Stealth Change Going On @ NY Times?

The editorial page of the New York Times has become conspicuous with a new style of editorial, one geared to reality and reason. In fact, there are whiffles of patriotism in these editorial plants. If the Times is trying to sneak back into its former reputation of being a good newspaper, we can only say "Hoorah!"

Here is a sample from today:

Facing Facts on Iran - New York Times, March 9, 2006

If reality bent to tough talk, Iran would have been forced to stop its uranium enrichment program a long time ago. The Bush administration sounded very stern this week in swatting down a tentative Russian attempt to work out a compromise with Tehran. Unfortunately, the depressing truth is that the United States has very few other options when it comes to making Iran stop working on projects that could lead to nuclear weapons, and Iran knows it... [From Jimmy Carter to this very day, we have allowed the Iranian monster to thrive, a la Nazi Germany.]

[T]he United States, which snubbed the United Nations when it came to Iraq, now wants the Security Council to solve the Iran problem by denouncing Tehran and, if that doesn't work, by perhaps imposing sanctions. The trouble is that other Council members are considered extremely unlikely to agree to sanctions, given, among other things, the dependence of some of those members on Iranian oil...But a look at the alternatives currently available makes anything that would delay that process seem worth pursuing. And a strong, unified international accord behind such a deal could send a message to Iran that the world community is prepared to work to frustrate the worst of Tehran's nuclear ambitions...

[P]erhaps the following bears repeating once again:


...¶American policies in the Middle East have made Iran incalculably more powerful than it was before the invasion of Iraq, while virtually eliminating any room for maneuvering when it comes to deploying the U.S. military. [Iran may force us to war with them.]

¶Until the United States makes a serious attempt to cut down on its domestic use of oil, there will be no way for it to lecture any of its allies for wanting to maintain good relations with an oil supplier like Iran.

(Emphases mine)

These editorials are not "there" yet, but they are inching along, stealthily.