A Few Articles: Freedom & Terrorism; Bits of America; Bloggers' Influence; and Expulsion

Here are a few articles that came to my attention within the past few days. Freedom Squelches Terrorist Violence Alberto Abadie, a researcher at the Kennedy School of Government, finds no relationship between a nation's wealth and the level of terrorism it experiences. But he does find that the levels of political freedom a nation affords directly affects the severity of terrorism in that nation. The Unofficial America Rebecca Solnit believes that splendid insurrectionary things are bubbling up at the margins of American culture. Ms. Solnit wrote this feature prior to the election, so it is a particularly interesting read now in the light of that election's results. Considered "our historian of hope" [TomDispatch.com], Rebecca Solnit is an author and regular columnist for Orion magazine. Her most recent book is RIVER OF SHADOWS. Web of Influence

What kind of blog would I be running if I didn't include an article about blogs? Written by Daniel W. Drezner and Henry Farrell, this article at foreignpolicy.com examines the influence bloggers have had on traditional media ... and policymakers.

Declaration of Expulsion: A Modest Proposal Well, it's not only liberal/progressive journalists and essayists who have been spewing vitriol after the election. Mike Thompson, past chairman of the Florida Conservative Union, decides it's time to reconfigure the United States along "us vs. them" lines. He calls for the literal expulsion of "Blue States" (those that voted for Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004) from the Union. And he outlines just how this unthinkable proposal could feasibly be accomplished. Two Americas, indeed. Warning -- this one might upset you.