Soob

Ortho leads us to this article on America's silent war of information; that of American influence, co-option and invention of foreign media:

Below the radar, another journalism scandal is brewing: the U.S. government is secretly funding foreign news outlets and journalists.

Scandal? A naive assertion that assumes journalism is and has always been a clean and pious sort of informational dissemination. Hamilton comes to mind. The media isn't the unwitting victim the authors would lead one to believe. That it's used in an international and not exactly "honest" fashion should fail to shock anyone. Have a read of Pravda some time for a less cloak and dagger case in point.

Fabius Maximus on Iran and the plausibility of Israeli preemption. I've got a lengthy comment there, and given FM merely relays a few articles reflecting the possibilities of Israel engaging in such an action I'd suggest the linked posts below the original piece as they engage the situation in a more direct fashion. That aside this bit of commentary by FM in response to a comment sums up my own position and is, as I state, the 500 lb missed point in the room when regarding Iran:
world

“What we do know is that a strike by Iran against Israel would be suicidal, and history shows few State leaders willing to destroy themselves in exchange for rewards in Heaven.”

Adam Wolfe at On Political Risk and World Politics Review on yet another failed Bush legacy; that of the US-India Nuclear deal:

But for more than two years, India's Congress Party has been unable to get the agreement through its delicate ruling coalition. With elections approaching next year, and nerves strained within the coalition over rising inflation and oil prices, there is little chance that the impasse over the nuclear agreement will be breached in New Delhi this year. Which means President Bush will leave office unable to hang his hat on what could have been his biggest (only?) foreign policy success

The implications of this piece are well beyond the above meager snippet and indeed delve much deeper into the future of America's geo-policy than that of India's nuke policy:

India continues to pursue pipeline diplomacy with Iran, despite the efforts of Washington to push through alternative deals with Central Asian suppliers. India's cozy relationship with the Burmese junta has been another stumbling block to Washington's goals in Myanmar.

As the seam states rise and cling to otherwise unsavory resource allies how will/should America's policy react?

Simply Jews informs us that Fire Fox 3 is now a reality. Change is hard.

The mysterious Meatball resurfaces in the same semblance of a narwhal in distress. Short and quick but with promise for a next time. The polar bears of intellect await...

Good stuff.

Addendum:

Stupid to not think to include this.

Zenpundit responds to a comment of mine on his recent Recommended Reading with an excellent post on Mao, 4GW and how the Chairman fits.