No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

 

Internal conflicts in Both parties

According to Paul Krugman the Republicans in the current administration are fighting an internal war between the hardliners and the more moderate people.

At the same time, Bob Herbert also of the New York Times describes the current activities of the Democratic candidates for the nomination are involved in a circular firing squad.

Personally, I think that it is ten-and-a-half months before the election, and both parties are in the process of determining how they will approach it. Neither party has yet coalesced on its approach.

At the moment, it appears to me that the Republicans have given the high ground of most of the major issues to the Democrats, but they still have the Presidential incumbancy and the emotional strength of the Presidency during wartime. The ability of the Republican Party to get on message and build on it without apparent disagreement is a powerful instrument. It will be an interesting question whether Dean's ability to express the anger of the Democrats can counter that.

If Bush wins reelection in 2004, then the election of 2000 will be seen as the pivotal election for America. If he loses, then 2004 will be viewed a pivotal.
posted by Richard at 8:34 AM

 

The New Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan

The canadian National Post has an interesting - even frightening - story on the Peace Plan unwrapped in Switzerland last Monday.

In Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he "totally rejected" the Geneva Accord, adding it would "amount to suicide" for Israel. Two hundred and fifty rabbis, members of Pikuah Nefesh (Preservation of Life), said Israelis who signed the accord should be considered traitors who deserve to be "cast out from human society and brought to trial."

In the Palestinian Territories the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a terrorist group allied to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, denounced delegates who negotiated the Geneva Accord as "collaborators with Israel."

Shots were fired at the home in Ramallah of Yasir Abed Rabbo, a former Palestinian information minister and the Chief Palestinian negotiator.

I don't know what percentage of Israelis and Palestinians are sick of the killing and want to try Peace, but the extremists on both sides certainly don't want those people to emerge. I am not sure how things there could get much worse, but it looks like things need to get a lot worse before they get any better.

posted by Richard at 8:25 AM

 

Bush's East Asia Problems

Beyond the Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad in which Bush sneaked in like a thief in the dark of night and stayed only two hours, his recent trip to the Far East does not get great reviews, either. Fareed Zakaria had this to say in the Washington Post. Similarly, Jane Perlez has these comments in the New York Times.

[Thanks to Josh Marshall for pointing these articles out to me. ]
posted by Richard at 5:25 AM