New York Times Magazine, Sept. 28 The cover story examines the role of the Supreme Court in shaping foreign policy since the next administration may shift the balance on the bench. Over the last year, Supreme Court decisions have represented both “outward” and “inward” interpretations of the Constitution, in which U.S. law is applied as either “a quintessentially national phenomenon” or “a global ideal.”… A feature finds the silver lining in the housing crisis by framing the process of deconstructing homes as “a monumental taking down of what has been built to reclaim the energy and value locked away there.” Unlike demolition, deconstruction involves disassembling houses piece by piece to recycle all usable materials. The author observes the process in Slavic Village in Cleveland, Ohio, “a perpetual media symbol for the subprime mortgage fiasco,” represented here as an emblem of environmentalism rather than financial ruin.
Time, Oct. 6 The cover story predicts how John McCain and Barack Obama would fix the economy as president. While both candidates addressed the subject this week, neither has put forth a “concrete plan for deficit reduction,” and the author is not convinced that either one is up to the challenge yet. … While the American edition puts the financial crisis on the cover—like every other publication this week—international editions promote the issue’s special feature on environmental leaders, “the eco-pioneers fighting for a cleaner, greener future.” The picks venture beyond the obvious choices (Al Gore is not included) and spotlight “contrarians” and environmental think-tank types like Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger from the Bay Area; national park founder and Gov. Habiba Sarabi of Bamayian, Afghanistan; and Mick Bremans, the head of the environmentally friendly Belgian soap company Ecover.
The Economist, Sept. 27 An editorial supports Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke’s $700 billion bailout as “a plan that could work.” By providing banks with much-needed capital, the plan would restore “transparent prices, [and] would at last encourage investors to come in and repair the financial system.” For this reason, “the economics of Mr[.] Paulson’s plan are broadly correct, [but] the politics are fiendish”—if the bailout succeeds, Wall Street will return to raking in millions while the average American “will scarcely notice a depression that never happened.”… Another feature notes an increase in white flight from South Africa following a rise in violent crime. While emigration has swelled among South Africans of all races, “it is the whites, by and large, who have the money, skills, contacts and sometimes passports they need to start a life outside—and who leave the bigger skills and tax gap behind.”
Monocle, October 2008 Monocle steps back from the horse race to offer some pie-in-the-sky choices for the next president’s ideal Cabinet. The author proposes some new positions, including Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons as youth director and Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute as the head of overseas development. … A feature profiles Kansas City, Mo., in its series on “emerging business hubs.” The London-based magazine praises the city’s Midwestern values and the “civic revival” that has encouraged the growth of small businesses. However, the author laments that public transportation could be better and suggests “more suitable housing” downtown would encourage families to stay in the city center. … An artfully done glossy photo spread looks behind the scenes at the American Forces Network, which airs American TV shows and original content with a military focus for troops at home and overseas.
Wired, October 2008 The magazine offers up a list of innovators whose counsel the next president should seek in its “2008 Smart List.” (There’s no overlap with Monocle’s picks.) An Oxford professor suggests new technology to curb emissions instead of cap-and-trade while Ellen Miller of the Sunlight Foundation advocates using the Web to make Washington more transparent by creating public wikis for drafts of legislation. Parag Khanna, a foreign-affairs expert, tops the list with the magazine’s bold affirmation that the next president should embrace “the post-American world,” of which Khanna is the ideal “peripatetic emblem.”… Another feature chronicles the evolution of Hulu from a vague idea at Fox and NBC, mocked by bloggers, to “the sleekest, easiest-to-use, most professional video site on the Internet.” With Hulu’s upcoming tool to embed its service on other Web sites, “the networks would be reduced to a Web widget, functioning at the user’s whim.”
Must Read
The New Yorker’s piece on the suicide of a soldier suffering from PTSD uses a compelling story to highlight a serious military hazard that has received surprisingly little attention from both the government and the media during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Must Skip
The Weekly Standard’s piece on Catholic politicians rehashes some old conversations—Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi on Meet the Press, John Kerry’s views from four years ago—and continues to muse about the Catholic vote despite the fact that Catholics as a group are unlikely to prefer one candidate over the other.
Best Politics Piece
The New York Times Magazine zooms out to evaluate the impact of the Supreme Court on foreign policy with a comprehensive argument that ties together the landmark decisions of 2008.
Best Culture Piece
The story in Harper’s on “trashing out” foreclosed homes offers a unique angle on the housing crisis and a personal account of days spent sorting through the remnants of strangers’ lives.
Best Bank Analogy
New York’s story on the financial meltdown this week captures the mood with a melodramatic comparison of Lehman Bros.’ implosion to the small-town struggles between Bailey Bros. Building & Loan and the villainous Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life.
