On The Media

Sounds like Kaplan's honest search for value. Nice to hear this as the "future" of news and journalism - try this - Aquaculture could become part of what Petraeus is doing in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Even if you disagree with me, my Congressman Jim Himes has an aquaculture high school in his district (fact), and there is more water on earth from which to get food if compared to dry land for agriculture (fact), and any fish farming now being done in Pakistan/Afghanistan could become more efficient if their educators could attend Himes' aquaculture high school (opinion).

Bing ambivalent about Afghanistan is sensible, not remarkable. Perhaps if more writers, feling the same way, didn't agonize over their ambivalence, it would be even more sensible.

What is not sensible is that OTM decided to interview Brooke's husband. Well, she didn't conduct the interview--swell. Couldn't you find anyone else? And if not, all things considered, why did you feel you had to run this piece?

Duh! Nukes in the particularly shaky hands of a Pakistani government in danger of being overrun by the Taliban and, their current sponsors, Al Qaeda next door to an Afghanistan also with a shaky government in danger from a resurgent Taliban insurgency. No, nothing to worry about there!

O.K., so I called partnering with the Karzai regime a fools errand. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate the national and world security concerns. As I understand it, McChristal will be 'nation building' to the extent that he will be partnering with government on the regional, local and tribal level in his effort to build up Afghani security forces. In this manner, an end run around patronage of Karzai can be effected without being especially obvious about it.

I like it, even as Mr. Obama, I would find it preferable to be part of a nation of peacemakers. An existential threat is an existential threat.