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Thank you for your kind (and unkind) letters from Canada, America, and Norway. Mark reads all the letters, but especially enjoys the vicious ones. Drop a line to Mark's Mailbox and if you're chosen to be the one and only Letter of the Week you'll join our roll of winners from four Continents and receive a copy of "Mark Steyn From Head To Toe". It would help if you could indicate your city or town, or, at least, your state, province or country. Failing that, your continent or hemisphere would do.
Letter of the Week
HOW SICK IS THAT?
There is a profound sickness in this land.
Borrowing obscene amounts of money to fix the consequences of borrowing obscene amounts of money does not appear to be a cure to me.
Having said that, the Texas governor recently blasted the 'bailout mentality' but would take Texas' share of the stimuli. He understands that even though here in Texas we generally do not agree with the principle of it, well, it's coming and if Texas wants to blunt the blow of paying it back, Texans best scrap to get some fraction of what Texas taxpayers will be required to pay in .
Because make no mistake about it - states who abandoned fiscal responsibility like California and racked up a stupefying $42 BILLION in deficits (there are 41 states and 1,500 cities in the D.C. bail-out line), are going to be rewarded for it. And since Texas is in the black and has a huge population that is able to perform labor, which produces capital that the federal government applies the tax to repay it, Texans are going to be on the tongue of this wagon PULLING the thing for the next one hundred years.
A million seconds ago was twelve days ago.
A billion seconds ago was 1973.
A trillion seconds ago was 33,467 years and we were Neanderthals.
$8.7 trillion is an amount that will demand hours of labor each day by every living American until the day we die. There is no way around it. This is what we are committing ourselves to.
I for one am not real happy about it.
As a citizen of the state of Texas, all we can task our Governor with is to mitigate the damage to us. And how sick is that?
Edward Holman
Deep Ellum, Texas
Re: Where nations go to die
SHRINKAGE STIMULUS
Take a look at Richard Rahn's latest article, "The Optimum Government." It appeared in the Washington Times Jan. 19, and it's now up on the Cato site.
First sentence:
“If you knew economic growth and new job creation begin to slow when total government spending is larger than about 25 percent of the economy, and you knew total government spending in the United States is about 36 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), would you propose policies to make government larger or smaller to create more jobs and boost economic growth?”
David Morrison
Re: It’s raining money!
HOW LIBERALS THINK
Is this self-induced financial crisis akin to economic terrorism? Or is it an economic holocaust ("never again!")? Or is it a financial AIDS epidemic ("silence is murder")? Or perhaps something like avian cash flow? Perhaps it's a credit equivalent of global warming?
I need time to think about this. In the meantime, it seems to me that liberals have some kind of Kubler-Ross relationship with ideas. Any notion goes through several stages.
1) Denial. If it's not on TV, it's not real.
2) Get angry about them. It's our fault...or at least, my conservative neighbor's fault.The CIA attacked the WTC.
3) Get depressed about them. We did it, it's our fault, and there's nothing more that I can do other than blame the evil people responsible.
.
4) Negotiate with facts. Trivialize them. Compare everything to the Holocaust, compare everyone to Hitler, or global terrorism. Compare Israelis to Nazis and Democrats to Jesus. Compare the cost of arugula to the Weimar Republic economic crash, or your inability to afford veal with the starvation of peasants in the Ukraine.
5) Accept and co-opt facts. Totemize them and reduce them to bland and pointless emotion. Then swap them out for factoids and teach the factoids.
Ezra Marsh
Baltimore
GRIM FORECAST
Thanks very much for your piece on the economy. Very informative. I friend of mine who lives and dies by his investments (i.e. not otherwise employed) sent me this link - which brings together much of what you are saying, plus some telling demographic trends (of which you are well aware) and comes up with a pretty grim forecast. Definitely worth a read if you have the time.
By the way, especially liked the point you made about how a country can end up with about 50% of the population not paying taxes & living on government largesse, and therefore having a vested interest in voting in the Labour/Socialist governments over and over again. Welcome to Norway!
Chris
Oslo, Norway
PORK CRACKLING
So I just loved this comment from Mark:
"Congress, meanwhile, is behaving disgracefully, magically transforming pork into "stimulus" by sticking another three zeroes on the end."
I gave it to a colleague who then used it in a blog post. Mark's quote via our blog was then picked up by a local state capitol press reporter:
Keep up the good work! On the frontlines in the war against statism in the U.S., we need all the help we can get.
John Barnes
Washington
www.washingtonpolicy.org
AMERICA’S GREAT LEAP FORWARD
The Recovery Act is looking more and more like an American version of the Great Leap Forward. From growth by fiat to protectionism, from ill-planned infrastructure projects to the declarations of crisis and the end of politics, this is shaping up to be a mess. I pray there's no famine to accompany it. Obama's people know and care as much about building a robust private sector as Mao did about making steel; Mao thought you could make it in your backyard, and millions of peasants starved and froze because of it (they neglected farming and melted down their pots and pans, using their furniture and doors as fuel). Which agencies and businesses will thrive, and which will starve and freeze, under Obama's Great Leap Forward? And will false growth last more than the three years under Mao? We'll find out soon enough.
Simon A. Steiner
White Plains, New York
BETTER SERVICES IN EUROPE
I read your column today (1Feb) in the Orange County Register, "Stimulated right into being another Europe". Interesting perspective regarding the massive amount of pork in Washington, but I feel you really miss the point with this column.
I pay a large percentage of my income to the Federal and California government, and what do I get? A Federal government that is more worried about providing new M4 assault rifles and uniforms to the Iraqi Army and sending more soldiers to Afghanistan at a large expense, both in dollars and lives. More bloated over-paid, over protected public employees, deficits that must be paid by more taxes and less and less services. Services like infrastructure that is maintained adequately, paying $27,000 a year for my son to have a University of California education, increasing medical premiums and co-pays, a high school student who is told that they will reduce school days another 5 days per year. No money for books, parks, law enforcement, etc., etc. More excuses, but no results.
So, what is my return for the dollars I provide? European countries at least provide a base level of services. Higher education is not prohibitive, people are healthy. The reality is that the US is not a country with pure capitalist markets and minimum government. Let's face reality and at least provide the taxpaying citizens basic services as a priority first, namely health care, education, and a hope of being able to retire after many years of works paying the piper.
Kevin Johnson
Lake Forest, California
WHO WILL DEFEND US?
I am listening to you on the Rush show and I want to add a comment, but of course I cannot get in. Europe can barely afford their brand of big government. With the exception of the UK, who protects Western Europe from outside threats? What percent of GDP does W. Europe spend on national defense? I am not sure, but I am sure that it's a lot lower than the US. There is no way we can afford a strong defense if we adopt hard core W. European social programs. Who is going to defend us? Canada
(sorry for that comment Mark).
Mike Kelly
Boston, Massachusetts
CAN I BORROW A TRILLION?
In your last mailbox Gene Notkin wrote that only smart-asses like you and he comprehend a "trillion." Since his explanation was wrong I guess he doesn't really comprehend it after all. And since you didn't point out his error maybe nobody does. Still, if it was *his* trillion dollars I bet he wouldn't make the mistake of loaning it to someone for 0.005% (his million dollars a week in interest). It's always easier to waste government money.
Kevin Clark
HANDOUT NATION
I am a long time reader of your website and greatly enjoy and appreciate your comments on your Corner blog. It is the best. I wanted to share this with you.
This evening I attended a Townhall meeting on Miami Beach organized by Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schutz (D), attended by a couple of hundred people. I can only say that it was a pathetic spectacle. I don’t know what was worse to stomach, her pandering towards the audience or the questioners asking essentially for more government handouts. One questioner wanted more funds for the VA program, another more funds for breast cancer, another for tax deductions for credit card debt and relief from penalties on late payments, and another asked how people opening small business can get money from the stimulus package. One questioner commented it would be nice if everyone got a $10,000 bailout check—eliciting applause from many. It is not difficult to see how a politician can be turned into a glorified lobbyist seeking to bring home benefits to his constituency, district, and supporting interest groups. It must be gratifying to be in a position of power and be able to bestow benefits on those who ask for it. Only one question, the last one of the evening, asked how all of this would be paid for. The answer was rambling and meaningless: first blaming President Bush for going from a surplus to a deficit, then saying that the next spending legislation somehow would require spending cut offsets, and finally by just saying we have to be patient. While I can’t say that the audience for this meeting is truly representative of a majority of Americans, it is sad to see how far we’ve coming from the Great Generation of WWII, a people who were ashamed of being on the public dole, to a generation of people demanding their entitlements and seeking endless relief for every cause, need or whim. Jimmy Carter promised a government as good as the people. From the looks of this audience, it seems that we’ve achieved this goal. I just hope the stoppers can hold out long enough until we get a better government.
Robert J. Borrello
Miami Beach, Florida
ECONOMIC PROPHYLACTIC
Regarding safe sex and unsafe government: perhaps Pelosi's preventionary measures are meant to be a lightning rod, to distract critics. If we focus on the literal latex, perhaps we will not notice that the entire package is one enormous economic prophylactic: lots of stimulating action, no conceivable good to come of it.
Patrick Gardner
South Bend, Indiana
PORKY
It’s not stimulus. It’s porkulus
Robin Karp
THE REAL PROBLEM
Thought you might enjoy this AP headline:
"Frugal Americans Hurt Economic Recovery"
I guess these unpatriotic Americans that won't spend themselves into a black hole are the REAL problem in this economy. Sheesh.
Hoffman
WACKY AND STUPID
Nancy 'Pa-lousy' says 500 Million Americans lose their jobs every month!!! How does someone this WACKY & STUPID get & keep any job much less Speaker of the House?
There are only about 300 Million people in the US, so how do more people lose their jobs than live here??? PLEASE point this out on Rush's show.
You need to start a drive to get her ousted from the House. Someone this stupid should be driven out!
Becky Walker
THE BUCKS STOP HERE
Obama attacks Wall Street pay.
Why start with Wall Street? Why not take on the self-imposed pay raises of the Congress?
William Pittman
Re: The North Bank
JIHAD IN MINNESOTA
The author asks, "How did Minnesota get to the point where its state capitol can become an outpost of a terrorist organization from the Middle East? Until a few years ago, I wouldn't have believed it possible."
The problem isn't "a" terrorist organization, it's that there are any terrorist organizations that are allowed to prosper and legitimize themselves in this country. There were once policies and procedures in place to stop the influx of radicals into this country and, if they got through, to evict them before (sometimes even after) they became citizens. The notion that just because one of your toes hit the tarmac makes you eligible for the due process of endless and toothless administrative hearings is relatively new, but is now accepted because it is the product of judicial fiat, and the Congress is unwilling to rock the boat, abrogating its collective responsibility to protect its citizens from the rabble depicted in the video.
The fact that this sort of thing was first believable to the author starting-at least-a few years ago, shows that there is always a point in time when a problem can be nipped in the bud, and allowed to die through attrition. Why INS would allow anyone into this country that would answer the question, "So, whaddya think about Israel?," with, "They should be run into the sea for the glory of Allah," is utterly beyond me. Such a response is a pretty good indicator of one's thought processes, and is a bit like seeing one's suspected pervert neighbor leering at the new 6 year old that moved-in next door; Danger, Danger, Danger! Those that appear at demonstrations are true believers, and I'm willing to bet that none of those present for the demonstration bolted out of a deep sleep the night before suddenly possessed of a burning desire to see Israel annihilated for the first time. These people have chosen sides, and then paid the membership to one of two mainline terrorist organizations seeking the destruction of Israel. If there's still time to boot 'em out do it. If it's too late, don't make the problem worse and allow their relatives into the country.
Greg
WOBEGON WAHABI
Cutsie imam in Lake Wobegon. At the mosque of perpetual manipulation. Yeah, that¹ll work.
Clyde
St Louis
Re: The Rush Limbaugh Show
ALL WHITE IN THE EMERALD ISLE
I am streaming the RLS on WRKO Boston but listening from my kitchen in a semi-d in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. The snow (!!!!!) is coming down in great wet clumps for the second day in a row. So much for Al Gore's bottom line.
It is SUCH a treat listening to you as I prepare to make dinner.
Are you able to multitask while doing the show yet?
Expatriate Bostonian........
Barbara Abroad
GREAT JOB
You are doing a Fantastic Job for Rush.
Keep up the good work.
Tell everyone to call their Senators to stop this economic stimulus bill.
James & Charlene Stadnyck
EXCELLENT MEDICINE
Mark, I must tell you that when you sit in for Rush it is a real treat. Your conservative values are commendable and you humor is great. One can tell when a laugh is real or faked and often when you start you dissertation and begin to heartily laugh I start along with you and can't stop. You are refreshing and enjoyable. With all the crap that is going on in the world laughter is truly great medicine and you provide it along with great commentary.
Walter Leon
65-year-old chap from Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaHome of the great football team!
SOCIALIST CREEP
I enjoyed your comments about the creep to socialism on the Rush Limbaugh show today. I don't believe most Americans realized how socialism crept up in Europe. Now we know.
Frank Viscomi
YOUR MORNING MAN
You made my day today, I have been laughing all morning. Thanks very much. I loved the show.
Mary Ann
Coronado, California
LESS DEPRESSED NOW
Mark, ever since the election, and for some time before, I have been trying to get back to my happy-go-lucky laughing self. Thank you! (And Rush, and Glenn.) Rush cracks me up, but you have me doubled over and crying! (Not to mention, just like Sarah Palin, you speak to my Conservative soul.) I don't feel as depressed over this socially-leaning administration as I had been. I'm very active in writing my Congressman and even signed a petition to the Communist News Network to tell them how I feel about their "objective" correspondent, George Stephanopoulos.
Anyway, I will be buying your books, and I was wondering if you ever go on tours, book signing or otherwise, and could you post or email me a schedule?
Thanks for the info and laughs!!!!!
Anita
YOU SOUND LIKE CARY GRANT
Listening to you on Rush I heard distinct undertones of Cary Grant. A nice alternative to flat Midwestern tones. Oddly, the visuals don't quite match. You're doing a great job.
Lisa Schiffren
MEASURING UP
I was unfamiliar with you until I heard you host for Rush on Tuesday.
I always hated when Rush was on vacation because none of the guest hosts measured up, with the possible exception of Walter Williams.
I will look forward to you as guest host anytime. Not only were you incredibility astute but very entertaining.
John Siemens
IF NOT, WHY NOT?
I want to thank you for making laugh, laugh at the morons who are now running our country. Your technique is so refreshing. Do you have your own radio show? If not why? I would like to listen to you everyday. I am going to download today's show to my MP3 so I can share your show with my wife and family.
God bless you and Please God Continue To Bless America even though we don't deserve it!!
Dennis Palmer
THE ONLY LAUGH IN 12 MONTHS
My favorite columnists in the past were Mike Royko and Mike Kelly. Unfortunately, they are both gone but we are now blessed with Mark Steyn. I listened to Rush today (Feb 3, 2009) and had the best and probably only laugh I've had in the past 12 months. I was roaring with laughter, giggling, snickering and generally making a fool of myself. It was wonderful. Thank you, Mark Steyn for your humor and insight.
June Reich
I’LL BE BACK
Listened to Rush's show all morning here in Hawaii and I'll be back for three hours tomorrow....GREAT JOB.
Thanks for every printed word as well.
Tom Heiden
Kaneohe, Hawaii
TUNING IN TOMORROW
I heard you on Rush Limbaugh's Show to which I am an occasional listener. I will definitely be tuning in tomorrow to hear you again. You are a wit and a scholar.
Patricia Dougher
THE TALENT WILL FOLLOW THE PAY
Heard you on Rush. Nice job!
I'm a financial executive. The executives at these banks make most of their annual pay in bonuses. The big figure quoted by Obama and Geithner is the size of the total bonus pool of all employees at the banks, not just the executives. The biggest single bonus was $112k, not a large sum in NYC,
Besides, executive pay is determined by supply and demand. If Geithner and Obama want the banks to recover, cutting executive pay won't work. You have to attract talent to make these companies strong. If you underpay the best talent, it moves elsewhere. Executive bonuses, like all other things, are determined by market prices—something these Marxist populists will never understand.
Keep up the great work!
Gene Fama
Pacific Palisades, California
A CHECK FROM THE IRS
In all likelihood, the agency will return the unowed, back taxes to Geithner. In fact, like so much of Mr. Ponuru's work, this is simply wrong. If they give him the money back, it will be in servile obedience to political pressure.
The IRS's official policy is that money paid to them, and not either claimed as a refund or applied to other tax liability within 3 years, is FORFEIT.
Not rumor, not hearsay, not conjecture, not copied from the web - personal, recent knowledge.
Jeffrey Diamond
CARTER PARALLELS
You are one of my heroes. Your accuracy and directness when discussing your insights and observations? Ideal. Thank you.
The American public needs more like you. Rush gives me a voice that is heard. You give me conciseness that influences my acquaintances.
I am curious as to how much ink we should invest with Obama’s appointments. His Clinton Retreads coupled with his Political Paybacks leave us with one of the slickest groups of mal-prepared Presidential advisors since Carter. The only thing I expect to see changed is the Carter record for personal, financial suffering. I can see so many parallels, not in the rhetoric, rather in the lack of dedication that is buried under the plethora of oratorical sonority. I am not afraid. We recovered from Carter. We will recover from Obama. My prayer is that today¹s damage will be like the damage of the Carter days... mostly due to negligence. My fear is the word, nationalized.
Thanks for being a hero.
Jim
SUCKING MAW
Just caught you on the Fox News Hannity show (Feb 3) expressing sympathy for Tom Daschle's expenditure of $140,000 in evaded taxes down the "Sucking maw of the Federal government" for no good purpose...priceless. I could not have expressed it better.
Roger B. Adams
DASCHLE IT ALL
Tom Daschle's discovery that not everyone has a driver reminds me of Bertie Wooster's realization that there were men in the world who did not have valets.
Ron Harrington
Tulsa, Oklahoma
IGNORANT OR EVIL?
I just heard a bit of you filling in for The Messiah today….you know, Rush….the all knowing One who is never wrong, The One who has the solution to all of our problems!
You know, you are oh, so funny. It’s good to see that the Messiah has a never ending supply of comedians to fill in for him! I just loved it how you went on and on and on about Tom Daschle, that evil Limousine Liberal!
I am glad that he did take himself out; when the news came out about his tax problem, I actually did immediately say that he should withdraw.
I’m also glad that Daschle is out because like the other Obama nominees who are out, he apologized and admitted the problem. It's nice to see for a change that we have a President who realizes that if he has a problem, he cuts his losses and moves on.
That’s quite unlike those retarded repuglicans like Ted Stevens who, even after he was convicted, still said that he had not been convicted. Wow. That’s pretty amazing about those RRs, never thinking that they have done anything wrong. Kind of like your buddy Conrad Black, don’t you think?
I do have a question as well. I heard yet again one of The Messiah's listeners (I guess he's your listener, today) call up and say that people like Daschle are either ignorant, or they are crooks. There's a lot of truth in this statement, and I wonder if it is true for that listener, and other of your listeners? I wonder if it's true of The Messiah? Not that your listeners or The Messiah are crooks. But maybe they are just ignorant. I mean, that caller referred to the "Democrat party," instead of the "Democratic party," and I hear The Messiah say this all the time. I hear a lot of The Messiah's listeners as well as repuglicans in Congress use the word "Democrat" in this manner as well. Is the Messiah really that ignorant of the English language?
Oh, well. Just curious.
Richard Doyle
Clayton, Missouri
GREGG’S BETRAYAL
Enjoyed you on Rush today.
Judd Gregg's father, along with Stiles Bridges, Gov. Wesley Powell and Sherm Adams must be rolling over in their graves at what betrayal Gregg did to the people of NH today.
He's replacing himself with a Susan Collins and obviously doesn't care about NH or the few Republican congressional representatives left in the New England compact.
Although I haven't lived in NH for 40 years, I was born and raised there and it has always been "home". Maybe not so any more.
Sandra Gray Maes
Re: Return to render
WHY BELIEVE THE LA TIMES?
I am curious as to why you and Mr. Ledeen a) take a poorly-sourced LA TIMES story at face value, and b) treat the word "rendition" as synonymous with "rendition for torture". I would also be curious about any archival locations where I could read either of your objections to rendition for torture (now stated so forcefully) published during the Bush years.
Lee Speth
OUTSOURCING TORTURE
Is it similar to voting present? sorta?
He won't abolish torture, but he's happy to outsource it, .......
“On balance, I prefer an Administration with the cojones to waterboard you themselves rather than stick a bag on your head and ship you to some Third World genital-clampers.”
I agree, 10000%
Meanwhile he publically announces it wrong or what the hell ever, and the lapdogs in media gladly show that but never touch, sniff or wonder about the real situation?
I continue to be disgusted,
Thank you for your humor.
Doug Nathaniel
Re: Rock’n’roll government
A PUNK-ROCK REPUBLICAN REPLIES
The song “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols is about how stupid anarchists are. They are in fact so stupid that they adopted the song as their anthem.
Punk Rock Republicans noticed that when it happened.
You can quibble all you want about whether or not Republican is the new punk rock or not but there is nothing punk rock about Democrats.
And yes Virginia - there are Punk Rock Republicans.
Alexander Dale
punkrockrepublican
PUNK IS UNSUSTAINABLE
The only person of the era that got it right was John Lydon. He argues in his autobiography (“Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs”) that it is impossible to remain "punk" because, by definition, you eventually become what you despised and railed against. He comments on his disgust for the Sex Pistols fans who all dressed like he did with ripped clothes and safety pins. He despises the bands that came after them copying their sound and calling themselves "punk". By definition, punk is unsustainable. All of this is certainly lost on the Obama cultists.
Bryan
DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL
Republicans are the new punk? That goes well with the following:
"They meet discreetly once a month at a res taurant in the Valley. At first, there weren't many - Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper - but now...there still aren't many. Nevertheless, they're a resolute bunch: proud, loud, and a little lonely. They are Hollywood's conservatives. "You sort of feel like you have to hide it," says director David Zucker. "When you meet, you give each other a secret Look - 'Are you a Republican too?' It's the new gay."
Full article here.
I'm a gay punk rocker! Who new!?!?!
Andy J.
Portland'ish, Oregon
INDIE BANDS FOR OBAMA
I think in your "Rock'n'roll government" post on The Corner, you're missing a large swath of musicians that actually support Doug TenNapel's thesis. You are right about artists (Springsteen, for example) who dole out the populist message while putting out Superstore-exclusive "Best Of" albums. However, the DIY punk ethic that caught hold in the 80's still strongly influences modern independent rock in many respects, and I think you would find that many of the non-major-label artists that support Obama would not likely be described as part of the status quo in any other context. The frustration and intellectual curiosity that motivated such masterpieces as The Minutemen's "Double Nickels on the Dime" has, with a few exceptions, been severely lobotomized. Punks hated Reagan in the 80's, but they sure as hell weren't going to play a Mondale fundraiser either. Just my two cents!
Preston O'Neal
POP CULTURAL BALONEYISM
Years ago Abby Hoffman did a book called Steal This Book, it was published by Pirate Editions a division of Random House. When vegetarian and moral leader John Lennon passed a vast amount of his wealth was tied up in beef production and so on...
Patrick Gigliotti
REBEL WITH A NEW CAUSE
Don’t be so quick to dismiss TenNaple’s column. His point is a savvy one that I’ve been making for a while now. I’m a 22-year-old staunch conservative who grew up in a household that adored the likes of Fidel Castro and Karl Marx (daddy made sure I read the Manifesto by the time I was 10). I was also a ‘punk’ (I’ve got the piercing marks and old CDs to prove it).
Well, I’m far over my punk days. Whenever I hear some of my old songs, I wonder “what was I thinking?” But, of course, I know what drew me to the “underground.” It wasn’t that the music was particularly good or that I had a fetish for 80 lb. boys in skinny jeans. I liked the false sense of rebellion; the feeling of being unique. And, though I hate to admit it, it was that longing which led me to look into the conservative movement in the first place. Once I did, I was hooked—not because it made me a rebel, so much as it was so clearly right. But it did seem fitting for a ‘punk’ like me. After all, being a Republican is far more rebellious than anything the punk movement’s come up with in the last 30 years.
I’m not alone. The rockers themselves may be establishment and anti-establishment at the same time, but that’s never the desire of their fans. Punks (and all of the youth, for that matter) still want to feel unique. Many of the young Obama fans don’t realize they’ve been taken in by pop-culture. Bring it up to a few and watch them squirm as they wonder ‘have I too become a sellout?’ They don’t want to be lemmings, even if we know they are. And if they come to realize it, as I did many years ago, it will be the death of the liberals’ youth movement.
Brittany
SAYING THE UNSAYABLE
Reminded me of an interview with South Park's Trey Parker (emphasis mine):
“Parker: A big key to us is that we both grew up in Colorado in the ’80s, and we wanted to be punk rockers. When you were a teenager in Colorado, the way to be a punk rocker was to rip on Reagan and Bush and what they were doing and talk about how everyone in Colorado’s a redneck with a gun and all this stuff. Then we went to the University of Colorado at Boulder, and everyone there agreed with us. And we were like, ‘Well, that’s not cool, everyone agrees with us.’ And then you get to Los Angeles. The only way you can be a punk in Los Angeles is go to a big party and go, ‘You can say what you want about George Bush, but you’ve got to admit, he’s pretty smart.’ People are like, ‘What the fuck did he just say? Get him out of here’”
Nora Tillman
AT LEAST KEITH RICHARDS GETS IT
You're right, of course: Rock-and-Roll became part of the establishment the moment Sam Phillips sold Elvis Presley's recording contract to RCA. The problem with Rock now is that - as in the entertainment industry in general - its highest profile performers and critics (young and old) are almost universally wedded to a leftist-utopian vision of the world that hasn't evolved at all since Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play 40 years ago or more. And they won't shut up about it, either. So in principle at least it is consistent with Rock's reputation for rebellious, contrarian behavior for rockers to challenge the established liberal orthodoxy of the Rockistocracy itself (as did the late Johnny Ramone).
Unfortunately, other than a few plodding dinosaurs on the conservative side (Ted Nugent, Gene Simmons, etc.), I can't think of a single living major Rock performer under the age of 40 who is either openly Republican, eschews "Rock as politics" altogether, or who (correctly) understands that Rock music at its most elemental was, is, and always should be primarily about sex, dancing, partying, and the fleeting promise of endless good times (at least until the record ends). For some reason, I don't think Jerry Lee Lewis cared much for feeding the world or ridding it of nuclear weapons. But if he did, he sure as hell would never have written a song about it!
God how I miss Keith Moon, et al. Ah well. At least Keith Richards still gets it - remember his rage over Mick's knighthood several years back? It ain't much, but as a conservative, Republican, and part-time rocker myself, it's all I got. And don't even get me started on Bruce
Springsteen...!
Mike Smith
Baltimore, Maryland
ROCK ‘N ROLL IS DEAD
Rock and roll music died years ago. An ignominious end promulgated by corporatism and MTV.
I refer you to the lyrics of the song "The Sound of Muzak" by Porcupine Tree.
"The music of rebellion
Makes you wanna rage
But it's made by millionaires
Who are nearly twice your age"
Long live progressive rock, the last bastion of freedom in the rock arena.
Jonathan Schafer
Re: When Barry met Mahmoud
AHMADNOTSOBAD
Re: new era. I'm starting to like this guy [Ahmadinejad]. Can we get the U.S. military out of the middle?
Republic Tom
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT?
Your blog entry on Obama's first interview troubled me. Most seem to believe, based on Ahmadinejad's response to Obama's interview, that the Iranian leader is flummoxed by Obama's popularity in the Muslim world. Yet you tacitly imply the exact opposite - and actually take a propaganda quote from a dictator at face value! Do you think that Ahmadinejad is troubled by Obama's popularity, as others do? Or do you really believe (as nobody else seems to) that this statement indicates that Obama is playing into Ahmadinejad's hands?
Jeremy Wortman
FUNNY
"...that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed."
- Gholam Hossein Elham
Boy, he's more stupider, right Mark? Our capitalizm and dominacion is working awsomely. Unemployed peoples had it coming anyway, right? And the dominose of demockrasy is falling fast in the middel east. Go Amearica!!!
Sinseerle,
Your Avridge Loyil Reedr
LOSS OF THE 4TH ESTATE
I hope you are in-country, and watching the Today Show featuring/starring Obama as
Sports Fan 1.
The show could not be more "Obama as Fan 1 and near God, and God was every sports fan
so love Obama as you love yourself"...if David Axelrod had designed it himself (or perhaps he did?)
I do not fear for much in this world. But the complete and utter loss of the 4th
estate frightens me. Our system was never designed for this Pravda like coverage.
I am pleased to have assets in other parts of the world...
Curtis M. Loftis, Jr.
West Columbia, South Carolina
Re: Muddle East
LISTEN FASTER
My favourite part of President Obama's interview with Al-Jazeera. Action on the Middle East is "urgent". Our first priority? To listen. Ah, urgent listening, how did we miss it?
Bruce Dowbiggin
Calgary, Alberta
FELLOW CLASSICIST
Re Mark's comment, "I believe that was the last school where Latin and Greek were compulsory."
Frater! I also studied Latin when I was a puer! And I just used almost every word of it I still remember. (If you were an agricola, I could use it all.)
Larry Eubank
Re: Obama mythology could use some stimulus
TO CAMPAIGN IS BETTER THAN TO ARRIVE
Thanks for your wonderful piece today in the OC Reg. Covered a lot of stuff, very well-nailed.
Your pal "Paul" at Power Line also had a great question today re Obama bringing Samantha Power back in the picture: " Does Obama take campaigning more seriously than governance" ? I had written you a few weeks back, expressing my sincere belief that Obama was more of a natural "striver" than effective "do-er", that he enjoyed running for pres more than he will be turned on by "being pres.")
I'm not big on psycho-babble, but sometimes personal observations over the years can cause one to recognize certain patterns which seem uncannily consistent: I had a couple of childhood pals who were raised fatherless (one dad died very young, the other had abandoned the family). As I watched Clinton over the years, and more recently Obama, I was amazed by the common character traits shared by all four of "my subjects". Strictly of anecdotal value, but all four were "terrific strivers", smooth talkers ( my pals were always the calming influences when arguments were getting a little heated), they would NEVER have a firm opinion on anything. But everyone really liked those guys. I STILL do. Great guys, but not much fun to argue with.
This is my theory: children brought up by a single parent are better served if that parent is of the same gender. Guys are able to "smooth-over" their moms easier than their dads, and girls can "charm" their dads much easier than they can pull the wool over their moms' eyes. When you are used to getting what you want via the charm route, that pattern is not easily put aside as you grow into an adult.
That's my theory, for what it's worth. This was not intended as a put-down of any child or parent who is/was involved in the one-parent situation. It is not easy for anyone.
John Gross
Quebec
Re: Billions and billions served
FREEDOM TO INSULT ANYONE EXCEPT ISLAM
Long-time reader, first time writer:
I read your Corner post about Buruma just now. What seemed perfectly obvious to me while reading the op-ed was that his rejection of free speech that is "totally free to insult" appears to make special dispensation for Islam. I don't know anything about Buruma, to be honest, so I can't say if I'm being fair to him. But if somebody were to declare that Catholicism is one big pederasty cult that has achieved only the subjugation of women and the oppression of gays, I doubt anybody would much care. My impression is that that sort of thing happens with relative frequency by artists and writers and ethnic studies professors, etc.. Further, the very people so offended by Wilders' statements themselves say some rather heinous things about other groups (e.g., Jews). If Europe adopts a more restrictive free speech position than the U.S., but then only enforces it when the speech is critical of Islam, that's no different to me than adopting the U.S. position and then carving out Islam from those free speech protections. In either case, the government is clearly making choices as to what speech it deems acceptable, which is not free speech at all.
Jacob Okun
AT LEAST THAT ABSOLUTE
My favorite line:
"One of the misconceptions that muddle the West's debate over Islam and free speech is the idea that people should be totally free to insult. Free speech is never that absolute."
Free speech is not absolute, of course, but it is at least THAT absolute! Please feel free to hurl some insults at Mr. Buruma.
Michael A. Buxbaum
New York, New York
ISLAMIC APOLOGIA
Thank-you for taking on Ian Burama's absurd op-ed in the Times today. I read it a good hour ago and my blood still hasn't stopped boiling. On a page which routinely blesses the human race with the insights of Herbert, Krugman and Rich, this incredible piece of Islamic apologia actually stood out. I was pleased to check the Corner and see you were already on the case.
While I'm at, like many armchair war mongers, poor children and single mother haters, anti-environmentalists, etc, you are my favorite pundit and representer of my viewpoints. But I also have immensely enjoyed your Song of the Week columns and 'Broadway Babies Say Goodnight.' I have also given as presents at least a half dozen copies of 'America Alone.'
So Write On! Mark. Like so many I hang on your every word.
Ron Mitchell
Sanford, North Carolina
PROBLEMS WITH THE KORAN
If memory serves me right, Will Durant ranked Muhammed above Jesus as important historical figures. His reasoning was that Muhammed had involved himself in politics and overseeing government. But this cuts both ways. The fact that he involved himself in such matters also means that he is subject to different negative criticisms also. And then there is the point of the binding value of his later writings and whether they supersede or have more authority than what preceded it in the Koran. (A parallel regarding authority is the difference between the theoretical position of Protestants that Scripture alone is authority, whereas Catholics argue for a binding tradition or even a tradition of interpreting Scripture that is binding in a way that Scripture itself does not bind, since an authoritative interpretation of Scripture is being offered based on the authority of its pope and bishops.) The importance of that, of course, is that the strong support for
violence, special taxes for infidels, and conversions in the Koran is found in the later writings. CSpan once ran a round-table on Islam that included Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The Muslims were more of what one might call moderate Muslims. They seemed to admit the problem of the authority of the later writings. They even seemed to mention some Muslim scholars who do not hold that the later writings are more binding or maybe even as binding as the earlier verses. There seemed to be an admission that there are problems with later parts of the Koran.
Richard L.A. Schaefer
Dubuque, Iowa
RELIGIOUS TYRRANY
If only people realized that once a religion attempts to control those who do not share its religious views, it becomes a political system. The inability to criticize an opposing political system is tyranny.
Joe Mooney
Orlando, Florida
GOING, GOING, GONE
Mr Steyn - behold, even The Times agrees with you now about British demography:
Brian Kelly
UNFUNNY BORE
God you are the most grindingly predictable, painfully unfunny bore. I've glanced at your dreck since you were sucking Conrad Black's ass. You're on your way to the smug douchebag hall of fame, in fact I think you're already there.
Nick Hooker
NEW ZEALAND REPTILE DAD
I first saw that headline at CNN where it read:
“110-year-old 'living fossil” becomes a dad
I though it was about Hugh Hefner knocking up one of his love-bunnies.
Vikingthekitten
NEVER TOO LATE
Mark, that is encouraging, considering that 111 is the age of your average Frenchman thinking about starting a family.
Geoffrey A. White
LAST WORD
That's just a little younger than Larry King when he had his twins.
Aaron Kleinhandler
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