Category Archives: Politics: International

Lousy Ad

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Michael Froomkin

I don’t know who this Democratic Coalition Against Trump is.  I like their URL.  But I don’t at all care for this web ad they’ve done — it strikes me as utterly ineffective.  The issue of Trump being in the tank for Putin — or just a dupe — is a serious one.  This doesn’t help.

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The Case for Despair

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Michael Froomkin

Juan Cole lays it out. I’d say the case against HRC is first, foreign policy, second reliance on corporatist economic advisers. (And I’m tired of hearing about her damn emails.)

The second problem may be ameliorated by a need to avoid angering the Warren wing of the party. The first problem–hawkishness, adherence to the Villager consensus on use of force–isn’t going away, and probably can’t go away for a first female President lest she seem ‘weak’ to the foolish but dangerous. It was on full display on the agonizing and unwatchable NBC ‘Candidates Forum’ last night. Thank goodness for the fast forward button on my DVR.

Yes, Trump was very very very much worse. So?

Update: Bonus gloom–The Intercept, Hillary Clinton’s National Security Advisers Are a “Who’s Who” of the Warfare State.

Posted in 2016 Election, Politics: International | 7 Comments

#Brexit

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Michael Froomkin

via Twitter:

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Bummer

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

Finis?Les Guignols de l’info are being destroyed (or if you prefer, decapitated) by the new owner of Canal+ the French cable network. According to Le Parisien, “Canal + : «Les Guignols» décapités, les auteurs historiques virés” the network fired the four long-standing members of the writing team. After many years of being broadcast in the the clear, whatever is left of the show will now appear behind a subscribers-only crypto wall for TV watchers; Canal+ has also stopped adding to the portal for internet users.

Supposedly there will be clips on Daily Motion somewhere, but I didn’t find much recent stuff when I looked just now.

This will degrade my ongoing knowledge of French politics by at least 50%, and — even more serious — remove a decent chunk of my video comedy diet. Plus it was my main source of new French slang.

Doubleplusungood.

Posted in Completely Different, Politics: International | 1 Comment

Oh, Canada

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

io9 nominates this as The Greatest Political Campaign Ad Of All Time:

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Juan Cole Says ISIL is Doomed

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Michael Froomkin

Juan Cole identifies the Top Six Signs ISIL/ Daesh is Doomed. His blog, Informed Comment, has a good track record on the Middle East, so I tend to think it’s more reliable than my daily scare sheet. Here’s how he starts:

It has been over a year since Mosul fell to Daesh (ISIS, ISIL). In some ways the organization has continued to make advances since then, taking Ramadi and Palmyra in the past few months. It isn’t as important as FBI director James Comey says it is, though. People in government security agencies feel they have to hype threats so as to ensure next year’s budget.

I maintain that the Daesh menace has been exaggerated from day one. I doubt four million people live under its rule, not the 9 million often alleged. Most of its territory is barren desert and lightly populated. It has no obvious purchase in the United States. And, it has lost key assets in the past year in the Middle East.

Posted in Politics: International | Comments Off on Juan Cole Says ISIL is Doomed