More Noted Things ...

Iraq: Last night, I dropped Chris Bray off at the Atlanta airport for his return to Fort Benning after a very enjoyable day and a half of good companionship. Knowing that he is committed for a tour of duty in Iraq is re-assuring on one level, but it makes all the more poignant the points raised in Eliot A. Cohen's"A Hawk Questions Himself as His Son Goes to War," Washington Post, 10 July. The Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University knows well a son who is committed to a tour of duty in Iraq. Perhaps having a son so committed shouldn't be a cause to rethink things – would you casually commit other people's sons and daughters to such a cause? – but it does. Meanwhile, Simon Walters,"Secret Plan to Quit Iraq," The Mail on Sunday, 10 July, reports the draft of a secret paper by British Defense Secretary John Reid for Tony Blair that outlines the withdrawal of 8,500 British troops from Iraq in three months and all but 3,000 of the remainder six months later. Here is the paper,"Options for Future UK Force Posture in Iraq," which is marked"SECRET – UK Eyes Only." Be sure not to tell anyone about it. And, Reuel Marc Gerecht's"‘Squandered Victory' and ‘Losing Iraq: Now What?" New York Times, 10 July, reviews two books about the situation in Iraq. Both of them are pessimistic, but Gerecht says that only Larry Diamond's Squandered Victory: The American Occupation and the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to Iraq must be taken seriously.

Violence and Non-Violence: In the continuing discussion of violence and non-violence, Caleb McDaniel's"More Doubts" at Mode for Caleb is his thoughtful reply to Tim Burke.

Shame and Honor: Salman Rushdie's"India's and Pakistan's Code of Dishonor," New York Times, 10 July, calls for an end to the culture of rape in south Asia.

Blogging in the Marketplace: Thanks to Manan Ahmed for posting much of"Ivan Tribble"'s"Bloggers Need Not Apply" Chronicle of Higher Education, 8 July, here at Cliopatria. Perhaps the most important responses to it are by TimBurke, Miriam Burstein, Daniel Drezner, Scott Eric Kaufman, and Charles Tryon. As for me, I know the courageous"Ivan Tribble." I taught with him years ago. His real name is Professor Piffle Pantywaste, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Since being tenured at Third-Rate U twenty years ago, he has published only a few innocuous book reviews, holds others to remarkably high standards of scholarship and productivity, has long been driven by his own deeply-felt fears, and feels a professional obligation to pass them on to others.

Tim Burke, Ph.D.: I will continue to read Tim Burke's Easily Distracted and recommend it to others, despite learning there that he reads Rex Morgan, M.D., the comic strip. Tribble, you pantywaste, where are you?! I have a case in point.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: Stephen Reiss,"As the World Turns, Turns, Turns ...," Washington Post, 11 July, previews a three-part made-for-television version of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. You may be surprised to learn that Reiss recommends that you read the book.