by Dan Nexon | 5 Sep 2012 |
The New Books in Science Fiction and Fantasy channel of the New Books Network launched today. In its inaugural podcast, I interview Ken MacLeod about The Night Sessions. From my summary:As I hope comes through in the interview, I found The Night Sessions (Pyr, 2012) both fun to read and intellectually stimulating. It centers on DI Adam Ferguson as he investigates the murder of a priest in a near-future Edinburgh. Following the “Faith Wars” of...
by Dan Nexon | 5 Sep 2012 |
#DNC2012, day 1 -- Biography as Politics: 1, Foreign Policy: 0.What's up next for drone warfare?BLTN: Colin Kahl debunks the Obama-abandoned-Israel argument. British scientists claim that "stereotypes 'evolve like language.'"Steve Walt didn't like that "leading from the front" manifesto. Rejoice, for Phil Arena is refining his military-capabilities measurement. At zenpundit, J. Scott Shipman reviews Inventing Grand Strategy and Teaching...
by Dan Nexon | 4 Sep 2012 |
Dan Trombly defends the relevance of aircraft carriers against Robert Haddick. This strikes me as Robert Farley territory.A new strain of wheat fungus discovered in South Africa.The quest to coin a phrase for Obama "grand strategy" continues. Meh. Matt Fay knocks around the Romney campaign's obsession with the Polish third site. I can't help wondering, though, if GOP advisors from the Bush Administration are merely angry that the Obama...
by Robert Kelly | 3 Sep 2012 | Featured
I have 50+ similar pictures of me standing with KIS murals, statues, busts...I went to NK this summer. In my first post, I noted how NK should probably be re-named Kim-land. Here are some more impressions:1.a. Kim Jong Un was not so emphasized.In passing, it is worth noting that KJU was not stressed that much. At the Arirang games, portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il were put up, but not KJU. Nor did we see any images of him at all. No...
by Dan Nexon | 3 Sep 2012 |
Sun Myung Moon, head of the Unification Church, died today. At the National Interest, Jacob Heilbrunn dissects John McCain's "Neocon Manifesto."The 3QD-Dialogue Advisory Group symposium on the "New Interventionism."Thomas Wright: "What if Europe Fails?" (PDF).Daniel Little summarizes a Tsinghua University conference on the "Great Divergence."Kindred Winecoff's #virtualAPSA2012 panel. The 2012 Hugo Award Winners.
by Dan Nexon | 2 Sep 2012 |
Some commentators have suggested posts that pose questions to our readers. I think that the discussion on Peter Henne's piece, "A Modest Defense of Terrorism Studies," provides just such an opportunity.In Remi Brulin's most recent comment, she asks:... I am very much interested in better understanding why Peter (and others of course) do believe that the distinction between state and non-state "terrorism" is so important and necessary from an...
by Dan Nexon | 1 Sep 2012 |
If you have never heard Chris Knox's "Not Given Lightly" -- one of the best modern love songs like, ever -- watch the video:Then watch this live performance (or skip to it if you already know the song):Consider buying Stroke (2010), the tribute album for Knox, which features some pretty awesome artists.
by Steve Saideman | 1 Sep 2012 |
Charli was moving, and I was occupied with #APSA2012Hunger Games, so no Friday Nerd Blogging yesterday. Well, to make up for it, how about some Saturday Poli Sci Silliness:Ok, that is too easy.How about this instead:Ok, way too easy.How about this story about the Quebec Maple Heist? I have already raised the Breaking Bad possibilities, but is this really about the stickiest case of collusion? After all, is there a great need for keeping a...
by Dan Nexon | 1 Sep 2012 |
Luke Perez's #virtualAPSA2012 page now has more presentations. Check it out.In a backlash of sorts, people are having fun taking about #oldtimeAPSA on twitter. The China declinisms debate: Minxin Pei writes that the US needs to adjust to a declining PRC, while Daniel Larsen argues that Washington would run roughshod over Beijing in such a scenario.Chinese reporter "embarrasses" Victoria Nuland over the legal status of disputed islands in the...
by Dan Nexon | 31 Aug 2012 |
A partial panel, via Luke M. Perez, who has set up a page for the #virtualAPSA2012 project.
by Robert Kelly | 31 Aug 2012 | Featured
My North Korean VisaIn August, I visited North Korea for the first time. It was the most unique travelling experience I’ve ever had. I’d certainly recommend it to political scientists and Asia experts, but it wasn’t anything close to a ‘vacation’ or break or anything like that. (Yes, some of the sites marketing tours of NK actually call it that.)At a bookstore devoted to the works of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, I stumbled across an essay, from...
by Dan Nexon | 31 Aug 2012 |
Here is a word cloud of the speech's foreign-policy content:In this case, the cloud adds virtually nothing to our understanding, as the entire section is only 202 words long.Below is the section itself. It appears that the speechwriters pulled random posts off of PJ Media, stuck them in a blender, and were satisfied with the results. I will begin my presidency with a jobs tour. President Obama began with an apology tour. America, he said, had...