WHAT THE WORLD IS READING

Benjamin Wittes calls the disclosure of the Bush administration’s torture memo ‘less an exercise in news than archaeology’. It’s no secret that John Yoo, the lawyer responsible for the sweeping legal rewrite that allowed the executive to run amok, and permit interrogation methods that respected no human rights, still ‘casts a long shadow’ on America. The article asks hard questions about what to do with previous detainees and future interrogations, while formulating a future policy on interrogation and oversight—and how merely demonizing Yoo is no answer.

When Did You Stop Wanting to be President?,

Harpers

Harpers dredges up this rather sweet question from its archives, an ‘unscientific poll of interested parties’ in 1975, from William S Burroughs to Eugene McCarthy. Most interesting response: ‘I never started’, from ex-governor of California Ronald Reagan, voicing his concern about public expectations of the American presidency, and insisting ‘the job must seek the man’.

Falling Out of Love With Bill, New York

The piece tracks Bill Clinton, from his sleazoid personal history, to his admittedly stunning performance as ex-president, his ‘energizer bunny philanthropism’, his smarts and his way with people. But Democrats are decidedly a lot less in love with Bubba today, because of the lowdown attacks he’s leveled at Obama. Clinton feels his legacy threatened by Obama, the new and improved version; Clinton’s packaged sincerity looks awful in contrast to the candour and vulnerability of everyone in the campaign.

Dream Team, Vogue

The April issue (theme: sportstars and models) generated some scandalised buzz for its cover, a brawny Lebron James holding up blonde supermodel Gisele Bundchen in a manner that uncomfortably aped the King Kong poster; blurring the line between a racist image and an image that comments on racism. The cheap thrills are skin-deep though — the story itself is a bland piece on the body-shapes and workouts of a few supernaturally sexy specimens.

And the hilarious it-blog of the moment is of course, Stuff White People Like. (Specifically, white American liberals—but then again, why bother with specifics?) Here are five in random order:

Sushi: It’s everything they want: foreign culture, expensive, healthy, and hated by the ‘uneducated’.

Travelling: Every white person takes at least one trip to Europe between the ages of 17-29. They are likely to wear a backpack, stay at a hostel, get drunk, see some old churches. All white people have pretty much the same experience, but all of them believe theirs to be the first of its kind.

Awareness: They believe all of the world’s problems can be solved through “awareness” — making other people aware of problems, and then magically someone else will fix it.

Modern furniture: When you need to improve your connection with a white person, just mention how you hope to be able to afford an original piece of furniture by . If they have heard of the designer they will nod in agreement, if they have not, they will also nod in agreement and make a note to look it up later.

Having gay friends: If white people could draft friends the way that the NFL drafts prospects, it would go like this: black friends, gay friends, and then all other minorities would be drafted based on need and rarity to the region.

For more visit stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com