Four more years of this?

sheeesh.


Inauguration update: Tell me I'm dreaming. Tell me he didn't just say this:

"The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world. America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one.
From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth."

it's over.... manifest destiny, anyone?


In a not-too-dissimilar vein, the BBC has been re-showing Adam Curtis's excellent series "The Power of Nightmares" this week, looking at the connections and confluences between neo-conservatism and radical Islam.

It's well worth checking out if you get a chance.


Domestically, with Bush talking in his speech about the "ownership society" and "making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny"; my colleague Norma Cohen has a great piece in the American Prospect this month about social security and what lies in store for the US based on the British experience.


Meanwhile, the dreaded "m-word" resurfaces... (sorry that's 'mandate' not 'Mehlman').



The Jon Stewart for CBS anchor story refuses to go away... Talk is that Stewart was offered the Andy Rooney slot a while back and turned it down. Don't know how true that might be, but he's savvy enough to know that all of that "serious" stuff will come later. The important thing for now is not to dilute his appeal.

But as I've often argued, his importance to the relationship between young readers and whatever it is we understand by network news is crucial.

My friend Linda was right on the money the other day proposing that CBS can solve their ratings malaise and help the news division with a new reality show called "American Anchor".

And given that we as an audience seem to show no let-up in our need for a fix...


Nice piece by John McManus on Grade The News. Here's an excerpt:

Punditry and attitude flourish as resources for reporting grow scarcer and news providers aim at niche audiences.

There are advantages to greater diversity of news and views. But right now disadvantages seem greater. Opinion can't substitute for the information that solid reporting turns up. And the more extreme the 'tude, the less likely it is to be consumed by - much less inform or persuade - anyone who doesn't already hold the author's worldview.