Archive: December 2005
Top News Stories of 2005
What the media establishment says are the top stories of 2005, and what the man on the street says, are not always the same thing. I asked washingtonpost.com readers to post their take on the key stories and issues, and the responses have been rolling in. "Internationally, the quickest story to come to mind is the quagmire in Iraq, and the realization by American politicians that the fickle public is now tired of this adventure. Something that should not have been started to begin with is now a liability, meaning the country has to find a way to get out," says troutcor, adding this prediction: "But the biggest ongoing story is the global shift of power from the United States to China." Seankirk333 points to a convergence of damaging stories for the Bush administration, arguing that, "...whatever the justifications, these issues amount collectively to the creation of an infrastructure of...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 29, 2005; 1:25 PM ET | Comments (2)
War on Christmas?
Is America suffering from a grinchy "war on Christmas?" One recent article, Have a Holly, Jolly Holiday (Post, Dec. 20,) puts Christmas in a context that stretches back to its origins, and looks at whether allegations voiced by some Christians that a new and nasty war is besmirching the observance are true... or not. In response, readers are talking about how Christmas is celebrated, and what role the holiday plays in social life today. Hommedumonde has had enough of what he perceives as the cultural dictates of religious factions. He says that the demands and aims of Christian groups command too much public and media attention for what are really personal or private agendas. "If they want to have their little corner of Jesusland just absolutely perfect for themselves, fine. But they better stop trying to force it on the rest of us."...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 22, 2005; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (3)
Domestic Spying Reaction
President Bush's efforts to quell negative reaction to news that he authorized domestic spying under the aegis of the war on terrorism brought swift response from washingtonpost.com readers today. RealChoices calls for balance in evaluating the implications of domestic spying. "We should be concerned if the law was broken. However, let's not lose sight of the threat. I wish someone had been tapping Mohammed Atta's phone calls in the summer of 2001." Trycycle is decidedly less sanguine about the stakes. "What a complete tyrannical, megalomaniac Mr. Bush is...Tyranny is at the door folks! It's a growing monster right before your eyes." BenAMarine echoes that theme. "Someone needs to inform President George W. Bush that neither on November 6, 2000 nor on November 2, 2004, neither the Supreme Court of the United States nor the American people elected a King...Commander in Chief is a title over the military not the country."...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 20, 2005; 1:29 PM ET | Comments (17)
Redskins Slay Cowboys, Fans Cheer
It's fair game to heap superlative upon superlative on the Redskins after their round trouncing of the Cowboys Sunday at FedEx Field. But the only fair way to say it is to remember that this season it's hard to predict "which" Redskins will show up on the field each game. Will it be an error-prone squad hang-dogging through the game? Or the team that took the field this week, showing everyone what for? Football fans on washingtonpost.com hash it out. Polo8one1 won't hide the glee, and doesn't mind looking back fondly: "The family kept the slider doors open for me and the screen. Every time I ran outside to bellow after each score, I could hear thunder. Was it FedEX? I believe it was RFK coming back to life. It was the image of George Allen and his clap and dance step over the stadium. I am RABID! ...Have a...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 20, 2005; 11:52 AM ET | Comments (2)
A Dollar A Mile
How much would you pay for a fast and reliable commute around the D.C. area? Does a dollar a mile sound reasonable? According to a recent Post article, some developers are considering premium pay fast lanes as a way to alleviate the area's notorious congestion. But the article left some readers with more questions than answers, and others sounding doubtful about the plan. Who pays and who benefits from these roads, wonders sdrawded, who complains that the article does not make clear the private-public divide, if any, in funding and maintaining private toll roads. "...Surely no one could have a problem with a truly private toll road. But a publicly supported one that only benefits a few wealthy entrepreneurs and drivers is monstrous."...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 14, 2005; 3:03 PM ET | Comments (1)
Narnia Reviews
As a huge, almost fanatical fan of C. S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" book series (which I just read out loud to my children this year), I've been on the fence about whether to see the new blockbuster movie, fearing my inner imaginings would be destroyed or dwarfed by the power of film. So rather than be swayed by another fawning professional review, I looked to the readers for guidance. "Narnia was all I imagined and more!" exclaims Rhoda. " C.S. Lewis's story is faithfully told in this adaptation of The Lion, The Witch,and the Wardrobe. I adored the entire film from start to finish... if you enjoy the books you'll adore the film." Tmkates agrees. "I just saw The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe...As I have read the entirety of the C.S. Lewis Chronicles seven times, I know that this film stays true to the magic and...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 13, 2005; 1:04 PM ET | Comments (6)
Death Penalty Debate
The execution of former gang leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams in California this week prompted differing views from readers on whether the reformed Crips founder deserved to die. Fairfal bemoans the seeming injustice shadowing the justice system. "A man nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and a few weeks ago a Viet Nam Veteran executed who probably had beer cans thrown at him on coming home from the war. What's wrong with this picture?"...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 13, 2005; 10:34 AM ET | Comments (4)
Redskins Win Is Nothing To Boast About
The Redskins' Sunday win against the Arizona Cardinals brought the fans out online. Some were grudgingly grateful for the seventh win, some harbored long shot hopes for an end-of-season miracle that would put the team in the playoffs and others emphatically did not. "Sadly, at this point we don't need to be in the playoffs," writes a downtrodden ceedogg. "We would be even more embarrassed than we have been all season." Leosport views things somewhat similarly. "Based on what we've seen over the last few weeks, does anyone think the Skins can win out this season? I would be shocked."...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 12, 2005; 1:21 PM ET | Email a Comment
War Criticism and The Polls
Are Democrats hurting their chances in future elections by airing concerns over the war in Iraq? A Post article says that some Democrats themselves are nervous about that possibility. Not all readers share those fears. DFRANTSEN thinks that those who are concerned lack the will to argue against the war. "Some Dems are just more worried about their future careers then in doing what is right."...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 8, 2005; 2:18 PM ET | Comments (5)
A Tortured Debate
Its got to be a pretty thankless task to lay out the pros and cons of whether the United States should be engaged in torture. But as Ron Nessen, post.com's Think Tank Town blogger, tells us, that's exactly what Hoover Institution author Victor Davis Hanson did recently. Has it clarified anything? Here's what the readers say: Harry suggests that a collective understanding of what torture really is, is eluding America after so many public disclosures of indignities and abuses in the war on terror. He wants to know where we draw the line. Later in the debate Rdrover challenged that point, saying there are ample public definitions used to define torture and establish policy. For him, we already know what is and is not torture....
By Lindsay Howerton | December 7, 2005; 1:24 PM ET | Comments (5)
Achenblog's Sex Talk
Joel Achenbach chimes in this morning with a blog entry on the balance between America's culture of gratuitous sex imagery and the pancultural norm of sex as a private issue that calls for circumspection. Of course, given the public nature of the blog, and the predominantly American audience, the readers are talking about the blog, rather than modestly blushing and glancing askance. JW proposed "that ones ability to navigate ones sex life has nothing to do with the size of one's compass. But a sextant might come in handy."...
By Lindsay Howerton | December 6, 2005; 12:43 PM ET | Comments (5)
Bush's Latest Speech on Iraq
In several areas of the site, readers are talking about the speech on Iraq that President Bush delivered yesterday at the Naval Academy. Vinh sees parallels with other U.S. involvements that he thinks should act as a cautionary tale to the Iraq endgame. "You have a large embassy. Please put a maximum number of helopads on the roof so the escape lines won't be so long this time." Onevoice8 sees the "Plan for Victory" banners flanking Bush at the speech as a desperate White House ploy rife with silly propaganda....
By Lindsay Howerton | December 1, 2005; 1:44 PM ET | Email a Comment
