On Election Day, Latin America Willingly Trades Machismo for Female Clout →

This is really impressive, given how quickly things have changed. Though "such advances are partly the result of quotas", public opinion may have dramatically shifted:

“The gains for women in politics in various countries have been remarkable, reflecting a broad shift in thinking,” said Marta Lagos, the director of a Chilean polling firm that works throughout Latin America. She said that about 80 percent of people in the region now thought that women should participate in politics, up from about 30 percent in the early 1990s.

 

The U.S. has some catching up to do.

Federal Judge Rules Against N.S.A. Phone Data Program →

Ruled against, but what I'm hearing is that it's only "possibly" unconstitutional.

In fact, Benjamin Wittes, over on the Lawfare Blog, finds the opinion rather odd:

For one thing, it’s focused on a constitutional matter on which the 215 program is—at least under current doctrine—on pretty solid ground. And it ignores, because of the judge’s Administrative Procedures Act ruling, the issue on which the 215 program stands on far shakier ground: that is, the statutory question of whether the program is, in fact, authorized by Section 215 of the Patriot Act.

And here's a nice summary (with links to others' opinions).

Parental Leave 20 Years After FMLA →

The letter seems to have missed the spirit of the law. Several things stand out, but one caught my eye: while women continue to temporarily leave the work force more than men (for various reasons), continuing wage discrimination means they can afford to less so than men. It's still a story of socioeconomic "necessity" that they do so.

Mandela and the Question of Violence →

I particularly like the quotes from Malcolm X and King. The weak may have to endure what they must, but don't be surprised when they punch you in the nose. And don't forget any "great" country's roots.