The Cartoons
A great post by fellow-TMV author and resident cartoonist Daryl Cagle on his trip through Israel, Palestine, and Egypt and his discussions with Arab cartoonists (on what they drew, on how it would be seen stateside as anti-Semitic, on their own perception of their work, and other fascinating topics).

Peace Through Strength!
Hugo Chavez raises tensions with neighboring Columbia, tells troops to prepare for war: "The best way to avoid war is preparing for it," Chavez told military officers during his weekly television and radio program. Venezuela's socialist leader has also cited a recent deal between Bogota and Washington giving U.S. troops greater access to military bases as a threat to regional stability.I don't have any intrinsic problem with Venezuela demonstrating defensive military readiness. It's in an unstable region; it needs to self-help. But we shouldn't be

Turkish PM: Muslims Can't Commit Genocide
In the course of arguing (surprise) that Israel's operation in Gaza (estimated number of deaths: circa 2,000) constituted graver war crimes that the Darfur genocide (estimated number of deaths: 200-300,000 as of 2008), Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated"It is not possible for those who belong to the Muslim faith to carry out genocide."I suppose definitional impossibility is the strongest argument I've heard buttressing Turkey's childish and appalling r

Mofaz Wants to Talk With Hamas, Hamas Says Absolutely Not
And 'round and round we go: The Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip said Sunday that they would never negotiate with the "Zionist enemy", hours after Kadima MK Shaul Mofaz presented a plan to hold talks with the group and establish a Palestinian state in 60 percent of the West Bank within one year.In its official response, Hamas called Mofaz's offer "Zionist vulgarity" and said it would never recognize Israel or give legitimacy to the occupation.Incidentally, that 60% figure is provisional, a set up figure to get the ball rolling and push the dream of statehood closer.

Cuban Dissident Beaten by Security Forces
Story here (via). The victim was a prominent political blogger on her way to a peaceful march. “No blood, but black and blues, punches, pulled hairs, blows to the head, kidneys, knee and chest,” Sánchez told El Nuevo Herald shortly after she and Orlando Luis Pardo were freed. “In sum, professional violence.”“I, being a person of verbal pacifism, am shaken by this violence, because violence silences anyone,” the blogger declared in a telephone interview.Thugs.