Key's speech needs to be realistic and positive -- it needs to deal with the problems of the moment while looking to the future. Key needs to make the kind of sober, flowery Churchillian noises that will help us retain a sense of perspective.
Sure, it's going to be a tough year for some, but let's not lose sight of the fact that others are going to do very well.
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I recently finished The Best and the Brightest, which tells the tale of how the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations escalated US involvement in Vietnam. Halberstam intertwines the main narrative with brief sketches of the key personnel. It's interesting.
I came away thinking about how people come to commit their energy to causes and ideas that may or may not turn out amazingly well (which is the point of the book, I suppose).
And I found this great house track on Youtube! (Off topic, I know)
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It seems to me that Obama is trying to resolve a number of conflicts in American society, one of those being the conflict between US progressives and moderate US Christians. I'd like to think that building understanding is intrinsically worthwhile, putting to one side the political advantages of broadening Democratic support in what remains a relatively religious society.
I can see why Obama chose Warren, and I can see why people find Warren offensive.
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Paul: I guess we'll see whether the inclusive tone works once the excitement of the inauguration wears off.
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Sorry to double post, but the BBC's Panorama has an interesting program on the challenges ahead.
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Bearing in mind that Obama has promised to practise a new kind of politics and to transcend the divisions in American society, I think Warren was a good choice. Perhaps changing the tone the conversation may help to break down the polarisation and inertia that comes with the us and them mentality.
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On second thoughts maybe that one is too political.
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One of the Guardian's music writers blogged an interesting piece about the non-ironic enjoyment of oestensibly bad music which reminded me of one of your posts:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/jan/13/phil-collins-non-ironic-revival
A French friend recently introduced me to Noir Desir, which you probably heard of long ago. I think its good, made better by not understanding the lyrics.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6EKmYhFk42M
I'm told this is about France's far right. -
That DPF piece is not very good.