Muhammad Cartoon Craziness

It hasn't been the greatest couple of weeks for blogging. School and work have made deep cuts into my free time, and the leading stories in the news of late haven't struck me as all that fascinating.

I refrained from commenting on Dick Cheney's hunting accident, because after all, what more was it than a tragic incident for the attorney shot and ripe picking for the late night comics? After I found out that the Veep wasn't drunk or otherwise negligent when he filled Harry Whittington with buck shot, I lost interest.

Then there's the current flap over the UAE port deal, which looks to me to be a cheap excuse for the Democrats to try and run to the right of President Bush on a security issue. Everything I've read about the deal indicates that the Dubai company has a great track record and that their taking over six American ports will not jeopardize our security.

The other big story to dominate the news this month, of course, is the storm over the Muhammad cartoons. I finally tackled the controversy in a column for today's Diamondback, though by now I hope this will serve as a retrospective and we can finally stop reading about burned down embassies.

Regular blogging to commence next week, or that's my intention at least. In the mean time, check out the following links that helped shape my views with regard to the cartoon controversy.

Recommended reading:

• Overview of the controversy on Wikipedia
• "Drafting Hitler"[$] by David Brooks (Feb 9, 2006)
• "Editorial: Cartoon Wars" by The Economist (Feb 9, 2006)
• "Why I Published Those Cartoons" by Flemming Rose (Feb 19, 2006)

Of Democrats and Detergent

Yesterday's Tom Toles cartoon reminded me of a guest column I'd written for the Diamondback back in August 2005, in which I said that the Democratic Party must do more than "just say no".



Speaking of the Diamondback, my second column as a staff op-ed writer ran yesterday. My editor had asked me to take a break from politics and national issues to focus on something more pertinent to campus life. I obliged, with this light-hearted piece on laundry.

Based on the mixed reactions it received, I'm inclined to agree with those who told me to "stick to politics!"

Borino 2006: The Winter Olympics

The cover of today's Washington Post shows the beautiful fireworks display during the Opening Ceremonies of the 20th Winter Games in Turin (Torino), Italy. The paper reports that the total cost of the games could reach $4 billion. All I can think is: what a waste.

I've been increasingly frustrated with the onslaught of coverage of boring sports and athletes taking over the airwaves. It's sad to see how desperate NBC and the Winter Games' sponsors are to find a good "angle", a way to sell this month's snoozefest to the public. Hence we get to see no-namers like Bode Miller and some guy called "The Flying Tomato" get cover stories in the paper with their asinine quotes. Ooh, they're extreme. Who cares?

I'm all for international competition. The Summer Olympics are great. I like watching the Euro Cup, World Cup, World Hockey Championships, etc, and I'm eagerly anticipating the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Matches between countries in any sport, generally speaking, are fun. But the Winter Games are a crock.

First off, at least half the world can't compete in the vast majority of the events, owing to the whole "lack of winter" or "lack of mountains" thing. Also, as a recent Sunday Outlook article pointed out, economic considerations are a big factor--the typical bobsled costs $35,000 to make, excluding the track. The Summer Olympics are much more faithful to the "Faster, Higher, Stronger" motto, and Kenyans don't have to worry about spending thousands of dollars to practice running a marathon. The Winter Games, on the other hand, are made for Scandanavians, Canadians, and Americans to compete at different ways to go down a snowy hill. Sure, a lot of these athletes are talented at doing just that, but it will never be compelling TV.

The Winter Games aren't completely bereft of any redeeming quality. Some people actually watch figure skating. And yes, I would love to see Michelle Kwan get a gold. Then there's hockey. Over two decades ago, the Winter Games produced perhaps the most scintillating game in sports history: the 1980 "Miracle on Ice". But today, with the U.S. lacking such a giant competitive foe to stake national prestige against, it's no wonder that Americans are immune to the giant corporate ad blitz thrown at them. Alas, if only al-Qaeda had a curling team...

Max Cleland @ College Park

Former senator and triple-amputee Vietnam veteran Max Cleland (click pictures to enlarge) came to my campus tonight, giving a half-hour speech on “Restoring America’s Positive Role in the World.” He touched up on a number of topics to be expected: withdrawal from Iraq, the global war on terrorism, the Iran threat, the U.S.'s declining competitive advantage, and the upcoming Congressional elections in November.

While I did not agree with Mr. Cleland's take on our Iraq situation and I thought his criticism of the Bush administration went too far, I have an enormous respect for this American hero, and so paid close attention as he explained why we need to listen to Jack Murtha and Richard Clarke, among others. Cleland also repeatedly stressed the importance of going after bin Laden, expressing anger and frustration that the war in Iraq had turned the 9/11 mastermind into Osama "Been Forgotten."

This instructive point, combined with the handful of alternatingly funny and touching stories he told about his career and his experiences with returning injured vets at Walter Reed Hospital, made this a lecture worth attending.