Funniest Sentence Today

Kevin Drum in a post on Prof. Kagan's qualifications to be a Justice (the argument being she can persuade Justice Kennedy):

Anyway, Diane Wood has six kids and plays the oboe. I'll bet she can convince just about anybody of just about anything.

Economists Don't Know What They're Talking About--DeLong

Brad proves it by this statement (from his intro to an upcoming course):

Doesn't that mean that we [the students] are guinea pigs--experimental animals? A: Yes, but the life of an experimental animal can be a very interesting and fulfilling one.

The Weak US Government

One of my hobbyhorses--how really weak the Federal government is. I get support, albeit unknowingly, from a surprising source--a libertarian. Ilya Somin at Volokh Conspiracy writes:

My parents and I were green card holders from 1979 to 1986. As far as I know, they rarely if ever carried proof of legal residency with them except when entering and leaving the country. I suspect that most other legal immigrants behave the same way. Why? Because the chance of running into a federal law enforcement officer in everyday life is infinitesmally [sic] small.

This is in the context of a discussion of the Arizona immigration law.  Somin is worried because people have or could have dealings with local and state law enforcement officials almost every day.  (In fact, I've had very few interactions with such officials in the course of a rather long life.  Maybe I drive slower than Somin.) 

McCain Flip Flops on Farm Programs

From Chris Clayton:

One senator to spotlight in the letter is Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has opposed farm programs his entire career, but in the past two weeks has signed onto two letters defending traditional farm programs.

Brooks and Ricks on the US Army

David Brooks is laudatory today.  He believes the Army has been converted to a counterinsurgency doctrine through the leadership of Gen. Petraeus.  Tom Ricks likes the Brooks narrative,

I must say I'm more skeptical.  There was an earlier post on The Best Defense in which a guest poster ended by saying:

 I would argue, though, that the truth is closer to this being a business as usual concept regarding something perceived as a fad: General Petraeus and COIN are the flavor of the month now, but once Iraq winds down for us and explodes for the Iraqis after our drawdown and Afghanistan drags on and gets more of a mess, will it still be an appetizing taste? Past history shows that it won't be. That leaves the real question as: how much can GEN Petraeus' influence change the dynamic?

There are a  bunch of comments on that post, most of which I've not read.  Personally I'm a bit cynical about the Army, the whole military actually. Supposedly after Vietnam they changed their culture. But either they forgot the change, and the lessons of the war, or the change was oversold.  Or maybe the sheer inertia of the Army is underestimated.  After all, you've got people who've invested their lives in armor or artillery who have every incentive to look for flaws in a COIN Army.  They're backed up by the military-industrial-Congressional complex.  Drinking tea with tribal leaders may be effective, but it doesn't create jobs in a Congressional district.

So my bottom line is Mr. Brooks may be over impressed. Petraeus may have done everything right, and everything it could, but it doesn't mean COIN is embedded in the Army's DNA yet.

No One Trusts Their Bureaucrats

This Politico article argues that the publics in all industrial democracies have lost their trust in bureaucrats and hierarchical organizations. Why? Because people are richer and more educated.

I'm not sure of the argument, but it is a useful reminder that America is not as unique as we'd like to think.

The Layers and Layers of Duplicity in the New Yorker

Malcolm Gladwell has a piece in the New Yorker elaborating on the layers of duplicity in intelligence, and counter-intelligence, and counter-counter-intelligence, and....   Matt Yglesias links to it.

Meanwhile, via Best Defense, Steve Coll comments on the possible attitude of Pakistani terrorists to the NY car bomber.

Update from Herndon

Back before the failed attempt at immigration reform before the last election, Herndon, VA gained some fame.  The town board had approved the establishment of a labor center, rather than having day laborers stand around a 7/11 waiting for employers.  The town board and mayor were then ousted from office (must have been in 2006) by opponents who said the center was encouraging illegal immigration and wanted the town to crack down.

Well, time passes and there was another election in Herndon yesterday. The Restonian blog picks up the story:

Mayor Steve DeBenedittis survived a last-minute write-in campaign, but the four challengers more or less ran on what we'll politely call an "anti-Arizona" platform and will have a majority on the council, which suggests that we'll have to go back to poking fun at the town's recreational activities instead of its AZ on the W&OD policies.

Because of the housing crash, and resulting recession, immigration has been less of a hot issue in the area. I suspect this result will not receive the attention that the 2006 election had, however.

No More "Leatherstocking Region"

Margaret Soltan reports the decision to rename the region formerly know as "Leatherstocking Region".  Seems the name, which honors James Fenimore Cooper's hero of 5 novels, doesn't do anything for tourists. 

Professor Soltan doesn't mourn the name change; indeed she adds insult to injury by quoting Mark Twain on the excellence of Cooper's literary talents. Twain was obviously jealous of Cooper.  After all, has Daniel Day Lewis ever played one of Twain's heroes?

Glenn Beck More Enlightened Than Lindsay Graham!

Politico reports Sen. Graham wants to bypass Miranda rights for American citizens suspected of terrorist acts.

Meanwhile, with my very ears, I heard Glenn Beck last night we shouldn't Mirandize aliens, but we should protect the rights of American citizens.

I guess I need to get my hearing checked, and if that's okay, head for the head doctors.