Deeper in the Chalabi back story; the passing of the Cold Warrior

The June 7 issue of The New Yorkercontains an article by Jane Mayer that builds on the picture of Ahmad Chalabi presented in the May 31 issue of Newsweek and the findings present an even more murky portrait of Mr. Chalabi and his political dealings, both in Washington and abroad. It's worth the read. You can find the article here.



Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)

"I only mention it 'cause sometimes there's a man--I won't say a hero, 'cause what's a hero?--but sometimes there's a man...sometimes there's a man who, well, he's the man for his time and place, he fits right in there..."


It might seem odd to open a passage about Ronald Reagan with a quote from the offbeat (and underrated) "Big Lebowski", but I feel the quote is an apt one to describe the Reagan era. Much can and will be made of what many feel is a somewhat mixed legacy, especially on the domestic policy front, but Reagan was undoubtedly the right man at the right time to restore American pride when it was at a dangerous low and to lead America (and the world) out of the shadow of Communism. The Gipper, who had the gift of gab (he is known as The Great Communicator), was unabashedly anti-Communist, and was able to bring the Soviet Union to the brink of its eventual collapse without one shot being fired. To that, we must tip our caps. R.I.P. RWR.