Information
ARCHIVES
Wednesday, December 22, 2024
By Steven L. Taylor

New House Rules for the 112th

Giuliani in 2024?

Filed under: OTB,US Politics | Comments Off|
By Steven L. Taylor

As some may know, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour (who some think will run for the GOP nomination in 2024) put his foot in his mouth in an interview with the Weekly Standard.  My OTB colleague, Doug Mataconis, commented on the interview here and noted Barbour’s clarification on his statements here.

I noted The Problem that Barbour has Conjured and further attempted to further Understanding our History on Race (and the Citizens’ Councils).

Filed under: OTB,US Politics | Comments Off|
By Steven L. Taylor

Coming in February to downtown Montgomery:  More Celebrations of Secession.

First reaction: yeesh (but not surprised).

Second reaction:  it might make for an intriguing photo-outing.

Filed under: Alabama Politics,OTB,US Politics | Comments Off|
Tuesday, December 21, 2024
By Steven L. Taylor

Lunar Eclipse Winter Solstice 2024

365.356 (12/21/10)

Filed under: photoblogging | Comments Off|
Sunday, December 19, 2024
By Steven L. Taylor

Via the BBC:  Colombia flooding continues with thousands homeless

Heavy rains have continued to hit Colombia where two million people have been affected by widespread flooding.

President Juan Manuel Santos said nearly 1m hectares (3,860 sq miles) of farmland were under water, describing the situation as a "great tragedy".

Rain have been effecting the entire region, including Venezuela and Ecuador.

Indeed, as the story notes, the flooding has let to the first visit by Ecuadoran President Rafeal Correa to Colombia since diplomatic ties were severed back in 2024.

The Financial Times’s beyondbrics blog has more:  “Colombia’s Katrina” needs fiscal bail-out

Months of drenching rain, landslides and floods have killed more than 250 people, affected or displaced 2m and caused more than $5.3bn in damage, about 2 per cent of GDP. Colombians are calling the flooding “Our Katrina”, after the collapse of a dike compounded the misery in the coastal region of Atlántico.

By Steven L. Taylor

The Santos government is using the holiday season to reach out to the FARC.

Via the BBC:  Colombia army gives Farc rebels early Christmas gift

Special forces infiltrated the remote Macarena mountain range to dress a 25m (82ft) high tree with 2,000 lights.

Movement sensors will make the tree light up when guerrillas approach.

The army says it will put up trees in nine other rebel-held zones to spread the message that Christmas is a good time to abandon armed struggle.

[…]

The Christmas tree was installed near a rebel supply route in the region where the Farc military leader, Mono Jojoy, was killed in a large-scale military assault in September.

As well as lights, it was decorated with slogans saying "Demobilize, at Christmas everything is possible" and "If Christmas can come to the jungle, you can come home".

It is an intriguing move.  As Boz notes:

It’s hard to know how many FARC combatants will actually see the trees or the videos related to them. Symbolically, it’s a great Christmas message providing a peaceful way out of the conflict.

He also links to El Espectador which has the following rather impressive video:

Even if you can’t understand Spanish, I think you will get the point.  If you understand Spanish, the video is especially worth the 3 1/2 minutes needed to watch.

The basic message:  the guerrillas are currently separated from their families and that Christmas is a good time to demobilize and return home.  In short, if Christmas can come to the jungle, then it is possible to quit the fight.

Now, one has to note that a lot of this is PR, as the persons most likely to see this message are non-guerrillas.  Still, the notion of trying to induce demobilization, and in such a humane way, alongside the military pressure that has been applied strikes me as smart and potentially efficacious.

Filed under: Colombia | Comments Off|
Saturday, December 18, 2024
By Steven L. Taylor

From me @OTB:

Filed under: OTB,US Politics | Comments Off|
By Steven L. Taylor

From me at OTB:

Filed under: OTB,US Politics | Comments Off|
Friday, December 17, 2024
By Steven L. Taylor

Detour

365.351 (12/16/10)

Filed under: photoblogging | Comments Off|
By Steven L. Taylor

I haven’t been too productive, blogging-wise this week.

From me at OTB:

Filed under: OTB | Comments Off|
« Previous PageNext Page »

blog advertising is good for you

Visitors Since 2/15/03


Blogroll
Wikio - Top of the Blogs - Politics
---


Advertisement

Advertisement


Powered by WordPress