From The Atlantic, Robert Wright on One World, Under God: Why did early Christians preach tolerance and brotherhood? From Islamica (reg. req.), an article on Al Jazeera and the information warfare; what went wrong with Bernard Lewis? Firas Ahmad on one academic who should have remained in his ivory tower; a review of Reflections in a Bloodshot Lens: America, Islam, and the War of Ideas by Lawrence Pintak (and a series of articles on Shaping Islam in America); and why did the current global economic crisis leave Islamic finance relatively unscathed? From PENNumbra, implicit race bias and the 2008 presidential election: Much ado about nothing? Laura Tyson defends Obamanomics. Those with a political agenda will demonize congressionally directed spending, but we are a country of states, we are states of cities, we are cities of neighborhoods — and earmarks bring our tax dollars home, so earmarks aren't the real problem; in fact, take away the small-ball game, of which earmarks are a significant part, and Republican members of Congress and Senators face a bit of a dilemma (and more by Thomas Mann of Brookings). More on The Case for Big Government by Jeff Madrick. Small Tent Conservatism: An article on questioning the Dear Leader, Rush Limbaugh. Here's a profile of Jonathan Krohn, the 14 year old conservative pundit. Christopher Hitchens remembers Sir John Mortimer.
