Palin reignites America's culture wars

The Republican Party's vice presidential nominee fires up social conservatives in a revival of the culture wars of the 1990s while the Democratic campaign aims to focus on America's ailing economy. With tacit approval from the United States, Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of the slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is elected as Pakistan's new president. Ukraine remains uneasy about Nato.

"The culture wars are making a sudden and unexpected encore in American politics, turning more ferocious virtually by the hour as activists on both sides of the ideological divide react to the addition of Alaska Gov Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket," wrote Jim Vandehei and David Paul Kuhn in Politico. In the Los Angeles Times, Dick Meyer said: "The idea that there is vast war over the moral and spiritual compass of the nation is a dramatic narrative, and it has dominated popular political analysis for nearly two decades. It makes for potent, inflammatory political commercials. It just doesn't have the added virtue of being true. "In 1991, a scholar at the University of Virginia named James Davison Hunter coined a term that has haunted us ever since in his provocative book, 'Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America.' His argument was that America's history of religious pluralism had devolved into two antagonistic movements, one progressive and the other orthodox or fundamental. But Hunter also noted, 'In truth, most Americans occupy a vast middle ground between the polarising impulses of American culture.' That was and remains the case." The Politico report continued: "Until last week's Palin pick, many of these issues [like abortion, same sex issues, the teaching of evolution in public schools, the whole role of what religion plays in public life] seemed to be receding. The National Review last year published an article titled 'A Farewell to Culture Wars.' "No official cease-fire had been called, of course. But McCain and Barack Obama were not inclined to make this campaign a big fight over family values issues - for different reasons. "McCain is a social conservative but clearly uncomfortable talking about his personal faith and personal issues, such as gay marriage. His comfort zone is talking about national security and the federal budget. Obama is a social liberal who has little interest in making this campaign about anything other than the economy, the war and the need to shake up Washington. " 'Something happens in the political realm that tends to trigger the culture wars re-emergence. So it's always below the surface,' said James Davidson Hunter..." In Time magazine, Amy Sullivan noted: "While Palin is inspiring rhapsodies from the lions of the Christian right, her appeal to more moderate and younger Evangelicals - as well as independent swing voters - may be limited. "Lost in the stampede of social conservatives to embrace Palin this past week is the fact that she is culturally outside the mainstream of Evangelicalism. Over the past few years, a growing number of Evangelicals have been consciously distancing themselves from the more extreme stands of the Christian right. They live in the suburbs, hold graduate degrees, and while they might not want their children reading certain novels, would be embarrassed by attempts to ban certain books from libraries, as Palin is reported to have briefly considered while mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. They don't attend churches where speakers charge that violence against Israelis is divine punishment for the failure of Jews to accept Jesus, as happened at one of Palin's churches two weeks ago (though Palin has now issued a statement saying she does not agree with those views). And they would disagree with Palin's decision to use her line-item veto as Governor to slash funding for an Alaska shelter that serves teen mothers." Reporting on the final phase of the presidential election campaign, The New York Times said: "The first day of campaigning after the conventions suggested the contours of the two months ahead: the Obama campaign will use the deteriorating economy to try to link Mr McCain to President Bush's economic policies, and Ms Palin will be deployed to rally the Republican base as the main weapon against Mr Obama. "Mr McCain stayed away from negative attacks on Friday. But in a clear dig at Mr Obama, Ms Palin told the throng in Sterling Heights [near Detroit]: 'In politics there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are some candidates like John McCain who use their careers to promote change.' "Mr Obama's advisers scoffed at the pageantry and Mr McCain's embrace of the 'change' theme. " 'Simply saying the word does not make you the agent of change,' said David Axelrod, Mr Obama's top political strategist. "They also said Mr McCain had failed to address voters' fundamental concerns about the economy. Mr Obama himself drew sharp distinctions between himself and his Republican rivals as he seized upon Friday's news that the nation lost more than 80,000 jobs last month."

Zardari elected as Pakistan's new president

"Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of the slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a controversial politician with little experience in governing, was elected president of Pakistan on Saturday," The New York Times reported. "The elevation of Mr Zardari to the presidency, where he will have great powers, including the ability to dissolve Parliament and name the head of the Pakistani Army, comes with the tacit approval of the United States. "Mr Zardari has promised a tougher fight against the Taliban and al Qa'eda extremists ensconced in the nation's tribal areas, from which they mount assaults on American and Nato troops fighting in Afghanistan. "His election coincides with a stepped-up effort by the United States to root out the Taliban and al Qa'eda from the tribal areas. American commandos mounted a raid into South Waziristan on Wednesday against Taliban forces, the first of what United States military officials said could be a continuing campaign." The Los Angeles Times reported: "Pakistani officials said US troops flew into South Waziristan by helicopter in the raid and that as many as 20 people were killed, many thought to be civilians. The White House, State Department and Pentagon all moved to clamp down on administration discussion of the assault, but government officials confirmed the broad details provided by the Pakistani government. "US military officials insisted that there was no new policy authorising an increase in raids into Pakistan. Assaults by US special operations forces into Pakistan have taken place before, and US-operated unmanned aircraft have attacked sites believed to be used by militants. "But pressure has been building within the military for more aggressive use of existing practices as US casualties have increased with the rising number of attacks carried out in Afghanistan by militants based in Pakistan." In The Guardian, Simon Tisdall, commenting on Pakistan's new president, said: "Zardari does not immediately stand out as the person best equipped to tackle Pakistan's myriad problems. Yet because he is expected to renege on a promise to curb the sweeping authority accumulated by Musharraf, he is set to become the country's most powerful civilian president ever. Some see this as a high price to pay for democracy. " 'Some people call Pakistan a rogue state. Now it's going to be a rogue's state,' said a former senior government official. 'Zardari will have the power to appoint a prime minister, dissolve parliament and appoint the chief of the armed forces. He will be in charge of the nuclear command authority, which oversees Pakistan's nuclear weapons arsenal. His style of leadership combines arrogance with ignorance and cronyism. He has no real party platform. What we are looking at is the rise of a civilian dictator.' "So harsh a verdict, delivered before Zardari takes office, may be a trifle premature. Less impassioned observers say two factors are key to whether he will be an effective leader. One is the attitude of the US. On pragmatic grounds but also because of its ideological commitment to supporting democracy, Washington has taken a back seat so far as the political process unfolds. For his part Zardari pledged this week to maintain the US alliance and help prosecute the 'war on terror'. But his reliability is questioned. "The other, crucial factor affecting Zardari's prospects and continued good health is his relationship with the army. If he keeps on the right side of the generals, he may keep his head. But a failed attempt to rein in the Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency has already caused a frisson. And critics suggest his habit of over-reaching is likely, sooner or later, to bring him into conflict with army chiefs."

Ukraine uneasy about Nato

"Dick Cheney, the US Vice-President, upbraided Ukraine's bickering leaders on Friday as he warned that Russia was using blackmail and intimidation to divide America's allies," The Daily Telegraph reported. "After separate meetings with Ukraine's pro-Western president Victor Yushchenko and reformist Prime Minister Julia Timoshenko in Kiev, Mr Cheney made clear the depth of Washington's concerns over Moscow's spreading influence among its eastern neighbours. " 'We believe in the right of men and women to live without the threat of tyranny, economic blackmail or military invasion or intimidation,' Mr Cheney declared. 'Ukraine's best hope to overcome these threats is to be united - united domestically first and foremost, and united with other democracies.' " Olexiy Solohubenko, Europe editor for the BBC said: "Unlike Georgia, where Mr Cheney received overwhelming support, attitudes in Ukraine are more nuanced. "It is one of those cases when less is more. "The less Dick Cheney touches upon the theme of Nato, the more the chance that the current political stand-off in Ukraine will be resolved in a more dignified manner. "The point is not only that according to opinion polls most Ukrainians would rather stay out of Nato, but also that Ukraine's leadership is far from united on the issue."