Andrew Sullivan's Blog, page 2857

Not Tea Party America

A glimpse of New York City:

Bhangra in the East Village from Derek Beres on Vimeo.

East Village Manhattan - United States - New York - Metro Areas - New York City

The Use Of A Child, Ctd

A reader writes:

Count me as one of the fans that appreciates your continued beat on the Sarah and Trig Palin spectacle.

There's something that has always struck me as unusual about the timeline and the wanton risks associated with Trig's birth, and I observe it from the viewpoint of a parent of a child with special needs. My daughter was born with a chromosomal abnormality whose physical manifestation was, among other things, a congenital heart defect that required immediate intervention and...

Hewitt Award Nominee

"The president has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him
that breaks down the side of race - on the side that favors the black
person," - Congressman Steve King (R-IA).
















Steve King - United States - President - History - Health care

Is Erik Prince Planning A Pre-Emptive Get-Away?

The Blackwater mercenary businessman may be scurrying off to the United Arab Emirates, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.
















Erik Prince - Blackwater Worldwide - United Arab Emirates - Middle East - Mercenary

Iran - A Year Later

One way to see if an argument is worth its muster is to ask whether it addresses the core points of the best rebuttal. Reuel Marc Gerecht's op-ed completely fails this test today. The obvious reason that president Obama decided to keep his support for the Green Movement in Iran muted was ... to help the Green Movement in Iran. His view - shared in large part by Mousavi and Karroubi - was that too strong a US public stand would backfire. It would allow the mullahs to play the Great Satan...

Homeownership Ticks Down

Richard Florida sees a silver lining, while Felix Salmon's worry lines deepen. Avent isn't sure about the truism that homeowners benefit communities:

Homeownership, as I've mentioned before, is an undiversified,highly-leveraged, immobile, illiquid financial bet. Having made such abet, homeowners become very risk averse. We can imagine situations inwhich new developments are likely to benefit local homeowners andincrease the value of their properties, but have benefits uncertainenough that...

Defense Cracks On The Right?

Finally, a debate about the defense budget.
















United States - Business - Government - National security - Social Sciences

Trouble In The Trinity

God the Father, it seems, has good taste.
















God the Father - Christianity - Religion and Spirituality - Jesus - Evangelism

Iran, A Year Later, Ctd

Juan Cole believes that the green movement still has life left in it. Karim Sadjadpour does a Q & A:

Two things happened after the elections that impacted Tehran's foreignpolicy. First, any lingering moderates or pragmatists were essentiallypurged from the decision-making structure, leaving Ayatollah Khameneisurrounded by a group of likeminded hardliners with two overarchingpolitical instincts: mistrust and defiance. Second, the ongoinginternal power struggles made it even more difficult than...

The Least Peaceful Country

Iraq claims the title for a fourth year:

Iraq received the worst score because of the continued political andsocial conflict in the country. Despite security improving in 2009 andthe holding of provincial elections at the beginning of that year,there were still 4,645 Iraqis killed according to Iraq Body Count. In comparison, the Brookings Institution recorded 2,259 Afghans that died that year.The country also had a high number of displaced and refugees, whichhave not returned home...