Former Republican Congressman Dick Armey on the religious right:

Why does it seem Christian conservatives are more powerful now than in the 1990s?

To a large extent because Dobson and his gang of thugs are real nasty bullies. I pray devoutly every day, but being a Christian is no excuse for being stupid. There’s a high demagoguery coefficient to issues like prayer in schools. Demagoguery doesn’t work unless it’s dumb, shallow as water on a plate. These issues are easy for the intellectually lazy and can appeal to a large demographic. These issues become bigger than life, largely because they’re easy. There ain’t no thinking.

Living in a foreign country can be difficult. At some point, everyone is going to think, "why are these people so weird?" Life in your home country seems "normal" or "civilized", life abroad can seem truly bizarre.

Today, I happened upon a great description of life in a bizarre, inexplicable culture.

One might ask why start writing about my travails now? Why could this be not written say, some three or four years ago? Well I could have written earlier but I wasn't sure if I wanted anyone to read it because my article would have been full of convoluted sentences. Fast forward to five years, and I have placed myself in a position where I believe I am clearer in my thoughts and that helps when I want to communicate. Any later than now, I think I will forget so this is the time.

We tell one and all, “We have not changed in all these years.” At the same time we have something in our heads telling us, “Of course you have!” The only thing that is constant is change and we have transformed our lives in many ways and forms and that sometimes we are not able to fathom or even put it in words. Much of the process is unconscious and it's amazing how we imbibe things without really being aware of it.

Rajashree Ghosh's post is wonderful. Having written a number of similar letters while living in Bangladesh, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to find the tables turned!

It just goes to show, the more different we think we are, we remain pretty much the same.

1969

I think we have to face a reality. The reality is that when insurgents appear, the government will call upon the army to eliminate the insurgents. There can come a point when the army cannot handle this kind of situation simply because the military establishment tends to use too much force, tends to use the wrong techniques and tends, therefore, to polarize the population and gradually force the majority of those who are politically active to support the revolutionary or insurgent force.

U.S. Senate, Cte. on Foreign Relations, Subcte. on American Republic's Affairs, Survey of the Alliance for Progress, Compilation of Studies and Hearings, 91st Congress, 1st Session, p.414

2006

BAGHDAD Widespread lawlessness swept the capital Thursday, with kidnappings, deadly attacks on police officers, the discovery of more mutilated victims of death squads and a bank robbery by men dressed as Iraqi soldiers.
...
The overall U.S. strategy calls for coalition forces to redeploy to giant bases and let Iraqis become responsible for security in specific regions. No timetable has been set for any reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq.

International Herald Tribune, Lawlessness sweeps Baghdad as car bombings continue across Iraq, September 21, 2006

From a mass media announcement by the Thai military as they executed the current coup d'etat:

"We ask for the co-operation of the public and ask your pardon for the inconvenience," the announcement said.