Must Read Piece in the <em>New York Review of Books</em>: Iraq -- The Way To Go

This piece in the most recent edition of NYRB is the best summary of the situation in Iraq I've ever read. It's a mainstream liberal point of view -- critical, but with the limitations built into that framework. Still, for cogency and impact it can't be beat. Peter Galbraith knows his stuff and he can also write.

This essay is ideal for anyone you know who is still sitting on the fence or even holding out for the Bush policy. And I can't imagine a better basis for a class discussion on Iraq come September, so educators ought to look this over too.

In general, by the way, The New York Review of Books has been doing a lot of very accessible things on politics and popular culture recently. In the same edition that features the Galbraith piece, for example, there's a terrific analysis of The Sopranos which anyone who liked that show will appreciate. It still publishes erudite essays about scholarly books on ancient Greek poetry and Asian monarchies few people ever heard of, but there's always a mix these days. It will reward consideration by serious people who aren't necessarily academics or intellectuals.