Quips: Quick commentary on politics, technology and life, I think.

Monday, March 31

Is it a factor or not?

O.k., back to my other favorite topic: the Supreme Court hearing of the case against the University of Michigan's implementation of affirmative action in its admissions policies, using race as one of the factors to determine who gets in. There's a whole host of articles out there, and many more that I won't be able to find and link to. Here's just some of the stuff you really should read about this:

• The Detroit Free Press: A three-day series looking at the major players in the case — the plaintiffs, which includes mini-profiles of a former professor of mine who asked the University about its admissions policies, the lawyers who took the case and three white people who believed they were wronged; the defenders, the university's team of lawyers; and the intervenors, minority students who are making their voice heard and have gotten the courts to listen.
• How Appealing: A blog that watches appeals courts of all kinds has links to all kinds of coverage of the case. Fascinating all the stuff Mr. Bashman finds, including a piece wherein Nat Hentoff demonstrates he misses the point of, and the breadth of factors involved in, Michigan's policies.
• The Detroit News: A large package on the case, led by a look at where the justices stand
• The Michigan Daily: A story a day for a very long time, but recently a column by Hussain Rahim brings up that it ain't a diverse campus that we need: "Diversity is a faulty goal because it has no real definition or effect in the personal realm."

Posted by jb, 11:59 PM :: :: #

On war, figuratively and domestically

Actually from March 27: Therefore it is the duty of the United States to defy international law and go it alone, using extreme force. ... To say that elite white men can wield excessive force and ignore international law because they see a "possible threat," while poor blacks are condemned for engaging in a battle of survival is, well, I hate to play the race card but that's just how it is.
— Ari Paul, writing in The Michigan Daily

While this may not be the best analogy, Mr. Paul extends the new U.S. foreign policy (prevent war with a war) to the inner city war on crime, which, in Atlanta's West End, manifested itself in vigilante killings of drug dealers.

Posted by jb, 11:56 PM :: :: #

On war coverage, skewed militarily

Actually from March 27: "TV news favors star power and stage presence over objectivity."
— Aaron Barnhardt, of TVBarn.com on the wisdom of hiring a whole bunch of retired colonels to analyze a war

Barnhardt points to a pattern of the network and cable coverage relying on military types who basically parrot whatever the Pentagon says, in the face of any and all available evidence. I seem to recall this was a problem during the first Gulf War. Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (which is really dedicated the media challenging the "official" view of the world) has a collection that might be insightful.

Posted by jb, 11:35 PM :: :: #

On war plans, overly ambitious

Actually from March 24: "If your strategy and assumptions are flawed, there is nothing in the well to draw from."
— a retired senior U.S. general, quoted in a story about the U.S. war plan not taking a few things into account, like Iraqis fighting back.

In addition to mentioning that Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld figured this war on Iraq might be over in two days, with lots of air power and special forces work. Also a bit about ignoring what the CIA and Defense Intelligence said about Saddam's army in favor of predictions of an immediate uprising by the Iraqi opposition and Israel. None of that happened, nobody's in Baghdad, nobody's shocked or awed and urban warfare - very costly and much despised in military circles apparently - may be the only way to take the capital.

Posted by jb, 11:21 PM :: :: #

A month of blogging in one hour

So I've been a little too busy to post here over the last six weeks. I'd apologize to all of my faithful readers, but I'm sure they've all gone away. I'll have to remind them that I exist.
  Anyway, I really have found good stuff, just haven't had time to form too many thoughts about it. The odd thing is, if you're reading from the top of the page, this explanation isn't going to make any sense, but I felt like doing it anyway.
  So, forthwith and eschewing further ado, I'll collect all of March's thoughts and start dumping. Enjoy the ride.

Posted by jb, 11:06 PM :: :: #

 More in the archives.

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