Thought bite: Quote for May 10, 2010
"...the level of intelligence up on that bench is just staggering. So what could be more fun than to engage with them and to be challenged by them and to try and persuade them?"
Elena Kagan, in a May 2009 interview with The National Law Journal after she became US Solicitor General
Looking for answers: five of the best in current commentary
1) Arizona law stirred the immigration debate. Now the state can help clear the waters, too:
From the Arizona Republic: "In the days and weeks ahead, we hope we'll have cause to praise other leaders - whom we had earlier criticized - for now stepping forward to engage in productive discussions on illegal immigration."
2) Hoping that Israelis and Palestinians see each other in the mirror:
From The New York Times: “ 'When I go into Kalkilya,' Gil told me, 'I’ve stopped using body armor, but I do take my rifle.' That, I think, is not a bad image of Israel today, prepared to relax slightly but mistrustful; feeling burned and misunderstood; ... an Israel that’s shed its body armor for now but still carries a rifle."
3) Former Senate parliamentarian gives advice on how to cool it in the chamber:
From Politico: "Working across party lines has always been important to Dove. When his twin daughters were old enough to become Senate pages, he decided they had to work for different parties. His daughter Carrie chose the Democrats, and Laura, who today is the assistant secretary for the minority in the Senate, became a Republican."
4) Finding a consensus on ways to deal with sex offenders:
From the San Diego Union: "If we are going to lock all sex offenders up, we’re talking about a lot of money. And so I think we need to make sure that our priorities are straight, that we protect our communities and do it by locking up those that are very serious and violent people and finding other alternatives for those who don’t commit serious crimes."
5) A dry, urbanizing West needs rural areas to capture rain for aquifers:
From the San Antonio Express-News: "Could part of the solution to our water needs also be putting more water into the [Edwards] aquifer? Ten years ago, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Geological Survey launched a research project to help answer that question. It is the longest- running and largest research project of its kind in the nation."
Stock plunge, Greek debt crisis, and the power of credibility
Four minutes. That's all it took for the stock price of consultancy Accenture to plunge from $40 to 1 cent yesterday. It recovered nearly all of those losses in just two minutes, epitomizing one of the wildest and scariest trading days in Wall Street history.
Some blame machines: The rise of automated computer trading, where sophisticated algorithms make decisions in nanoseconds, raises the risk of a "cascade effect" like the one that happened Thursday afternoon, causing mayhem in moments.
Others blame people: Perhaps someone's "fat finger" pressed "b" for "billion" instead of "m" for million.
Even as investigators sift for clues to explain the turmoil, the larger lesson is as ancient as an abacus: markets depend on credibility. And credibility depends on the integrity of prices. A price is a remarkable thing. It's a universal coordination tool, a promise, and a truth-telling device. When prices accurately reflect the desires of buyers and sellers, they coordinate billions and billions of human decisions harmoniously. When prices lie – whether through trading errors, government subsidies, inflation, or failure to pay up or deliver services – problems multiply.
Greece's debt problems go way beyond algorithms and fat fingers. But amid all the talk of austerity measures, bond ratings, and government bailouts, bear in mind Thursday's lesson: what markets value most is credibility. "Let's do whatever it takes to become trustworthy borrowers!" will never be a catchy protest slogan, but what a difference it would make if the Greek protesters who stormed the Acropolis this week shared its sentiment.
Thought bite: Quote for May 7, 2010
"They really loved Kohl's and Macy's."
- A former neighbor in Connecticut of accused Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad and his wife (quoted in the Washington Post)
Ukraine's dangerous ode to Stalin
This week Ukrainian Communists unveiled a bust of the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in the mainly Russia-speaking city of Zaporizhya in eastern Ukraine. They wanted to honor their World War II hero. The bust is the first monument to Stalin in Ukraine's modern history.
It doesn't matter that it was the initiative of local members of the Communist Party, was financed by donations from war veterans, or erected on private land -- it stands as another wedge between pro-Russia eastern Ukraine and the pro-Western or nationalist rest of the country. There, Ukrainians remember Russian oppression and the mass famine of 1932-1933 in which millions died under Stalin's agriculture policies.
The statue could easily bring out protesters in the western part of the country who could see this as more proof that their new government, under the leadership of Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovich, is ceding the country to Moscow.
In 2008, I had a chance to meet with members of Mr. Yanukovich's Party of Regions, which at that time was in the opposition. They had one message for visiting western journalists: All we want to do is restore balance in our foreign relations.
Now they're in power, but where's the balance? The parliament just approved an extension of up to 32 years to station the Russian Black Sea fleet on Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, which is largely Russian speaking. Ukraine gets lower gas prices from Russia; Russia gets a stranglehold on Ukraine's foreign policy. The deal sparked egg throwing in parliament and street protests. Now Moscow is pushing a merger between the two countries' natural gas giants, as well as nuclear and aviation sectors.
Yanukovich has got to tread carefully, and he may have already overstepped. If he gets too close to Moscow, he could, defacto, lose Ukraine's independence. And, if he goes too far, divided Ukraine might actually split, with Crimea the natural place to declare independence. Then Russia wouldn't have to bother with negotiating any more lease deals.
Looking for answers: five of the best in current commentary
1) After the British election, time to mend ties between London and Washington
From the Baltimore Sun: "To deal with the global challenges facing the United States, America needs like-minded friends. It is time to shed cool detachment and develop a personal relationship with the next British prime minister before America's closest global partner decides to bring a 60-year diplomatic chapter to a close."
2) Why any talks between Israel and Palestinians move peace forward
From the Beirut Daily Star: "The talks, in which George Mitchell will shuttle between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, may include some intriguing elements that are worth watching, especially vis-à-vis the US and its views on a permanent peace settlement. Here are my top 10 reasons why we should not dismiss the proximity talks so quickly:"
3) Helping US liberals and conservatives agree on cuts in the federal budget
From the USAToday: "Now that the president's deficit commission has been seated, let's send them down the right path: Cut first."
4) How love won a reprieve for the wives of Cuba's jailed dissidents
From the Miami Herald: "To get where we want to go, Cubans of all political leanings -- no matter where we live -- need many more mediators from within our ranks. That's the way forward."
5) Local ways to cut the costs of health care
From the Manchester Union Leader: "Mayor Gatsas created a plan in which city employees would get bonus payments of $50 or $100 for choosing lower-cost providers for common health care procedures. The plan attacks the main problem with health insurance in America: Consumers have no incentive to find less costly care because someone else is paying the bills. In Manchester, city employees now do."
Discussion question: How can we improve our defenses against terrorists?
The Times Square bombing attempt has spurred conversation on everything from surveillance equipment in US cities to winning hearts and minds in Pakistan. What lessons do you draw from the latest terrorist plot? Nearly a decade after 9/11, are the right defense measures in place? What improvements would you like to see?
We're looking for constructive ideas, not rants or personal attacks. We may highlight the best comments from readers in a future blog post.
Thought bite: Quote for May 6, 2010
"If you believe that God is in the details - and all biographers do, then Twitter will be a godsend!"
- Kitty Kelley, celebrity biographer, on the announcement by the Library of Congress that it will acquire Twitter's entire archive.
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