| Latest Commentary: | Volume VI, Number 42 |
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Bush Uses Recess Appointment Power for Swift Boat Ambassador -- In the world of diplomacy, it doesn’t much matter who the American ambassador to Belgium is. For that reason, Brussels and a great many other capitals get presidential cronies rather than real diplomats as ambassadors from the US. One such is Sam Fox, who was appointed American ambassador without Senate approval, which he wasn’t going to get. Mr. Bush used the power of the recess appointment to give his buddy the job. Or perhaps the verb is “abused.”
Iran Frees British Sailors and Maries -- Iran, in a fit of sanity, has released the 15 British sailors and marines it kidnapped in Iraqi waters, or detained in Iranian waters, a couple of weeks ago. The incident could have ended badly for everyone, but diplomacy worked. While the release of these individuals creates an opportunity for enhanced dialogue and further problem solving, there’s no reason to believe that any of the parties involved will take advantage of it. The incident was a fluke, and its resolution involved far too much happenstance for that. Nintendo Raises Revenue Forecast Yet Again -- Nintendo has a problem that more companies would like to have. It keeps having to raise its revenue forecast because its products are flying off the shelves. Normally, when the analysts’ consensus needs correcting, it is because they didn’t do a very good job of modeling performance. In this case, though, no one anticipated the incredible results for the year because things that don’t normally happen actually did. Indian Reality TV Winners to Get Scholarships -- One of the new TV hits on US television is called “Are You as Smart as a Fifth Grader,” in which contestants try to answer questions about elementary school subjects. Halfway around the world, and a world away, Indian television is about to launch a reality TV show, “Scholar Hunt” in which the prize is a full scholarship to a British University. The reader may interpret these facts as one wishes, but it seems one nation is more serious about learning than the other. © Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux. |
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