Nation Topics - Society | The Nation

This article reviews the books "Shakespeare: The Biography," by Peter Ackroyd, "Shadowplay: The Hidden Beliefs and Coded Politics of William Shakespeare," by Clare Asquith and "'Shakespeare' By Another Name: The Life of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, the Man Who Was Shakespeare" by Mark Anderson.

The article reflects on protests in Islamabad, Pakistan over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that were published in several European newspapers. The article suggests that the demonstrations are also a challenge to Pakistani President-General Pervez Musharraf. His main challenger is the Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a parliamentary coalition of Pakistan's main Islamist parties. It insists that the large-scale protests were instigated by the Jamaat Islami, the dominant faction of the MMA, which has forged an alliance with its middle-class cadre and alienated youth.

This article reflects on the Palestinian elections in which Hamas gained control of the Palestinian Authority's legislature. It argues that the United States' insistence that Hamas recognize Israel, renounce violence and agree to abide by Israeli-Palestinian agreements or suffer a cutoff of all aid to the country is short-sighted and dangerous. The author believes that respect for the United States in the Arab world, already in short supply, will suffer further if Washington refuses to accept the results of the free and fair Palestinian elections.

This article reflects on illegal immigration to the United States. In December of 2005, the House passed the Sensenbrenner bill, which the article suggests is one of the most draconian pieces of anti-immigrant legislation in a generation. Vigilante Minutemen, no longer content to patrol the borders looking for illegal immigrants to arrest, have taken to chasing day laborers at pickup sites. Two-thirds of the American population think that illegal immigration is a serious problem.

This article discusses the raising and hunting of bobwhite quails and United States Vice President Dick Cheney's accidental shooting of his friend and fellow hunter Harry Whittington while hunting the birds. Quality-of-life indicators for the little bird have been on a steady downward tangent ever since the late nineteenth century. Quail habitat in Texas is minimally improving, as ranch managers try to adapt the terrain from the needs of cattle to quail and other hunting targets.

This article reviews the films "Our Brand Is Crisis," directed by Rachel Boynton and "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days," directed by Marc Rothemund and starring Julia Jentsch.

The article provides short reflections to United States political news stories. News stories looked at include the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing concerning the National Security Agency surveillance scandal, the investigation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Vice-President Richard Cheney's hunting accident, requests for replacement of Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown, and ways to lessen the effects of global warming.

This article reflects on the 2006 annual budget laid out by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. It argues that Bush's spending priorities in his budget proposal distort what matters to United States citizens. It questions why the Pentagon needs so much money if the Iraq War is allegedly winding down. It offers information on funds to domestic programs in the areas of education, healthcare, food assistance, and Medicare that are being cut from the budget.

The article reviews the book "The Oxford History of Western Music," by Richard Taruskin.

This article reviews the films "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Julio Cesar Cedillo, "Battle in Heaven," starring Marcos Hernánandez and Anapola Mushkadiz, "Blossoms of Fire," and "The Fallen Idol," directed by Carol Reed, starring Bobby Henrey and Ralph Richardson.