Douthat on the Egyptian Uprising

Americans don’t like to admit this. We take refuge in foreign policy systems: liberal internationalism or realpolitik, neoconservatism or noninterventionism. We have theories, and expect the facts to fall into line behind them. Support democracy, and stability will take care of itself. Don’t meddle, and nobody will meddle with you. International institutions will keep the peace. No, balance-of-power politics will do it.

But history makes fools of us all. We make deals with dictators, and reap the whirlwind of terrorism. We promote democracy, and watch Islamists gain power from Iraq to Palestine. We leap into humanitarian interventions, and get bloodied in Somalia. We stay out, and watch genocide engulf Rwanda. We intervene in Afghanistan and then depart, and watch the Taliban take over. We intervene in Afghanistan and stay, and end up trapped there, with no end in sight.

Sooner or later, the theories always fail. The world is too complicated for them, and too tragic. History has its upward arcs, but most crises require weighing unknowns against unknowns, and choosing between competing evils.

The only comfort, as we watch Egyptians struggle for their country’s future, is that some choices aren’t America’s to make.

-- Ross Douthat for The New York Times

Ah, learned helplessness, my old friend. Talk about cold comfort.

Douthat on the Egyptian Uprising

Americans don’t like to admit this. We take refuge in foreign policy systems: liberal internationalism or realpolitik, neoconservatism or noninterventionism. We have theories, and expect the facts to fall into line behind them. Support democracy, and stability will take care of itself. Don’t meddle, and nobody will meddle with you. International institutions will keep the peace. No, balance-of-power politics will do it.

But history makes fools of us all. We make deals with dictators, and reap the whirlwind of terrorism. We promote democracy, and watch Islamists gain power from Iraq to Palestine. We leap into humanitarian interventions, and get bloodied in Somalia. We stay out, and watch genocide engulf Rwanda. We intervene in Afghanistan and then depart, and watch the Taliban take over. We intervene in Afghanistan and stay, and end up trapped there, with no end in sight.

Sooner or later, the theories always fail. The world is too complicated for them, and too tragic. History has its upward arcs, but most crises require weighing unknowns against unknowns, and choosing between competing evils.

The only comfort, as we watch Egyptians struggle for their country’s future, is that some choices aren’t America’s to make.

-- Ross Douthat for The New York Times

Ah, learned helplessness, my old friend. Talk about cold comfort.

PETA Chicks Love Vegetables

PETA is Supposedly submitting this for a Superbowl commercial.

Yeah, that's probably not going to happen, but I'm reminded of how much I love being part of the Internet Age. Saved my life!

Incidentally, I suspect a number of those chicks would prefer a big hunk of meat, but I like the idealism. At least they know how to sell ideas.

PETA Chicks Love Vegetables

PETA is Supposedly submitting this for a Superbowl commercial.

Yeah, that's probably not going to happen, but I'm reminded of how much I love being part of the Internet Age. Saved my life!

Incidentally, I suspect a number of those chicks would prefer a big hunk of meat, but I like the idealism. At least they know how to sell ideas.

Bathing the Puppy

Not really the cutest dog I've ever seen, but you can't beat that personality.

Bathing the Puppy

Not really the cutest dog I've ever seen, but you can't beat that personality.

The Internet In Small Doses

Maybe I should start limiting my time on the computer and on the Internet, not so much in terms of the total time in all the day, but as regards the length of time allowed for a single sitting.

Having spent a little less than a whole hour after dinner finishing up my news gathering for the day, skimming through Real Clear Politics and Sully’s Daily Dish, my eyes were killing me. It is not news that my eyes strain easily and that the computer screen heavily taxes them, but the problem seems worse lately. As it is, I a already using a magnifier glass for even regular-size text when I'm reading my books. It behooves me to keep from driving my eyes too hard.

I think I’ll shoot for twenty minutes, and give myself another ten minutes or so if I am in hot pursuit of some desired information or some really hot porn, or if I am finishing off a post. I will simply take my Internet in smaller doses. It is not like there is as much demand for my e-attention these days.

The Internet In Small Doses

Maybe I should start limiting my time on the computer and on the Internet, not so much in terms of the total time in all the day, but as regards the length of time allowed for a single sitting.

Having spent a little less than a whole hour after dinner finishing up my news gathering for the day, skimming through Real Clear Politics and Sully’s Daily Dish, my eyes were killing me. It is not news that my eyes strain easily and that the computer screen heavily taxes them, but the problem seems worse lately. As it is, I a already using a magnifier glass for even regular-size text when I'm reading my books. It behooves me to keep from driving my eyes too hard.

I think I’ll shoot for twenty minutes, and give myself another ten minutes or so if I am in hot pursuit of some desired information or some really hot porn, or if I am finishing off a post. I will simply take my Internet in smaller doses. It is not like there is as much demand for my e-attention these days.