Saturday, November 26, 2011

What Mattered This Week?

I'm going to need everyone's help this time...I've been on the road and all, and consequently I've probably missed quite a bit. It's safe as usual to say Europe, though, right? And then we have North Africa and the Middle East: Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen, etc.

But that's all I have. Nothing in the presidential race, although it was another week in which Mitt Romney continued to consolidate his support. I don't know -- what do you think mattered this week?

7 comments:

  1. I’d say Thune endorsing Romney not so much because the endorsement itself matters but it is a good public indicator of the GOP party actors starting to largely line up behind Mitt. In other historical news I see the national archives have released new stuff on Iran-Contra. JB is there actually anything new here (other than great proof that the Gipper’s Sargent Schultz inspired routine of “I know NOTHING!” at the time was not very accurate.) Or just confirmation of what we already knew?

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/prosecutors-reports-from-1991-found-reagan-bush-not-criminally-liable-in-iran-contra-scandal/2011/11/25/gIQA428VwN_story.html

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  2. I've got

    1 Europe debt/finance
    2 Egypt/Syria/Yemen

    so that's your two covered.

    3 Burma. Yeah, it's a couple examples in a series of tiny moves. But we ought to be aware that there is actual movement there in the direction of liberalization. It's an opportunity and a ray of hope.

    4 A small one but I think it's going to matter - Iran's arrests of alleged CIA spies. The silent war over Iran is really hotting up.

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  3. Actually, I forgot there was other US/Iran news this week - the new sanctions were Monday, and there were moves from US allies as well. So there was quite a bit of US/Iran stuff that mattered this week.

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  4. Well, Putin's making a large play for power, and that's noteworthy. Stifling opposition, a bit of media intimidation, and other niceties. Some minor saber rattling, staking out space as the eurozone collapses.

    Domestically, I'd say Corzine's predicament is probably the most consequential event string. He's not anywhere closer to prosecution, but he's not really evading it either. And he'll be the poster child for the anti-bailout forces, as the eurozone collapses. This should serve to spice up the R presidential nomination, and it does need some spice.

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  5. The Ka-BOOM... OOPSIE! in Pakistan.

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  6. The new NBA deal mattered. Now we will have something better to watch in late December than the terrible GOP primary.

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  7. The media coverage of Black Friday seems to have shifted a bit more towards the dark side of the spectacle ("Black and Blue Friday") and away from absurdities about consumer spending magically making the economy bounce back.

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