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HOME / other magazines: Summaries of what's in Time, Newsweek, etc.

By AnonymousPosted Tuesday, July 30, 1996, at 3:30 AM ET

Time and Newsweek, Aug. 5
(posted Monday, July 29)

The Centennial Park bombing knocks gold-medal gymnast Kerri Strug off the covers of Time ("Courage and Cowardice") and Newsweek ("Triumph and Terror"). Essayists in both magazines observe that the bombing is sad because it was not surprising. The newsweeklies' coverage is likewise predictable: Both reconstruct the scene, speculate on possible suspects (antigovernment militias), and comment on historic parallels (Munich). Newsweek forgets the Olympics hype just long enough to fire long-overdue criticism at Bela Karolyi, the self-promoting coach of the women's gymnastics team.

Also in Time, an investigation of Ross Perot's bizarre 1992 claim that Republican dirty tricksters were trying to sabotage his presidential campaign. The magazine clears the GOP, and says Perot and the FBI were duped by a former soldier of fortune who claimed to possess compromising photos of Perot's daughters.

The New Yorker, Aug. 5
(posted Monday, July 29)

It's plane crashes and the Olympics at The New Yorker, too. The crash is from 1994, when an USAir flight inexplicably went down outside Pittsburgh. The magazine chronicles the FAA's investigation of the accident and reaches this discouraging conclusion: Sometimes planes fall out of the sky. The Olympics are from the year 2008, as the opening editorial ponders whether or not New York City should bid for the Games. But the magazine doesn't ignore Atlanta. David Remnick also ridicules NBC's feminized, up-close-and-personal coverage. Also, Michael Kelly pounds another nail into Bob Dole's coffin, dubbing him the "nega-candidate," a politician who can't behave like a politician, even when his career depends on it. Julian Barnes contributes a short story.

U.S. News & World Report, Aug. 5
(posted Monday, July 29)

The reporting in U.S. News' cover story about the bombing is sparse. Better is a long article on the future of warfare, probably the magazine's scheduled cover story. The piece downplays the recent GAO report on the ineffectiveness of the high-tech weapons used in the Gulf War and contends that within 50 years, America's wars will be fought by computer: Most combat soldiers will be replaced by unmanned planes and ships, killer satellites, and remote-controlled laser weapons. (Now that's the kind of war even Bill Clinton would sign up for.)

The Nation, Aug. 12 & 19
(posted Monday, July 29)

The Nation attacks the unassailable in "Dole's War Record." Robert Ellis--a veteran of Dole's regiment--claims that GOP supporters and Dole himself have exaggerated the candidate's World War II valor. The most damning charge among many: Dole did everything he could to avoid combat, including requesting a posting with an Army sports unit. Also, the Nation celebrates "Union Summer," the Generation-X-smooches-the-blue-collars event that has been ignored by non-lefty media.

Atlantic Monthly, Aug. 1996
(posted Friday, July 26)

After 15 years of stories about Christian fundamentalism, journalists have finally discovered a new religious trend: megachurches. This month's Atlantic publishes the longest, if not the first, article on gigantic, "full-service" Protestant churches (sometimes dubbed "mall churches"). The good news: Megachurches are tolerant, communal, and economically efficient. The bad news: They're killing neighborhood congregations and religious traditions. Also in the Atlantic, yet another essay on why the American people feel alienated from politics; as usual, de Tocqueville, Lincoln, and push polls figure prominently. James Fallows--just named editor of sister publication U.S. News & World Report--writes a nice essay on why girls throw like girls.

Economist, July 27
(posted Friday, July 26)

The Economist champions deregulation. The lead editorial and a cover story explain how red tape shackles the economy, then present a simple, decisive solution: a "regulatory budget" that "would cap the compliance costs that each agency could impose." Another economic issue addressed this week: how to protect copyright in a world of electronic reproduction. After gloomily estimating the scale of piracy, the Economist concludes that it's probably here to stay, and that "content companies" may need to content themselves with lower profits.

Weekly Standard, Aug. 5
(posted Monday, July 29)

Invoking the spirit of the late Allan Bloom, the Standard's cover inveighs against pop culture. It condemns conservatives for embracing rock 'n' roll, which--unlike, say, Brahms--fosters immorality and puerile sexuality: "Rock culture is the popular manifestation of the political shambles conservatives have appointed themselves to rebuild." Also, the Standard slams the Ag Department's Market Access Program, which spends $90 million promoting American agricultural products overseas. And an article contends that the United States should stop global warming by--this is not a joke--shooting enough soot, dust, and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to shade the sun.

New Republic, Aug. 12
(posted Friday, July 26)

The New Republic, which has editorialized for years in favor of welfare reform, urges President Clinton to sign the GOP welfare bill--and predicts he will. TNR calls the GOP proposal flawed--there are too many block grants and too few dollars--but says "it will finally start the process by which America's underclass problem can be solved." TNR publishes commentaries on the bill from a gaggle of wonks and pundits--David Ellwood, Glenn Loury, Katha Pollitt, James Q. Wilson, and others. All except Wilson are pessimistic. Also, Literary Editor Leon Wieseltier defends Joe Klein.