David Frum's Blog, page 153

89 Outrageous Anti-Obama Books

John Avlon's latest for the Daily Beast is masterful. It features an interactive list of the most outrageous examples of frothing anti-Obamaism, and it's a perfect round-up of the epistemic closure that the right wing media has created for half of America.

Bald for Bieber

I can't even begin to describe this story, but apparently 4chan, Reddit's red headed step-parent, pulled off history's greatest troll. The fact that it was at the expense of Beliebers, or Justin Bieber super fans, makes it all the better.

China's Gilded Age Growing Pains

Evan Osnos' latest in the New Yorker has it all: the cronyism, coverup, and a society where hiding the evidence is increasingly difficult. You'll want to note the coverage of former railroad commissioner Liu Zhijun, the horrifying experience of the Cao family, and the growing signs of major internal conflict within China.

Obama the Star Trek Geek

Seems I spoke way, way too soon dismissing the idea of Obama expressing views on Star Trek …

Should Animal Sacrifice End?

Anila Muhammad of Muslims for Progressive Values argues against the tradition of animal sacrifice on the holiday of Eid al-Adha, which Muslims observe today:

A Future for the Pro-Life Movement

Abortion is undoubtedly a complex moral issue, and I sympathize with those who passionately argue for its abolition. But our system is designed to encourage individuals, not the state, to make tough moral decisions. And, like past social movements, this might not be resolvable though legislation. David wrote on the subject last year. His roadmap for a successful pro-life movement built upon persuasion, instead of legislation, is worth restating.

Ending the Abortion Wars

Now seems like an appropriate time to revisit my CNN column on abortion and the culture wars from last year.

Don't Let the GOP Become the Party of Rape

The editors of National Review agree with Mourdock: no abortion even in cases of rape.

I Knew Lenin, Obama's No Lenin

National Review's editorial attack on the president's second-term economic plan puts Lenin in the very first paragraph.

What Can Turkey Do About Syria?

As we saw in the last debate, President Obama and Gov. Romney were falling over each other in their insistence that America would not militarily intervene in Syria. Without us, that leaves Turkey in the leadership role for dealing with the conflict and stabilizing the region.