NeoCons redeem themselves

April Fool's! That headline is a big joke. NeoCons are still a bunch of snake oil salesmen.

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/03/neo_neocons_are_still_incredibly_dishonest.php

The Surge worked?

Just to be clear, I supported the Surge in Iraq. I thought we had a moral obligation to them, and I still do think that. But, that doesn't mean I think the Surge has worked.

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/03/30/iraq_the_unraveling

Ricks' excellent book Fiasco is sitting on my shelf, and his second just came from Amazon. This guy is plugged in and understands Iraq in a way that no other American journalist has proven. Following his blog is a great way to keep up on what's really going on there.

My guess is this: This will be a bloody summer for America, both in Iraq and in Afghanistan. I have a cousin deploying to Afghanistan with the Marines in May, and I'm worried.

Relevance of the IMF

Great new article that captures the heart of how America in the Bush years came to look more and more like a Banana Republic. This time around, let's talk finance. The crisis in America now is an old story, replayed every couple years in capitals around the world. But usually they are third world capitals.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200905/imf-advice