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Thank you for your kind (and unkind) letters from the Canada, America, Britain, Israel, Malaysia andAustralia. 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. For a selection of recent letters on the Conrad Black trial, see Mailbox Extra.
Letter of the Week
BUREAUCRAT-SWAP
A friend of mine had what I consider to be a brilliant idea: take half of the accountants and investigators working for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and give them to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)! After all, one of the biggest problems the INS has is its huge backlog of paperwork and the inability to investigate people in a timely manner. Well, that's exactly what the IRS is best at! I've been audited before, and I was quite impress with those agents' ability to find out everything about my life for that previous three years.
True, it would be taking people who work for a deliberately hostile agency and putting them to work for what it supposed to be a "service" agency. Some people would say that it would bring down the whole tone of the INS. I would say that those people have never actually dealt with the INS - which I have. I think the IRS is the friendlier of the two agencies.
The advantages are that the INS would become more efficient and could clear away this huge backlog of applications. People who had a legitimate application to become an American citizen might see it approved before they die of old age. We would probably be able to increase LEGAL immigration fourfold, if we wanted to.
The disadvantage is that the tax collections might get a bit fouled up without as many people working in the IRS. I'm not sure I see this as a disadvantage, of course. The whole problem would be solved if you just scrapped the current tax code entirely, and replaced it with a simple flat tax. The IRS wouldn't need as much manpower if normal people were able to calculate their own taxes.
As always, I love your articles and interviews.
Dr Urchin
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Re: Interfaith outreach
DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR THE MULTI-FAITH MULLAH
Yikes. When I was growing up in Seattle, St Marks Cathedral was the hot place to go on Sunday nights for young Christians of all denominations. They had a great compline service that would pack the joint with people, average age perhaps 22. That was about 30 years ago.
I've never regretted leaving Seattle. It's full of really stupid religious notions and this one is typical.
I sat and read the article and thought about it for a minute. One thing the Seattle Times didn't note: whenever a Muslim cleric toys with the idea of there being anything to the truth claims of Christianity, he isn't celebrated on the front page of the weekend religion section of the local newspaper - he has to run and hide for his life. Funny how that goes.
Sylvan Pane
GO AHEAD, EXPEL US!
Good Lord. I just read your post to the Corner about the “Rev.” Ann Holmes.
Oh my head. At E-church headquarters they must just sit around each week and come up with plots to alienate whatever remaining faithful parishioners they have left. A couple times a year there¹s this effort by the more conservative African church to boot the E-church USA. The E-church USA, while preaching comity, must bang their heads against the wall every time they fail to get the boot. It reminds me of that 80¹s movie Ruthless People, where Danny Devito wanted his wife dead and kept telling the guy who kidnapped his wife that he couldn¹t come up with the ransom so the kidnappers keep dropping the price. Eventually he yells “I dare you to kill her.” An exasperated Devito hangs up the phone and then says :”Now that outta do it!” So whenever I read a story like the Seattle Times gave us I just picture Katharine Jefferts Schori woman flopping back in her chair and saying “now that outta do it!”
Douglas Johnson
Chicago
THE LAST SANE EPISCOPALIAN
I read your post and have to chuckle and almost cry at the same time. As an Episcopalian who has not left the flock, I feel SOMEONE has to be a voice of sanity among those who also do not want to leave and give the liberals any victories. But I tell you, this makes it hard when a bishop who should know better does not strip her of her priesthood for heresy alone. But, I guess
he sees no problem in her "spiritual" journey. If it takes the "reverend" Redding to Islam, they can have her. But, I suspect they may not want someone who can not make up her mind. Hence the problem with the inmates running the asylum. This is what liberal Christianity hath wrought as I have commented on my blog,
Mark J Goluskin
Pasadena, California
A SPIRITUAL SMORGASBORD
It would indeed be impossible to satirize the Episcopal Church, not least because they have so many other partners in irrationalism. I'm a Presbyterian pastor and once had the experience of hearing the "statement of faith" of a woman transferring into our Presbytery. In her first sentence she spoke of hearing the voice of God through Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams. When the Presbytery saw fit to approve her examination, I knew I was going to be ministering for the rest of whatever time I have in this denomination (Presbyterian Church U.S.A.) as a wilderness experience.
More specifically to the article you cited, I think it illustrates the modern liberal religious movement quite nicely. The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding believes herself to be a Muslim; yet I doubt whether she would, if demanded by true Muslim spiritual leaders, care to submit to genital circumcision. Apparently she believes herself to be a Christian; but I find it difficult to believe she is much persuaded by the Bible in general or the Anglican 39 Articles in particular. Hence she is the quintessential modernist, taking buffet-style what she pleases from the religious smorgasbord, and baptizing her amalgam as "Christian" and "Muslim".
Brad Hansen
Mediapolis, IowaON THE TOAD AGAIN
Episcopalian Imam and Homer J. Simpson
"I could not not be a Muslim..."
Only the great Homer J. could share a common thread with this woman. When Homer was behaving erratically on the other end of the phone from a remote Island, Bart asked if he had been licking toads again...to which he replied, "I'm not not licking toads!"
Just a brief digression.
Jason Westman
Omaha, Nebraska
ANYONE BUT THEM
The Muslim Episcopal priest calls to mind the essay by Fr. Ronald Knox, a Catholic priest convert from Anglicanism and Bible translator. In his essays on satire, he has an essay in which an Anglican keeps broadening his tolerance for different religions and justifying it; eventually, he praises agnostics and atheists. But the end of the essay is a fierce declaration that, of course, no one could be tolerant of Catholics. The essay is findable on the Internet. To be fair, it has to be acknowledged that a famous Catholic priest and theologian, Raymundo Panikkar (sp?) seemed to say that he was both a Catholic and a Hindu.
Richard L.A. Schaefer
TOOTY FROOTY
My father used to joke about people (or causes) that were so far left they would meet the right around the other side. As a native Seattleite, I can certainly tell you that a female Episcopal priest from the tootie-fruityest part of the city that moonlights as a Muslim proves he was right all along.
Devoted non-Muslim Greek Orthodox Christian
Sacramento, California
EXCITING INTERFAITH POSSIBILITIES
While we Westerners may have trouble getting our heads around someone being both Christian and Muslim, I have no doubt there are certain imams out there who have no trouble considering Rev. Redding both an infidel AND an apostate at the same time.
I'm also quite certain that those same imams would also find "the interfaith possibilities exciting", but perhaps in a slightly more disturbing context than Rev. Redding's bishop's rose-tinted hopes.
Mario Fante
Watertown, Massachusetts
DEEP OR JUST DENSE?
I'd say this excerpt from the article sums it up:
"As much as she loves her church, she has always challenged it. She calls Christianity the "world religion of privilege." She has never believed in original sin. And for years she struggled with the nature of Jesus' divinity.
She found a good fit at St. Mark's, coming to the flagship of the Episcopal Church in Western Washington in 2001. She was in charge of programs to form and deepen people's faith..."
WTF?
Matt Edens
COMING UP, THE MUSLIM JEW
To see how absurd this is, imagine the other possible combinations. Could someone be both Christian and Jewish? Of course not. Even more absurd is the other possibility, Muslim and Jewish. How would such a person deal with the commands in the Koran for Muslims to kill the Jews?
Thanks for everything.
Name withheld
Virginia
MUST-READ
It is impossible to say whether one's amazement exceeds one's disgust, or vice versa. Haven't any of these morons (I mean the Episcopal bishops) read the Qu'oran?
John K.C. Lewis
St John’s, Newfoundland
THE MINISTER WAS A MUSLIM!
OK, I know, I know, Anglican churches have priests, but the alliteration was better this way ...
From the article, "Ironically, it was at St. Mark's that she first became drawn to Islam."
Yes, in the literal sense of the word, this is ironic. But in reality, there's nothing the least bit ironic about it. Liberal Christian and Jewish congregations feel all warm and fuzzy about this kind of outreach - though apparently it's only the Muslims who are doing any reaching out and touching anyone - and do things like this all the time. Meanwhile, the mosque offers no such reciprocity to
come over and offer the Eucharist, ordain your gay priest, or, for that matter, allow a woman to head up the efforts to deepen people's faiths.
Truly, this is beyond parody.
Stu Gittelman
Athens, Georgia
NON-DISCRIMINATORY WORSHIP
Your comments in The Corner were as always amusing and on target. The Episcopalian "faith" has become a laughing stock. Fortunately, since they are voluntarily going into the dust bin of history, they have made themselves irrelevant.
The simultaneous faiths issue did however did remind me of the current immigration situation. How exactly can someone be simultaneously Mexican and American? Senator Reed certainly has forgotten about the Mexican part of the equation.
At the risk of being called a xenophobe, you are either Mexican or American. You can be an American of Mexican descent or you can be a Mexican of American descent, but you cannot be simultaneously Mexican and American.
If given the choice of American citizenship, I'm not sure the Mexicans currently located in the U.S. would prefer it. I'm fairly confident they prefer the current shadow status.
I'm certain a small minority would pay whatever fines and take the necessary tests and oath to become a citizen of this country, but I'm just as sure that a majority consider themselves proudly Mexican and would prefer to stay that way.
This only reaffirms my belief we need a permanent southern border fence.
Michael Duke
Indianapolis
CHERCHEZ LA CATALYST
If you dig deep enough you will probably find either a handsome, dark Iranian male or a maybe a frustrated and liberated Afghan lady.
That to me, in my experience, has always been the catalyst for such transformations.
Jack Lillywhite
A MINOR DETAIL…
I am vaguely recalling some words like "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me...", but it can probably be explained away by the good Bishop...
Stephen R Christensen
Re: Song of the Week
AWESOME FEET
Your piece celebrating the career and contribution of Fred Astaire may not have the broad appeal of your other columns, but I loved it.
For those who don't know Fred and haven't sat in awe of his amazing understated talent have missed one of the true treasures of the twentieth century.
Art
Lakewood, California
CHEEK TO CHEEK WITH CASSIDY
Take a listen to Eva Cassidy singing Cheek to Cheek on "Live at Blues Alley." It's the best sound out of DC since Lincoln's second inaugural. She nails the rhythm.
John Bowen
I WILL DANCE…
Thank you for the illuminating article "Cheek to Cheek". You always make me laugh! Seriously, I'm considering dance lessons, as it seems to be what I need to get on with my life. I suppose the next thing will be golf... Do keep up the good work. A little levity goes a long way.
Paula Johnson
Northfield, Minnesota
PS Thanks for the movie tips!
PERFECT MOVIE MOMENT
I enjoyed your tribute to Fred Astaire, and the Cheek to Cheek story has its charm. When you have a moment may I suggest that you take another look at Night and Day in The Gay Divorcee. It is one of the few perfect moments ever put on film: beautiful, erotic, and comic; a remarkable mix. Astaire and Rogers are at their best, and the orchestration is impressive.
Joe Bator
Chicago
WAS FRANK REALLY THE BEST BILLY?
Thanks for the Father's Day special on “Soliloquy".
I was blessed with a father who loved Rogers and Hammerstein and often played their show albums softly in the background as the children were going off to sleep. One of his favorites (and naturally now also mine) was the album of the 1956 film of Carousel starring Shirley Jones as Julie Jordan and Gordon MacRae as Billy Bigelow.
Based on your recommendations I’ve listened to some of Sinatra’s versions of "Soliloquy” and (as great as Frank was) I don’t think he could have filled the role as well as MacRae. In my opinion the role called for a guy who could play Billy as a physically big, loud-mouth bully on the surface but insecure underneath. Frank might have played Billy as a version of Maggio.
There is an interview with Shirley Jones in the notes of the CD of the version which indicates that Frank also had his doubts about his ability to fill the role. In the interview, Ms. Jones advised that she thought that Frank provoked an argument on the set as an excuse to walk because he felt that he wasn’t right for the part (I don't have the CD with me and I don't recall her full description of Frank's concerns).
I wonder what you think of the Shirley Jones account and also what you think of MacRae’s performance?
Happy Father's Day to you!
Marc Hess
Watertown, New York
P.S. I’m the father of four wonderful kids (11 to 8) , but I’m spending this day away from them at Ft. Drum, New York, preparing to deploy to Iraq with elements of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). Thanks for providing me with a bit of good cheer on this day.
THE SKINNY
It never occurred to me that she was a skinny lipped “virgin”!
John Breen
Boston
Re: Secular ideologues
PRE-ISLAMIC EUROPE
Like Mr. Steyn, I've experienced a few Europeans who have proudly used the term "post-Christian Europe". In every case, I've immediately corrected them, saying that the correct term is "pre-Islamic Europe". The proud tone is always replaced with a tone of unease.
Also, I live in the heartland of blue state liberalism. I'll use the term pre-Islamic Europe (or pre-Sharia Europe if I believe that will be understood) when friends and colleagues justify some liberal view by pointing to Europe. I'll then ask if they wish for the US to follow suit and become an Islamic nation, since Europe is on course to become Islamic. No one has ever said yes.
Tim Saunders
Half Moon Bay, California
FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT
A contrarian take here, but I suspect EU types can be openly contemptuous of the continent's Christian past (recent) and present because those things are, well, contemptible, e.g., the Scandinavian state churches or the German territorial churches. The Europols have seen the church as state, and the state as church for a century or two. It's probably the derision of bureaucrats toward a foreign bureaucracy that's even more useless and has even less of a constituency than their own. That's a certain kind of familiarity that breeds a certain kind of contempt. I doubt the Elmer Gantry left here will ever have quite the same perspective.
Ted W. Pannkoke
Chicago, Illinois
IRRELIGIOUS INTERREGNUM
So . . . What's the difference between Post-Christian Europe and Pre-Muslim Europe? I wonder if secularism will be a brief interregnum.
Jim Rudolph
Boise, Idaho
Re: Vacant Lott
TO THE BACK BENCHES BOYS!
As always, I enjoy your commentary. I also look forward to your appearances on Fox News.
Regarding the actions of certain Republican senators, I have come to the realization that they probably would not mind being in the minority for another generation. Let's face it. Leadership is hard work. As back benchers, they still get the perks of office without all of the work. Every now and again they'll throw us a bone or raise some sand on the floor of the Senate in order to make us think that they deserve to be re-elected to their cushy posts.
In that light, Trent Lott's attitude toward the base makes perfect sense. Being in the majority would mean longer hours at the office that would in turn interfere with tee-times and the DC party circuit.
Jon
P.S. By the way, Rush just replayed Harry Reid's comments regarding an upcoming weekend session. Guess what Dirty Harry..........it's not uncommon for folks in the real world to work several weekends a month - often without pay if the project budget cannot support overtime pay. Between him and Bush, I cannot help but to think of DC as a dangerous version of Cartoon Land from the movie "Who Killed Roger Rabbit."
Re: Twerpwatch update update!
NASTY LOOKS
Actually, I don't feel I've made the right impression (no pun intended) if I DON'T get a nasty look from the B&N staff.
Ken
Plainfield, Illinois
BODY ART
Your emailler is so wrong - it's not the Barnes and Noble clerks who are the most, er, altered by body art. Indeed it is my observation that piercings, tattoos, and hair done in shades not found in nature are actual job requirements for employment at Borders, not Barnes and Noble.
Bill Patterson
DEMOGRAPHY DAMES
Only a wordsmith of your caliber can make me snort with the Barnes & Noble story.
Maybe just put book jackets on all of yours and make then look like porno video boxes.
What reader isn't intrigued at a topless woman on the cover discussing our dwindling demo-graphics? The bubble above her bubble-head can say, "We need to reproduce". You'd retire early!
Greg Barnard
Franklin, Tennessee, in the greatest county in the country: Williamson
DON’T JUDGE BOOKS BY AUTHORS' LOOKS
Not hyperventilating, or even feeling threatened, but I do get rather amused at the responses I get from my book purchases/check-outs. Once at the local public library, when borrowing the then-current Ann Coulter book, the young lady behind the counter picked up my selection, quietly snorted over it, then looked up at me and asked, "I wonder if anyone would read this if she (Ann) weren't so pretty?". Men might do many things because of attractive women, but read their books probably isn't one of them. I had to chuckle as I picked up my books and moved on from this young lady who so totally missed the point.
Cheers and keep up the great work. I love "The Corner".
Loyd A. Dill
Re: A flag has to be worth burning
PROUD TO BE HATED
This afternoon, I re-read your fine article on Flag Burning. I too was gripped by a patriotic fervour when the Canadian flag was burning in Serbia.
At the time, it reminded me of Churchill’s speech in which he talked about Britain having the honour to be Hitler’s foremost enemy.
I am hopeful that Canada will continue to have the honour of remaining the enemy of those that despise freedom.
Geoffrey Pollock
Toronto, Ontario
Re: Gaza Stripped
PEAS AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Hey Mark. I just finished reading America Alone. It was a great way to while away the time after undergoing a vasectomy last week. Just me, you, and a bag of frozen peas.
Anyway, in regard to the three options you put on the table re: Islam, ie, submit, destroy, reform: What are the chances for reforming the "Palestinian" situation? I'd say hopeless, but you never know. The fact that Jamal Abu Jadian was a (short lived) drag queen may belie a certain liberal streak that could be exploited.
G White
TWO TEAMS IN PLAY
With Fatah and Hamas fighting to the death in Gaza, the conundrum for CBC/BBC pundits has to be: who to cheer for?
On the one hand, Fatah is the underdog and doubtless a sentimental favourite by association with Arafat of caressed memory; but on the other, Hamas has better West-loathing credentials and is unsullied by negotiations with the Great Satan.
Doubtless much puzzlement at the Corpse and its Britannic equivalent on this one.
John
SPOT ON
Your observations are precisely correct.
Bill Braund
San Antonio, Texas
CANADIAN NO MORE
It would be fitting for you too to be stripped of your homeland. Take it like a man, roll over and cry "uncle".
Alan Goldstein
Plainfield, New Jersey
YOU THINK PALESTINIANS ARE IDIOTS
Nowhere in your blurb did you mention the following:
(a) we encouraged the Palestinians towards democracy,
(b) were shocked when the elected leadership turned out to be a team we didn't like, causing us to
(c) pull financial support that government of that devastated region, which contributed to
(d) serious conflict between Fatah and Hamas just months after the Saudis and others in the Middle East convinced them to work together.
For some reason you think that the Palestinians are idiots. They know all of the above and, at the end of the day, knowing all of the above means that they are going to forgive Hamas its faults and continue to support them. Hamas would likely have messed things up themselves and been voted out of power eventually, but we were not satisfied with, well, democracy, apparently, and made matters worse by holding much need governmental funds hostage.
Why do we need to go to the "Palestian Nationalism" well when there is a much more direct and obvious reason for what is happening now. Occam's Razor and all of that.
But please, feel free to blame this and the other negative news coming out of the middle east on the fetishes of Europeans and liberals.
Heaven knows that such tactics have served us well the last 6 years.
[Geezus. You'd think the near complete refutation of your principles over the last half decade would temper the your confidence somewhat.]
I love reading you and the other Corner folks to get a balanced perspective on the news, but that was just ridiculous.
Liberal Corner Fan
Marc Rawls
PALESTINIAN KILLING PALESTINIAN
Apparently Mr. Bush has found the cure for Mideast peace-allowing the Palestinians the opportunity to kill themselves. If Israel is smart, they simply ask the UN to aid the poor unfortunates in the diplomatic language used by the UN, and stay out of the way.
How anyone can watch this and think Israel is the cause of all the problems in the Mideast, well, that says it all.
Patrick J. Griffin
BLAME ISRAEL
If you had watched PBS version of BBC last night, you would have heard the local BBC hack in Jerusalem using his narrative about the fighting in Gaza to blame Israel for it.
Ken Nordtvedt
Re: School’s out
SPECIALIST NATION
With respect to the value of public education and the state of a national economy you highlight two seemingly antithetical examples, namely France and Switzerland. What drives expanding and entrepreneurial economies such as ours, however, is not '”education” per se, but training in a specialized, most likely, technical field. The need for a liberal arts education has gone by the wayside and thus is not valued anymore. The only people who care any more whether you can discuss the merits of Keynsian economics and Russian literature in a single breath are liberal arts professors.
Witness the influx of foreign workers who have highly specialized skills in IT and such. All they need is the minimal amount of English, mainly written and technical English, and they are good to go.
As the WSJ may like to put it, there are no countries, only economies. This is sad indeed.
Patrick Wright
CATCHING UP AT COLLEGE
Regarding your question on how America had a vibrant economy despite poor school while other countries such as France experience the opposite, Michael Barone addressed this in "Hard America, Soft America".
He describes it as "one of the peculiar features of our country that we seem to produce incompetent eighteen-year-olds but remarkably competent thirty-year-olds." See this.
Ken Shine
TOP FOLKS
Those at the bottom of educational performance cause social troubles.
The top raise living standards and protect freedom for everybody. The top, for now, is winning. Let 20 million more in that arrive at the bottom and produce children largely at the bottom and the top may not be able to pull the wagon so well, even if their lawns are well landscaped.
France has limited outlets for their top students. I know that as I traveled there (and all over Europe) on business selling to universities and research labs, there always seemed to be plenty of students that expressed a desire to live and work in the US.
For now, until Hillary wreaks her final damage, we utilize our top folks much better.
As to Jonah's column. Amen.
Ken Nelson
St. George, Utah
PRETZEL LOGIC
Ramesh is showing he is in touch with his inner "Blue State." Oh, but the good schools are good. "Don't touch mine!"
It is the same pretzel logic as the polls that show that Congress is hated, but everyone loves his or her Congress person.
Recently, I heard Anne Coulter say she preferred her Republicans to come from blue states because the ones that come from red states are only barely Republican enough to get elected.
Republicans from blue states can be relied upon to be as NIMBY as any lefty fighting off a wind-farm project.
Michael Combest
Kansas
UNTEACHABLE KIDS
Guys - One of my best friends has taught fourth grade in Alabama's public school system for twenty years. To the degree that things are better down here during that time, it's largely due to the shutting down of the teaching degree factory at Alabama State in Montgomery ( or at least the tightening up of it), and the thousands of lousy teachers who have been retired out of the system. On the negative side, there are still thousands of tenured teachers with work habits that would get them thrown off any non-union job, no regard for the kids, little or no ability to teach, very poor English, etc., that can not be fired. Their union successfully argued before the Alabama Supreme Court that no teacher's test could be devised that did not discriminate against blacks. Across their desks from them are the kids, children my generation's children have spawned. Fully half of them have no father at home, and in many cases mom's on crack, crank, or meth, so they live with grandma or an aunt, who's already exhausted from supporting her worthless adult children. They are exposed from early on to the very worst that life in America can offer. Their parents teach them to shoplift. They're often addicted to drugs before they hit thirteen. Their world is about the size of a hit of crack, and interest in school is less than zero. No social skills, no interest in the outside world, violent, ignorant, taught a sense of victimhood and entitlement from day one - they are the unteachables. My friend laments that she only has them for six hours a day: the other eighteen away from school nullifies any hope she has of getting through. No amount of money will cure this. For all the shortcomings of public education, the pathologies incubated and nourished during two generations of welfare state social engineering have given us a large swath of kids here in the Deep South that simply cannot be taught. And I would be surprised if it's much different anywhere else there's a permanent welfare underclass.
L.P
VIRTUES OF VOUCHERS
I'm by no means an expert, or even an educated dilettante, but it seems to me that there might be a middle path: offer vouchers to all parents whose children are in underperforming public schools (although defining that would be problematic); that might lead to the closure of those schools, while the adequate schools, in which some parents are "invested," could continue. There would be less of a bureaucracy needed, as all the NCLB strings would not have to be pulled; fewer audits, etc.
Paul Johnson (no, not that Paul Johnson)
SATISTIFED PARENTS SUPPORT STATUS QUO
Although I'm sympathetic to Mark Steyn's point, I am on board with what Ramesh Ponnuru said about parents having a lot invested in their public schools.
But a lot of parents have put a lot of effort into getting their kids into relatively good public schools. They are not interested in talk of turning the system upside down. And they're right to react skeptically to that kind of talk. One of the reasons that proponents of school choice have not gotten very far is that they have underestimated the parental stake in the existing school system.
I can only speak for ourselves (and what parent wouldn't), but my wife and I are big fans of our public schools: and as Ramesh said we do have a personal stake in them.
But I understand why others would differ. So, there should be different solutions depending on the situations.
Mike Huggins
Irvine, California
UNION IMPOTENCE
I can only speak to teachers in California, but our local union negotiates salaries with our local district. We don't have statewide salaries, teaching conditions, or even curriculum. These decisions are all made locally by our district. Also, our local union is not on good terms with CTA (the state union), and I've seen no connection with my teaching requirements and the national union. Apparently it affects national policy; however, since most teachers don't like NCLB and it is now used as the basis for many local decisions, its power seems extremely limited.
On the less important point, certainly teachers don't have to live in the town where they teach, but most like to live within a reasonable commuting distance. I've taught at two schools, one private, one public, both within 13 minutes from my home, which is pretty local.
Now you have me worried. I just read America Alone and highly recommended it and passed it on to a friend, assuming you're an expert. But I know something about schools, and your comments don't match what I know. In fact, I notice this often when I read about "the problems of education." For example, I just don't see any evidence of the often mentioned deleterious power of unions. Where exactly are they running the show?
We do have real problems in education. It would be nice to see them addressed.
Name withheld
HOUSE PRICE PREMIUM
Ramesh Ponnuru alludes to what may be the biggest obstacle to real school choice: people invest in "good" public schools by paying a large premium to live where they supposedly exist. If kids aren't forced to go to school where they live, this investment will largely be transferred to people who live where schools are (thought to be) not so good. That's not gonna happen.
Paul Sepe
Lancaster, New Hampshire
READ GATTO
John Taylor Gatto has the history of American forced schooling all figured out. The Underground History of American Education is fascinating read from a teacher who's been there.
Wendell Luebbe
Re: G-Man of the frozen North and
Re: Playing the game
BREEDEN’S BUSINESS ADVENTURES
I have been following your Conrad Black blog and keep noticing the subject of Richard Breeden emerging.
Ha! What a loser! That makes this guy Funk a bargain compared to the O'Melveny lawyers who've made $175 million or so off the post-Black Hollinger or Richard Breeden, the former SEC chair and America's first corporate-governance billionaire, who's still on the Hollinger payroll at $800 an hour
I wondered if this was the same Breeden that was involved with Equivest years ago and created a timeshare boondoggle. And sure enough found out it is the same Richard. Seems like he is still busy. The following is from the streetblog.com.
Remember Richard Breeden, the former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman who took over Equivest Finance as Prez & CEO, built it up, cleaned it up, made it a lean mean fighting machine (snark) and then sold it to Fairfield in what may have been the sorriest deal
Fairfield ever made? (Go to The Timeshare Beat and do a search on either/or Equivest/Breeden for juicy details from the mouths of those who worked for Equivest during that period).
Well, Breeden Capital Management LLC, which holds about 5.4 percent of Applebee’s stock, has
formally filed its long-anticipated proxy solicitation to elect four new board members to Applebee’s International, saying it intends to cut costs and boost performance at the restaurant chain. Oh-oh. If he does for Applebee’s what he did for Equivest, well, all I can say is Katy bar the door…
Hollinger isn't the only mess he has been involved with. In 1999 Breeden's company Equivest bought a timeshare company Kosmas. In 2001/2 this plus other holdings were essentially flipped to Cendant/Fairfield corporation. However, after the Cendant acquistion it turned out one of the premiere timeshare properties in the US Virgin Islands, Bluebeards Castle, was essentially devoid of funds and inoperable since maintenance fees and reserve funds seem to have disappeared. Still lots of disgruntled owners out there.
Randy Zindler
HIS CHANCES ARE CLOSE TO ZERO
I have been following the Black trial through your blog at the Macleans site. Very informative and entertaining.
I am a lawyer (though not the criminal lawyer type) and am absolutely sympathetic to Conrad Black and the other defendants in this ridiculous case. That said, it is my opinion that they have a chance of prevailing that is so close to zero that it's indistinguishable from having no chance at all.
In what seems to be Patrick Fitzgerald's standard operating procedure, he and his team identify someone they see as a "bad actor" -- and then they find an inventive way to prosecute that bad actor whether an actual criminal basis for doing so exists, or not. It's all done in the name of the greater good. They are on the side of the angels.
None of the judges in the Northern District of Illinois have shown the fortitude to stand up to what some have (rightly) called the abusive practices of the office. After all, Jim Thompson, himself, dragged Otto Kerner (a former General in the U.S. Army and well-respected former governor of the state) out of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, where he was a sitting appellate court judge, and successfully prosecuted him for the "breach of his duty of honest services" – a charge he made up just for the occassion -- and one Conrad Black is being made to defend against in this case, thrity-five years later. Thompson is the first order of ass, and should have been a co-defendant if there was any appreciation for irony among the ranks of holier-than-though prosecutors.
The jury pool is so horribly tainted by the Tribune, the Sun Times and the rest of the Chicago press' glorification of Patrick Fitzgerald (the new Elliot Ness and all that -- here to "clean up corruption" wherever he finds it). God need take pity on whomever finds themselves in the dock, because no juror will.
Where in the world -- outside of the former Soviet Union (and maybe present-day North Korea) -- does the prosecution succeed in 90%+ cases that are tried?
Even though I always expect it, it's still a shock when the verdict inevitably comes back: all defendants, guilty on all charges. Then the feeding frenzy really begins. All of the ridiculous allegations made by the U.S. Attorneys' Office will then be unassailable "fact" – all because a group of housewives, general contractors and whatever other flim flam is used to fill a jury box say so.
Welcome to the American "justice" system -- at least as it's practiced in the Northern District of Illinois.
(I would appreciate your not using my name in print, lest I be identified by the boys at 219 South Dearborn as a "bad actor" myself for being critical of their upright ways)
CRIMINALIZING BUSINESS
It is unfortunate that Conrad Black decided not to say to the jury what he said to you. It means a lot to a jury to hear the defendant say, "I am innocent." They listen carefully at that moment. The question is whether Fitzgerald will be as successful at criminalizing business as he was at criminalizing politics.
Ezra Marsh
Baltimore
INDICT THOMPSON
The Governor was on the audit committee and he signed something that he now thinks he shouldn't have signed because something illegal was going on? I'm no corporate attorney, but I thought that one of the features of Sarbanes-Oxley was that people in the position the Governor was in weren't allowed a "pass" because they "mistakenly" signed off on "illegal" actions by the corporation. I mean, wasn't the act passed because of Ken Lay's assertion that he didn't understand what the accounting people were telling him?
So, why wasn't the Governor indicted?
Jerri Lynn Ward, J.D.
Austin, Texas
FUNK’S FEES
Re: Funk’s fees. Not that it will do any good for the jury, but the answer likely is that the Hollinger's insurer is paying all these fees, unless and until Kip is found guilty. On the presumption that he is innocent, he is owed his costs of defense under the Directors and Officers insurance policy. If he is found guilty, the coverage evaporates retroactively and he owes it all. This is conjecture, but as the former general counsel of a public company, it's how it would have played out under our policy and they are all pretty much the same.
Robert Wert
Wilmette, Illinois
ONLY THE MEGA-RICH CAN AFFORD TO FIGHT
I love your blog of the trial. It is a daily “must read”. After reading your last update on Wed., I did a Google search of articles on Kipnis and found an interesting bit on him at the Sun-Times. Of course he was much loved there by all, or so the article would indicate. From the beginning, I was always interested in how he would cover his legal fees and figured that those alone would
have been inducement for most would-be defendants being leaned on by the state prosecutors office to fold and become a witness with a deal. In addition to that they would have to consider the effects of disbarrment on future career and earnings, the obliteration of any retirement savings, embattlement of the marriage, etc. His standing up against these prospects seems fair circumstantial evidence that he is not guilty. Far better evidence than the state seems to have gathered against him.
Any trial lasting this long would outstrip the resources of all but a multi-millionaire, if he or she had a high priced legal team. Though article indicated his legal bill could top $1,000,000, I believe it also indicated that if found not guilty, the Sun-Times would be picking up the tab.
Even if this is so, the whole prosecution of a man who may not be a the periphery of events but definitely a minor player with virtually no evidence against him is to all appearances very malicious. Too bad one cannot press a case of malicious prosecution against the whole team.
Vic H.
St. Catharine’s, Ontario
DOUBTFUL ARGUMENTS
Re: The "Trial"-it seems the Gov is arguing that the non-compete fees were owed to the stockholders(?). Is that correct? If so, it seems that the Gov. has to be claiming that the purchase price would have been the sum of the actual purchase plus the amount of the non-competes. That seems strange and very doubtful. If so, then the individuals would have been surrendering their options for future endeavors that might "compete" with the buyer's for , well, nothing. And could the purchase terms, between two companies, bind individuals to some action if they then were no longer employed by either of the parties to the deal? Doubtful.
Oh yeah-I'm going to claim to my credit card issuer that they cannot charge me any late fees because, even thought such were clearly disclosed in the written agreement, I only "skimmed" the agreement and trusted them to not include anything that could later come back to cost me.
Michael LewisGENSON’S CUNNING
Noticed this comment in your blog:
“The Black titles sold for billions. It would have been nice to get the numbers right."
Surprisingly, CBC actually produced a good documentary last night on the National about Mr. Genson. After having seen it, I suspect that this "error" may not have been an error at all. The glimpse I got of Genson is that he is very cunning - could he have made this error purposely so it would emphasize the numbers even more for the jury? They might think, "did he say millions... poor guy meant billions!". Does that exercise perhaps make it more real for the jury? The
alternative, that he messed up the numbers is VERY hard to believe given his calibre and expertise.
Brad
A PATHETIC JOKE OF A CASE
”One notices during the exchanges that so enthrall the court that the otherwise inscrutable jurors do not laugh. The judge laughs, the lawyers laugh, the press laughs, the public laughs. But one or two jurors force a polite half-smile, and that’s it. Is it because they’re outraged by the evidence of Black’ s lavish lifestyle? Or is it because they’re taking their jobs seriously and understand that they hold in their hands the lives (in any meaningful sense) of four men in late middle-age? I’d be inclined to the latter view, but I don’t know and nor does anybody else.”
A third possibility might be that they're appalled that they've wasted several months of their lives on such a pathetic joke of a case. The only bigger farce in recent memory is the Scooter Libby prosecution. But thanks to the prosecution's jury selection experts in Washington, DC, and those of the defense in the O. J. Simpson fiasco, justice does not always prevail.
Subaru Man
MORALS OF MULTIPLE BOARDS
I think that Ms. Ruder has a point in asking the "Why" of what was done because 1.) These people were in conflict situations by being on the boards of several companies that purchase services from each other, 2.) its not illegal to put oneself in this situation - although maybe it should be, and 3) morally it is a problem. Most people on multiple boards seem to blithely ignore this.
Ed Andrews
Sherwood Park, Alberta
ATTACK BY OSTRICH
I’d hoped he would get away with it. He clearly should: the non-competes are a matter of corporate governance, not criminal conduct, and he had cover from the audit committee. But I fear the ostrich instruction will do for him.
I hadn't initially had that much sympathy for him - actually, it was the sheer unfairness of the extracts I read from Tom Bower's book that changed my mind, evoking in particular chivalrous feelings towards Barbara Amiel.
David McDougall
Wadhurst, United Kingdom
Re : Beware of government as incessant action hero
CAN’T WAIT
Mark, you write:
“But, if a gay guy has condom-less sex with multiple partners, why should his ‘lifestyle choices’ get a pass?”
You know better than that. Smoking is a choice. Being gay is hard-wiring, and it is a logical extension of those hard drives that they cannot always wait to find protection.
Next thing you will be saying that Arab suicide bombers aren't entitled to health
care either.
Israel Pickholtz
Gush Etzion, Israel
Re: America Alone
IMPOUNDED PENDING INVESTIGATION
You may be interested to know that the Department of Internal Security in Malaysia have impounded my ordered copy of your book “America Alone” pending investigation, I assume to ensure it is suitable reading for Malaysia's general populace. They advised me two months ago that they would tell me in 60 working days whether I could have the book or not - I await their decision with interest. I did notice however, that it did not appear on a list of about 37 banned books which appeared in a 'free' newspaper a week ago - most of those books were of a religious nature discussing Islam etc.
I'm not Malaysian myself - in fact I'm an officer in the New Zealand Defence Force with joint British/ New Zealand citizenship on a two years overseas posting to Penang. As I explained to them on the phone I hail from countries that believe in freedom of speech and letting the masses decide for themselves what the truth is - of course it fell on the deaf ears of the un-enlightened.
Anyway, I will keep you informed of the outcome and let you know if they decide to ban the book here. If they do it will only make me more interested to read it and find out what the fuss is about. Perhaps, as the author, you already can guess what might upset them so you could place extracts on the internet to circumvent the 'thought police' and let everyone in Malaysia have access LOL!! But seriously, if it doesn't reach me is there any chance I could get a copy sent to my parents New Zealand address so that I can at least read it on my return at the end of the year?
Glen Graham
Penang, Malaysia
TURNING BACK THE DEATH SPIRAL
I just completed reading your new book “America Alone”. I know you are tired of hearing how great the book is, but here is another one. THANKS! I bought all the copies from the local Barnes and Noble and Borders locations to give to my friends and family. I gave a copy to one of my friends. After reading it, he went to buy some for his family and friends. Barnes and Noble was sold out because I bought them all. He asked them to order him some copies. When he placed the order, they told him that 25 copies had been ordered that day. This gives us hope. If everyone reads this truth, maybe we can have hope of pulling out of this death spiral that we are in. Wouldn’t it be nice to see some of these large issues debated in the Presidential campaign? The cynic in me say we won’t, but I hope.
Thanks again for informing the world even if they want to close their eyes and pretend everything will be ok if we ignore it.
Ps. I am an avid reader and this is the first book that I have felt compelled to buy as many copies as I can get my hands on to pass out to people. Amazon.com, here I come.
Mike Wilbanks
FERTILITY TRENDS
Mark, I am in the investment industry, but try to read/learn a lot outside of my field... politics, demographics, psychology. So America Alone was an excellent read! I love your calls on Hugh Hewitt on AM-1280 here in Minnesota.
A paper was recently published linking a country's fertility rate with future trends in its exchange rate. I thought this was fascinating, and yet another pillar supporting your demographic arguments.
Link to this. Hat tip to Instl Economics blog.
Shawn McFarlane
St Paul, Minnesota
YOUR TURN WITH JURGEN
Your Last Book: “Der Untergang des Abendlandes”. Dare to argue with Jürgen Habermas???
Walter Pongratz
CONSERVATIVE VICTORIES
America Alone is the finest book that I have read in years. Thank you. (BTW…I had to dust off my dictionary since I am a product of the U.S. public school system)
One question came to mind. You make the point that European elections will as a result of demography continue to lean socialistic. But, what of the recent conservative victories in Germany and France? Perhaps, the term conservative is watered down in Europe. Was there somewhat of an awakening? Or, is this a temporary blip on the radar?
Kevin Scott
Iowa Park, Texas
INTIMIDATION BY NUMBERS
Let me point to another problem amplified by M. Zuhdi Jasser, director of American Islamic Forum for Democracy, statement, "...the organization speaks for 7 million American Muslims, as the group has claimed."
7 million US Muslim's? As Iain Murray pointed-out in his post 'Vindication "a new, exhaustive study from the Pew Research Center has asked the same question, and concludes there are about 2.35 million Muslims in America."
Call it, 'Muslim Intimidation by Numbers' and as long as Western politician s keep allowing Islamofascist's to control the Political and/or actual Battlefield dynamics, Resources and Informational Battlespaces of this War - along with the dynamic of 'time' - we're going to have one helluva problem.
Earl
THE MUSLIN MENACE
Do you have to be Muslim to join? [Muslims for Steyn}. I'm a fabric artist...I'd join "Muslin for Steyn" as well.
Heather Radish Taylor
radishquilts.blogspot.com
www.radishthegreat.com
MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON WEEDS
So, you're a broken down loser tree farmer? I come from a family of farmers myself - unregisterd Angus and the much reviled demon weed tobacco. Unlike Al Gore, I really have planted it, pulled it, dropped it, suckered it, cut it, dried it, stripped it and sold it - and being slightly insane, I guess, still liked the physical work of it all.
I was interested in farming as a career when I was a teenager, but was dissuaded from it by the following sage advice of my Uncle, who had taken over my grandfather's farm:
"Well, the secret is that farming is a great way to end up with a small fortune...provided you start off your farming life with a large fortune."
C. Eric Alexander
Boston, Massachusetts
ROOT CAUSES
Re: How you gonna keep them down on the farm now that they’ve seen Paree? I got some potato plants in the back yard, and my kids are "people of color." Can I get farm subsidies and affirmative action too?
Dave Nabers
STUCK AT 14 PER CENT
He [John McCain] burned all those bridges AHEAD of him...and now is wondering why he can't
get off the 14% island . Good. That's where years of kissing up to the MSM gets you- 14%....and the island of indifference.
John Gross
Beloeil, Quebec
FREEING UP THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
In response to the link to the advantages of an Islamic London: the writer overlooked one of the benefits of Islamic justice dispensed in England. There are no misdemeanors in Islam. This should free up the clogged court systems nicely.
Joseph Griswold
DORIS DAY AND JIHAD
Some time ago, you asked (rhetorically, one presumes) if Doris Day was the root cause of jihad, referring to jihad-godfather Sayeed Qutb's notorious shock from hearing a Day recording at a Colorado church function. Listening to your recent discussion with Roger L Simon on the decay of America's daily newspapers, however, I wondered if you were also familiar with the Doris Day
movie Teacher's Pet, wherein the heroine educates old-school newspaperman Clark Gable into a modernized socialist journ-o-bore? Doris would seem to be at the root of many of the modern pathologies.
Ted S.
New York
LARRY TATE AND JIHAD
It's not every day you see a Larry Tate mention -- it's good to keep his memory alive. Did you know that the actor who played him, David White, lost his son on Pan Am 103? His son was 33 when he died over Lockerbie. Sadly, Mr. White passed away less than 2 years later.
PS On Bewitched, Larry Tate also had a son -- named after his real-life son, Jonathan.
Edward K Wendell
New York, NY
YOU’RE IN CHICAGO, BUT YOUR COLUMNS AREN’T?
Where or where have you been? You are in Chicago for the CB trial... but your columns are not. Is there a Daily Telegraph situation going on with the CS-T?
Kevin Scanlan
Mundelein, Illinois
PENTAGON PAL
I am a big fan; loved "America Alone". As an active-duty Soldier (currently stationed at the Pentagon), and OEF and OIF vet, I greatly appreciate your articulate, compelling (and often hilarious) efforts to enlighten, inform and inspire - about matters of great import. (And, as a fellow “Granite-Stater”, I am glad you've chosen to settle in New Hampshire!) Please keep up the great work, and never let the bastards get you down.
Pete Brigham
Falls Church, Virginia (New London, NH)
LAST WORD
You are a brave man and a Canadian. I thought all you guys were pinkos. Keep up the
good work. You are very funny.
Rozzy
Sydney, Australia
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