Opinion Streams

In light of rising antipathy to the war in Iraq, is it now appropriate to revisit the question of whether any war can be justified?  That seems to be the question raised by Nicholson Baker in his new book “Human Smoke,” which seeks to reexamine whether World War II, our modern model of a “just war”, was “just” at all.  While I have not read Nicholson Baker’s book, and will not cast judgment on whether Baker is qualified to examine WWII (recall that Nicholson Baker also wrote “Vox”, which detailed a phone sex conversation and will have its place in history as the book Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton as a present), neither the particulars of “Human Smoke” nor of Nicholson Baker’s credibility are necessary for a discussion of the broader question presented by Baker (and, presumably, the pacifists for whom Baker purports to speak) - whether armed conflict is ever justified.

U.S. consumers may complain about being forced to sign up with AT&T to pick up a new iPhone 3G, but imagine having to pay $800 or even $900 for a new iPhone?!  Fortune magazine reports that such may be a reality for potential iPhone 3G customers around the globe.  According to Fortune, roughly 70% of mobile plans worldwide are pre-paid, which means that an overseas purchaser of an iPhone 3G won’t necessarily enjoy the subsidized $199 or $299 price-tag that comes with AT&T’s 2-year contract.  In Italy, for example, iPhones will cost between 499 euros ($778) for the 8 GB iPhone 3G and 569 euros ($888) for the 16 GB model.  In South Africa, the iPhone 3G is expected to cost the equivalent of $877.  A research firm interviewed by Furtune speculates that as global availability of the iPhone 3G normalizes, the price of a pre-paid phone should average around $600.

this is another test post.  still just trying to see what the posts look like….  sodifsodifnoidsfosidfjdof fds fdsfoidsfoisdfojsdfjd sf a fodfisdjfoisjdfoisdjfds fdsfoifdjsdfjdsofjdslmfldskjfoi fdsfkjdslkfjda;fja;lfjdsof fadslkfjas;lfdjfds adsflkdsfjoasdfialkdsfjdsof fadskfjasldfjalkdsfj sdfklfjasldf jdlksf f dskflakdfjsldkfjad  f f sokdfjalkfdjslfd ds fadfklsjdfoijdsflkdsjfoidsfjds f ldfkjsdfjasoidfjlsdkfjliksdfjlk faoewirjfelkwjflksdmnvsdlkfjasoij fa dofiajdlkfj asfdsfjlkasdjfoiejlk fds ofjdsif aslkdfj dsfoisdfjlkajdsf  fakdfjads fdskf fds dsfjkldsjfsjfdlkjdsf adf ifdjsdofjsdlkfj asdf asoifdjlaksd f ofjaldfjadsf asoidfjsldfjodsf safd fdkndsljf dsjkfsidfjsidfm sd fsifjldsfjds fkdsjfiojfddsf

I wrote this as a test post just to see how it works. aoaodifsdfiosjdfjofjodsf fadsofinsdoifnsdiofd fadfoisadfodsfn dsofoidsnfosdf doafidofosdfoisd fa fodfjoadsfn af dof asf dfodsif  f aodsfjaoidsfofdsmsdf dof idaf saofdj aof dsf asofd ds fjsdfi adf asodf asoidjfoiasj dfijdsflkdsjflkdsjfosdivcjodlksdnv df odsifjlsdkfnlds f df sidfjosidjflksdjf odsf fkdsfja soifdj askdf sfd iaosjfdoisdf sdjflksdjflkdsfjoidsjflk df sodfiasfj slkfdjalfds aosfddsf dsfjdskfjdslkfjidsofj ds ffdjdsofjkasdfjlkdsfj dsofsd.

that’s the post.