New Republic, Sept. 6
The cover story says George W. Bush’s less-than-overwhelming straw poll victory makes the primaries competitive. Elizabeth Dole’s third-place finish demonstrates she can compete with John McCain as the moderate alternative to Bush. (For Slate’s Ames debriefing, click here.) … A book review calls the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy an abysmal failure. In practice, commanding officers do ask and vigorously root out homosexuals. Many soldiers have been put under oath and forced to describe their sexual propensities; more than 5,000 have been discharged. … ” TRB” extrapolates Warren Beatty’s presidential platform from his political manifesto, Bulworth. That “108-minute-long affront to black dignity” portends a demagogic campaign that blames corporate interests for America’s real and imagined ills. (Slate’s ” Assessment” bets against a Beatty candidacy.)
Economist, Aug. 21
A piece predicts that brick-and-mortar companies will beat pure Web retailers in the battle for e-customers. Although Internet companies have lower start-up costs, meat-space firms have loyal customers, established distribution systems, and the ability to cross-market through their retail outlets. … The cover editorial warns that the East Asian economic recovery is precarious. Real recovery depends on regional political stability, the continued strength of the export-absorbing American economy, and Japan’s ability to bounce back from its slump. … An article cautions against underestimating the possibility of a Chinese military assault on Taiwan. Even though China is reluctant to anger the West, Taiwan’s rejection of a “one China” policy makes any diplomatic settlement difficult.
New York Times Magazine, Aug. 23 and Fall Fashion Supplement
The cover package worries about boys. One story says that boys, bombarded with images of unattainable male bodies, have more body image problems than ever. (G.I. Joe has got buffer, so have Calvin Klein models.) The “culture of cruelty” in junior high can make adolescents “pathologically preoccupied” with body image. More adult men are getting liposuction. … The other cover story describes the survival strategies of high-school outcasts, who seek solace in computer games, camaraderie, and the occasional joint.. … A profile of B. Smith touts her as the anti-Martha Stewart. The former model has parlayed her restaurant successes into a lifestyle TV show and a forthcoming magazine. She has a much more relaxed style than Mistress Martha. Smith is an icon of the new black upper-middle class, though three-quarters of her audience is white. … The surprisingly delightful Fall Fashion Supplement is full of blithe self-parody and reader games. There is a fashion-centric crossword puzzle, a color-by-numbers dress, a Mad Libs column, and a cutout Gwyneth Paltrow doll, among other amusements.
Atlantic Monthly, September 1999
The cover story argues that stocks are massively undervalued. Bullish investors are not irrationally exuberant; they recognize that stock prices have been depressed by an excessive aversion to risk. According to the authors’ valuation theory, the Dow should be heading toward 36,000. (Author James Glassman expounded this theory last year in Slate. {{Paul Krugman #30044}} and Bruce Gottlieb disputed it.) … A piece lavishes praise on Waldorf schools. Established by an Austrian in 1919, the schools place imagination at the center of the learning process and emphasize art projects, oral presentations, poetry recitations, and discussion. Graduates are capable and inquisitive. There are more than 100 Waldorf schools in the United States and 700 worldwide.
Newsweek, Aug. 23
A special issue on guns includes a rare editorial declaring war on “one common link in the chain of violence: firearms.” All assault weapons should be banned, all gun owners licensed, and all guns registered. (Newsweek’s crusade follows a Time essay earlier this month calling for a handgun ban.) … A Newsweek poll finds that 74 percent of Americans support registering all handgun owners; 93 percent favor a mandatory waiting period for gun purchases. … A piece explores the backroom battle between the gun industry and the gun lobby. The industry wants to make concessions, but the NRA threatens the gun-makers with boycotts if they give an inch.
Time, Aug. 23, 1999
The cover story reports on new discoveries about human evolution. We started walking on two legs between 6 million and 4 million years ago, tool-making began 2.5 million years ago, and our brains grew dramatically between 2 million and 1 million years ago. Abstract thought began only tens of thousands of years ago. Our technological improvements have dramatically slowed natural selection. … A piece surveys new school safety precautions, including mass-shooting drills, locker searches, and security cameras.
The New Yorker, Aug. 23 and 30
The “Adventure” issue meditates on human limitations, trust, and courage. A correspondent camps out in Central Park, braving gangs, ducking cops, and talking to raccoons. … An author recounts how he abandoned a plan to sail solo to Alaska in order to nurse his dying father. His father’s gracious acceptance of death is a braver act than any macho journey could be. … A profile of Lynne Cox describes how the solo swimmer conquered fear by braving icy, shark-infested waters. She traversed seemingly unconquerable bodies of water, including the Bering Strait, to demonstrate the potential for harmony between hostile neighbors.
Weekly Standard, Aug. 23
The cover story calls for censorship of movies, television, and music. The mass media’s “moral pollution” is “actual and malignant.” Our forefathers didn’t have sex and violence in mind when they crafted First Amendment freedoms. The choice is censorship or barbarism. … A series of commentaries rejects the censorship proposal, arguing that Americans do not want to be regulated by institutional elites. Government should discourage images of sex and violence in the media by holding congressional hearings that demonize Hollywood. … An article argues that the United States should provide Taiwan with new weapons and military advice in order to deter Chinese expansionism.
