Jottings from the Granite Studio

From Arts & Letters Daily comes two articles on the role and responsibility of public intellectuals, particularly those on the left. In the London Review of Books, Tony Judt wonders why liberal intellectuals have been so strangely acquiescent given the catastrophic policies of the Bush 43 administration. Check out the blissfully titled “Bush’s Useful Idiots: The Strange Death of Liberal America.” James Pierson laments the fall of the public intellectual and the dearth of “Men of Letters” in today’s techno-society. Maybe it’s all because, as Robert Andrews writes in Wired, 9/11 was the “Birth of the Blog,” (Thanks to Cliopatria for the tip) and the beginnings of the silicon-roots movement.

Then again, who needs liberal criticism when you have conservative tanistry? Christopher Buckley has a scathing piece in the Washington Monthly taking Bush 43 to a little place we in New Hampshire like to refer to as “behind the woodshed.” (Thanks to Richard at TPD for the link.)

Finally, news this week that former laundress Rebiya Kadeer has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as the Nobel committee continues its infliction of “torture by a thousand nominations” on the CCP. Kadeer, a member of the Uighur people and a Muslim, was nominated for being a champion of “the rights of western China’s Uighur ethnic group and is one of China’s most prominent advocates of women’s rights.” Kadeer was jailed for five years by the Chinese government. She was released and exiled but rather than fade into obscurity, Kadeer has remained an outspoken voice of Uighur nationalism. In July, CDT reported that Kadeer’s son, Alim Abdiriyim, was tortured into admitting the crime of ’separatism.’

The reaction by the Chinese government to Kadeer’s nomination was predictably sullen. Qin Gang, Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday that Kadeer, “was arrested for endangering national security and sentenced. She connives with terrorist forces abroad and engages in anti-Chinese secessionist movements.” The Xinjiang blog, The Opposite End of China, published a great post on the nomination this past week. Also, check out Angry Chinese Blogger for more on the CCP reaction to the news.