Alex Massie

Alex Massie

Wednesday

Alex Massie

Waiting

What's the point of waiting for General David Petraeus's report from Iraq on how the newish US policy is faring? Most of the right will welcome whatever good news can be gleaned from it while most of the left will denounce any such news as propaganda and deny that anything good or even half-way positive could ever happen in Iraq. In other words, most people in Washington seem intelligent enough to draw their conclusions from the report before its even been written. So why bother releasing it? [So what would you do, eh? I haven't a clue - which is one reason why I tend to avoid writing about Iraq.

Alex Massie

Scandal? What scandal?

Memo to Senator David Vitter: This is how you do it. Paddy Agnew, reporting from Rome for The Irish Times , writes: What does a public figure do when caught in flagrante with a prostitute? If you are an Italian deputy, the best line of defence would appear to be all-out attack, brazen it out and hope for the best. At least, that seems to be the tactic adopted by 50-year-old Cosimo Mele, of the ex-Christian Democrat UDC party, deputy for the constituency of Brindisi, southern Italy. The story began last Saturday morning when a "lady of the night" was rushed to Rome's San Giacomo hospital from the fashionable Hotel Flora in central Via Veneto.

Alex Massie

The Cheney Primary?

Not a great surprise that Dick Cheney should look kindly on Fred Thompson's odd campaign for the Presidency, given that the Vice-President's daughter has already signed up to this nonsense. Nonetheless it was good of Cheney to essentially confirm this on Larry King Live: "I'm totally neutral in the upcoming presidential contest. I will support the Republican nominee. And the fact that others have signed on with Fred or John McCain or Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, they're all good men. I hope one of them is the next president of the United States. But I haven't gotten involved in any of those efforts." Emphasis added of course.

Alex Massie

Spice Surge

Fed up with Iraq? Want to knock some heads together to press for a political solution? Seeking leverage to do so? Here's your chance... The reunited Spice Girls are letting "fans" vote to decide which unfortunate city should be added to their forthcoming world tour. In what is either an act of some bravura or an unfortunate oversight, you may vote for any city in the world: including Baghdad. Obviously this is the sort of thing the internet was made for.. If the prospect of a "Spice Invasion" doesn't concentrate Iraqi minds it's hard to know what can.  Alternatively, you may feel that Iraq has suffered so many agonies that it can probably cope with one more.

Alex Massie

And the trains even sort of run on time…

Brilliant. From the Sydney Morning Herald: After recent items on weird conditions for public transport there has been a flurry of mail, but we may have to close the correspondence after this, from Kim Meredith, of Ainslie, ACT: "My favourite ticketing system was in Mumbai, India," Kim enthuses. "No one actually buys a ticket, but you can buy 'ticket insurance' from private entrepreneurs who work at the entrance of the station. The 'ticket insurance' is about half the price of a regular rail ticket. It gives you a guarantee that, in the extraordinary event that you are booked by a railways inspector for taking a free ride, your fine will be paid. A relative was once booked and the ticket insurer paid the fine exactly as promised.

Alex Massie

Obama Girl vs Giuliani Girl

British readers may not have seen this yet. The follow-up to the extraordinarily successful Obama Girl video pits the Democratic team against a posse of Rudy Giuliani's admirers. It's all good. How long before someone does a Brown vs Cameron version?

Tuesday

Alex Massie

Does the GOP want to be the Nasty Party?

David Frum looks at the GOP's slide in support amongst voters under 30 and doesn't like what he sees: White young people continue to favor Republicans by a thin but real margin of 2 points. The Democrats owe their advantage among youth to a huge lead among young African-Americans (78 points) - and a very large lead (43 points) among Hispanics. In the past, Republicans could win elections despite their unpopularity among ethnic minorities. But with the huge surge of immigration since 1980 - and especially since 2000 -  the voting map of the United States has been redrawn in ways inherently deeply unfavorable to the GOP. If Republicans face an inhospitable future after 2008, we will hear much of the dreadful legacy of George W. Bush on social issues, the war, the environment, etc.

Alex Massie

The Diversity of the British Press

One of the other great glories of the British press is cartooning. Drawing (ha!) their inspiration from a tradition that stretches back to Hogarth and Gillray, today's cartoonists take pride in their often savage, scabrous wit. They take a proper pride in their lack of reverence - which is presumably why the stuffy New York Times doesn't even have a cartoonist. Why would you have fun on the editorial pages when you can publish Bob Herbert instead? Sometimes, however, the British cartoonists might be accused of groupthink.

Alex Massie

Pour encourager les autres? Oui, monsieur…

Of course I agree with Megan that dog-fighting is a bad, even wicked thing. Still, I was struck by her (cutting) question: did Michael Vick and his pals think that by - allegedly! - executing and torturing dogs that had lost fights this would be a case of pour encourager les autres? Voltaire's famous quip is one of my favourites. "In this country" he remarked, speaking of Britain, "it is thought good to kill an admiral from time to time, to give courage to the others". When it's trotted out these days it's generally accompanied by an arched eyebrow as though the very idea of this was absurd. But Voltaire was more right than he knew...

Alex Massie

US to UK: You Think We Care?

Remember that book, He's Just Not That into You: The No-Excuses Guide to Understanding Guys? There are times when I think Britons should remember this message when they consider the nature of the so-called "Special Relationship" between Britain and the United States. Today is one of those occasions when one is reminded again - as if it was really necessary - that the relationship is a just a little bit more important and rather more special to Britain than it is to the United States. Though the American newspapers covered Gordon Brown's first visit to the United States as Prime Minister, they understandably didn't attach the same importance to his meetings with George Bush as did the British press.

Alex Massie

Progressives vs Liberals: or why the Bush years are not a revolution in foreign policy affairs

As so often I'm late to a brouhaha. The vexed question of the day is whether American Democrats should call themselves Progressives or Liberals. Well, the former has some advantages, not the least of which being that it would allow Adam Smith's admirers to reclaim the liberal banner and wave it with ever-greater gusto. Still, it's noticeable that the discussion has revolved around such trendy notions as labelling and framing. Where policy has got a look in it's been in terms of the party's domestic agenda. But Progressivism was scarcely silent on foreign policy either. Indeed, when I hear the term I'm reminded of Speak softly, but carry a big stick and I am going to teach [them] to elect good men.

Alex Massie

Nobody defeats Rupert Murdoch…

It looks like the Dirty Digger has won his battle to take control of The Wall Street Journal. Unlike many people I don't believe this means the sky will fall. I've written about Rupert Murdoch and the gruesome Bancrofts here and here. Shorter version: Rupe has no incentive to change the Journal's newsroom structure and every reason to keep it the way it is. Does this guarantee he won't fiddle with it? Certainly not, but there's no such thing as total editorial independence from owners' whims anyway so suck it up suckas and make the most of having a boss who loves (and understands) newspapers and is prepared to invest in them for the long haul.

Alex Massie

Whatever happened to Robert Millar?

Naturally I should have mentioned this a month ago before the Tour de France began, not now that it's finished - though thoughts on the Tour and the continued jackassery of much cycling coverage will be posted when my blood has recovered from a) boiling and b) my own EPO transfers (kidding). Anyway, sports buffs shouldn't miss out on the best cycling book of the year. True, it's written by a friend of mine but don't hold that against Richard Moore. His In Search of Robert Millar is a terrific rendering of the rise, triumph, disappointment and eventual disappearance of Britain's most successful Grand Tour cyclist.

Monday

Alex Massie

While Smeaton watches, Scotland never sleeps…

Memo to terrorists: you've missed your opportunity. It's too late now. Just pack up and go home. John Smeaton  - the Pride of the Clyde and scourge of terrorists everywhere - returns to work today. Mr Smeaton, sharp-brained readers will recall, is the baggage handler who famously "set aboot" the lunatics who tried to bomb Glasgow Airport last month, delivering a swift and punishing kicking to the would-be terrorists. Mr Smeaton became the embodiment of Glasgow's image of itself: pawky but hard as nails, proud to live up to the old motto of Kings of Scotland, Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - roughly translated as Wha Daur Meddle Wi Me? or No-one Attacks Me With Impunity. In fact, as the terrific Smeato fansite demonstrates, Smeatomania has reached splendidly absurd levels.

Alex Massie

Why vote Tory?

While Gordon Brown visits Camp David for the first time as Prime Minister (on which more later), David Cameron takes stock. The Tories have been surprised by the goodwill that seems to have accompanied Brown as he begins his time in office. The Brown honeymoon has been all sweetness and joy, prompting thoughts that Broon may go to the country early. A nine-point Tory lead in the polls has been reversed; now it is Cameron who looks shallow and opportunistic. There's time enough, of course, to change this picture, but... Fraser Nelson asks: Try to finish the sentence “I really want the Conservatives to win the next election because…” I certainly can’t – and to me, this encapsulates Cameron’s problem.

Alex Massie

This Washington Life

Quote for the Day: "In Washington, achievement is measured by how much legislation is passed and how much money is spent, not by whether the nation’s interests are advanced." Cato's Dan Griswold rolls his eyes (one assumes) at the House's "great achievement"  in passing the new and monstrous Farm Bill.

Alex Massie

The George and Gordon Show Begins Its Run

UPDATE: Welcome TNR Plank people. Nice to see y'all again... Gordon Brown’s approach to the United States has followed the traditional “Good cop, Bad Cop” approach. Having let his subordinates off the leash to disparage  US foreign policy and hint that Washington should no longer be able to count on whole-hearted British support, Brown today played the role of the reassuring and conciliatory policeman who just wants to be your friend. The Prime Minister’s visit to Camp David followed criticism of the US from Brown’s protege Douglas Alexander and Mark Malloch Brown, formerly head of the UN Development Programme and newly installed at the foreign office.

Saturday

Alex Massie

Baltimore-Limerick connections…

This interesting story about jury duty in Baltimore brought to mind that old and favourite line from an Irish judge: You have been acquitted by a Limerick jury and may leave this court with no other stain upon your character.

Alex Massie

Embro to the ploy…

Sunday's New York Times travel section has a 36-hour guide to what to do and see in Edinburgh. Unfortunately it's terrible, listing rotten pubs and feeble restaurants. Though it's a) questionable how much attention people pay to this sort of mini-guide anyway and b) I can't hope to defeat the NYT,  let me say that I'll provide a much better personalised weekend guide to Auld Reekie to any reader who happens to be visiting the city this summer/fall/winter.  Can't say fairer than that, can you?

Friday

Alex Massie

James Bond vs. Jason Bourne

Peter Suderman and Isaac Chotiner each highlight an interview with Matt Damon (who is promoting the latest Jason Bourne thrilla, The Bourne Ultimatum). I like Damon. He's an increasingly interesting actor and his excellent performance in The Good Shepherd last year was every bit as under-rated as the movie itself. Nevertheless, he's also an ass. Evidence for the prosecution? Matt Damon's amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne shares initials with another notorious screen operative. But other than that, Damon doesn't see any similarities between Bourne and James Bond. Bond is "an imperialist and he's a misogynist. He kills people and laughs and sips martinis and wisecracks about it," Damon, 36, told The Associated Press in an interview. "Bourne is this paranoid guy. He's on the run.