The Getz Files

Years ago, we had a subscription to the London Review of Books. I found it hard to read as all the articles were rather daunting. Now, years later, I have started rereading it (and the New York Review of Books) on the web. Many (though by no means all) the articles are available on the two websites (New York is here, London here), and if one prints out an article, it becomes much more manageable. I have learned a great deal from these articles and find them a great way to fill in gaps in time.

Here are two excellent ones. This review of Jimmy Carter's new book by Garry Wills speaks quite cogently about what's going wrong with America - and how it isn't irretrievable. I might read the book. And this -- What I Heard About Iraq in 2005 by Eliot Weinberger -- is just brilliant. It is the follow-up to his earlier book.

In other news about Carter, according to The Onion, he is being tried for peace crimes and crimes against inhumanity, particularly his regime's reign of tolerance.

The LRB has just been embroiled in controversy over an article it published about the Israel lobby in the US. I tried reading it, but just couldn't manage. I don't recommend it. Rather, read Hitch's refutation (maybe not quite intellectually honest, but anyway). Also, Noam Chomsky has spoken out against the article, though he has his own particular reasons for disagreeing with it.