84-year-old former Egyptian dictator and Robert De Niro look-alike Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison. He thus has nothing to look forward to but sitting around his room, watching television, and eating bland food, as opposed to your typical octogenarian who's out there windsurfing. The Egyptian people, though, are disappointed in the verdict--some people are just never satisfied!--as the judge only found Mubarak guilty of being an accomplice to the murders of a couple hundred protesters during the early days of the uprising. I suppose this is technically true, in the same way that Hitler was an accomplice to the SS. Interestingly, this disappointing verdict has once again united the country: Islamists, liberals, and bears (oh my) have once again banded together to protest the corruption of the ruling elite. Nothing like a common enemy to bring out the best in people.
In other news, the world economy still sucks. The basic problem seems to be that we live in a globally interconnected world without globally interconnected regulatory systems. (Don't say that out loud, though: People will accuse you of being a New-World Order leftist like, uh, the first President Bush.)
It turns out that Mitt Romney is a "Star Trek" fan. Initially, this news worried me, as I feared it might induce certain people--FOS, for instance--to vote for the man. Then I realized this was unlikely: After all, Romney may be a closet "Trek"-enthusiast (he rejects the "Trekkie" appellation), but Barack Obama is the nation's first Vulcan president. Finding out Mitt Romney likes "Star Trek," though, does make him harder to hate, until I remember his attitudes toward everything that people who value a decent society hold dear; then I regain my urge to hurl tribbles at the man.
Iraq has increased its oil output tremendously, so much so, in fact, that the international community is cautiously optimistic that stronger sanctions against Iran may not prove as disruptive to world oil supplies. Commenting on this news, former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said, "This is welcome news, of course. Still, I would once again emphasize that increased oil production was never the predominant concern; liberating Iraq from a dictatorial regime and bringing democracy to the Middle East were." Former Vice President Dick Cheney, in contrast, cackled and exclaimed, "Yahtzee!"
I was also disturbed to hear that, despite the fall of Saddam Hussein, the tradition of state-sanctioned torture continues in Iraq. At an auction for oil contracts, "An elevator-music rendition of Lionel Richie's 'Hello' played over and over." Monsters!
The more painkillers are used--and the earlier in treatment they are prescribed--the greater the overall costs to employers. Hm. You know, when you see that sentence typed out, you realize that one of the central premises of this article is that if you take more pills and use them for a longer period of time, it will cost more money. No wonder Times readers are so well-informed!
Finally, the Times provides an interesting discussion of the various controversies and disputes around the Sept. 11 Memorial Museum. One ongoing debate focused on whether or not to include photographs of the 19 hijackers who crashed planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Those opposed claim that this affords the murderers an undeserved honor. It really doesn't, though. Photographs of criminals don't celebrate the criminals. Think of these as mug shots.
No comments:
Post a Comment