December 2003

Josh Marshall points out this snippet from David Brooks’s column in today’s New York Times:

I remind Oakeshott that he was ambivalent about the American Revolution, and dubious about a people who had made a sharp break with the past in the name of inalienable rights and other abstractions. But ours is the one revolution that worked, and it did precisely because our founders were epistemologically modest too, and didn’t pretend to know what is the good life, only that people should be free to figure it out for themselves.

Because of that legacy, we stink at social engineering. Our government couldn’t even come up with a plan for postwar Iraq — thank goodness, too, because any “plan” hatched by technocrats in Washington would have been unfit for Iraqi reality.

It just so happens that I’m in the middle of Howard Zinn’s leftist screed historical survey of our nation from 1492 to the present, “A People’s History of the United States.”

Zinn makes the compelling argument that the American revolution wasn’t about “inalienable rights.” In fact , it was about the ruling class’s desire to free themselves from British taxes so as to become richer. End of story.

Sure, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that “all men are created equal.” But that didn’t include the Indians who were systematically exterminated, it didn’t include slaves, and it didn’t include women. The colonies broke from Britain not, as we’ve come to believe, because of ideological necessity, but because the white guys who were running the show wanted to retain their power.

Zinn’s theories are steeped in gender and identity politics, yes, but he’s pretty convincing. I agree with Marshall: America has a long and rich tradition of “non-ideological pragmatism.” It’s shaped every international conflict from the revolution to the war in Iraq.

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I’ve edited the links on the left-hand side of this page. I’ve removed some superfluous stuff and added some new blogs. They are:

–Baseball Musings, the title of which speaks for itself;
–Jim Henley‘s Weblog, which covers politics and culture;
–Reason Magazine’s Hit & Run Weblog;
–Josh Marshall’s Talking Points Memo, in which he reflects on political happenings;
–Obernews, Brooke Oberwetter’s entertaining blog;
–The Devil’s Excrement, a Weblog written by a fellow Southern Exposure blogger, Miguel Octavio, who lives in Venezuela;
–SCHotline, which summarizes news from my adopted home state of South Carolina;
–Matthew Yglesias’s Weblog, in which he opinies on politics and culture;
–the always-juicy Romenesko’s MediaNews, an oldie-but-goodie; and
–a non-blog, JournalismJobs.com.

Read and enjoy.

UPDATE (Sat. afternoon): I’ve added two more–these’re sites I’ve been reading for a long time but am just now linking to: BravesJournal, which covers my favorite underperforming baseball team, and The London Guardian’s TEFL news, about teaching English to non-native speakers.

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A few interesting photos from around the world this Christmas day: Saddam decked out in his holiday getup, Blitzen gets frisky in Alaska, Santa camel in Egypt, Santa monkey in Tokyo, ice lamps in China, workers take a smoke break in Hong Kong, and an Indian army solider executes a jump on his motorcycle in Calcutta.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy Christmas and an enjoyable 2004.

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This is the best Festivus present I ever could have asked for: “ALF” is returning to TV!

E Online: “This just in from the home office in Melmac: The 7,385 signers of the “Bring Back ALF” online petition letter have finally gotten their wish.

The furry, cat-craving extraterrestrial star of the 1980s NBC sitcom, most recently spotted slumming it for long-distance services 10-10-220 and 1-800-COLLECT, has just landed his own show on Nickelodeon.”

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As 2003 comes to a close, here’s an excellent article about what’s on the horizon for online news and journalism.

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Rolf Potts, a travel writer I admire, has just published the first in a series of articles about his exploits in Central America. Check out his inaugural dispatch from Granada, Nicaragua; Slate will continue to publish his thoughts as he makes his way, as part of the Drive Around the World expedition, toward Argentina.

(Side note: you may remember that a few months ago Rolf was kind enough to link to my article entitled “How and Why I Moved to Ecuador.” His excellent book “Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel.” is one I recommend wholeheartedly.)

Safe travels, Rolf, and keep the stories comin’.

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…has just been posted on Southern Exposure.

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The differences between life in Ecuador and life in the United States are myriad. Different languages, different customs, different food, different people. But for me, transitioning back to living in The US-of-A ineluctably boils down to one thing:

You can flush your toilet paper here in America.

In Ecuador, the plumbing is chronically weak, so you have to dipose of your soiled TP in a trash can. (Yes, it’s disgusting, but you get used to it.) Here, though, in the land of plenty, where our plumbing is strong, that simply isn’t necessary. God bless our fine nation.

The details of my return trip are these: I flew from Guayaquil to Atlanta on Wednesday, stayed in ATL with my old friend David Z., and then made my way to Savannah, GA last night. I’m writing this message from Beaufort, South Carolina, where I’ll be staying with my family through Christmas.

I fired up my computer this morning to discover that Nick M., the First Ever Newley.com Guest Weblogger (TM), has fulfilled his mission with complete ablomb. Let’s give Nick a big round of applause–not only did he execute his fine stewardship of Newley.com with verve and humor and biting insight, but he’s raised the bar for my own writings herein.

Nick M., I thank you dearly. Next time I’m in New York I’ll buy you a gin and tonic or 13.

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As my iron/ham-fisted reign over Bloggyslovakia nears an end, and before I empty the treasury, execute the last of my rivals, nationalize the Flowbee industry, and honor myself with a big gay parade, I though I’d take a moment to review My Top Ten Newley.com Guest Blogger Intarweb Postings.

10. Work Schmerk: Clearly uninspired and devoid of any creativity or originality at all. I am ashamed.

9. Just Send Cash: There’s nothing I hate more than a sad-sack whiner. Except possibly self-loathing.

8. Catch Me If You…D’oh!: While I am indeed a big fan (and former intern and employee) of The Missouri Review, I, in retrospect, feel that Newley.com readers may have deserved something of a more comprehensive and incisive look into that day’s big news.

I still got nuthin’.

7. Why’s It Gotta Be Black? Huh? HUH?: While I like the idea behind this one, I feel I should come clean and admit that I do not actually attend as many celebrity functions as I may have led you to believe. And while I am not ashamed per se, I can’t say that I’m very proud of myself either.

6. Holy Scheisse!: This made it to number six strictly because of the deep and wholly unexpected satisfaction I derived from being able to connect “Scheisse” with Bertelsmann.

5. Can you hear me now? Of course you can’t.: Well something has to be number five, right?

4. I’m an Intellectual: As an intellectual I am fully aware of the potential pitfall in placing myself too high on this list and seeming arrogant and self-important, but also, as an intellectual, how could I possibly tolerate being underrated? So four it is.

3. Bionicaholic: I still can’t get over the fact that the guy was drinking a gin and tonic during the interview. That picture is now my desktop. Truly inspirational.

2. Enter the Blog-tang: Has a special place in my heart as this was my first foray into the world of intense self-absorbtion that generally is blogging. And it’s about a horse rapist!

1. Right this way my pretties: Ah, this one had it all. “Turducken”. “Birderer”. “…kind, if meatless, hospitality.” Truly a magnum opus, this. And I think you know what that pat-pat-SNAP! sound is.

Remember me fondly. Or fondle me rememberingly. Either way, I’m ghost like Christmas Past.

Nick M.

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