New Republic, Oct. 11
The cover story rues the 50th anniversary of the Chinese revolution. The expected horrors are invoked: the Cultural Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, the continuing anti-religious brutality of the Communist Party. … As world population reaches 6 billion, an editorial calls for more investment in international family planning. Encouraging smaller family size will boost economic progress in the developing nations whose populations are still exploding.
Economist, Oct. 1
The cover editorial reiterates the magazine’s frequent warnings that the American economy is overheated. Rising consumer debt is a bad sign. Weak commodity demand and a strong dollar are staving off inflation, but the Fed should pre-emptively raise interest rates before the bubble bursts. … An article remarks on South Africa’s attempt to market itself to libertine tourists. Apartheid-era South Africa repressed homosexuals and suppressed the sex trade. Now Cape Town promotes itself as a gay-friendly city and welcomes sex tourists.
George, October 1999
The hagiographic John Kennedy Jr. tribute issue includes excerpts of his writing, portraits of him with his interviewees, and an over-the-top photo of him bathed in golden light. The issue is stuffed with tribute ads, including shoemaker Kenneth Cole’s: “How do we follow in his footsteps?” … A countdown of the century’s 100 great political moments includes dubious picks, such as the Brooklyn Dodgers’ relocation to Los Angeles, and predictable ones: D-Day is No. 2 and Franklin Roosevelt’s election is No. 1
Rolling Stone, Oct. 14
A sympathetic profile of Bill Bradley concludes that he is more sincere and more dignified than other politicians. For instance, Bradley refuses to offer regrets for past drug use and does not coo-coo at infants. (Slate offers a less rosy view of Bradley’s candidacy.) … A biting narrative exposes life at an Ohio State sorority. Despite paeans to sisterhood and philanthropy, girls join sororities to binge-drink, hook up, and pursue their Mrs. degree. (For another insider view, read Slate’s sorority girl “Diary.”)
New York Times Magazine, Sept. 26
An article describes the newest missile defense scheme–75-miles-per-minute space cannonballs. “Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicles” orbiting Earth would be programmed to collide with warheads. First step: Build the prototype. … The cover essay reflects on hate, describing it as a personal psychological reaction to idiosyncratic experience. It cannot be outlawed. We can only overcome hate by refusing to give haters the attention they crave.
Time, Sept. 27
The cover package tweaks second-wave Silicon Valley entrepreneurs–business-school grads lured by lucre rather than a passion for the Web. … Yet another startup saga sketches how a 27-year-old M.B.A. student developed a Web-business idea: He set up a site, which uses an algorithm to tell guys where to take a date, by convincing venture capitalists to front money, hiring tech experts to write code, working 17-hour days, and bedecking his offices with inspirational quotes. … An article alleges that envoys from the Bush campaign have pressured Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura to obstruct Pat Buchanan’s run for the Reform Party nomination. Donald Trump is the preferred roadblock, because his candidacy could attract Democratic supporters.
Newsweek, Sept. 29
Fetal programming determines adult health, according to the cover story. Studies show that low birth-weight babies may have a high risk of developing diabetes, and prenatal trauma can impede brain development. The link between womb conditions and adult health undermines studies that suggest disease has genetic roots. … An article warns that Hurricane Floyd might be dwarfed by future storms. The past 30 years of meteorological quiescence is giving way to a period of hyperhurricanes because of a change in oceanic conditions and global warming. (According to “International Papers,” the British press blamed Floyd on excessive U.S. consumption.)
U.S. News & World Report, Sept. 27
The cover excerpt provides a reverent portrait of Pope John Paul II. The pontiff is credited with inspiring the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, persuading liberal democracies that freedom must be girded by public morality, and opening a dialogue with other religious leaders. (Click here for a Slate “Assessment” of the pope.) … An article probes George W. Bush’s vulnerability on the firearms issue. Bush’s pro-gun positions (he barred the prosecution of people who bring guns to churches that don’t specifically forbid arms-toting) might hurt him in a nationwide election. … A profile marvels at the campaign-trail candor of Sen. John McCain. He recalls his Vietnamese captors as “goddamn gooks,” tells gay jokes, and reminds reporters that he once called Chelsea Clinton ugly.
The New Yorker, Sept. 27
An essay bewails the absence of “political pizzazz” in presidential campaigning. Since the electorate is relatively sanguine, the candidates are relatively lethargic. The public longs for a deft campaigner who doesn’t seem prepackaged. … A profile praises Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s efforts to heal his country, as he struggles to overcome lymphatic cancer. Colombia’s most-beloved figure convinced his friend Fidel Castro to push leftist guerrillas toward the peace table and convinced the United States that Cuba’s hidden hand was necessary.
Weekly Standard, Sept. 27
An editorial skewers Pat Buchanan for betrayal. Buchanan is shoe-horning himself into the Reform Party solely because of its eligibility for $13 million in matching funds. If Buchanan bolts, Republicans will have a golden opportunity to define themselves against Pat’s brand of pitchfork conservatism. … A review of Buchanan’s new book condemns its defense of “America First” foreign policies. Buchanan honors Charles Lindbergh as a heroic voice of isolationism and outrageously argues that the West instigated war with the Nazi regime.
