MILT'S
FILE
July
31, 2003:
FIVE MYTHS ABOUT IRAQ. Last night we talked with
Victor Davis Hanson about this important article. Do by all means
read it and give us your thoughts in reaction by e-mailing to
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nationalreview.com/
YELLOWCAKE
MADNESS AND THE FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. James Bowman is
the media critic for New Criterion magazine. In this
article from their new issue he examines the mountain that has
been made out of the molehill of the famous sixteen words.
http://www.newcriterion.com/
IS
ANOTHER SUICIDE HIJACK IN THE OFFING? Here's the story behind
the Homeland Security warning that was issued last weekend. Some
valuable links are provided in this story from CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/
SHOULD
THE CHURCH SANCTION GAY MARRIAGE? In this column George Will examines
the conflict over that issue in the Anglican church. But, of course,
the issue involves governments as well as churches. Where do you
stand and why? Your printable e-mail is welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.townhall.com/
THE GIFT TO SEE OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US. In this article from
the Spectator magazine a British military scholar shows
just how "ancient Greek" the confederate south was.
Fascinating speculation--and not unperusasive!
http://www.spectator.co.uk/
CAN
THIS BE TRUE? Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, advocated
the banning of the pesticide, DDT. She succeeded--but at what
cost? This article from Front Page magazine, argues that
the main consequence has been the death of millions of children.
Is this properly reasoned? Your views are welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
KATE REMEMBERED AGAIN. Recently Scott
Berg appeared with us to share his memories of Katharine Hepburn.
Here is a fine essay remembering and evaluating her performances.
It is by Stanley Kauffman, the veteran film critic of the New
Republic magazine.
http://www.tnr.com/
A
GREAT COLLECTION OF CLASSIC SWING. Don't miss Peggy Lee, Benny
Goodman and the generous helping of Glenn Miller tunes.
http://www.hhbrandy.addr.com/
July 30, 2003:
WE'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN WE SEE IT! The
noose may be tightening but the p.r. blitz is elevating. At any
rate, this AP story does summarize what is happening in the intensifying
hunt for Hussein.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
SAUDI
ARABIA AND 9/11. The author of this article from the New York
Post is a well-credentialed scholar who has specialized
in the study of Saudi history and politics. Read this one and
tell us whether you think it is time for a reckoning with the
Saudis. E-mail responses to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
IS
"LIBERAL SEGREGATIONISM" ANOTHER OXYMORON--OR DOES IT
REALLY HAPPEN? This column by Michelle Malkin (a former guest
on Extension 720) addresses two quite controversial developments
on the educational beat. After you have read this, do give us
your own views. E-mail your publishable response to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.townhall.com/
BUT
JUST THINK OF THE PROGRAMS HE COULD DO FROM THE SENATE CHAMBER!
Here's the latest on the question of Jerry Springer's potential
run for a Senate seat. What program topics do you imagine him
doing from within the Senate? Your suggestions are welcome at
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.enquirer.com/
THE
CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS THESIS. In this well argued article from
the New Criterion, Sam Huntington's civilizational conflict
theory is put to close examination on philological, anthropological
and historical grounds. It may sound heavy but it is, in fact,
a quite readable and important essay.
http://www.newcriterion.com/
TEN
PERCENT OF THE PUBLIC BELIEVE THAT THE MOON LANDING WAS FAKED!
So they say on various polls that have been conducted over the
years. How to account for this odd form of deep distrust? This
article from a recent issue of the Skeptical Inquirer
illuminates the phenomenon.
http://www.csicop.org/
THE
END OF THE LOCH NESS MONSTER? Will this report by a scientific
team end the belief in Nessie. We doubt it. Probably it will work
to revive the debate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
AND
HOW ABOUT BEETHOVEN'S FIRST SYMPHONY? We've always loved this
one which shows strong Mozartian influence. Again, excellently
performed by Norrington and the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
Extension
720 Listener Reponses:
Here
is a response from Paul Wisner to fellow listener
Leo Brown's reaction (published in Milt's File on July
28) to this
article by Charles Krauthammer:
But
stepping back from the trees and looking at the forest, I am amazed
at the lack of common sense and logic regarding the failure, so
far, to find WMD in Iraq. Israel knew Saddam had them as far back
as the 80's; the UN spent a lot of time looking for and destroying
his weapons; he used them against the Kurds and Iranians; the
leading NATO nations knew he had them; we knew he had them; and
so on.
Our
forces have found indicators and are interviewing purportedly
knowledgeable Iraqis. The failure to find the actual weapons thus
far does not mean Saddam never had them and has not hidden them
now. Chalabi says Saddam has another track of weapons development
that the people were have captured do not know about. Have you
noticed how our intelligence has improved since we have reengaged
Chalabi?
Why
should the U.S. have had to meet this extraordinary burden of
proof? Why should any sensible person give Saddam the benefit
of any doubt? The guerilla/terror campaign against our troops
and responsible Iraqis is an indicator of what was latent in Iraq
all along. It has the characteristics, the tactics of the Chechnya
conflict. The effort is bigger than Saddam and was there to fill
his needs or a vacuum. Do we need WMD attacks on our troops or
the U.S. to realize the potential for harm?
July 29, 2003:
DESPERATELY SEEKING SADDAM. Is this mere
p.r. or are they really close to capturing him? This story from
today's Christian Science Monitor is the latest account
of the hunt for Hussein that we have located as we "go to
press."
http://www.csmonitor.com/
ISLAM
IN AMERICA. Dan Pipes, in this column from today's New York
Post , reports on a recent public opinion study focussed
on American attitudes toward Islam. The trends, apparently, "are
negative." Incidentally, Pipes will be with us on the program
Wednesday together with some five or six other guests as we discuss
Iraq, the Middle East and related matters.
http://www.nypost.com/
DO
THE CANDIDATES READ THE POLLS? Perhaps some of the Democrat presidential
aspirants ought to check out this poll commissioned by the Democratic
Leadership Council. Or is this a run-up to positioning Mrs. Clinton
for a campaign shortly to be announced? What do you think or want?
Your publishable e-mail should go to: extension720@tribune.com.
http://news.yahoo.com/
HAS
CIVIL LIBERTY BEEN DIMINISHED SINCE 9/11? The ACLU thinks it has.
Judge Robert Bork thinks otherwise and lays out his analysis in
this article from the new issue of Commentary magazine. Your views
after reading this article? Do send your publishable response
to us at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/
HOW
DO YOU SAY "NIGER" AND WHO WAS ALI BABA? Jan Freeman,
a columnist for the Boston Globe, does an interesting
feature on "words, words, words." Here is her most recent
one.
http://www.boston.com/
A
REALISTIC APPRAISAL OF "REALITY TV." This article draws
some valuable distinctions between what passes for reality on
those shows and what can be gleaned from the better sort of narrative
"entertainment." Your thoughts on these matters would
be welcome. Send your contribution to .extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.catholicexchange.com/
THE
CASE AGAINST "SAME SEX MARRIAGE." The author of this
article from the current issue of the Weekly Standard
is Maggie Gallagher. She has been a guest on our program in the
past and is the author of last year's book, 
Case
for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier and Better
off Financially.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
HOW
MANY BEETHOVENS WERE THERE? The leading scholarly expert on Beethoven
is Maynard Solomon. He has just done another book on L vB--and
here is a thoughtful response to that book from today's New
York Times. And do check out today's music selection!
http://www.nytimes.com/
BEETHOVEN'S
SEVENTH SYMPHONY. Here is a fine performance of the work mentioned
above in the article about Maynard Solomon's continuing reseach
on Beethoven. The vigorous performance by the Orchestra of the
Age of the Enlightenment is conducted by Roger Norrington.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
July 28, 2003:
IS "OBJECTIVE JOURNALISM" FINISHED? The
question is raised here by the former editor of the Wall Street
Journal. In view are the troubles at the New York Times
and the BBC and the question of what they portend. This is
a wise commentary by a senior figure in American journalism.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
AND
SPEAKING OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PRESS. This column by John
Leo--a sometime guest on Extension 720--examines linguistic lapses
in contemporary journalism and in official parlance. And it turns
out that these are not always "random errors" but, instead,
have a political point to push.
http://www.townhall.com/
GEORGE
BUSH, HENRY V, THE BARD AND GREAT LINKS. We couldn't resist posting
this article from the Pop Politics website. The uses
of the Bard's canon are infinite--as this demonstrates. And the
links are fascinating!
http://www.poppolitics.com/
WHAT FOOLS THESE PSYCHOLOGISTS (AND PSYCHIATRISTS) BE. Not the
subject of this interesting article from the New York Times
but, rather, some of her senior colleagues who have been making
trouble for her. Her offense? Calling into question false memories
of childhood sexual abuse and of "alien abduction."
http://www.nytimes.com/
CELIA
REMEMBERED. In this column one of our favorite guests, Pete Hamill,
memorializes one of our favorite musical performers--the great
Celia Cruz. If you don't know her go buy a CD right now!
http://www.nydailynews.com/
BLOWIN'
IN THE WIND OF SYCOPHANCY? Ron Rosenbaum--fairly often a guest
on our program--is one of the best free-ranging journalists we
know. Here he turns movie reviewer with a devastating (but sympathetic)
report on a new movie celebrating and featuring Bob Dylan.
http://www.observer.com/
PARENTS,
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE? And what they are doing?
One doesn't want to be categorized as a prude--but it is worth
looking at the data about teen-age sex and STDs. The book reviewed
here seems to sound a legitimate alarm.
http://www.townhall.com/
A
GREAT COLLECTION OF ANDEAN MUSIC. We just found this one and are
delighted by it. Don't miss El Diablo Suelta and El Frutero. In
fact don't skip any of these fine selections of the music from
the top of the Americas.
http://www.boleadora.com/
Extension
720 Listener Reponses:
Here
is a response from Leo Brown to this
article by Charles Krauthammer. The segments in plain text
are direct quotes from Krauthammer's essay; Brown's reponses are
in italics:
Point by point:
Amid
the general media and Democratic frenzy over Niger yellowcake,
it is Bill Clinton who injected a note of sanity. "What happened
often happens," Clinton told Larry King. "There was
a disagreement between British intelligence and American intelligence.
The president said it was British intelligence that said it. .
. . . British intelligence still maintains that they think the
nuclear story was true. I don't know what was true, what was false.
I thought the White House did the right thing in just saying,
'Well, we probably shouldn't have said that.' " Big deal.
End of story. End of scandal.
If
the famous sixteen words were not part of a larger campaign to
style prewar Iraq as a threat so imminent and so great as to require
extraordinary measures--a large-scale pre-emptive attack in the
face of the disapproval of the majority of the security council--,
that might be the end of the scandal. What we need to know is
did the Bush administration deceive us or did it deceive itself,
and if so, why and how?
The
fact that the Democrats and the media can't seem to let go of
it, however, is testimony to their need (and ability) to change
the subject. From what? From the moral and strategic realities
of Iraq.
Moving
to the moral question, the current and more defendable rationale
for the war, is changing the subject from WMD's, the primary justification
for moving quickly to war.
The
moral reality finally burst through the yellowcake fog with the
death of the Hussein brothers, psychopathic torturers who would
be running Iraq if not for the policy enunciated by President
Bush in that very same State of the Union address.
That
moral reality is a little hard for the left to explain, considering
the fact that it parades as the guardian of human rights and all-around
general decency, and rallied millions to prevent the policy that
liberated Iraq from Uday and Qusay's reign of terror.
The
moral issue is a valid one, and the Hussein family and government
were a very bad lot. The left does owe us an explanation here.
So does the right. Making that issue the primary justification
for war raises troubling questions. Did we tilt to Iraq in the
Iran-Iraq war, and if so, why? Why did we not march on Baghdad
at the end of Gulf War I? Was not Saddam just as evil ten years
ago? Was a massive assault the only or best way to dethrone Saddam?
How evil does a foreign government have to be for us to launch
a pre-emptive attack? Who else is just as evil?
Then
there are the strategic realities. Consider what has happened
in the Near East since Sept. 11, 2001:
(1)
In Afghanistan, the Taliban have been overthrown and a decent
government has been installed.
True,
and it is a good thing, too. However, the Iraq war is a separate
issue. The war in Afghanistan was very widely supported in the
U.S. and in the world. The link to 9-11 was clear. However, the
war there is not necessarily over, and the government is Kabul
is still shaky. Iraq has arguably distracted us from the ongoing
problems in Afghanistan.
(2)
In Iraq, the Saddam Hussein regime has been overthrown, the dynasty
has been destroyed and the possibility for a civilized form of
governance exists for the first time in 30 years.
True,
a wicked regime has been overthrown. Was this the only way to
do it in the past 30 years? Will in the long run Iraqis prefer
their own rulers, even bad ones, to foreign ones? Will Iraq wind
up with an interim or long-term dictatorship?
(3)
In Iran, with dictatorships toppled to the east (Afghanistan)
and the west (Iraq), popular resistance to the dictatorship of
the mullahs has intensified.
Popular
resistance to the Mullahs was growing in any event. Will rising
anti-Americanism now set this movement back?
(4)
In Pakistan, once the sponsor and chief supporter of the Taliban,
the government radically reversed course and became a leading
American ally in the war on terror.
True
again, but this happened relatively soon after 9-11 and has little
to do with Iraq. If rising anti-Americanism leads to a second
reversal of course, then we will lose that gain.
(5)
In Saudi Arabia, where the presence of U.S. troops near the holy
cities of Mecca and Medina deeply inflamed relations with many
Muslims, the American military is leaving -- not in retreat or
with apology but because it is no longer needed to protect Saudi
Arabia from Hussein.
We
launched Gulf War II without using much in the way of Saudi bases.
Given our aircraft carriers and other friendly Gulf states, it
is clear that the long-term U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia was
a very bad and quite unnecessary idea in the first place with
a clear link in retrospect to 9-11. The whole question of Saudi
Arabia, its role in 9-11 and its future, remains open.
(6)
Yemen, totally unhelpful to the United States after the attack
on the USS Cole, has started cooperating in the war on terror.
True,
but as in Afghanistan, this has little to do with the Iraq issue,
or at least no link has been shown.
(7)
In the small, stable Gulf states, new alliances with the United
States have been established.
The
small, stable Gulf states were pretty much on our side to begin
with.
(8)
Kuwait's future is secure, the threat from Saddam Hussein having
been eliminated.
Kuwait's
future was secured by Gulf war I, was it not? There is no doubt
that the international community would have rallied around Kuwait
had it been threatened again.
(9)
Jordan is secure, no longer having Iraq's tank armies and radical
nationalist influence at its back.
The
world would likewise have risen to defend Jordan from Iraqi tanks,
which would have had to traverse long and vulnerable lines of
communication in such a case. Not much of a real threat there.
As for radical nationalism, that is a continuing threat everywhere
in the Middle East.
(10)
Syria has gone quiet, closing terrorist offices in Damascus and
playing down its traditional anti-Americanism.
True,
and a positive development with, unlike much of the above, a real
link to Gulf War II. How long lasting and sincere this development
will be remains to be seen, however.
(11)
Lebanon's southern frontier is quiet for the first time in years,
as Hezbollah, reading the new strategic situation, has stopped
cross-border attacks into Israel.
True,
and related to (10) above, but with the same caveats.
(12)
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have been restarted, a
truce has been declared and a fledgling Palestinian leadership
has been established that might actually be prepared to make a
real peace with Israel.
True,
but it is not clear that Gulf War II had to precede the "road
map," nor is it clear that the current peace process will
succeed.
That's
every country from the Khyber Pass to the Mediterranean Sea. Everywhere
you look, the forces of moderation have been strengthened.
That
is truly an unproven assertion. Governments may fear us more now,
but at the popular level, has Gulf War II strengthened the hands
of the moderates at the expense of the extremists, or is it the
other way around?
This
is a huge strategic advance not just for the region but for the
world, because this region in its decades-long stagnation has
incubated the world's most virulent anti-American, anti-Western,
anti-democratic and anti-modernist fanaticism.
Has
the second Iraq War ended this stagnation? Has it quelled anti-Americanism
and fanaticism or supercharged it?
This
is not to say that the Near East has been forever transformed.
It is only to say that because of American resolution and action,
there is a historic possibility for such a transformation.
Was
an American-led war the only way to transform the region? Is there
not now also the possibility of a negative transformation in the
long run? Anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism are strong currents
to fight if we are seen in that region as imperialists.
But
it all hinges on success in Iraq. On America's not being driven
out of Iraq the way it was driven out of Lebanon and Somalia --
which is what every terrorist and every terrorist state wants
to see happen. And with everything at stake, what is the left
doing? Everything it can to undermine the enterprise. By implying
both that it was launched fraudulently (see yellowcake) and, alternately,
that it has ensnared us in a hopeless quagmire.
Iraq
has the potential to be a quagmire precisely because in this view,
to leave is to lose. We thus cannot declare victory and get out.
Such is the danger of the shifting sands of the rationale for
the war. If the issue was weapons of mass destruction, then either
they were not there (hence the war a miscalculation or a fraud)
or were destroyed (hence we won and can leave) or are still floating
out there (hence we have to remain until we find them, but we
aren't looking much these days, are we?). If the issue was dethroning
an evil regime, then we have won or almost won, and can soon leave.
If the issue is, however, strategic transformation, then what
victory will look like and how long it will take is an endless
question, perhaps for generations, not years or even decades.
Yes,
the cost is great. The number of soldiers killed is relatively
small, but every death is painful and every life uniquely valuable.
But remember that just yesterday we lost 3,000 lives in one day.
And if this region is not transformed, on some future day we will
lose 300,000.
Our
casualties, while truly painful to those who have paid the price,
have so far been light by historical levels. The U.S, British,
and Australian military have performed their jobs very well and
very professionally and deserve our admiration and support. The
problem is that the continued flow of casualties is an open wound.
The steady drip, drip, drip of two or three casualties a day could
in a few years exceed an additional 3,000 deaths. Now, if that
prevents 300,000 casualties (are we back to the WMD issue again?),
the price is worth paying. But that calculation is by no means
clear. Iran and North Korea, having seen the U.S. military in
action, appear to have drawn the lesson that it would be a good
idea to have nuclear weapons as quickly as possible. Yet our military
may become bogged down in a long and painful occupation in Iraq.
Meanwhile, national and international support for yet another
war has been worn thin. The universal sympathy of the world and
a unified American people are assets that have been seriously
eroded if not lost since the Iraq War. Many traditional allies
no longer trust us. Governments that supported us are now less
popular with their own people. Radicals have a cause to strengthen
their recruiting efforts if we are seen, as we increasingly are
seen, as imperialists. The American people, while still supportive
of President Bush, are beginning to explore what was once called
a credibility gap.
The
lives of those as yet unknown innocents hinge now on success in
Iraq. If we win the peace and leave behind a decent democratic
society, enjoying, as it does today, the freest press and speech
in the entire Arab world, it will revolutionize the region. And
if we leave in failure, the whole region will fall back into chaos,
and worse.
What
does the word "we" mean here? The U.S. alone? Then I
think we will have a very tough go of it. Our historical record
of nation building in the third world is not encouraging. Tectonic
blocks are now in motion, having been loosened by the events of
September 11 and further shifted by the recent war. We can influence
the movement of these blocks, to be sure, but to think we can
impose our will by simple force on a whole region is exceedingly
dangerous. We need all the help we can get and all the finesse
and intelligence we can muster. Without it we will pay a very
heavy price and for a very long time.
July
25, 2003:
WHAT
HAS BEEN GAINED THROUGH THE IRAQ WAR? Here is a compelling appraisal,
given by Charles Krauthammer in today's Washington Post.
We think he makes a very good case. What do you think? Send your
publishable answer to: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
THE
HUSSEINS AFTER THE FALL. We don't vouch for the accuracy of this
story from the London Times--but it is a fascinating
account of how the father and his sons played it after the fall
of Baghdad to American forces.
http://www.foxnews.com
A
VISIT TO BAGHDAD'S JEWS. Tim Noah, an American political writer,
is descended from a family of Iraqi Jews. Here, from a British
magazine, is his account of a visit with the remnant of that once
sizeable community in Baghdad--just in time for Passover.
http://www.granta.com/
WHO
SERVES THE TYRANTS AND WHY? With Saddam in mind (and Hitler, Stalin
and other absolutist tyrants) Louis Menand asks how the loyalty
of the "inner circle" is built and maintained. This
fine article is from the current issue of the New Yorker.
http://newyorker.com/
HOW
MUCH IS A PUBLIC OPINION POLL FROM BAGHDAD WORTH? How free to
give their true opinions would the Baghdadi respondents be? Despite
such cavils, the data from the first such poll to be reported
are, of course, of great interest. Here is a summary of the findings
as reported in the U.K. Spectator magazine.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/
SANS
BLAGUE! The French were worried about the Anglicization of their
language long before our recent contretemps. But to exile
"e-mail" seems a little outre, n'est pas? For
your response to this editorial from the L.A. Times vous
pouvez nous addreser avec un courrier a extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.latimes.com/
THE
OTHER SIXTEEN WORDS. Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard
and a past guest on extension 720, is one of the central "neoconservatives"
and Bush boosters. In this op-ed from yesterday's Washington
Post he takes on Dick Gephardt and other presidential critics
and chastises them gracefully but severely. Agree or disagree?
We welcome your publishable e-mail on this one: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
COULTER'S
"VINDICATION" OF MCCARTHY. That's what she does in her
new--and inevitably controversial--book. Front Page magazine
conducted an important symposium on this reopened issue--and here,
unedited, it is.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
THE
(MIS)FORTUNES OF GERALDO (RIVERA, THAT IS). We found this article
from Reason magazine to be surprising, amusing and confounding.
But media gossip is always interesting. Also the links are great!
http://www.reason.com/
ANOTHER
GREAT CONCERT FROM LUGANO. With works by Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky
and Grieg how can you go wrong? We particularly enjoyed the performance
of Mozart's "Kegelstatt" Trio.
http://www.rtsi.ch/
July
24, 2003:
THE HUNTING OF UDAY AND QUSAY. This valuable report
discloses a shift in "in-country" intelligence plans
and how it produced the information about the whereabouts of the
brothers. We find the Washington Post particularly useful
in their coverage of Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
IS
THE PRESIDENT LEANING TOO FAR LEFTWARDS? The opinion page editor
of the Washington Times seems to think so. Do you agree?
Your response by e-mail should be sent to extension720@tribune.com.
By the way, can you spot the one grievous grammatical error in
this piece?
http://dynamic.washtimes.com/
CUI
BONO? Who profits from the Supreme Court decision in the University
of Michigan admissions case? Nat Hentoff, one of my favorite leftists
(we sit on the board of FIRE
together) provides a sharp and critical analysis in this column
from the Village Voice. Read this one and do give us
your opinion on the matter in an e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.villagevoice.com/
WHERE
ARE ALL THE EUROPEANS? And how many of them will there be fifty
years from now? The demographic trend is negative and, as this
article from the Economist magazine, hints--the long
run trend may be the Islamicization of, at least some, European
nations.
http://economist.com/
THEN
HOW DO WE DRIVE FROM NEW YORK TO D.C.? The news that a state is
closing down is rather startling. Perhaps one should, however,
take into account that it was The Onion that first broke
the story.
http://www.theonion.com/
BLACK HOLE THERMODYNAMICS AND THE REAL NATURE OF
THE UNIVERSE! Is that a large enough subject for a "popular"
article? This one, from Scientific American, deals with
some revolutionary astrophysical speculations and manages to be
comprehensible. No small achievement!
http://www.sciam.com/
A
GREAT, CONTEMPTUOUS BOOK REVIEW. It's an art at which the British
have always done better than we have. And this new book about
Sartre--whose existentialism led him to Marxism--seems to deserve
the scorn heaped upon it in this recent review from The Spectator.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/
GREAT
KANSAS CITY JAZZ. Moten ran this fine band for many years and,
later, it became the basis for the Count Basie band. Some of the
arrangements are a bit corny but the spirit is always sprightly--and
the ensemble playing has great verve.
http://redhotjazz.com/
Extension
720 Listener Reponses:
Here is one from Robert Kulzick on this
article by Anne Applebaum:
The division of the news media into
ideological factions is only the final step in the path that started
with the tabloidization of the mainstream news. If CBS is willing
to buy interviews (Jessica Lynch), is it any great step to think
that they'd pander to certain political views to "buy"
ratings. What these news organizations failed to recognize is
that in blurring the lines between news and entertainment they
were allowing new groups to compete in ways that hadn't existed
before. FOX news is an ideological example, but perhaps the most
telling example is The Daily Show. If the news is no longer a
serious business, the traditional news media has only itself to
blame. As far as national differences, its not surprising that
history hasn't ended and the nation-state continues to chug along
despite its many obituaries.
July
23, 2003:
HERE'S
WHAT THE BRIT'S SAY ABOUT UDAY AND QUSAY. This story from today's
U.K. Guardian gives a good analysis about the deaths
of Saddam's sons, as well as speculates on how this latest development
will affect the almost-daily killings of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
AND
HERE'S COMMENTARY ON THE PRESS ITSELF. Anne Applebaum was a recent
guest on the program for her book about the Russian gulag, and
now here she is in her capacity as a columnist for the Washington
Post, writing about how the same event can be reported so
many ways. What do you think about differences between newspapers?
Let us know at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
THE
AGE-OLD DEBATE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION. On tomorrow
night's program, we will be discussing this very subject.
Here is an article that outlines the basic conflicts and arguments
on each side from the e-zine Butterflies and Wheels.
http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/
JUST
HOW EVIL IS ADVERTISING? Here is an article from the New York
Times that examines new trends in advertising. Many of the
ideas in this story were raised last week by our old friend Joe
Cappo. His new book 
The
Future of Advertising: New Media, New Clients, New Consumers in
the Post-Television Age is required reading for anyone interested
in this subject.
http://www.nytimes.com/
THE
RETURN OF CHICAGO STYLE. The famed Chicago Manual of Style
just came out with its 15th edition. This article from the Chronicle
of Higher Education examines the evolution of this famed
tome over the years.
http://chronicle.com/
IF
THEY WIN IT'S A SHAME? Ah, the Cubs. We here at Extension 720
are big fans of the perennial runners-up in the pennant race,
even if their games sometimes preempt our programming! This article
examines the amazing phenomenon of the rabid Cubs fan and raises
the possibility that it is the Cubbies' very mediocrity that makes
them so endearing. Do you agree? Give us your thoughts at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.poppolitics.com/
DIVINE
DEBUSSY. Here is a wonderful performance of Debussy's Estampes
by pianist Peter Donohoe. The three pieces that make up this
collection of "engravings" are meant to evoke a time
and a place. We enjoy the final piece, Jardins sous la pluie,
which has two French folk songs woven into it.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
July 22, 2003:
THE DEFINITIVE STORY ON HUSSEIN'S SONS.
A spokesman for the military in Iraq has confirmed the deaths
of Uday and Qusay. This story from the Washington Post
has a good deal of related linked articles available. Tell us
what you think of this latest development: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
WHO
"KILLED" DAVID KELLY? And what does his suicide reveal
about whether Tony Blair or the BBC have exaggerated their claims
about the reliability of the intelligence concerning uranium from
Nigeria. John O'Sullivan unravels some of the tangle in this column
from today's Chicago Sun-Times.
http://www.suntimes.com/
CHINA
AND NORTH KOREA. What to do about the madman with the nukes? In
this op-ed, published today in the Wall Street Journal,
Henry Rowen who was once Assistant Secretary of Defense gives
some strong and proper advice to their nervous neighbor, China.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
IS
A MID-EAST PEACE POSSIBLE NOW? Suzanne Fields, a knowledgeable
observer who makes her first appearance on our File, thinks the
road map probably won't work. And she draws upon some high level
contacts in formulating her analysis. Do you agree? E-mail us
your thoughts at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.townhall.com/
IF
HITCH WRITES IT IT'S WORTH READING. Christopher Hitchens is one
of our favorite journalists--and program guests! Here is a wonderfully
wide-ranging piece by him from the current issue of Foreign
Policy . Among other things, it's "about France."
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
AMERICA
AND FRANCE: QUELLE HISTOIRE! In this fine article from the new
issue of American Heritage, an old friend of ours, Richard
Brookhiser, examines the historical basis of the ambivalent but
lasting relationship between the two nations. Good reading!
http://www.americanheritage.com/
THE
BEATLES!!! We were delighted to find this on-line anthology. Among
the riches are the original recordings of: Strawberry Fields,
Penny Lane, Here Comes the Sun and Hey Jude.
http://www.hhbrandy.addr.com/
July 21, 2003:
A CONTRARY (BUT NOT CONTRARIAN!) VIEW
OF THE FAMOUS SIXTEEN WORD "GAFFE." Here is the view--we
think rather persuasively conveyed--from the Weekly Standard.
The author is the veteran political columnist Fred Barnes who
is executive editor of the magazine.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
WHAT
HAPPENED TO AMERICA'S LARGEST PUBLISHING ENTERPRISE AFTER THE
GERMANS TOOK OVER. This great article from yesterday's New
York Times Magazine tells about the comings and goings in
the Random House empire. We know a number of these people--and
their authors often show up on Extension 720.
http://www.nytimes.com/
SPRINGER
FOR THE SENATE? It does take a brilliant and irreverant comedian
like Dennis Miller to make sense out of this latest turn toward
the surreal in American politics. This op-ed is from Saturday's
Wall Street Journal.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
THE
REDUCTION OF "MIND" FROM DARWIN TO PINKER. This interesting--and
quite readable--essay has just appeared in the Hudson Review.
It considers Steve Pinker (a rather frequent guest on our program)
as one who has advanced the claims of Darwinism in the psychological
realm; and thus to have further diminished the claims for pure
mind (Plato) and "soul." This link is in PDF
form.
http://hudsonreview.com/
THE
DEATH OF THE "SIX DEGREES" CON MAN. We had never heard
of him but, rather, assumed that the play was a total fiction.
It wasn't--and the man upon whom it was based has just died of
AIDS. This inevitably interesting story was in yesterday's New
York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/
THE
OTHER GREAT MONSTER OF MODERN HISTORY. One thinks of Hitler, but
by almost any measure Stalin was as evil, as murderous and, possibly,
more mad. What sounds like an importat new biography has just
appeared in England. Here is the review from the London Telegraph.
http://www.arts.telegraph.co.uk/
FERRIS
ON GLEICK ON NEWTON. Recently James
Gleick (a frequent guest on Extension 720) talked with us
about his biography of Sir Isaac Newton. Now Tim Ferris (another
frequent guest) has written a fine, perceptive review of the book.
Here it is, from yesterday's Los Angeles Times.
http://www.calendarlive.com/
A
PRECURSOR OF THE BAROQUE SYMPHONIC FORM. The mid-eighteenth century
composer Carl Stamitz wrote a number of these "trios"
for 2 violins and either cello or bass. But they were to be performed
with orchestra rather than as chamber works. The are considered
by musicologists to mark the beginning of the four movement orchestral
symphony. They are, at any rate, delightful listening--and here
is one of the best as performed by the Mainly Mozart Festival
orchestra conducted by David Atherton.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
Extension
720 Listener Reponses:
Here is one from Bruce Mitzit about
this
article by Frank Catalono:
It
is too ironic Microsoft is suing to stop spammers. Microsoft provided
the means allowing spammers their domination of e-mail traffic
today.
The
distribution of several viruses in the past year-and-a-half utilized
numerous flaws in Microsoft products. These viruses allowed the
extraction of legitimate email addresses from Windows users' address
books and their distribution across the Internet. Spammers were
thus provided with millions of legitimate addresses to forge as
senders (and add as recipients). This defeats the formerly effective
method of blocking spam by sender address.
A
recently emerged method of disguising the spam source is accomplished
through exploiting another flaw in Microsoft operating systems.
A virus converts private machines into mail servers. Thousands
of machines are converted and each is briefly used to pass spam.
Spam from a single sender is passed through a high number of infected
machines and so overwhelms the defense of blocking by identification
of the spam source.These
enable the explosion of spam we've experienced this past year.
Frank
Catalano's assessment of our helplessness in defeating spam is
regrettably accurate.
July
18, 2003:
THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN IRAN. Here is
an interesting editorial from today's New York Times
by Reza Aslan. For those who listened to last night's fascinating
discussion about the history and current political state of this
country, it offers another interesting viewpoint. What do you
think? Let us know at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nytimes.com/
BUT
WHAT ABOUT LIBERIA? Jim Hoagland of the Washington Post
on Iraq, Liberia and the building of better relations between
the United States and the United Nations. He argues that some
kind of American intervention there could be the beginning of
a more pragmatic alliance between the U.S. and the U.N.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
BLAIR'S
ADDRESS TO CONGRESS. Here is the full text of Tony Blair's address
to a joint session of Congress yesterday. Blair's eloquence and
passion and his unwavering support for the United States is certainly
to be admired.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
FORMER
FRIENDS GANG UP ON CHRIS HITCHENS. This is a fascinating spectacle
but we think that Hitchens can easily handle those who now denounce
him by simply identifying the arguments ad hominem for what they
are.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
EXAMINING
BLAIR'S BACKGROUND. After you read his speech to Congress, be
sure to read this article from The Atlantic. This in-depth
analysis of his rise to political power makes the case that Blair
represents all of the promise of the "baby boomer" generation,
a promise that another famous boomer who led this country could
not quite fulfill. Is Tony Blair Dr. Jekyll to Bill Clinton's
Mr. Hyde?
http://www.theatlantic.com/
MILLIONAIRES
ON MARS. This article from Foreign Policy argues that
millionaires who can afford to spend the money should be fueling
the Mars explorations. Should space travel be reserved for the
rich? Or perhaps could government money be better spent elsewhere?
Give us your publishable opinions at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
LIKE
A PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES. Igor Stravinsky's magnificent Firebird
ballet runs the gamut of emotions. However, it is the powerful,
triumphant and undoubtedly familiar ending that sends chills down
our spines every time we hear it.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
Extension
720 Listener Responses:
We invite readers
of Milt's File to respond to certain articles, and we also occasionally
get unsolicited feedback. Here are two recent responses, the first
to this
article by Charles Krauthammer and the second to the recent
inclusion of the
great Tom Jones in Milt's Music.
From
Paul Wisner:
I think Krauthammer gets it all right, and Robert Kulzick
only partially, generally right. Yes, there is too much partisanship
with regard to foreign policy/national security, but the Republicans
have been more consistent on Iraq.
The
Democrats generally opposed Iraq I, the vote in both the House
and Senate were closer than they should have been on such a clear
example of aggression. That political opposition likely contributed
to Bush 41 pulling up short, I heard Leon Fuerth opine so.
When
Saddam threw out the UN inspectors and Clinton was in political
trouble, the Democrats and Republicans voted 98-0 in the Senate
for the Iraq Liberation Act; no partisan dissenting on the part
of the GOP.
Now
the Democrats, with a Republican president, are again in opposition
to Iraq II, trying to revive a Vietnam era anti-war movement.
That conduct is inconsistent with their posture in 1998; they
have no policy but partisanship on Iraq.
From
John Washbush:
Rejoice!
Milt is not all intellect! I agree with your assessment of Tom
Jones. Above all, his music helps us remember that not all of
life is desperation and despair (and other profound redundancies).
July
17, 2003:
CAN
THE DEMS HAVE IT BOTH WAYS ON IRAQ? In this interesting article
from today's Washington Post, Terry Neal evaluates the
pro-war Democratic candidates ever-shifting stances on Iraq. It
appears that they are trying to support the spread of democracy
without supporting President Bush. Are they succeeding? Share
your thoughts with us at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
THE
BRITS ON BUSH AND BLAIR. This article from the U.K.'s Economist
examines Tony Blair's visit to the U.S.--which began today--and
some of the issues that are underneath Bush and Blair's seemingly
united front.
http://economist.com/
IN
DEFENSE OF LOCAL MEDIA. William Safire on how conglomerates could
spell the end of American media as we know it. This article--from
today's New York Times--is of particular interest to
those who tuned into last night's forum on the state of journalism
in the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/
AND
SPEAKING OF MEDIA MAGNATES...here is an article from the current
New Yorker magazine written by Walter Isaacson, who one
of our esteemed media experts from last night's program. Though
ostensibly a review of Hillary Clinton and Sidney Blumenthal's
recent books, Isaacson--former head of Time and CNN--takes
this opportunity to reflect on the evolving sub-genre that is
the White House memoir.
http://newyorker.com/
GOOGLE
IS HUMAN AFTER ALL. Though everyone (including us here at Extension
720) sings the praises of the world's favorite search engine,
Slate dares to point out some of the flaws inherent in
"googling."
http://slate.msn.com/
IF
THEY CAN READ, WHY CAN'T THEY WRITE? This fascinating article
from the Canadian National Post details the declining
standards in academic prose. Perhaps they write incoherent, pseudo-intellectual
babble just because they can. What do you think? E-mail us your
succinct and cogent prose at: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nationalpost.com/
THE
BEAUTY OF THE STRING ORCHESTRA. Here the glory of the string section
is captured in what is arguably the greatest work for string orchestra,
Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. Particularly wonderful is
the stirring and majestic opening theme, that recurs throughout
the first movement and returns at the end of the fourth to end
the piece with a flourish.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
July
16, 2003:
TWO CHEERS FOR IRAQI DEMOCRACY. That's
what Tom Friedman of the New York Times seems able to
muster at this juncture. Despite the killings, the signs look
rather favorable for the establishment of a democratic polity
in Iraq. Do you find his vieand interpretation persuasive? Send
your publishable e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nytimes.com/
THE
PROPRIETOR OF THE NATIONAL REVIEW REVIEWS BUSH. Buckley on Bush
is an essay worth reading and thinking about. Here it is from
today's web-edition of the magazine that has for many years been
the the leading conservative publication.
http://www.nationalreview.com/
THE
ASSAULT UPON FREE SPEECH AT SOME AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. The continuing,
dreadful persecution of Steven Hinkle at California Polytechnic
is only one of many cases. The
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education remains vigilantly
on the case--as reported here by Stuart Taylor in the National
Journal.
http://nationaljournal.com/
THE
TRAGICOMEDY AT THE TIMES. This may or may not be the last act
but, at any rate, Pinch has spoken and they now have a new editor.
Here are the speeches by the appointer and appointee as given
at a Bastille Day meeting of the staff.
http://www.nytco.com/
HOW,
IF AT ALL, DID LANGUAGE EVOLVE? This interesting article from
today's New York Times reviews the questions and controversies
but gives undue attention to Noam Chomsky, who has been too busy
for the last twenty years--mostly attacking this country--to be
up to speed on the newer linguistics.
http://www.nytimes.com/
HAROLD
BLOOM TAKES ON HAMLET. We have never had a guest on Extension
720 more eccentrically interesting than the Sage of Yale. Here
he is talking about the subject of his newly published book, Hamlet.
The interview is from the current edition of The Atlantic
magazine.
http://www.theatlantic.com/
A
GREAT MUSICAL! We mean Kiss Me Kate, the broadway musical
based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Don't miss:
Too Darn Hot, Brush Up Your Shakespeare and Why Can't You Behave.
As for the other musicals on the site--we haven't listened yet,
but let us know what you think at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.theraven452000.addr.com/
July
15, 2003:
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHRISTIAN ZIONISM? Here
is a primer by Dan Pipes in today's New York Post. Pipes,
a frequent guest on Extension 720, thinks that the Zionist sentiment
among American evangelicals and fundamentalists is a significant
influence upon the Bush regime's Middle East policy.
http://www.nypost.com/
AND
SPEAKING OF THE EVANGELICALS AND THE PRESIDENT...This op-ed from
today's Wall Street Journal is substantively linked to
the preceeding piece by Dan Pipes. Your thoughts on "religion
in high places?" Publishable e-mail is welcome. Send to:
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
SHORT
AND NOT SWEET. This brief piece by Stanley Crouch (a sometime
guest on Extension 720) reminds us of the persisting problem of
domestic terrorism on the streets of the inner cities of the country.
Couch is a remarkable fellow, combining scholarship and political
commentary with jazz criticism of the highest order. His column
appears in the New York Daily News.
http://www.nydailynews.com/
WHAT'S
BEHIND THE "SPEECH FLAP?" As the Democrat presidential
candidates and much of the press wax wild on the president's one
liner in his State of the Union speech, a useful corrective is
supplied here. The source is Frank Gaffney, an arms expert and
former high ranking Department of Defense official. The article
is from Front Page magazine.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
THE
DUSTY BAKER "DUST UP," BLACKS, HEAT, DOUBLE STANDARDS
AND ALL THAT. Though it is a second item today from the Wall
Street Journal, we couldn't resist putting this one before
you. We fully agree with Jon Entine. How about you? E-mail to:
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
THE
SPAM JAM: CAN ANYTHING BE DONE ABOUT IT? Frank Catalano, a respected
tecno-type, thinks it may be too late. Which leaves the question
of whether it will effectively kill e-mail. Read this troubling
piece from the Seattle Weekly and then, if you are so
inclined, give us your thoughts: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.seattleweekly.com/
A
DISINTERESTED SCHOLAR OR A HYPOCRITICAL TIME-SERVER? You can take
your choice as you examing the long career (under both the Nazis
and the Communists) of Germany's "second leading philosopher,"
Hans-Georg Gadamer. Here, from the Chronicle of Higher Education,
is a review-essay based upon a new biography whose author seems
more forgiving of Gademer than does the reviewer.
http://chronicle.com/
JAZZ
TURNS TOWARD SWING. Nowhere is that transition better exemplified
than in the Dorsey Brothers bands of the late 20s and mid 30s.
Either way they provide a lot of fine American music. Don't miss
Dippermouth Blues, Honeysuckle Rose and I'm Getting Sentimental
Over You.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/
Extension
720 Listener Responses:
Here is one listener response to this
article by Charles Krauthammer.
From
Robert Kulzick:
I think that Mr. Krauthammer is right
about the actions of the Democratic party, but he's missed their
motivations. The Democrats have benifitted from positioning themselves
as the party of conscience, so its not surprising that they try
to criticize Republican policy as immoral. This same tact has
been taken in the democratic response to republican Medicare and
Welfare reform initiatives. Politically, the Democrats have nothing
to gain by signing on with Republican foreign policy. Democrats
would've supported President Clinton in a full out invasion of
Iraq in 1998, and Republicans would've castigated him. The dominance
of partisan politics over ideology is depressing, but not surprising.
July 14, 2003:
OUR MAN IN BAGHDAD. Paul Bremer is the
top administrator during the American occupation of Iraq. In this
op-ed from yesterday's New York Times, he gives his overview
of the situation there. His views are both realistic about the
continued insurgency but at the same time heartening.
http://www.nytimes.com/
THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY IN IRAQ. Beyond the killings and the headlines,
this obeserver on the ground in Iraq finds a great deal that is
going right. The report has just been published by the Weekly
Standard.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
IF
NOT IRAQ, WHY LIBERIA? That is the question raised by Charles
Krauthammer in this column from the Washington Post.
The answer, he asserts, has a good deal to do with the Democratic
Party's penchant for not using our military when it serves our
"national interest." Do you think he makes a proper
case? Your publishable reactions are welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
SUPREME
COURT DECISIONS DO HAVE (SOMETIMES UNANTICIPATED) CONSEQUENCES.
Does this article from the Washington Times weekend edition
seem to you accurate in its predictions? And do those predicted
consequences of the "Sodomy Decision" bother or please
you? Do e-mail your publishable comment to us: extension720@tribune.com.
http://dynamic.washtimes.com/
DNA DATA CONFIRM EVOLUTIONARY
HISTORY OF HUMAN SPECIES! In this interview, Chris Stringer, head
of the Evolutionary Section at the Natural History Museum, reviews
what recent genetic research has revealed and confirmed about
how our species emerged. Fascinating stuff!
FOR
BASTILLE DAY: A PROPERLY CRITICAL VIEW OF NAPOLEON. The fine British
writer, Paul Johnson, has done a rather disdainful biography of
Napoleon. The reviewer, Victor Davis Hanson, shares that disdain
and delivers a forceful commentary in this piece from the Claremont
Review.
http://www.claremont.org/
THE
LOWERING OF HIGHER EDUCATION: CINEMA SECTION. This report from
a father whose daughter went to one of the top film schools brings
tears of laughter and outrage. It is from yesterdays Los Angeles
Times Magazine.
http://www.latimes.com/
BACH
AT HIS BEST..AS, IN FACT, HE ALWAYS WAS. But the Second Orchestral
Suite has always stirred us with its contrapuntal delights. And
it is perormed with high spirit and verve in this recording by
the Berlin Baroque Soloists.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
July
11, 2003:
AN ARAB JOURNALIST QUESTIONS WHETHER THE ARAB NATIONS
ARE READY FOR DEMOCRACY. This fellow, writing for the major paper
in the United Arab Emirates, may be on to something important.
Let's hope that the Iranians don't put out a Fatwah on Mr. Rashid.
http://www.memri.org/
BERLUSCONI
AND THE GERMANS: HIGH TIMES AT STRASBOURG. This revealing story--slightly
comic despite the author's intentions--is from the excellent British
e-zine, Spiked.
http://www.spiked-online.com/
FIRST
THE NEW YORK TIMES AND NOW THE NEW YORKER? Fiction disguised as
fact seems to be the new plague at high-prestige publications.
Or was it ever thus? This article from the New York Observer
is bound to amuse and bemuse. Still, this fellow Rothman
doesn't come close to the record set by the former New York
Times reporter.
http://www.observer.com/
WHAT
IF ONE OF OUR GUYS IN THE BOOTH HAD SAID WHAT BAKER SAID? That's
our version of the argument laid out by Jonah Goldberg (in the
National Review) as he examines the fall-out from Dusty
Baker's staement about Black and Latino baseball players. How
do you react on this one? E-mail us at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.townhall.com/
WHATEVER
HAPPENED TO THE "NEUTRALITY" OF SCHOLARSHIP? We found
this report from Front Page magazine as disturbing as
it is informative. What do you make of the rampant left-shift
among American historians? Your publishable thoughts and opinions
are most welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
IS THERE INTELLIGENT LIFE AT NASA? They have begun to fund the
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)--the very thing
that our guest of a few nights ago, William Burger, considers
futile. Why? Because, as he says in his new book, our planet provided
unique conditions and without those life could not evolve to "intelligent"
levels. We hope he's wrong and, apparently, the people who run
NASA still think that someone (or many ones) may be out there.
This story from the New York Times will fill you in.
http://www.nytimes.com/
AND
FURTHERMORE--THERE MAY BE LOTS MORE PLANETS OUT THERE! Tying back
to the item above, here is fascinating astronomical news. On the
basis of recent discoveries reported here by John Noble Wilford
(a former guest on Extension 720) the number of planets (and thus
the number of possibly inhabited planets) is considerably larger
than we had thought. The article is from today's New York
Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/
THE
GREAT TOM JONES! We confess that we love the vigor, stride, intrinsic
musicality and theatricality of the Great Welshman. Here's a fine
collection, including What's New Pussycat, She's A Lady, Delilah
and It's Not Unusual. Enjoy!
http://www.hhstarr.addr.com/
Extension
720 Listener Responses:
Everyday in
Milt's File, we invite listeners to respond to certain articles.
Here is one response to this
article by Senator Rick Santorum on the recent Supreme Court
decision on sodomy.
From
Peter Wlodarski:
Recent
events have caused attention to be placed on the question of legalizing
homosexual marriage. This is of course very controversial, but
I believe, a simple question to resolve if viewed from the proper
perspective.
The
proper perspective comes from understanding the ultimate purpose
of society. This purpose may not be obvious. It is not something
we think about in our daily lives, or even in our policy making
processes, but we should.
It
is obvious that the purpose of society includes the safety and
well being of its members, but there is a larger purpose beyond
this. The ultimate purpose of society is to support the evolution
of the species, so that in a thousand years or a million years
we become something better than what we are today. What higher
purpose can there be? What greater gift to future generations
can there be?
We
need to be aware of this because if we take it for granted, our
ignorance will risk interfering with it. To do so would be an
incalculable tragedy.
Homosexual
love of course does not contribute to evolution. Only heterosexual
love does. Incidentally, it is my belief that a component of falling
in love consists of the intuitive feeling that the children of
such a union would be in some sense better then the parents, showing
the primal urge for evolution at work in human affairs.
Since
homosexuality does not serve the purpose of society, society's
relationship to homosexuality should be one of tolerance rather
then support. To support it would be to draw resources away from
society's ultimate purpose, with subtle costs to the future of
the species.
Ocassionally
we get e-mail not related to the items on the file but interesting,
or amusing, enough to be shared. Here is one such received today:
From Daniel Lillian:
</
