What we read while remembering old acquaintances, to be contrarian…
- The Iowa caucuses are tomorrow, and Ron Paul’s recent surge (though it now looks as if he may lose to Rick Santorum) has forced many liberals to confront his ideology. Of course, many bring up his racist newsletters, though this ignores Paul’s progressivism on an issue like the War on Drugs, where race is one of the most salient issues. Glenn Greenwald points out that Paul is the only candidate who occupies truly liberal foreign policy ground.
- Of course, this is easier now that Obama has essentially taken over the foreign policy positions of the Bush Administration. On New Year’s Eve he went one step further, signing the National Defense Authorization Act, which the ACLU rightfully condemned.
- Joe Nocera is the latest reporter to put out a plan for paying college athletes, which once again angered Seth Davis.
- The 10 worst economic ideas of 2011. Also, what is the real unemployment rate?
- The second season of Portlandia debuts on January 6th. Margaret Talbot writes about Carrie Brownstein for The New Yorker, and Vulture interviews Brownstein and Fred Armisen.
- Salvador Dali once hosted quite the surreal dinner party.
