Ahmed Rashid on NPR's Fresh Air. I don't agree
with many of his views but he's a smart, interesting guy.

When In Rome Part Deux (or the 1920s redux)

At one of the Inaugural balls:

[Rich] Little said he missed and adored the late President Ronald Reagan and "I wish he was here tonight, but as a matter of fact he is," and he proceeded to impersonate Reagan, saying, "You know, somebody asked me, 'Do you think the war on poverty is over?' I said, 'Yes, the poor lost.' " The crowd went wild.

Clinton's welfare reform, the push to privatize Social Security. Yes, the poor are getting screwed, but this sounds a little too farouche, even for our dear Republican party loyalists.

Little's joke reminded me of a classic Onion headline: War on Drugs Over: Drugs Win.

(via David Corn)

David Aaronovitch writes about Bush's inaugural address.

He also reacts to Eric Hobsbawm's reaction to it.