Economist, Sept. 12

(posted Saturday, Sept. 12, 1998)

The cover editorial welcomes the impeachment or resignation of President Clinton. He has lied to both friends and enemies, and the American presidency is powerless without moral authority. "This newspaper has no wish for him to stay. And it is hard to see why America should, either."... The Economist applies its anti-protectionism stance to cultural protectionism. International fears of American cultural hegemony are overblown. No country should attempt to keep out American music or movies, since no matter how successful American culture is, homegrown products will always be more popular with locals.

New Republic, Sept. 28

(posted Saturday, Sept. 12, 1998)

A cover piece offers a Freudian take on Flytrap. Clinton is the primal father, who has claimed sexual access to all women. According to Freud's "myth of the origin of civilization," the primal father must be destroyed for society to survive (though Clinton might then be reborn as the repentant son). Also: Newspapers are society's ego, and editorial pages are the superego. ... A Russian journalist warns that her country's economic collapse may destroy its free press. Banks, which own or control much of the media, are too broke to support newspapers and TV stations. Already the national media are ignoring the looming war in the Russian republic of Dagestan because they can't afford to cover it.

New York Times Magazine, Sept. 13

(posted Thursday, Sept. 10, 1998)

The second cover profile of the week for Texas governor and likely presidential candidate George W. Bush (see the Weekly Standard, below). Bush partied hard in his youth, but getting married and giving up alcohol focused him. He's toned down his social conservatism, and his hugely likable personality makes him a great campaigner. (He's not much of a policy wonk, however.) Critics say his greatest asset is his name, but Bush seems to have emerged from his father's shadow. ... Another profile of Germany's Gerhard Schröder (see U.S. News and The New Yorker, below). Schröder's similarity to Bill Clinton is remarkable: both were raised by poor, single mothers; were governors of "small, politically marginal" states; and eschew right and left politics in favor of a new center. One difference: Schröder hates emotional displays, claiming he "can't abide pathos." ... A story argues that Nike's "swoosh" logo has become too familiar. To many, the swoosh symbolizes exploited foreign labor, and hip young people now choose Adidas as an alternative to Nike's hegemony. Nike is pinning its comeback on its one incontrovertible success: Michael Jordan's endorsement.

Time and U.S. News & World Report, Sept. 14