Lex Libertas

What do you do when you need to move a digger, but you only have a barge?

Creative people, those Russians!

I have no idea what this mural is supposed to mean, but it has Russia, China, America, and Europe all together:

This is on a wall facing the street sidewalk at Harriet Tubman school in Washington, DC. Does anyone know the backstory?

NATO has made two major enlargements since the end of the Cold War. In 1999, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic were admitted. Then in 2004, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia joined. Now, it’s being proposed that Ukraine and Georgia begin the process towards membership. Russia has some serious problems with this, though they said the same things about the two previous expansions:

Mr Medvedev said no country would be happy about a military bloc to which it did not belong approaching its borders.

The issue of admitting Georgia and Ukraine is expected to be discussed at a Nato summit in Bucharest on 2-4 April.

What do you think?

1. Why does NATO need to expand?
2. Should Ukraine and Georgia be admitted into NATO?
3. Should Russia be considered for membership?

I have my own opinions, but I’d like to hear from some of my regular readers.

Phenomenal segment on the Marine recruiting station in Berkeley:

If only there was an organization that was sworn to defend that free speech!

Really? You’re interrupting your own interview??

A great video made in 1995 about the internet. I totally remember those days! I remember the excitement of finding random things online. The internet has since matured, and become much more ingrained into our daily lives, but in a certain sense it’s lost some of the magic of the early-mid ’90s.

Check out the clip. My family has always been an early adopter of electronic products (we still have some LaserDiscs around from the mid-80s). We got on Prodigy in ‘92 and switched to AOL in ‘93. I ran up some pretty expensive bills! We’ve come a long way from BBS’s.

“Today some 35 - 40 people around the world are linked together through the internet!”

Incredibly talented comedian shows us the Evolution of Dance:

After a strong recommendation by the Foreign Ministry of Belarus that the US embassy reduce the number of its personnel, the Americans have decided to temporarily stop issuing visas to Belorussians.

On March 12th, Ambassador Karen Stewart left Minsk for Washington. A few days later, on March 17th, the Foreign Ministry made its recommendation that the US presence be reduced. Ambassador Stewart remains in the US, though she remains the Ambassador to Belarus and her absence is only temporary.

I don’t know what games are going on here, as surely there are some. One thing I really appreciate, after my travels around the former Soviet Union (including to Belarus), is that these decisions, these diplomatic games, have very real consequences for people on the ground. We think we’re hurting the government, when in reality we’re hurting the citizens who in many cases have no control whatsoever over the government and its actions. This is even more personal to me since I have a fair number of Belorussian friends.

Of course, this is a two-way street, and it was difficult for me to get a visa in to Belarus. When I finally did, I actually found the Belorussian consulate staff to be much nicer than their Russian counterparts.

Samantha Power is the Harvard professor and Obama surrogate who got in trouble recently for making the most unforgivable of political gaffes, saying what she really believes. Following the incident, the journalist from The Scotsman who held the interview came on Tucker Carlson’s show to speak about the incident.

Tucker comes across very arrogant, belittling not only the British press in general, but also The Scotsman and Gerri Peev in particular, “Since journalistic standards in Great Britain are so much dramatically lower than they are here, it’s a little much being lectured on journalistic ethics by a reporter from The Scotsman.” Gerri Peev’s answer is spot on, “If this is the first time that candid remarks have been published about what one campaign team thinks of the other candidate, then I would argue that your journalists aren’t doing a very good job of getting to the truth.”

The juiciest sections of the interview are from mine 1:15 to 2:30:

At min 3:40 comes another moment. “It’s not my job to self-censor an interview.” Tucker gives another snide laugh and launches into a mini-lecture. Gerri comes off very well, and Tucker makes us Americans look like arrogant, self-absorbed, incompetent journalists. Heaven forbid we expect truth from our politicians!

Last quarter was the first time in history that Starbucks reported a loss in US customer visits, and it’s share prices have fallen dramatically - almost 50% in a year. In order to stem the tide, Starbucks has revealed some changes. In addition to ending the breakfast menu, which truly was an awful choice, the new (and original) CEO just rolled out some more changes. My particular favorite is a return to in-store grinding of coffee beans. I remember back in the early 90s, when Starbucks first became popular, it really was a different experience from any other cafe. Part of that unique atmosphere was the smell of freshly ground coffee. Since coming back to the States a few months ago, I have been rather disappointed in Starbucks. It seems to have devolved down to the level of a fast-food coffee chain. It’s not a comfortable place to spend time, and has lost the aroma of fresh coffee.

Probably the most important factor, however, that keeps me away from Starbucks is the fact that they don’t have free internet. Virtually every other cafe chain has free wi-fi, and has for years. Why on earth would I go to Starbucks is the coffee shop across the street has free wifi? That’s one of the main reaons I love Panera so much. Seriously, Starbucks, get with the 90s!!!

The European University in St. Petersburg was closed last month due to fire code violations. The university is currently taking steps to fix all the complaints, and will hopefully reopen soon. Some have questioned the timing of the closure:

Maxim Reznik, the head of the St. Petersburg branch of Russia’s liberal Yabloko faction, said the real reason for the order was an election monitoring course funded by the European Union. “No doubt, it’s about politics,” Reznik said. “Fire inspections is just an excuse. It’s another example that the authoritarian regime is going to the new stage, to the stage of totalitarianism.”

One of the specialties of the Russian authorities is using technicalities to shut down opposition groups (civil society, political parties, and even business competitors). It may be the case that the school did actually violate the code, but so do lots of other places. In fact, the state university dormitory was a virtual deathtrap. There were several exits, but all were locked, except one single door in the front. So the question becomes, is there selective enforcement, based on location and timing?

In the end, for whatever reason, this semester will have been interrupted for two months or more - at a time when its class on election-monitoring would have been especially informative.

Update: Added a picture of one of my favorite Soviet buildings, the UFO Hotel in Yalta, Crimea.

I love architecture, and one of the reasons that I enjoyed living on the post-Soviet space was because of the prevalence of modern architecture in public buildings and public spaces. I love the 1950s and 60s vision of the future, how things would look and be. Here are two housing artifacts from that era:

Flying Saucer House up for auction in Tennessee.

I really want at some point to actually see in person a “Futuro House.”

Finnish architect Matti Suuronen designed this UFO shaped dwelling in 1968, initially for use as a ski-cabin or holiday home.

The idea behind the design reflects the optimism of the sixties. At the time people believed technology could solve all problems for the human race. The ideal was of a new era, a space-age, where everybody would have more leisure time to spend on holidays away from home.

The Futuro house was completely furnished and could accommodate 8 people. It was constructed entirely out of reinforced plastic, a new, light and inexpensive material back then. The plan was to mass-produce it, so it would be cheap enough to house all people around the earth. Because it was so light-weight, it was easily transportable by helicopter. Mobile living was the new possibility for the future. People could now take their moveable home with them, to wherever they went, and live like modern nomads.

Unfortunately the 1973 oil crisis spoiled all these plans. Prices of plastic raised production costs too high to be profitable. Only 96 Futuro houses were ever built. Besides the 48 made in Finland, also at least 48 were manufactured abroad on license.

Below is a UFO shaped hotel in Yalta. I’d love to see what it looks like up close. I’ve only seen it from the ferry. I remember seeing this hotel on my very first trip to Eastern Europe, when I was teaching debate in the summer of ‘02:

One of the things that draws me most to the region of the former Soviet Union is how numerous and complex its problems are. Just trying to understand the problems requires considerable thought. So many competing interests overlapping create a unique field, on which many battles are still waged - fortunately most not violently. The rights of former soldiers in the Baltic states is a good example of these complexities.

The basic question is this, should former SS soldiers be allowed to stage celebrations?

The Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) were occupied by the Soviet Union under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression agreement between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in late August, 1939. This agreement divided up Eastern Europe between the two, without the consent of those countries involved. It also made Germany more secure in their feeling that they could start their aggression in Europe without a Russian response. The Baltic States were subsequently invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union.

Here’s the situation, three independent states were declared and recognized after the end of World War I (which set the stage for massive border changes and instability all over Europe until the Cold War solidified things). These independent states are then occupied by the Soviet Union. Germany invades, kicks the Soviet Union out, and the Nazis occupy the Baltics. The Balts weren’t partcularly happy with the Soviet Union, and some joined the the Nazis (by force or choice) and fought with them against the Soviet Union. The eventually lost, and the Soviet Union fought its way back and reoccupied the Baltic States.

The last complicating factor is that those who fought against the SU did so in SS units - which is horrible for PR. Really, as if it’s not bad enough that you’re fighting for the Nazis, but now you’re in the SS. Now, it’s worth noting that not all SS was the same. What we normally think of as SS were the “Schutzstaffel” (Protective Squadron), elite paramilitary units and death camp guards. There politically and structurally independent of the German army, and they were a powerful political force of their own.

There was another SS, the Waffen-SS, or “Armed SS.” They started out in Germany as special forces. During the war, however, they became a sort of German Foreign Legion. Various conquered nationalities were used to fill their ranks. They were, for all intents and purposes, army units - run under the by the Wermacht, not the SS.

So, how then do we deal with those people who fought for the German Army against the Soviet Union. Both were occupying powers. Many of the soldiers did not volunteer, but were conscripted. Some of those soldiers who are still alive want to march with each other to commerate their time together.

Should they be allowed to march?

Should that decision be made on ideological (freedom of assembly) or practical (public order) reasons?

Riga city authorities have given permission for Latvian SS veterans to march on Legionnaire’s Day March 16. Observers say that there may be serious clashes between the nationalists and antifascists, for the first time in the holiday’s 20-year history.

A decision was made on Monday to allow the SS veteran to march, and to prohibit antifascists and nationalists to do so. Latvian Interior Minister Marek Seglins voiced the opinion last week that the city council should not allow the holiday to be observed in public.

Police fear that clashes may take place on a much greater scale than they did in 2005 and 2007. The event was not permitted in 2006.

Living in LA, a long commute is a way of life. It’s something of a cultural thing. A one-hour drive is completely normal. You’d drive that far to go to work, see friends, or go to a particular cafe or restaurant. For some parts of the country, that’s inconceivable.

Governor Schwarzenegger has been in LA so long that’s he’s an Angelino, and used to long commutes stuck in traffic. So it really should come as no surprise that given his office is located rather far from his home, he choses to commute.

Of course, his commute is a bit longer than most (3 hours), but it’s also a lot more comfortable than most. The Governator flies to work on his private jet. Some people think that’s ridiculously cool. Others think it shows a hypocritical act by a governor who is trying to push the Republicans to be more green:

The governor’s Gulfstream jet does nearly as much damage to the environment in one hour as a small car does in a year, according to figures compiled by the Helium Report, an online publication for buyers of luxury items.

Flying the Gulfstream and other jets the governor uses costs as much as $10,000 an hour. Some conservationists say Schwarzenegger is essentially attempting to buy a clean conscience with the carbon offsets, which cost about $43 an hour.

“He has been very bold on all these [environmental] initiatives, so it is sad to see him undercut that,” said Denis Hayes, president of the Bullitt Foundation, a philanthropy that funds conservation efforts in Western states. “If you are going to be talking about an issue, you should be living the reality you are trying to embrace.”

Боян (Bayan)

Accordian!!!

One of Barack Obama’s senior foreign policy advisers got herself into some trouble recently for being too honest with the press. Samantha Power is an incredibly talented foreign policy thinker. I don’t agree with her on everything, but she is not a run of the mill leftist. This week, she spoke her mind to the British press, and because of that she’s been booted from the campaign.

First, let’s show her comment about Obama’s position on withdrawal from Iraq:

“You can’t make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January of 2009. He will, of course, not rely on some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator. He will rely upon a plan – an operational plan – that he pulls together in consultation with people who are on the ground to whom he doesn’t have daily access now, as a result of not being the president. So to think – it would be the height of ideology to sort of say, ‘Well, I said it, therefore I’m going to impose it on whatever reality greets me.’ The 16 months is a best case scenario.”

This is the most honest defense of withdrawal that I have yet heard. Since her specialty is genocide, I think that Power understands, better than most Democrats, what the consequences of a hasty retreat from Iraq would be. Of course, she’s going to take flak for this, and I still think it is irresponsible for Obama to claim he will end the war in 16 months. There is a big difference between the language he uses (immediate and certain), and what Power said, and he should be held accountable for his plan. But at least there’s someone on the campaign who isn’t a raving lunatic who cares nothing for the people of Iraq.

Now, on to the more juicy bit, the part that really got her the boot:

“We f***** up in Ohio,” she admitted. “In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, because she knows Ohio’s the only place they can win. “She is a monster, too – that is off the record – she is stooping to anything,” Ms Power said, hastily trying to withdraw her remark. “You just look at her and think, ‘Ergh’. But if you are poor and she is telling you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive.”

Look, we all know that plenty of people on the Obama campaign think this of Hillary Clinton. Of course, lots of right-wingers do too. In fairness, the Obama campaign can be accused of its share of deceit, after telling American voters one thing and the Canadian government another. Samantha Power is being punished, simply, for actually saying what she really believes - an unpardonable sin in politics. Politics is all about obfuscation, it’s about telling everybody what they want to hear. Power, an admitted political neophyte, let a thought slip through the protective mental net. She immediately realized the mistake, and tried to take it back, say it’s “off-record.” Not gonna work, not when you’re in an official interview.

Clinton staffers started calling for the ritual blood atonement to satisfy their hurt feelings. If you are running for president, a lot worse stuff will happen than being called a monster - just ask President Bush. If this hurts you deep down inside, you shouldn’t be running for leader of the free world. Of course, it’s all part of the silly game. So Power resigns and gives this painful explanation/apology:

She seems so much more human than your typical talking head. Of course, she sings Hillary’s praises here, after offering her own blood in atonement for her slip. Why do we insist on making politicians walk around the truth, and play games whenever they speak. Obama did mess up in Ohio, and lot’s of people think she’s a monster. I think she should have apologized for using that particular choice of word, and it did amount to a personal attack - but give me a break. Hillary’s got tough enough skin to take way more than that.

One of the main reasons I support John McCain is because he speaks his mind, and tells things as he sees them. I am of the generation that believes in transparency and the free flow of information. We grew up with the internet, and want to know about everything. We’re smart enough to make serious decisions (that whole democracy thing), so give us all the information available. We are also a voyeuristic and exhibitionist generation. We understand that smart/good people sometimes say stupid things. That doesn’t disqualify them, in fact, it makes us like them more. We want more transparency in politics. Let us know what you truly think! Here’s a clip of McCain’s most recent “controversy.”

That’s not anger, it’s frustration. If that’s angry, what is DNC Chairman Howard Dean? Stop playing stupid “gotcha” politics. Senator McCain takes the journalist to task for trying to twist an old story into something it isn’t - a favorite pastime of the New York Times.

Stop forcing politicans to contort themselves and the truth - and don’t accept politicians who do.

I want truth, honesty, and transparency in government.