Miss. school drops prom after lesbian student asks to bring date
Miss. school drops prom after lesbian student asks to bring date; student calls it retaliation
By Associated Press
7:18 AM CST, March 11, 2010
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — An 18-year-old student says a Mississippi school board that canceled a high school prom did so in retaliation for her request to bring a same-sex date.
The American Civil Liberties Union had demanded that the Itawamba County school district allow senior Constance McMillen to attend with her girlfriend. A school district policy requires that dates be of the opposite sex.
A school board statement Wednesday announced the district wouldn’t host the April prom. The district’s statement didn’t mention McMillen’s request but did refer to unspecified recent “distractions.”
McMillen tells The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson in Thursday’s edition that other students at the school will hate her for the board’s decision and called it retaliation.
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Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com
HOW TO SATISFY YOUR LOVER New research reveals possible alternative to the little blue pills
From Dr.Gaier
- Tuesday, 09 February 2010
In Sibiria the tree, which grows to 80 metres and lives for 100 odd years, is referred to as the Queen of the Taiga, because its nuts provide the men there with tremendous health and sexual vitality
This week in preparation for Valentine’s Day, Harley Street’s world leading naturopathic physician Harald Gaier unveils new findings into what could be the world’s best kept secret…a natural remedy that works the kind of magic only previously experienced with certain well known pills, but without their unpleasant side effects.
Hoping to bring that loving feeling back to Britain, Harald Gaier, who has been the Director of Medical Research at two major clinics in London, reveals that the pine nuts of the Siberian Cedar, Pinus sibirica, contain oil that provides potency to men as he encourages us all to turn to natural remedies rather than pharmaceutical drugs if we need help in the bedroom department.
Research* shows Pinus sibirica delivers a super-abundance of valuable nutrients to the human body. Available as either a soft-gel or in the actual oil, it is known to overcome the impotence associated with diabetes mellitus, in most instances, and it provides noticeable vigour and strength to the ordinary man.
In Sibiria the tree, which grows to 80 metres and lives for 100 odd years, is referred to as the Queen of the Taiga, because its nuts provide the men there with tremendous health and sexual vitality.
Harald Gaier, who has also spent six years serving on the Research Committee of the Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health as a naturopathic physician is currently spearheading a campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of natural treatments and with over four decades of clinical experience, he uses natural remedies to cure everything from hangovers to prostate cancer, cold sores to thrush.
Dr Gaier said: “Statistics show us that the use of Viagra is huge in the UK and I want to alert people to the dangers of using such drugs regularly. Now there’s an alternative, why would people suffer the headaches and stomach cramps, when they can get the same results without them. My colleagues in Germany who have tested this tell me “It’s better than Viagra”.
He added: “There is a natural remedy for most medical problems and my mission is to try and highlight some of the alternatives so people have a choice”.
The product is expected to be freely available from a mail-order supplier in the next three weeks or so. More information will be available www.drgaier.com and he will also tweet the latest findings at www.twitter.com/DrGaier. To discuss any medical concerns you can also book an appointment on 07917662042.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
- For more information on Pinus sibirica go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Pine
- References* (E S Averina, G Seewald, R H Müller, L D Radnæva & D V Popov; Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) on the basis of Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) Seed Oil, Pharmazie, January 2010, 65(1): 25-31, electronic ISSN: 0031-7144; and V M Dembitsky; Astonishing Diversity of Natural Surfectants: 5 Biologically Active Glycosides of Aromatic Metabolites, Lipids, September 2005, 40(9): 869-900).
- The nut oil contains the following trace elements: copper, magnesium, manganese, silica, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, molybdenum, iodine, tin, zinc, iron, silver, cobalt, sodium, glucose, dextrin, pentosans, albumin, globulin, glutelins and prolamins.
- It delivers these vitamins: thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E and vitamin F (i.e. the essential fatty linoleic [LA] and alpha-linoleic [LNA] acids).
- It also carries the following amino acids: tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, methionine, histidine, proline, cerine, glycine, alanine, glutamic acids, asparafine, cystine, cysteine, arginine and tyrosine.
- These nuts are highly prized by men in Sibiria
For more information contact:
Rebecca Campbell
Chocolate PR
rebecca@pmhq.co.uk
01132459132This press release was distributed via Response Source, a service from Daryl Willcox Publishing, on behalf of Chocolate PR. For more information visit http://www.dwpub.com/pressreleasewires
Natural ways of fighting cancer : 50connect
Natural ways of fighting cancer
Published by Mark O’Haire on 22 Feb 2010
New columnist and naturopathic physician Dr Harald Gaier begins his fortnightly column by explaining how natural remedies can cure almost any medical condition.
Dr Gaier is a strong believer in us taking control of our own health, and in working with our bodies to ensure we look after them for our futures. He believes: “Growing old is compulsory, but staying healthy is optional” and his work is focused around teaching people how to take more control of their health using natural practices.
As we get older the ageing process can weaken our ability to resist disease and this is when cancers of the prostate, breast, colon, pancreas, bladder, stomach, lung, and rectum become a real risk. These are the most common cancers occurring in people over 65.
Dr Gaier believes that we can remain in control of our own health, whatever our age and that people young or old can combat cancer through a change in diet and introduction of medicinal herbs and nutritional supplements as well as antioxidants that are effective in slowing the cancer’s growth.
Using natural remedies to cure almost any medical condition Dr Gaier is turned to by thousands of patients nationwide. Here he offers his advice on how to try and fight the cruel disease that is cancer, by looking to the benefits of natural medicine.
Anti Cancer herbal remedies
Although alternative practitioners by law cannot claim to offer cancer “cures”, many herbal remedies have a long history (and much scientific evidence) demonstrating their anti- cancer effects.
These natural ingredients are all easy to get hold of and can be integrated into our diets as part of a healthier lifestyle.
Green Tea: One reason the Japanese have the highest tobacco smoking rate but the lowest lung cancer rate, could be green tea. The tea contains epigallocatechin gallate, theophylline, tannic acid and other polyphenols, which have been shown to inhibit cancer growth. Dry green tea leaves may also reduce the risk of stomach, lung, colon, rectum, liver and pancreas cancer. Scientists have discovered that chemicals in green tea can also shut down a key molecule, which often plays a significant role in the development of cancer. The molecule is known as AH Aryl hydrocarbon and often plays a negative role in activating genes. Scientists have found that green tea chemicals inhibit the AH activity.
Rhubarb: Like many red vegetable rhubarb contains cancer killing chemicals. Certain parts of sorrel rhubarb and Indian rhubarb contain rhein, catechin and aloe emodin which have been shown to have anti- tumour activity. Recent studies have shown that there are benefits of British garden rhubarb, specifically a variety grown in South Yorkshire. Baking rhubarb for 20 minutes dramatically increases its concentration, therefore baking a pie or crumble is a good start. Scientists are now working towards trying to discover the best combination of rhubarb’s polyphenols and chemotherapy agents, which are essential to kill leukaemia cells.
Burdock root: Named the “burdock factor”, it has confirmed anti-tumour properties and has been shown to render virtually innocuous a wide range of substances known to cause carcinogenic mutation. One important component of burdock is benzaldehyde, which is also present in Lætrile, or amygdalin, found primarily in the kernels of plums, apricots, peaches and bitter almonds.
Mushrooms: PSK or Krestin, from the Turkey Tail mushroom, which is the fungus Trametes versicolor (mushroom of the Basidiomycetes group, as is our common culinary Champignon) is a successful alternative non-toxic immune-stimulating anti-cancer treatment that has become the world’s best-selling cancer drug (and is in the world’s ‘top twenty’ best-selling drugs overall) with annual sales running around Sterling £250 million. There are a variety of mushrooms which seem to help the body fight cancer, Shitake, maitake, reishi, Agaricus blazei Murill, and Coriolus Versicolor to name but a few. These mushrooms contain strong compounds that help build and strengthen the immune system. Mushrooms also contain Lectin, a protein which attacks cancerous cells.
Aged Garlic: It contains 17 amino acids, as well as many metals, vitamins and minerals, in addition to 33 sulphur compounds. One of the last-named is its main flavour component diallyl sulphide, or DAS. This has been shown to inhibit certain cancers of lungs and stomach. The enzyme systems have been studied on different levels, and the stomach’s detoxifying enzymes were seen to become significantly increased when treated with DAS. In short: the more aged garlic, the greater the effect!
Cruciferous Vegetables: all the following vegetables contain very potent anti-cancer constituents; cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, bok-choi, oil seed rape, radish, horse-radish, broccoli, Brussels’ sprouts, mustard, kale, swede, cress and water cress. In order to retain their potency then you should either steam or stir-fry them for a short period of time.
Alliaceae: such as leek, onions, chives and the shallot family all promote apoptosis, the natural dying-off of cells, in breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer. Insufficient amounts of apoptosis can lead to uncontrolled cancer cell production.
Dark Chocolate: contains anti-oxidants and anti-cancer polyphenols, both of which have a retardant effect on the growth cancer cells. Eating one small square of chocolate is the same as drinking one cup of green tea.
Ginger Root: can prevent cancer cell production. Ginger root could be grated into a stir fry or sliced and made into an infusion for consumption.
Turmeric: significantly promotes apoptosis in cancer cells and impedes tumour growth. When mixed with olive oil, black pepper or pumpkin-seed oil it is easily assimilated by the human body.
Citrus Fruits: like limes, lemons, tangerines, oranges and grapefruits contain flavanoids and are known to stimulate the detoxification of the liver.
Herbs & Spices: such as basil, mint, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme all contain oils which block the enzymes that cancer cells require to invade the tissue they are adjacent to, thus slowing down or arresting the spread of cancer.
Natural treatments that work well with chemotherapy & radiotherapy
Astragalus: A non-toxic botanical medicine that boosts immunity and fights cancer. It effectively protects against the ravages of chemotherapy, part of which usually is in the form of degeneration of the liver expressed by raised liver enzyme values.
Siberian Ginseng: boosts the immune system in patients undergoing mainstream cancer therapy and it is not toxic.
Heat Therapy: Where body temperature is safely raised above the body’s normal temperature by short-wave diathermy, radio frequency, or laser heating energy delivered via flexible fibres into the approximate centre of a tumour. This enhances immunological responses, makes the body’s defence proteins more efficient, and significantly increases white blood cell activity.
Hypnosis: This has been shown to be of real value for children with cancer in decreasing their drug-related nausea and vomiting.
Hypnosis can also help relieve stress by improving our state of relaxation. A useful variant of this is autogenic training. This is a relaxation technique used since the 1930’s to alleviate stress-induced states. It involves the daily practice of sessions that last around 15 minutes, usually in the morning, at lunch time, and in the evening. During each session, you would repeat a set of taught visualizations that induce a state of relaxation. Each session can be done in a position chosen amongst a set of recommended postures: lying down, sitting as in meditation, or sitting like a rag doll and can work towards helping relieve tension and aid relaxation.
Ubiquinone: was found to be non-toxic, it counteracts the extremely toxic action on the heart muscle of the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin.
Top tips to a Cancer-free lifestyle
- Heat food in glass or ceramics, not in plastics (such as PVC, Styrofoam, polystyrene, etc.)
- Use lemon juice, white vinegar and baking soda for domestic cleaning jobs; never use cleaning products containing alkylphenols (like LCAP, cresol, xylenol, etc.)
- Use lavender and cedar bark in wardrobes to deter moths and silverfish; avoid naphthalene and tar camphor.
- Avoid perfumes and hair-care products that contain phthalates (almost all of them do).
- Do not use Teflon-coated pans and irons, they give off odourless fumes, which are silently very toxic to humans and lethal to parrots; use stainless steel instead.
- Eat organic meat from grass-fed animals; similarly, for dairy products.
- Instead of the standard Western cuisine, switch to Mediterranean or Oriental foods.
- Use olive oil and natural sugar replacements (e.g. xylitol crystals or agave syrup).
By Dr Harald Gaier
Introducing Dr Harald Gaier
As a naturopathic physician based on Harley Street, Harald Gaier has nearly four decades of clinical experience and writes for several of today’s leading alternative medicine publications. Austrian-born, he has a heritage in medicine but his passion has always been in using science and nature to inform natural practices and solve medical dilemmas.
Harald Gaier is fully registered in the UK in all the major alternative medical disciplines including Osteopathy, Homoeopathy, Acupuncture, Naturopathy and Herbal medicine. Using natural remedies to cure almost any medical condition he is an expert in Prostate Cancer, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Menopause, Insomnia and various lifestyle issues.
About me
I would like to use this first column to introduce myself and offer my help and advice for any medical concern you may have. As a world leading natural medicine clinician I am often referred to as the ‘Medical Detective’, and don’t just help people, I fix them!
I was invited to the UK in 1987 by the Royal Society of Medicine to contribute to their colloquia on complementary and alternative medicine, and have worked here ever since. Spending six years serving on the Research Committee of the Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health as a naturopathic physician, I most recently held the appointment of Director of Medical Research at two major clinics in London.
My Philosophy
Science is not the prerogative of orthodox medicine, it is knowledge that comes over time. In natural medicine this has come from thousands of years of history – a much larger time frame than pharmaceutical medical trials, so in reality the evidence is stronger regarding the benefits of natural medicine.
I believe that there are non-orthodox medical treatments for virtually any disorder, which have been shown as successful in hard-science backed, published investigations and I have published reviews regularly on such investigations for the past nineteen years.
“Growing old is compulsory, but staying healthy is optional.”
London Images
guided walk through the City. Ben Franklin walked here, Dickens’ Mr.Pickwick
ate and drank here.
The holes in Goldman’s Greek defence
Goldman Sachs’ statement on its financial deals with Greece, which made the debt of this financially stretched nation seem smaller than it actually was, will not – I think – silence the many critics of the world’s most successful investment bank.
In a series of deals, Goldman did two things for Greece.
During December 2000 and January 2001, it “swapped” some of Greece’s Yen and Dollar debts into euros, using a “historical implied foreign exchange” rate rather than the market rate. In other words, it used invented exchange rates, rather than market rates, whose effect was to make it seem that Greece’s liabilities in its own currency were less than was actually the case.
Second, Goldman took on responsibility for paying the coupon – or fixed rate of interest – on a newly issued Greek bond, and received “cash flows based on variable interest rates”. Now, this is a rather opaque statement, but it implies that Greece sacrificed the certainty and comfort of fixed rate interest payments for variable ones.
So what was the effect of all of this?
Well Goldman say the deals “reduced Greece’s foreign denominated debt in euro terms by €2.367bn and – in turn – decreased Greece’s debt as a percentage of GDP by just 1.6 per cent, from 105.3 per cent to 103.7 per cent”.
Okay, so far, so factual.
What are Goldman’s justifications for entering into transactions whose primary purpose was to make it look as though Greece’s indebtedness was smaller than it actually was?
Well, there seem to be three.
First, it suggests that everyone was at it. Goldman says “Greece entered into a series of hedging agreements designed to transform foreign debt into euro, a common practice by many European member states with foreign debt outstanding”.
Why single out Goldman and Greece, if loads of other banks and EU countries were playing the same game, or a similar one?
Second, Goldman says that “the Greek government has stated (and we agree) that these transactions were consistent with the Eurostat principles governing their use and application at the time”. Or to put it another way, they did not breach the European Union’s accounting rules of the time.
And third, the deals “had a minimal effect on the country’s overall fiscal situation”. As Goldman points out, in 2001 Greece’s debt to GDP ratio was 103.7 per cent of GDP with a value of $131bn. In 2008, Greece’s national debt was 99 per cent of GDP with a value of $357bn.
In that context, deals that reduced the appearance of Greece’s debt by €2.367bn – or $3.2bn at current exchange rates (as opposed to “historical implied” ones) – seems a drop in the ocean, neither here nor there.
However, there does seem to me to be a gap in Goldman’s explanations and justifications – which is that they do not address the question of whether the deals were the right thing for a firm of its size and reputation to be doing.
Yesterday, one of Goldman’s managing directors, Gerald Corrigan – the former president of the New York Fed – told British MPs that “with the benefit of hindsight . . . the standards of transparency could have been and probably should have been higher”, in respect of such transactions.
But that seems to shift the blame to regulators who created a loophole; it’s not an examination of Goldman’s corporate conscience.
And here, I think, is what will concern those politicians and regulators who are currently wrestling not only with the narrow question of how to ensure that European countries borrow only what’s prudent, but are also contemplating a redesign of the financial system to prevent a repetition of the kind of banking crisis we saw in the autumn of 2008.
Goldman’s Greek defence carries the following momentous implication (albeit one that many will say is blindingly obvious): Goldman is in effect saying that banks will always go for the seemingly profitable deal, unless they are formally prohibited from doing so; and that it’s naive to expect them to do the “right thing”, in a nebulous ethical sense, unless they are obliged to do that right thing.
Which may reinforce the case of those – like the US president – who argue that the only safe bank is one that is subject to the tightest possible constraints on what it can do and has been cut down to a safe size.
But don’t expect Goldman to say three cheers for that.
AIG advisory coup for UBS and Goldman
Investment banks win senior bookrunner roles in $20bn Hong Kong listing of AIG’s Asian life insurance operations
(more…)
ChiRunning Mind over Body vs Body over Mind
From our friends over at chirunning.com
Written by Katherine Dreyer (June 2009)
There is no question, the mind can (and more often than not, does) “convince” the body to run farther and faster than the body wants to. We believe it is one of the primary causes of injury. In an article from this month’s Runner’s World, the idea of “mind over body” is extolled as a positive thing, forcing you to extend your physical capabilities so that you can accomplish great deeds.In ChiRunning we believe that the mind can support the body to “do more” than you would normally think possible — not by convincing or forcing the body to do so, but by supporting the body to do so.
There is no doubt that our bodies are capable of great things. All of our bodies, even those bodies that are generally not thought to be athletic, are capable of greatness. However, the mind really is in charge of nurturing that greatness. Your mind can be a great leader, or a tyrannical despot. It can rule wisely and with great vision and understanding, or with an egotistic desire to prove its greatness.
Which type of leader would you choose to run your business, home or country? How about your own body?
In ChiRunning we give you the tools to become a great leader of your own body. You learn to listen and include your body in the process of running injury-free and efficiently, so that you can perform your very best, without doing damage. When you get aligned, engage gravity, maintain a strong core and relax the rest of your body, you will tap into a surprising amount of energy, stamina and speed. You can perform great deeds without force, you simply just have to teach your mind and body to communicate effectively.
Equities 2010: Which stocks will rock?
The outlook for equity markets in 2010 is as muddled as ever after a year that only can be described as enigmatic. Equities had one of the best runs ever off of the March 2009 low, but it sure didn’t feel bullish or that we were in the midst of a recovery. Once there were [...]
Equities 2010: Which stocks will rock? originally appeared in the Daily Reckoning. The Daily Reckoning, offers a uniquely refreshing, perspective on the global economy, investing, gold, stocks and today’s markets. Its been called “the most entertaining read of the day.”
Truckling to the National Myth
It is possible that the decision by conservative ideologues (exemplified by the recent essay by Richard Lowry and Ramesh Ponnuru in last week’s National Review) to make a belief in American exceptionalism the litmus test of patriotism will finally make liberals think twice about their allegiance to it. Possible, but unlikely. What William Pfaff in his forthcoming book, The Irony of Manifest Destiny, calls Americans’ commitment to “a secular utopian idea of universal democracy” is, in fact, a commitment that unites liberals and conservatives, no matter how much each side indulges itself in what Freud called the “narcissism of small differences.” Admittedly, viewed from the perspective of the Washington think tank world, the difference between these stances is enormous, and liberal pundits can be relied upon to react with aggrieved outrage when they are described as having a great deal in common with their conservative opponents on the issues of America’s goodness, its exceptionalism, and the necessity of its leadership in the world, just as conservatives, as the Lowry and Ponnuru essay states explicitly, deny liberals believe in American exceptionalism at all.
If only the conservatives were right. But the liberal argument remains largely exceptionalism lite. It is true that this is the exceptionalism of straightened circumstances, one that recognizes that American power and influence in the world is already far more limited than it was during the Cold War and its immediate aftermath, and is likely to be still more diminished in the decades to come. But there is no fundamental challenge to the idea of America’s goodness as a nation. In passing, in an earlier post, I mocked a crude version of this account. In retrospect, I should instead have engaged with the more serious iteration of this argument, which of course is very much to be taken seriously. The most thoughtful liberal commentator attempting to preserve what he sees to be valuable about American exceptionalism, while jettisoning its mad, messianic side, is Damon Linker, a writer who, along with Andrew Bacevich, is carrying on the tradition of Reinhold Niebuhr’s political writings and meditations on America.
As the author of Theocons, a fierce attack on the politicized social conservatism of such figures as Robert George and the late Fr Richard John Neuhaus, Linker is particularly sensitive to the theological, above all the Calvinist origins of America’s exceptionalist creed. And Linker emphasizes that the belief in America’s ‘awesome mission’ in the world—a formulation, he points out, that was coined by Adlai Stevenson of all people—has been the common view of liberals and conservatives throughout U.S. history. It has united Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy (remember “pay any price, bear any burden”?), Bill Clinton (remember Madeleine Albright’s remark about the U.S. being the “indispensible nation” that sees “further into the future”?), and George W. Bush.
What is significant, though, is that while he knows the history of exceptionalism as well or better than anyone, Linker is only willing to call for its modification, not its abandonment. It is not, he wrote in another essay on the subject “that patriots and politicians should abandon their faith that American power can play a positive role in the world. It is that they should act with caution in applying that power.” And he quotes approvingly Niebuhr’s invocation of Lincoln, who managed to successfully “invoke the idea of American theological exceptionalism while avoiding the vices it so often encourages.” Linker goes on to praise President Obama for learning this Niebuhrian lesson as he “combines military action with efforts to rein in the country’s theologically inflated vision of itself.”
Is this more nuanced, more realistic, more humane, and more modest iteration of the exceptionalist creed and its corollary, the faith in America’s good intentions in the world, preferable to the triumphalist version we had during seven of the eight years of the Bush administration? Of course it is. But is it the radical departure that even liberal thinkers who would never commit the moral solecism of ascribing inherent virtue to their own country and whose account is admirably nuanced believe it to be? Unfortunately, there the answer seems to me to be no, it is not.
When Linker refers approvingly to Niebuhr’s claim that Americans nearly always mean well when they act in the world, and that thus our moral perils “are not those of conscious malice or the explicit lust for power,” he is making a claim that indeed resonated at the time and continues to resonate with most Americans but that would be considered the distillation of arrogance, narcissism, and self-love practically anywhere else in the world. Imagine any Latin American being told that explicit lust for power had nothing to do with America’s wars with Mexico, occupation of much of Central America and the Caribbean, and the direct overthrow or fomenting the overthrow of any regime we thought contrary to our interests. He or she would be ill with rage and contempt for the person proposing such a distortion of the historical record. And rightly so, for it is a lie, pure and simple.
The record of the United States in Latin America is not the record of what Linker, following Niebuhr, calls our “good intentions” often leading to unintended bad consequences. To the contrary, it is a shameful record of pillage, repression, and exploitation. Niebuhr should have, and Linker should if he has not, read Major General Smedley Butler’s memoir, War is a Racket. Butler fought as a Marine in almost every U.S. imperial engagement from the Boxer Rebellion, through the Philippines and the occupation of Veracruz (Woodrow Wilson’s first contribution to international morality), to the setting up of de facto American protectorates in Nicaragua and Haiti. In the process, Butler won not one but two Medals of Honor.
Here is Butler on what he actually did in those decades:
“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high-class muscle thug for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”
And it is hardly as if this record of brutality and malice is limited to Latin America. Anyone doubting this need only look at the history of the U.S. role in Iran or, even better, in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. “No conscious malice?” Tell that to Kermit Roosevelt Jr. “No explicit lust for power?” Please!
The alternative to the neo-conservative unilateralist and messianic faith in American exceptionalism is not the liberal prescription of more multilateralism, more modesty, but still an unwavering commitment to American leadership and a still unwavering belief in—at the very least—America’s good intentions. This is the synthesis Linker seems to be endorsing when he praises President Obama’s decision to combine military action with a more modest national self-conception in which Americans no longer conceive of themselves as God’s agents but retain their belief in the positive role of U.S. power in the world. Instead, the alternative is the one George Kennan supported at the end of his life and that William Pfaff argues for eloquently in his new book—a policy of non-intervention.
That is impossible, liberals and conservatives alike will say. After all, national mythologies are what they are, and Americans will never be persuaded they are not always the good guys. That may be true. It doesn’t make it right…or prudent, not just abstractly, but in terms of the United States’ actual interests and not its fantasies of global transformation, whether militarized (the conservative consensus) or largely, though not exclusively, through the imposition of soft power (increasingly the liberal one).
William Pfaff says it better than I ever could. “Today,” he writes, “the conviction is all but unanimous that the First World War was purposeless, entered into without objective cause and finished in general ruin. Everyone agrees that the totalitarian-instigated Second World War, and the delirious ambitions of those who caused that war, displayed man at his most bestial. What then should we say about today’s international worldwide struggle between Americans and ‘the rest’ that does not have behind it even a convincing positive ideological cause—such as Marxism-Leninism, which was plausible and seemingly progressive to many in the circumstances of those times?”
What we should say is that this policy is madness, and the fact that it is congruent with, if not inseparable from, America’s mythological conception of itself does not make it any less mad, less self-destructive, or less tragic both for ourselves and for the world.