March 2003

Commentary: Suicide Bombs
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says Iraq's tactics in the current war remind us that in an asymmetrical conflict, two sides don't always fight by the same rules.

Commentary: Student Loans
Commentator Jeremy Richards -- like lots of Americans -- has student loans he's having trouble paying back. So he has a proposal for the Department of Education: They forgive his debt, and they can repossess his education.

Talking Carp
Commentator Andrei Codrescu reflects on the story of a carp that allegedly shouted in Hebrew in an upstate New York fish market. He says Catholics have seen religious messages on tortillas and no one laughed, but everyone is laughing at this story and calling the fish-story believers "meshugeneh," Yiddish for "crazy."

Moment of Truth
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says President Bush's basis for invading Iraq rests on the assumption that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. As specialists assemble in Kuwait, preparing to search for the weapons, Mr. Bush is surely hoping for a moment of truth.

'Carried You'
Commentator Katie Davis learns what it is to be "carried," or disrespected, when she's trying to resolve a dispute on behalf of a young friend. Embarrassed by her lack of gumption, she vows to never get "carried" again.

The Optometrist
Commentator Elissa Ely finds herself a captive listener to her optometrist's tale of vision restored.

The End of Diplomacy
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that the end of the U.N. diplomatic process demonstrates an erosion of the democratic principles the Bush administration says it's working to uphold.

The Networks and Rent-A-General
As the broadcast networks prepare to cover a war, they are hiring temporary employees and consultants, observes commentator Jake Tapper. Chief among them are retired generals.

'Force for Good'
Yesterday, we heard from a commentator who expressed his concern that the use of military force in Iraq is not well-advised. Today, another view on the appropriateness of the use of American military force --- all over the world -- from commentator and Navy pilot Ken Harbaugh. He says the U.S. military is a force for good in the world -- in Kosovo, Taiwan, Afghanistan -- and what motivates him and his colleagues is a sense of moral obligation as participants in the most powerful fighting force in the world.

Logic of War
The deliberations at the U.N. over possible military action in Iraq have included thousands of pages of documents and hours of debate. But after all of that evidence and discussion, commentator Peter Freundlich says he's still having trouble making sense of it all.

A Religious Conversion
Commentator Paul Ford spent his life revering his much older brother from afar. But when Greg called to talk about becoming a Catholic, Paul realized he did not want to witness his brother's conversion -- but he went anyway. Paul Ford writes for ftrain.com.

Analysis: Coalition Building
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says coalition-building, even with close allies, is a frustrating process.

Professionals
Commentator Andrei Codrescu contemplates the professionals who surround his life: plumbers, tilers, astrologers, therapists. It's all one set of professionals helping the next.

The How and Why
When he was a child, Leon Wynter's mother paid a traveling salesman in $10 monthly installments for a children's encyclopedia, the Childcraft How and Why books. He loved them and wanted his daughter to have a set. In 20 minutes he'd purchased a set on E-Bay. It was funny, almost unfair, that it was so quick and easy to give his daughter something his parents scrimped and struggled for to give to him.

The Winter Blahs
It's still winter in Pennsylvania and commentator Marion Winik is losing interest.

The Stock Market
Three years ago, March 10, 2000, the Nasdaq went above 5,000. Today, it closed below 1,300. But commentator Roben Farzad, a staff writer for Smart Money magazine, hopes it won't take another three years to bring the Nasdaq back up.

Martha Stewart Cloned
Commentator Doug Gordon has been doing some investigating into the life of Martha Stewart and has made a shocking discovery about the queen of house wares.

American Anxiety, Part III
The possibility of war, terrorist threats, and uncertainties about the economy all contribute to anxieties about the future. We've heard commentaries about the tensions from a university professor and the wife of a Marine. Today, we offer another view from novelist Alexs Pate. His most recent novel is West of Rehoboth. He says he's afraid that war will not be followed by peace, but by more war and tension.

'Subway Q & A'
Commentator Daniel Pinkwater praises a local New York City cable TV show called Subway Q & A. A man with a microphone and camera wanders the underground transit system asking people their innermost fears and thoughts, and also trying to persuade them to do stunts such as sing, dance, dress up funny, flirt with strangers and more. Pinkwater considers it his favorite TV show and watches it over and over.

The Death of Stalin
NPR Senior News Analyst Dan Schorr recalls the circumstances surrounding Josef Stalin's death 50 years ago.

Anxiety in America, Part II
There's an undeniable tension in the nation, created by prospects of war and terrorist attacks. This week, we present commentaries from Americans about their anxieties. Today's comment comes from Kelli Kirwan, wife of a U.S. Marine. She says that during the Gulf War, she only worried for her husband's safety as he left for the Persian Gulf. Now, she and her friends are also concerned there could be a terrorist attack at home, and the service members who are shipping out are worried about the safety of their families in a way they did not during the Gulf War.

Anxiety in America, Part I
The possibility of a war has created anxiety in the nation. Over the next few days we will present people in different parts of the country, with differing political views and personal concerns, about their fears for the future. We begin with commentator Fenton Johnson. Johnson's book, Keeping Faith: A Skeptic's Journey, will be published next month by Houghton Mifflin.

Small Voices Talk about War
The debate over possible military action against Iraq has taken place in big, international forums like the United Nations and NATO. But these kinds of discussions also are going on between individuals, like commentator and Navy pilot Ken Harbaugh and his friend Rebecca. Rebecca hates the military and recently protested outside of a Navy recruiting office. Ken thinks it's important for him to talk to Rebecca every once in a while, because in his military world people like Rebecca are scorned as part of the "civilian elite," and he wants her to know that not all members of the military are bloodthirsty ogres.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Commentator Andrei Codrescu tells the story of a woman offering to show him her breasts in exchange for Mardi Gras trinkets. Codrescu offers a portrait of New Orleans in all of its glorious weirdness.

The Boss
Commentator Hollis Gillespie has a friend who is sleeping with her boss, and Gillespie keeps telling her it's a bad career move. One time, one of Gillespie's fellow waitresses was sleeping with the boss in order to keep her job. She was trying to support a 6-year-old daughter.

A Democratic Iraq
NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says the future of democracy in a liberated Iraq is uncertain.

'Kodak Moments'
Commentator Lenore Skenazy considers how photography and home videos distort our memories. She says we save the happy moments to show us at our best, and the moments of mess and confusion are lost.

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