Wednesday's Daily Brief: Arianna on Austerity, Romney Campaigns With Trump, Charles Taylor Sentenced, Plus Cenk Uygur, Dan Rather, Alex McCord

Wednesday, May 30, 2012 Arianna Huffington: Austerity: 2011's Darling Becomes 2012's Pariah Arianna Huffington: There's a new scarlet letter in town. Actually, it's the same letter -- "A" -- but it stands for a different word that's increasingly regarded as shameful: Austerity. The darling idea of 2010 and 2011 has become the pariah concept of 2012. And the evidence of profound change is all around, from France and Greece to Germany and -- gasp -- the Republican Party. The change, when it comes to the conventional wisdom on austerity, has come from a combination of public pressure and leadership: one pushing up from below, the other pressing down from above. None of this means that we should break out the Keynesian champagne any time soon. But it's clear the forces of austerity are in retreat. And that's a very good thing. POLITICS Donald Trump Can't Be Controlled, Causes Major Headache For Mitt Romney WORLD Charles Taylor Sentenced To 50 Years In Jail POLITICS Pot Supporter Wins Texas Congress Race POLITICS Obama Policy: Proximity To Terrorists Makes You A Terrorist TECHNOLOGY Mark Zuckerberg's Fortune Takes Big Hit BLOG POSTS Cenk Uygur: What Did Obama Mean by Change? Even the most ardent Obama supporter can't in good conscience or sound mental state argue that President Obama has changed the way Washington works. He's just played the game a little better. Andrew Bacevich: The Golden Age of Special Operations When it comes to military policy, the Obama administration's success in shutting down wars conducted in plain sight tells only half the story, and the lesser half at that. Timothy Noah: Why Edward Conard Is Wrong About Income Inequality Edward Conard has gotten a lot of press lately for writing a book that praises income inequality. Indeed, it is hard to ignore the hasty and ill-informed arguments he makes. Alex McCord: Baby Name or Weapon of Mass Humiliation? What's the worst thing you've ever let your older child do to the younger one? Dan Rather: The Day That Was I recently returned to Pearl Harbor for a documentary film about that day of infamy and its many ripples through the subsequent 70 years of history. It was deeply personal work because I worry that the lessons of that day are in danger of being forgotten.

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