Tid-bits

1. Poem: Blake Begins Update

Tiger, tiger burning bright
On the fairways of the night,
What immortal wood or wedge
Could frame thy fearful leading edge?

On what distant traps or oaks
Burnt the lies of thine strokes?
On what hoods dare he his flubs?
What the iron dare Jaimee Grubbs?


2. One of the blogs I read irregularly is “Grasping Reality With All Eight Tentacles (no, I can’t explain the title). It is sub-titled: The Semi-Daily Journal of an economist: A fair, balanced, Reality-Based and Multi Appendaged Look at the World. It’s by Brad DeLong, a Berkeley economist. Occasionally, it is technical, but often he appropriately attacks the press and the following appears about twice a week: “Why oh why can’t we have a better press corps? His comments are invariably interesting.

3. I am aware that readers know I read and admire Paul Krugman. However, I urge you to go beyond his Monday-Friday column and read his blog. It is invariably interesting (and he forewarns you when it is technical).

4. Rather than send troops to Afghanistan, can’t we simply hang out a sign: Five Billion Dollars for Osama bin Laden, Dead or alive. Cheaper and it might work.

5. Worrying about the current President’s courage, I thought back over the years I can remember and conclude the best example of Presidential bravery was Harry Truman’s firing of General Douglas MacArthur. Had he not done so, MacArthur could have used his position to get us into a full-scale war against China. As some may know, MacArthur got a ticker-tape parade here in New York City and then went to Congress and gave a speech ending with the words of a (very) simple old army song–Old soldiers never die. They just fade away.

Actually, within minutes this song was on all the radio stations: Old soldiers never die, never die, never die. Old soldiers never die. They just fade away. The melody is as simple as the words.

As none of you know, my high school principal called a special assembly of about 1000of us in Forest Park High School (Baltimore) and after perfunctory acknowledgment of the President spent most of the hour praising MacArthur.

In contrast, perhaps the worst example of Presidential behavior, not counting the invasion of Iraq, was the carpet bombing of North Vietnam, before the election and lasting to the end of the year (1972) after Henry Kissinger had said “peace is at hand.” Who knows how many lives were snuffed out and for no reason whatever, since the treaty signed in January appeared to be the same as what it was when Kissinger made his statement–in October.

6. A fully argued critique of Obama will have to wait for another time, as I’m exhausted. But the shortest version is that he failed to enact as much of a stimulus as he should have and one better directed at creating jobs (and he could have since the right wing crazies in February were not organized and they had no clout). Moreover he has virtually ignored unemployment since then, the recent job conference notwithstanding. He squandered a lot of potential in both this area and on the health area by engaging in a bi-partisan effort with opponents who are simply out to get him. Finally, his Afghanistan decision is likely to be disastrous. Is he doing this because he believes what he is saying or is he doing this because he feels if he doesn’t he won’t get reelected?