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By Joe Klein | @JoeKleinTIME | December 9, 2010 | +

After seven months, I returned to Senjaray in Kandahar Province and found the situation much improved…even if the Pir Mohammed school remains closed. I’ve just arrived in Dubai, heading home after two weeks in Afghanistan–and I’d like to share with you some spectacular books I’ve been reading during my travels:

The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes–an absolutely joyous and entertaining account of British scientists at the dawn of the 19th century–before the word “scientist” was invented–and the romantic poets who loved them. The sheer optimism of that time contrasts so profoundly with the pinched exhaustion of our own.

Monsoon by Robert Kaplan–this is part history, part travel odyssey, part geo-strategic treatise about the Indian Ocean, perhaps the most crucial body of water in the coming century. Kaplan’s evolving views on what sort of governments work best in the developing world are smart and provocative. His skepticism about George W. Bush’s “freedom agenda” is well-founded. His realism about America’s diminished role, as India and China move onto to center stage, is admirably detailed and important.

The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson–winner of this year’s Booker Prize is a hilarious and profound treatise on Jews’ obsession with themselves and the world’s obsession with Jews. I’m going to go back and read everything this guy ever wrote; he’s amazing.

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  • michaelfury
  • 3xfire3

    Joe,
    .
    Good story on Senaray.

  • 3xfire3

    You are a very strange and ignorant person.

  • http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

    Whenever I read one of your Afghanistan columns I’m always struck with the contrast between your depiction of the efforts to engage local support and act as a positive force within Afghan communities, and the seeming blind anti-Muslim animus that motivates so many war cheerleaders here at home.

    The fact that were trying to develop and nurture alliances in the Muslim world just seems absolutely lost on certain people some of whom comment here.

  • nflfoghorn

    The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
    .
    Foreword by Mel Gibson.

  • newfreedomblog

    Wow, nurturing alliances. Yes we can!!
    .
    http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/gitmo-recidivism-rate-soars_521965.html
    .
    http://apnews.myway.com/article/20101209/D9K08TKG0.html
    .
    Last but not least,
    .
    The recent “terrorist” picked up yesterday in New Jersey trying to bomb a Military Recruitment office.

  • 3xfire3

    Paul,
    .
    “the seeming blind anti-Muslim animus that motivates so many war cheerleaders here at home.”
    .
    The actual number of people that are anti-Muslim in the USA is very small. When you compare this to the number of Muslims around the world that are anti-American and against anyone in the world who is not a Muslim, that number is very large.
    .
    How can you make the kind of false statements you do when the facts do not support your views? Except for the number of Americans that are against the Muslim building near ground Zero, there have been only a small number of demonstrations against Muslims in this country. Surveys show that very few Americans are anti-Muslim.
    .
    Perhaps your problem is not that Americans are anti-Muslim but that you are anti-American. You seem to go to great lengths to try and find things that are wrong with your fellow citizens. Americans are a good and generous people. Learn to love and stop the hate.

  • http://2thirdsrocks.wordpress.com 2thirdsrocks

    Paul’s problem, like so many others on here, is that if you’re not anti war than that means you’re in love with war. And if you should happen to mention muslim terrorists, than you’re automatically anti-muslim. They never miss a chance to criticize the USA, and at the same time scream to high heaven if you question their patriotism. If you utter the word muslim in any derogatory manner, you’re anti-muslim. So what are you if you criticize the USA? anti-uh….

  • stuartzechman

    3xfire3:
    .
    It’s pretty dishonest to portray Dirks’ criticisms of a tiny, vociferous, right-wing minority, i.e. “so many war cheerleaders” as some kind of attack on all Americans.
    .
    I am also presuming that you did not mean to imply that our fellow Americans, these truly good and generous people, are all “war cheerleaders here at home,” 3xfire3.
    .
    No, you couldn’t mean that all Americans are bigoted war cheerleaders.
    .
    I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume that you’ve made this honest mistake by not reading carefully enough.
    .
    Then I’ll wait for you to take back that disgusting slur you’ve hurled at Paul Dirks: “you are anti-American.”
    .
    Obviously it’s not anti-American to find that “very small” number of Muslim-hating war cheerleaders (so many of whom write for major national publications in Washington) to be worth condemning in the strongest terms.
    .
    That would be pro-American.

  • stuartzechman

    Will you get the hell out of here, already?

  • http://2thirdsrocks.wordpress.com 2thirdsrocks

    The all knowing, omnipotent stu would never take anything out of context would he?

  • newfreedomblog

    “…and the seeming blind anti-Muslim animus that motivates so many war cheerleaders here at home”.

    .
    Doesn’t quite compare with…
    .

    “It’s pretty dishonest to portray Dirks’ criticisms of a tiny, vociferous, right-wing minority, i.e. “so many war cheerleaders” as some kind of attack on all Americans.”

    .
    Which is a pretty dishonest re-statement of what was originally said. Yes we can.
    .
    Tiny versus Many…..comparing “anti-Muslim animus” with “vociferous, right-wing minority“, also very disingenuous to say the very least.
    .
    But, when one segment of our society attacks another segment of our society, who most likely are in complete support of our military, and the goal of beating back the terrorists, Muslim Terrorists as a matter of FACT is somehow being an all inclusive “anti-Muslim” is nothing short of a big fat lie. A complete distortion by the left, or those on the left like stuart zechman and Paul Dirks who will vilify anyone who disagrees with their opinions or stand on this specific issue.
    .
    Yes, anti-American would be an accurate statement in my humble opinion as well, against those who are against any and all forms of war or the war on terror.

  • hippooath

    To be or not to be sugart!ts…that will explain jew world domination.
    .
    - Mel

  • http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

    Amazing how easy it is for people to prove my point by arguing against it.

    The US counts among its crucial allies, the current governments of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey to name just a few. So when I point out that it’s wrong to imagine that were at war against Islam since we in fact have a significant number of Muslim allies, I’m attacked as being anti-American.

    Amazing how predictably ignorant people can be.

  • 3xfire3

    Newfreedom,
    .
    Thanks for saving me the trouble of replying to Stuart. Your points about his post are well made.
    .
    Stuart is usually pretty reasonable. The current political situation must be causing him to lose some of his rational thinking.

  • np042

    Moreover, the fact that we have a guaranteed freedom of speech means that we have the ability to openly critizice our fellow Americans, regardless of which side is right, if either side is right even. The use of that right seems, to me, much more American than calling someone anti-American for disagreeing with others.

  • stuartzechman

    3xfire3:
    .
    I actually haven’t read anything here in response that makes any sense, other than something along the lines of “get off your high horse” from 2thirds.
    .
    Do you want to take that slur back, or is there some reason why you called Dirks “anti-American?”

  • 3xfire3

    Stuart,
    .
    “Do you want to take that slur back, or is there some reason why you called Dirks “anti-American?”
    .
    From Newfreedom,
    .
    “…and the seeming blind anti-Muslim animus that motivates so many war cheerleaders here at home”.
    .
    Doesn’t quite compare with…
    .
    “It’s pretty dishonest to portray Dirks’ criticisms of a tiny, vociferous, right-wing minority, i.e. “so many war cheerleaders” as some kind of attack on all Americans.”
    .
    Which is a pretty dishonest re-statement of what was originally said. Yes we can.
    .
    Tiny versus Many…..comparing “anti-Muslim animus” with “vociferous, right-wing minority”, also very disingenuous to say the very least.
    .
    When a person goes to great lengths to demonize our country and its citizens on a regular basis, yes it is my opinion that they are anti-American.
    .
    Paul is not the only one who posts on this site that does this. I find that there are many Liberal/Progressives posting on this site who believe all kinds of evil things about our great country.
    .
    They seem to truly believe that our country and most of our citizens are either evil or dumb. Those kind of expressions do not sound like individuals who love their country and their fellow citizens.
    .
    Stuart, I do not consider you one of those people.

  • stuartzechman

    Thank you for recognizing that I love my country, and that I believe that the United States is unique in the world for the historical hope that it represents for people and nations generally.
    .
    But again, why would you possibly think that the small group of people Paul criticized –”war cheerleaders”– somehow represents or actually equals “our country” or “our citizens?”
    .
    When did “war cheerleaders” become “our country and its citizens?”
    .
    It seems that nothing in this particular comment of Paul’s demonizes America or Americans at all. He just doesn’t think very highly of anti-Muslim war cheerleaders. I would presume that you wouldn’t think very highly of that type of chickenhawk, either.
    .
    When one says that someone else is anti-American, that’s an incredible insult, a truly awful thing to say about your fellow citizen.
    .
    If I haven’t understood you, and if you’re speaking about some other instance where you thought that Paul displayed that sentiment, then I guess we’ll move on.

  • 3xfire3

    Stuart and Paul,
    .
    “When one says that someone else is anti-American, that’s an incredible insult, a truly awful thing to say about your fellow citizen.
    .
    If I haven’t understood you, and if you’re speaking about some other instance where you thought that Paul displayed that sentiment, then I guess we’ll move on.”
    .
    I may have over reacted in this particular situation and interpreted Paul’s comments towards a large audience then he may have intended. If this is true, I apologize to Paul for my post.
    .
    My over reaction was out of frustration with so many Liberals who post here that appear to always be negative towards our great country. From my perspective much of their negative comments show disrespect, almost a hate, towards our country. The USA is not perfect and there will always be room for improvements but it’s a much better place then anyplace else on earth in my opinion.

  • 3xfire3

    Paul,
    .
    Read post 3.11

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