It isn’t a pretty choice, that between Hamas and Fatah. Indeed, it was the reign of plunder and arrogance that Fatah imposed during its years of primacy that gave Hamas its power and room for maneuver. We must not overdo the distinction between the “secularism” of Fatah and the Islamism of Hamas. In the cruel streets and refugee camps of the Palestinians, this is really a distinction without a difference. [Brothers to the Bitter End. Fouad Ajami. NYT. June 20 2007]
From Marginal Revolution:
Paddy O’Brien died and as is the Irish custom the mourners were throwing money into his coffin. The town miser, whom everyone despised, cried out “I loved Paddy O’Brien. Whatever anyone else puts into the coffin, I will double!” Thinking the miser a little bit drunk the townspeople took this as an opportunity to teach him a lesson. Gathering all their money they showered the coffin with $3012 in bills and coins, more than had ever before been given at a funeral. The miser then gathered the money, wrote a cheque for $6024 and threw that in. [Hell Money. Marginal Revolution. June 20 2007]
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[1266] Of crime by both sides?
A lot of people are hung up with the murder of Altantuya. It is perfectly understandable. This is a huge case and to be honest, and crude, it is not everybody a person is blown up in Malaysia. To add spice to the case, it involves one of the country’s top adviser which is related to the Deputy Prime Minister. With conspiracy theorists running abound, bam!
Murder is a transgression of right and all libertarians take it seriously. Extortion, due to violation of the non-aggression axiom is another act which libertarians are typically critical of. Both of course are criminal acts and Altantuya is alleged to have committed the latter offense.
On arriving in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 8 last year, the 28-year-old Altantuya tried in vain to meet Abdul Razak who refused to see her.
In desperation, she left several notes for Abdul Razak, including a threat that his daughter would be in danger if he did not give her money. [DPP: Razak planned it. The Star. June 19 2007]
Amid the cry for justice for Altantuya, pardon me if I do not plan to express my sympathy for her. Instead, may I ask, where is justice for Abdul Razak Baginda?
Too bad that it is useless to prosecute the dead.
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[1265] Of aging railway cars
I am trying to finish up a book. So that promise on the Asian Financial Crisis has to be postponed. So too with the Endau Rompin and Bangkok trips.
In the meantime, another photo.
This is somewhere within the compound of the old railway station, close to the general post office.
Okay. Let me finish up my book.
From the NYT political blog:
Some of Mrs. Clinton’s rivals, including the campaign of Senator Barack Obama, went through the list of the Clinton’s financial holdings that Mrs. Clinton filed with the Senate and released a very detailed and critical analysis about where the Clintons had gotten and invested their money.
[…]
Mr. Obama’s aides circulated the memorandum to news organizations on the condition that news organizations not say where they obtained the information.
[…]
This turned into a bit of a dust-up because by all appearances, the Obama campaign got a little sloppy in circulating what turned out to be two critical memos. They ended up in the hands of the Clinton campaign.
[…]
Why would the Clinton campaign want to circulate documents attacking its candidate? Mrs. Clinton’s aides declined comment. But the Clintons have been seeking to undercut the effort by Mr. Obama to present himself as the face of a new-kind-of-politics that eschews these kind of attacks. [The Backstory on Obama-Clinton Attack Memos. The Caucus. June 15 2007]
Clinton seems to be winning at the moment.
The Obama campaign was forced to acknowledge authorship when the Clinton campaign got a copy and shared it with The New York Times.
For the Clinton campaign, drawing attention to a document attacking its own candidate had the effect of demonstrating that Mr. Obama, like other candidates, is not above a bit of political street fighting and, by implication, should not be allowed to cast himself as a champion of a purer version of public service. But in this case, the disclosure also threatened to create a substantive problem for Mr. Obama by leading an Indian-American group to accuse Mr. Obama of engaging in racial stereotyping. [A New Kind of Politics Closely Resembles the Old. NYT. June 16 2007]
Read also 2008: Not-So-New Politics, New Fallout.