Today's Blogs

Sino-Russian Diplomacy

Bloggers are overwhelmingly critical of Russia and China’s call for further negotiations with Iran over its nuclear escalation. Also, they are dishing about the Golden Globes, while heaping Al Gore with either praise or scorn for his latest Bush-bashing speech.

Sino-Russian Diplomacy: Russia and China today announced that diplomacy—without the concomitant threat of U.N. sanctions—was still the best course to pursue with an atomically ambitious Tehran. Bloggers were more or less united in their disdain for the two Security Council nations.

“[The Iranians] will work to exploit any rift they can find between the two Asian giants and the West in order to play both sides against the middle,” suggests righty Ed Morrissey at Captain’s Quarters. “Once they see any daylight, the Iranians will push the gap as wide as possible in order to get back to doing its own enrichment.” Citing this article in Middle East Newsline, a “defense news service,” Chad Evans at the GOP-boosting site In The Bullpen comments on an underlying profit motive behind the conciliatory chatter coming from the two regimes: “Iran has entered an advanced stage in discussions with Russia to purchase a S-300 anti-aircraft and missile system. Yes, that Russia,” he says 

If not sanctions, what then, as a deterrent? wonder the editors at libertarian collective The Phalanx. “With the Sino-Russian coalition adamantly opposed to UN action, one would assume they would propose alternatives, especially in light of the fact that they are the cause of this crisis. … Should the world wait patiently while Iran develops nuclear weapons only to supply them to every terrorist from here to Timbuktu?”

“Maybe Kofi can initiate the “Neutrons for Food” program?” clucks the Republican Bloviating Zeppellin.

Attorney and “partisan Democrat” Jack Stoller at honestpartisan thinks that a schism within the watchdog sector may not be such a calamity after all: “The one thing that proponents for war with Iran would have going for them is that there’s more certainty about a nuclear program there than in Iraq. And who knows, the Russia/China-versus-U.S./Europe thing may just be the kind of good-cop-bad-cop routine that can stop nuclear proliferation in Iran.” 

Noting that Russia’s offer to do Iran’s uranium-enriching for it hints at the credence the Kremlin grants to the mullahs’ insistence that they are seeking nuclear technology not for military but for “peaceful” purposes, Australian student Chris Egan at The Egan observes, “If Russia suspected a covert nuclear weapons programme, Russia would ‘have blocked this project and suspended co-operation with Iran in this field, because it would have been against its own interests’ as their common border in the Caspian sea would ‘threaten Russia’s national interests.’ “

Meanwhile, Darius at the left-wing U.K. blog Thoughtland notes, “Apart from intensive trade with Iran, China heavily depends on Iranian oil too and in 2005 China imported about 14% of its crude oil from Iran.”

Read what other bloggers are saying about Russia and China’s response to Iranian nuclear proliferation.

Gilded Globes: While more than a few LiveJournals squeal with favorite celebrity moments from last night’s Golden Globes, plenty of bloggers can’t see what all the fuss is about. Those who do are more interested in the politics of Brokeback Mountain’s wins for best dramatic film, best director and best screenplay.

L.A. gossip snarkrag Defamer is bored as hell and not going to take it anymore: “If you don’t find yourself rummaging around the kitchen for a blender large enough to fit around the human head by the time they sing, ‘Don’t cha love that Russell can throw left hooks/Don’t cha know the cowboy with his good looks?’ you’re far more generous souls than we are.”

Mercurie at A Shroud of Thoughts notes that, “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association are simply a small band of journalists (only about 80 to 90 in all) who report entertainment news. I then fail to see what makes the Golden Globes more special than other awards given by, for lack of a better term, industry outsiders, such as the New York Critics Circle or the American Film Institute.”

The Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands couldn’t agree more: “The Golden Globes are stupid and the only reason I watch them is to get an even better idea of the real race of the Academy Awards.” She goes on to lament Paul Giamatti’s (Cinderella Man) loss to George Clooney (Syriana) for best supporting actor in a drama.

Read what other bloggers are saying about the Golden Globes.

Tapped out: In a speech Monday, Al Gore inveighed against the “breathtaking expansion of executive power” that he said constitutes the NSA’s warrantless domestic wiretap program. Bloggers were characteristically split down ideological lines in response.

Linking to sites that compare Clinton-Gore policies on domestic surveillance programs with the former vice president’s current rhetoric, libertarian law prof Glenn Reynolds at InstaPundit writes, “Sigh. I remember when I used to be impressed with Al Gore. Seeing what’s happened to him makes me sad.”

National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg at staff blog The Corner is less morose and more bemused: “What, by the way, are the “politics of destruction”? I know what the politics of personal destruction are—or supposed to be. But the politics of destruction sounds like what the Hulk campaigns on. “And if Hulk elected, Hulk smash!”“

But Joshua Micah Marshall at the liberal Talking Points Memo is quite pleased indeed: “When I think about the Gore now,” he writes, “in the period since he left elected office, what stands out most about him is the way that he has become a standing rebuke to the shame and moral indolence of today’s custodians of received opinion.”

Read Gore’s speech here. Read what other bloggers are saying about it here.