Over the past half year, I have become a huge fan of theDailyBeast.
theDailyBeast is the other website for Newsweek – very provocative and opinionated articles, thus in the manner of Fox New not bound by rigorous no-bias paternalistic standards of Newsweek. The difference between the two is the spice that makes the two work well together. Newsweek, rational and very well researched articles by Sharon Begley or Gary Taubes, TheBeast has opinion and analyses all over the place with a distinctly Liberal bias but it gives voice to conservative viewpoint from the likes of David Frum to Andrew Sullivan. TheBeast follows the HuffingtonPost into many pop culture topics but has few if any serf writers like the HuffPost. In fact the line-up of writers is really quite good-Howard Kurtz, Andrew Sullivan, Peter Beinart, David Frum, Michael Tomasky and a host of Newsweek writer like Gary Taubes who does a great expose on the anti-obesity groups who fall wayshort in their campaign against obesity.
One of the great pleasure each week is TheBeast weekend Best Long Reads on the Web. It is a little mainstream, but still the stories are quite excellent. It is in that spirit that I provide the top five long reads at TheBeast:
Gary Taubes This Is Why We Are So Fat from Newsweek – shows how the Anti-Obesity groups have been co-opted by the various industry lobbies.
Paul Krugman – Austerity Is So Wrong – a detailed excerpt from Paul’s new book on the Austerity Trap.
Peter Boyer, Peter Shweizer – Has Obama Sold Out to the Banks – shows that indeed Obama has. The most that can be hoped for is a change to the Bush tax cuts that taxes the 1.0% more fairly. But kiss good bye any prosecution of bankers for their wrong doings leading up to, during and after the financial crisis despite the many special reports and Congressional leaders that have called for just such prosecutions. It turns out Eric Holder as Attorney General is like former Economics Advisor Larry Summers and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, absolutely beholden to the financial community. So likewise do not expect Banks to be broken up or the Volcker Rule to make the Cut given the amount of campaign financing Obama has gotten from the financial community – it looks like Obama the Beholden.
Peter Beinart – Why are Obama’s Stump Speeches Slumping – No longer is the US leading on Climate Change or any other major policy issues – Realitat is a new balance of power in the World until gross environmental degradation catches up with the developing countries. But this inaction is also a function of policy paralysis in the Federal Government.
Masha Gessen – Does Kasparov Have Any Moves Left? – The Chessmaster faces the Russian Politcal Meister, Putin who appears to have the end game at hand for Kasparov.
Bon appetit!