George Will surprise

No, it’s not a dessert or a variety show. George Will’s bi-weekly column is probably my favorite thing about Newsweek (edging out riot-inducing, retractable stories). His current column contains a nice array of stunning factoids about our surprising universe and (somewhat awkwardly) uses that as a way to say that we ought to be careful about claiming too much certainty. It’s interesting coming from Will, as he is typically passionate (in his intellectual, conservative way) about ideas. Perhaps his point as simple as someone quoted someone else to me yesterday: ideas are good; ideology is bad. (But I wonder if that’s not a bit too facile.) Anyway, not his best-written column, but the one I chose to share.

Notwithstanding my smart-aleck crack above, I’ve been dismayed by the violence and deaths in Afghanistan and Pakistan in response to allegations of Qur’an desecration at Guantanamo. It’s my own ignorance, but I did not appreciate the regard for the physical Qur’an and/or the depth of anger and resentment of the US that this story released. The deaths are obviously tragic for their families, but the broader situation is very discouraging for US policy and foreign relations. What do we do to improve things?

As for Newsweek, it’s a chilling confirmation that they and their traditional media brethren still do matter; it’s not just about blogs and talking heads. (But remember, dear readers, it’s Newsweek. If the story’s not about P Diddy, it’s probably best to take it with a grain of salt.)