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A matter of trust

This NYT op-ed asks: One of the great strengths of our immigrant nation is that we have thousands of citizens and aspiring citizens who are fluent in both English and Arabic. Why we have not made use of this talent is a mystery. I think it’s simply a matter of trust. Most Arab-Americans (can’t find the Zogby poll, so any help appreciated) were against the Iraqi invasion. Therefore, in the bifurcation of being either “with us,” or “against us,” they became “against us.” You must be a member of the party, or you are not a person. Technorati Tags: Iraq,…

A Terror Trials Pep Talk

There are two reasons I am utterly baffled by the possible reversal of the decision to try terrorists in federal court. First, it comes at a time when efforts to find, kill, and capture terrorists are having significant success. The key, it turns out, is to be dogged and professional, rather than going to “the dark side.” And that’s the other puzzling thing — that arguments based on fear-mongering and emphasizing the appearance of toughness still carry weight long after they were shown to do more harm than good. … We’ve got this totally backwards; this is a chance for…

Michael Jackson is Dead, so is Neda [update]

Yesterday, June 25, 2009. Michael Jackson died; God rest his soul. I was not going to blog about his passing. He is an artist, a celebrity, why is his death more important than any other? He was an artistic genius, of that there can be no doubt. What he did for music and dance in pop is unparalleled. However, he was still a human being. He had an impact on my childhood, but I did not know him. In many respects, because of his fame, he was unreal. He was no closer to me than Rumi, whose poetry speaks to…