Rice and the Axis of Evil

The United States missed a huge opportunity after 9/11 to influence the course of Iranian politics but, as usual, blew it. Iran, which had reason to dislike the Taliban, saw 9/11 as a opportunity to create stronger ties with the United States. They actively helped the U.S. in Afghanistan and supplied information about Al Qaeda, often actually capturing terrorists who sought refuge in Iran. Very secret negotiations were being conducted between Iran and the United States that provided support for reformer in Iran who wished to bring a more democratic regime to power.

That all changed with Bush's "Axis-of-Evil" speech that linked Iran to North Korea and Iraq, a long-time enemy of Iran, and the threat to Iran implicit in Bush's speech that we would engage in regime change in those countries. Condi Rice, who should have known better, did not recognize the import of the language and thought Bush's speech was simply a recognition of our support for democracy (despite the fact that we don't have one - one of life's little ironies.)

Reference: Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation by Barbara Slavin

Miscellaneous musings

I fail to understand the Democrats' obsequious manner with regard to Bush's funding of the war. "Support the Troops" should mean bring them home now. By not cutting off funding, the Democrats are supporting Bush's bankrupt policies, which continue to become more incendiary and irresponsible, particularly with regard to Iran - $20 per gallon gas anyone?

The latest request for funds brings the cost of the war perilously close to a trillion dollars. Interest on the debt alone will approach $700 billion - that's debt, mind you; about $8,000 for every American. Right now that paper is owned by the Chinese. Not a good idea.

In the meantime the Republican candidates continue to self-destruct. How nice.

Recommendation: DVD "Deliver Us From Evil," a horrifying documentary about the Catholic Church's failure to address the issue of clergy pedophilia.

Retirement and Steamboats

Well, here I am recently retired, hoping for lazy days filled with books, both printed and audio, an environment that has yet to manifest itself as the "proverbial "honey-do-list gets longer rather than shorter.

That being said, I ran across an article about the current fleet of steamboats that still ply the Mississippi ("In Twain's Wake" by Wayne Curtis, Atlantic November 2007.) It sounds like a marvelously languid experience. Curtis has a way with descriptive phrases and several that struck my fancy included his description of the calliope: "Its sound was exactly the opposite of a pipe organ’s: Where the latter rouses one with deep bass notes, the calliope thrills with piercingly high ones. It is, however, a thrill I believe best experienced only once."

Sitting around on deck as the steamboat glides up the Mississippi had its charms too: "Afternoons and evenings were spent eating, attending history lectures, and sitting in deck chairs, where the vibration from the engine created a Magic Fingers effect; inevitably, I would find myself in a row of dozing passengers, our heads secured to our chests with great hawsers of drool." That's a vivid nautical image.

The boats stop at assorted locations along the way and Curtis's description of the tourguide at one plantation broght a chuckle: "wandered over and joined an early tour, led by a hoopskirted guide who spoke in that singsong monotone used to hypnotize tourists and make them think that tarnished table settings are interesting."

"War on the MIddle Class"

Lou Dobbs is a joke. Here we have an exceedingly rich white guy pretending to be worried about immigration (I bet his nanny is an illegal) and this supposed "war on the middle class," the title of his book. The middle class in this country could be defined as anyone not poor (making less than $25,000 per year) to $400,000 to $500,000 per year. The fact remains that this broad group runs the country since they consistently vote - after all, no one speaks for the truly poor nor cares about them -- and the rich are too few in number to make a difference until after the election when they buy what they want from our esteemed elected officials. So why this Dobbsian concern for the "middle-class?" Could it be he has plans to run for something?

A recent article by Clive Crook in the Atlantic puts some Dobbs' assumptions in perspective:
1. The so-called stagnation of incomes is belied by a steadily improving quality of life.
2. The so-called rising debt of the middle-class is mostly in mortgages that are supported by increased capital property values. In fact, "40% of middle-income households have no credit card debt at all."
What may become a problem is the impending retirement income problems and health care. But Dobbs doesn't seem to care about them Why would he when he has millions socked away.

Piraha, linguistics, and direct experience

How is how we think connected to our language. This is a question that has always fascinated me, and there is a fascinating article in the April 16th issue of The New Yorker ("The Interpreter" by John Colapinto) that relates the reexamination of Chaomsky's theories of language (the rules of grammar are innate biological constructs.)

An Amazonian tribe, the Piraha, has resisted all attempts from missionaries and others in the outside world to teach some basic concepts (such as numbers larger than three) and knowledge of the past - or future. This small tribe lives only in the present and perceives reality "solely according to what exists within the boundaries of their direct experience." Dan Everett, a brilliant linguist now teaching at I.S.U. who lived with the Piraha for many years, argues their "dedication to empirical reality" explains their lack of interest in art and complete lack of interest in how they came into being -- their tribe has no creation stories. Everett suggests their immediacy of experience extends into their grammar and they state ideas and thoughts as discreet units. The idea that they accept as real only what they observe has made it impossible for them to accept the idea of a supernatural entity.