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Thank you for your kind (and unkind) letters from Canada, America and Britain. 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 letters on the Conrad Black trial, see Mailbox Extra.
Re: Craig’s list
A VICE COP’S LOT
I was a vice cop for three years and part of the job entailed going into the public restrooms where we received complaints of lewd conduct. These complaints mostly come from Mr. Naive "every-day Joe" whom entered the public facility in his time of need and came upon lewd activity or who was propositioned in a creepy, mostly non-verbal way. Some of these complaints are from fathers who were with there children when the lewd conduct was witnessed. For the 99% of the citizens who come upon these situations in a public restroom, it is very shocking and disturbing.
However, I am writing to correct you on your article this Sunday, September 2. Vice cops have a lot of other things to do than investigate these complaints, however, they have to be investigated. No vice cop just sits in a bathroom all day to catch a perpetrator. Our investigation entailed entering the facility and acting like we were there to use it for its short intended use. If we got the weird look, knock, "foot tapping", wink, etc... we would play the game. It is a seedy, funky,
difficult investigation. We never instigated or participated in the behavior. However, we had to pretend we were interested in participating. We never sat in a bathroom more than 10 minutes. We would enter, do a check and more times than not, we would not see anything. We would then move onto the next complaint or project on an endless list of vice-related things continuously happening in the public.
My reason for writing this response is because you took a small truth and then extended out to a great exaggeration which in the end equals a lie. Michael Moore is a master at this type of logic: I saw "A" and "B" so "E" happened even though "C" and "D" occurred in between... but, it is just easier to jump to "E". The part of your article about the police Sergeant's duties is not very important to the over all points, however, its an untruthful bend that does unfairly depict something and wrongly forms opinions.
Bill BurnsANARCHY IS THE ALTERNATIVE
I did not get the impression the cop "enjoys" his assignment. I'm sure most cops don't enjoy playing "john" to arrest some 20-buck hooker...or having to arrest some guy with a couple of joints in his pocket. They are paid to do what they're told. Anarchy is the alternative. Cops don't make the law(s).
It is cheap and easy to rip the cop and the assignment, but I support any measures that make the public toilet visit less of a look-over-your-shoulder experience, be it for me, or for my 11-year-old grandson (and those gays are reputed to be so "CREATIVE" ...let 'em come up with some other meeting places besides public parks and toilets. Geez..they already have their clubs and bath-houses, don't they???) Ya really oughta run some of your stuff by me ...before you put it out there. I'm always there for ya, Mark (there...but not "there", if ya get my drift.)
John Gross
Beloeil, Quebec
PROTECTING A PUBLIC PLACE
Frankly I'm amazed at your take on this. The police stake out men's rooms because of complaints about men having sex in the stalls. This is entirely appropriate. This is a public place where others are entitled not to have to see or hear that kind of thing. There's nothing wrong with legalised prostitution but surely we as a society have some right to say where this can and can't go on?
Jeff Swail
GOODBYE LARRY AND GOOD RIDDANCE
As a father of a high functioning, yet highly vulnerable autistic teenage son, regardless of occupation, one more publicly intrusive, anonymous male sex seeking bathroom troller is off the street. In fact, his public persona is surely more effective than an average Joe takedown. Now, more people are aware of lurking dangers in seemingly innocuous places like airport restrooms.
As a staunch conservative most of the time and an almost (insert Joe Leiberman/war
views) always republican supporter I say GOOD F---ING RIDDANCE!
Please spare me the political/conspiratorial ramifications, people like Larry Craig are pukes, and by the way, they are pukes who get a little more excited when they suspect that their prey may be a bit socially/mentally vulnerable.
Good-bye Larry, turn the page
.
Tony Rice
PROTECTING KIDS IN PUBLIC BATHROOMS
Having raised a son from the age of 5 to adulthood as a single mother, I say "Thank God there are vice cops willing to patrol public areas where 'stuff' happens." The cop who does this patrol to uphold public decency should never be called a creep.
There are many times a mother has to let her son enter a public bathroom alone when he is still a youngster, and she doesn't want to have him exposed to deviant behavior.
L McClure
San Jose, California
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GOP
You nailed it. If this guy wasn't a creep, he never would have pled guilty. This is a good opportunity for GOP senators to show they don't tolerate this kind of stuff. In fact, I expect them to drive Craig out. If anything, I expect Dem. senators to drag their feet and resist GOP efforts to do so. They fear a quick decisive end to this scandal.
Roger C Shouse
GOTCHA GAMES
Tony Orlando and Dawn, 2007: Tap three times on the stall floor if you want me/ Rap
on the wall, if the answer is No-ooo.
If it was Barney "My boyfriend runs a prostitution ring out of my Washington townhouse" Frank had been caught soliciting, the Left would be screaming that this is a private matter. This is just hypocritical gotcha games on the Left's side to push the discrediting of Republicans before the next election. It worked with Foley and they will ratchet it up again for 2008. The Republicans are too wussy to fight back anyway.
Jim Hill
IS IT OKIE DOKIE?
Since I have libertarian leanings I keep up with Reason Magazine's blog, Hit and Run. I gave up on that philosophy a long time ago for reasons such as the response to the Craig situation. The consensus seems to be that public bathroom sex is okie dokie unless you are uptight or a fascist cop. Check here for a taste. Bruce Bridges
SENATORS DON’T USE PUBLIC TOILETS
I've read the "Craig" comments in various conservative blogs today; crime/ no crime, did he/ didn't he, "jestures are legally meaningless," etc, etc. All concentrating on the peas and not the steak. The arrest report stated that "he went into a stall and placed his baggage against the door." It ends for me right there. Pardon my French, but NO United States Sr. Senator is going to take a dump in an airport bathroom. None. Not one. He is guilty as charged, which is why he copped a plea.
Cary Bonner
THE FLAT FOOT AND THE FLAT FEET
According to the Idaho Statesman story about Craig: "Had he been discharged for homosexual conduct, a different section of the military code would have been cited, and he wouldn't have received an honorable discharge. Records show he was let go because of a "physical disqualification," although they do not specify the reason. There is no physician's report available, according to the Pentagon and the Idaho Guard. Craig says his ailment was flat feet."
Are flat feet and wide stances correlated? Something to consider.
Please do not use my name. Thanks for all your great work.
Name withheld
THE COPPER IN THE CRAPPER
C'mon Mark! Attacking the officer is the a liberal tactic. As a PO with many years service, it's a lousy assignment but somebody has to do it. If not you will find them lurking in your own backyard outhouse.
Steve
Friday Harbor, Washington
INDICATING BUT NOT PROFILING
No, going around saying "See? This proves that profiling works," won't cut it.
But how about, "Why is it okay to use “indicators” to hassle gay men with poor social skills in bathrooms, but not okay to use 'indicators' to take a close look at people who might just want to BLOW US ALL UP?
Charles Flemming
Texas
ON A TOILET ROLL
Wow. You are on a roll with this Larry Craig think. It's just one zinger after another.
Josiah Neeley
ANOTHER SCANDAL
Some of us remember a prior notorious homosexual scandal in Boise.
James Graham
Lexington, Virginia
ROLLING BACK THE WOOL
Your observations in the post (the one which mentioned the metal detector) are right on. Methinks the readership of The Corner hangs there more for the discussions of practical politics than those of the theoretical. The latter shouldn¹t be minimized, but it¹s good to see you drag the wool rollers back to reality.
Terry Smith
WIDE STANCE
If I were a cartoonist I'd do a cartoon of a huge elephant standing in a men's room stall, with one wall marked "Illegal Immigration" falling on the head of the guy to the right and "Fiscal
restraint" collapsing on the head of the guy to the left, and the elephant explaining, rather belligerently, "I have a wide stance". The little Oliphant penguin in the corner could point out, "At least he's not gay!"
Ezra Marsh
Baltimore
GIVE CRAIG A CHANCE
Craig is not a hypocrite if he's not gay.
The only serious accusation against Craig is by a disgruntled gay guy who re-registered Democrat before making his accusation in 2004.* During its 8 month investigation, the Statesman interviewed 300 people, visited the ranch where Craig grew up, and made two trips to Washington, D.C. The paper also interviewed 41 of Craig's fraternity brothers, all this without finding any corroboration.*
Republicans were too eager to throw Craig under the bus.
P.S. Mark Levin's NRO Craig article is good.
JD
INNOCENT BUT IDIOTIC
By temperament I'm inclined to react to Craig as you do, but this post outlines a not-implausible exculpatory scenario and at least deserves an answer:
Either way, all can agree he's an idiot and needs to resign.
Jeff Peterson
Austin, Texas
PLAIN STUPID
It is bad behavior plain and simple. It is not a civil liberty argument, or a gay straight argument, it is just stupid.
Ironically, in Washington State having sex in a bathroom is not a crime. It was a crime for the boy friend to go into the girls room.
Joe Scuderi
MINIMUM ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS
"Only one hundred people out of 300 million get to be US Senators. Granted a wide public tolerance for creeps and weirdoes, an understanding that one will not solicit sex in airport men's rooms is about the minimum entry qualification."
I second the motion and add that it is a minimum qualification for the most important job in the world -- President of the United States -- that one not receive oral sex from interns in the Oval Office.
Michael A. Buxbaum
New York, New York CREEPS AND WEIRDOS
'Only one hundred people out of 300 million get to be U.S. senators. Granted a wide public tolerance for creeps and weirdoes, an understanding that one will not solicit sex in airport men's rooms is about the minimum entry qualification."
Oh, if it were only so...... Welcome to the hallowed halls of Congress; home to Purveyors of Graft, Offices of the Greedy, the Gross, and the Classless.
Our Senate makes a mockery of your impeccable logic..... Craig's morality, or lack of it, is right on par with previous exhibitions by Kennedy, Schumer, Levin, Kennedy, Stevens, .........
Absent the Toga, most any senator from Imperial Rome would feel right at home in our Congress.
David Baker
ONE WAY TO ENFORCE TERM LIMITS
"Only one hundred people out of 300 million get to be U.S. senators. Granted a wide public tolerance for creeps and weirdoes, an understanding that one will not solicit sex in airport men's rooms is about the minimum entry qualification."
Oops! You've probably just sent a quarter of the US Senate packing. Although that is one good way to enforce term limits.
Robert
Connecticut
ARMCHAIR ATTORNEY
You say of Senator Larry "Brian Downing had nothing on my wide stance" Craig "To announce that he's now retained counsel is preposterous: His voluntary guilty plea cannot be overturned."
Really? It may be that his attempt to vacate his plea fails, but there is no reason to be sure of that now. In my experience (> 20 years of criminal law) an uncounseled plea to a crime would probably be vacated on the grounds that it was not a knowing, voluntary and intelligent waiver of his rights. In fact, except for podunk village courts where judges still say things like "thirty days or thirty dollars", Judge don't even accept pleas to crimes, without counsel. Heck, I have seen DAs jump in and explain to the guy that he really shouldn't do that, and been asked to explain it myself.
If I were the Judge, I'd ask defendants "How do you plea to a violation of section 125.27 of the Penal Law of New York?" and when the idiot said guilty, because he has no idea what section he's charged under and is just trying to get out of the room, I'd say "I accept your plea of guilty to murder in the first degree [optional - and I sentence you to be hung by the neck until dead], or would you rather seek counsel?"
Attorneys know that anyone who sits in a courtroom for more than an hour tends to think they are ready to practice law, and either defend themselves on serious charges, or to say things like "To announce that he's now retained counsel is preposterous: His voluntary guilty plea cannot be overturned."
James Eckert
GET THE LAW RIGHT
I agree with your comments but (as a trial lawyer in Philly) I want to save you from a legal error in your post.
In addition, I figure Hewitt's certain to ask you about l'affaire Craig - not sure sex in the men’s room qualifies as an affair, but... -on the air Thursday and I want you to get the law right.
Now then.
Any criminal defendant who has pled guilty has the right, within a reasonable period of time, ?to move to withdraw his or her plea. In Craig's case, based on press reports, his lawyer would file a motion to withdraw the guilty plea on the grounds that "I acted without advice of counsel and I was so stressed (that people would find out about this) I lacked the mental capacity to make an informed?and legally binding decision." The barroom translation of that, of course, is "I'm too stupid and weak-willed to be a United States Senator."
Craig probably signed a form which contained all sorts of waivers, including an acknowledgement that he had the right to a lawyer, that he had a right to go to trial, etc.
(Incidentally, Craig's plea also again underlines your excellent column after the Lord Black conviction of how the CJ system operates on the basis of guilty pleas.).
In his petition, Craig would also have to allege a good defense, e.g., actual innocence, mental impairment (I was drunk as a goat; I'm a sex addict and can't control myself) police entrapment so severe as to shock the Court's conscience, that cop is lying, lewd conduct statute is unconstitutional (after that Supreme Court sodomy case, I have a constitutional right to have consensual sex with another man in a public toilet stall), Congressional immunity ( I was on my way from or to a meeting of the Senate), or other police or DA misconduct, etc.
The Court would then set a hearing date at which Craig could elect to testify (in which case the DA could joyfully cross-examine him) and perhaps put on a psychiatrist; the arresting officer could testify, etc.
I wonder if Minnesota allows cameras in the courtroom.
In short, the sordid would offer the diverting, sordid spectacle we all deserve, given the poisoned state of our politics. Imagine Osama and his boys (or a brave Iraqi ally, for that matter) sitting around eating lamb and rice and watching this on the satellite disk. What must they think of us?
Pretty much what I think myself, that's what.
All the best and keep punching. If Craig does move to withdraw his plea, drop me a note and I'll "meet you in Minneapolis" for the hearing. Maybe you could blog it for NRO...
“Jimmythewiles”
Re: Waltzing Matilda
A LUMP IN EVERY THROAT
The roots of the song may be in the hippie pacifist left, but it usually puts a lump in every throat at Murphy's Irish pub in Alexandria, VA, where there is always a sizable proportion of buzzcuts up from Quantico on a weekend pass or off duty from the Pentagon enjoying good beer and good clapping songs. (Standard playlists heavy on American country, folk, Jimmy Buffet, Brown Eyed Girl)
If you ever have a weekend evening free in the Washington, DC area, spend it at Murphy's in Alexandria.
John Bragg
Dallas, Texas
ELEGY FOR HUMANITY
Still one of the most evocative songs from my childhood (and I'm an American who grew up in San Diego), and a favorite in elementary school (do they still teach kids songs in elementary school?). What really cemented its place in my heart and mind was seeing "On the Beach" on TV
at some point while relatively young (<15). Watching the human race die out quietly, stoically to the strains of "Waltzing Matilda" had a strong emotional impact on me, and 40 years later I can still feel that wild melancholy that filled me at the time. It was an inspired bit of scoring.
Bruce F. Webster
Parker, Colorado
LEE HAZLEWOOD DIDN’T LIKE MY SONG
I have been around for quiet a long time, I have done enough in my lifetime to write a book about, but like the procrastinator I was ''born to be" I will get 'roun to it someday. I'm a 70 year old kid, still workin' shift work for my 47th year for Firestone Polymers in Orange, Texas. I just
"googled myself" as some said I oughta, and found my name in Mark's blog column, where "Steyn on These Boots are made for Walkin'" a sweet little someone mentioned my "answer song" to Nancy's song ... My song was "These Spurs are made for Ridin' ... which caused quiet a "stir" at the radio stations because Lee Hazlewood, who recently passed away, put a ''block'' on
it and my producer put three little X's on the "Spurs" side .... I received so many calls about that cause folks thought they were gonna hear an "x' RATED SONG. However, I enjoyed a quick 15 minutes of fame, but never quit my day job (actually shift job). I read a lot of Marks stuff, and am fascinated and curious and can see "genius" in his writings, and would like to order his latest book and find out more about him. I could tell him a story or two he would get a kick out of. Anyway, My name (GOZA) implies to "go backwards" (GO from Z to A) and I was born backwards, my mom told me .. so really I’m serious .. I would like to get his latest book and find his latest articles and go from there as time permits and read what he has to say about stuff .... Thanks again .....
Gene Goza
Re: America Alone
IT SCARED ME TO DEATH
Dear Mr. Steyn: I have just finished reading your book, "America Alone", and it scared me to death! It put into actual words and reality the trends that have been concerning me for some time. I'm not sure what kind of a world is going to be left for my grandchildren.
One thing for sure, the book has inspired me to find the right candidate for 2008, and work my backside off in support of him. I just hope there is a "right" candidate for 2008! Thank you for your bold thoughts and words. I have shared my book with several people, and they all had the same reaction - positive!
Stephanie
SLOW AND STEADY WINS
If what you say in America Alone is true, (and I am convinced it is), why on earth would they be so brutally barbaric when all they have to do is copulate for the next 50 years or so and just take over the world peacefully??????
Paul Grose M.D.
Mount Jackson, Virginia
P.S. I was born and raised in Toronto and graduated from Toronto University
medical school in 1959.
MARK REPLIES: Some of them are in more of a hurry. But the cannier ones recognize that demography - rather than flying planes into skyscrapers – is the real advantage. It's a classic good cop/bad cop routine. If you look at any western prime minister's "Muslim advisors", they're generally people who believe everything the al-Qaeda guys do; they just don't want to have to
blow up stuff to achieve it.
Re: The transfigeration of Diana
FLICKERING CAREER
Few remember that Elton John's career was very much in decline at the time of the Princess' demise. Don Imus had it exactly right: "If it weren't for Diana's death, Elton John would be doing dinner theater in Branson now."
Glenn Toles
O'Fallon, Missouri
PAUL AND THE PRINCESS
I had a little shock a month or so ago. I was visiting Paul Johnson at home, and quoted with approval, your characterization of Princess Di (manipulative etc etc).
I could tell he was considerably annoyed. Said he liked her very much.
Go figure.
Donald Kahn
LOTS OF GRIEF
After reading your article about Diana, I was reminded of the grief I took from others for expressing my opinion that she was, as you so aptly put it, over valued (my gift with the language does not rival yours, so my description of the people's princess was a bit earthier). Did you catch much criticism for your article?
Michael Haltom
Lawrenceville, Georgia
REIGNED OFF
I still remember a comment made about Charles and Diana's upcoming wedding by a TV
reporter. (It was the sports reporter on a new network at the time - I think it was Fox News.)
So anyway, in the days preceding the wedding, this sports guy pointed out that on that day in England, there would be the wedding and a big sports event – Wimbledon or some other tennis match. He recommended seeing the tennis, because "It will be a better match."
I thought at the time, "How does he know that? What's that based on?" But he was pretty prescient.
Larry Eubank
ISN’T THAT PJ O’ROURKE?
Saw this blurb in the upper corner of the site... "In the news - DIANA REDUX: The Conservative Party Reptile on the people's princess ten years on - plus: Rod Frisco of The Patriot News on America Alone's implications for ..."
I love Mark, but that title, "Conservative Party Reptile" may rightfully belong to PJ O'Rourke, who got me into the conservative movement when I read Republican Party Reptile. Yes, its not the same. And I always wondered where the next writer with the same humor and take on political issues would arise. So maybe the title does go to Mark, as the heir apparent.
Brendan Dooher
Danville, California
Re: Give Pace a chance
THE PENUMBRA JUNTA
Hey, this idea has some real merit here!! Let's see, the Supremes in the past have said there is a "penumbra" (I think that was the word) around the Constitution. This phenomenon allowed the "Right to Privacy" which was "Umbraed" into the right to an abortion. Using this same part shadow approach one could say that all military officers who have sworn to "Uphold the Constitution.etc." could use this "Penumbra" "right" to take over Congress and the Courts!! Boy, why didn't I think of this earlier! (Hell, I'm not even a lawyer either)! I'd gladly go back on active duty so I could be a Jurist, Congress Person or Senator appointed by the "Penumbra"
Junta!! Yep this has possibilities!! Things would certainly be different were I King! Boy, that is even a better idea! You could even be Vice King).
George Hawks
Southlake, Texas
PS. Why wasn't this placing the Prez under military arrest considered under Clinton? The guy violated so many sections of the UCMJ it was pathetic.
IT’S TREASON
I am not a big fan of George Bush, but this smells like treason on the part of Martin Lewis, during a time of war.
Or don't we take treason seriously any more either?
Richard Reed
Bellaire, Texas
TOO STUPID FOR WORDS
I too subjected myself to that idiotic column. The column by this idiot Lewis starts off with a lie. Lewis professes outrage that General Pace is being dismissed by the President. The fact is that Pace had already served two terms as CJCS. He might have served a third term, but Democrats made it clear that he would not be reconfirmed by the Senate. Pace had served as Vice Chairman as well. He was seen by many Defeatocrats and some Republicans (John McCain comes to mind) as Don Rumsfeld's guy. The rest of the column was just too stupid for
words.
Rich DiNardo
THE MAN IS INCOMPETENT
In re Huffington Post: Martin Lewis is incompetent.
Whatever the merits of his argument - and I do not believe there are any; the President is not subject to the Uniform Code Of Military Justice.
Do not send your children to his school.
Bill Bathurst
WHY STOP THERE?
The generalissimo-designate has yet to respond. But check out the pictures at the end comparing the ribbons on the General's chest with the wide open plains of the President's. Never trust anyone with under 30 medals.
I'd hope you've also observed the irony in all this: several of General Pace's medals were earned during his service in Vietnam. According to leftists like Lewis, Pace presumably got these for "acting like Genghis Khan" and committing various atrocities against the local civilian population. Therefore, we are now being treated to the bizarre notion of a leftist proposing that one "probable war criminal" (Pace) forcibly remove another "war criminal" (Bush). Seems to me that in Lewis's fevered mind, there are now "good" war criminals these days and "bad" ones.
Lewis further conveniently overlooks the fact that if Pace and the rest of our military establishment were truly powerful enough to remove a President, they might just decide to keep going and remove other elected and appointed officials as well. Like, oh say, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, various members of the Supreme Court, et. al.
Martin Lewis: Living proof that, in our modern world, stupidity and ignorance no longer bar one from financial success and a career in punditry.
Mark Jaeger
Lafayette, Indiana
SATIRE? I DON’T THINK SO
Once again, hello, Mr. Steyn,
I do not know if Lewis' wrote his response to the right "wing-nut world" being up in arms over his piece, as they took it on its face as a legitimate, if ridiculous, position by Lewis. But, I do know a few things:
He wrote his response to only right-wingers while excluding all of the left-wingers who placed comments on his piece, who also took it as a legitimate proposal, if not entirely feasible.
He wrote his response after you wrote your comment on the Corner.
All of his responses to comments on his piece prior to his response to the "right-wingers-treating-it-as serious" were seemingly legitimizing his original piece.
And after he wrote his response to "right-wingers-treating-it-as serious," his responses to comments on his piece, were of the vein of "it's satire - the right is stupid."
It seems to me that it only became satire, or was stated as such, when the right took notice of his piece, not when the left did.
He seems like a disingenuous person hiding behind the claim of satire, although if it were possible, he would very much like it to occur, as all of his responses to comments on his piece seem to indicate prior to his "right-wingers-treating-it-as serious" response.
David M. Ahmad
THE FUNKY CHICKENHAWK
The basis for the chickenhawk taunt is a rejection of civilian control of the military. If we have civilian control of the military, then by definition all decisions regarding sending troops into danger are made by people who will not, themselves, go into danger.
Calling anyone a chickenhawk who did not serve when they were younger is merely an attempt to reduce the proportion of the population which is permitted to support the war to under 10%. War is too important to be left to its supporters.
Urging the military to stage a coup, even a limited, short term, polite coup, is simply an extension of what the chickenhawk argument, it seems to me.
James Eckert
SOCIALISTS AREN’T ‘WONDERFUL PEOPLE’
I don't get your assertion that the Left has "completed its long strange journey of the last 40 years": when exactly has the Left been other than totalitarian? As far as I can see, the only dictators they've ever opposed are ones standing in the way of more ideologically pure tyrants.
[E.g. Hitler was OK until he attacked Stalin.]
The Leftists of the Sixties were not shy about their "by any means necessary" attitude. Neither were the Leftists of any other decade before or after. What exactly do you see as having changed?
Roger Kimball once wondered aloud about why it was that Socialism persisted despite its horrendous historical record. He then unwittingly answered his own question by asserting that he knew many "decent and honorable" people who were still committed Socialists. In my view, as
long as supporters of an ideology that is synonymous with slavery and genocide can be excused as wonderful people by those who know better, that ideology will have a long shelf life.
Mark Lake
Redding, Connecticut
ARREST THE GUY
Can you think of any reason for the author of the piece urging Gen Pace to "relieve the President" NOT to be arrested and charged with sedition?
I cannot.
CAPT Eileen F. MacKrell, USN
Re: Gitmo Poems are Torture
SOFA SO GOOD
Are prisoners really seated in a Lazyboy while being interrogated? I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition!
Howard Cohen
Roslyn, New York HOMESICKNESS
What kind of spring is this,
Where there are no flowers and
The air is filled with a miserable smell?
This bit of poetry from a GITMO detainee made me laugh as it accurately sums up the
Middle East. Perhaps he was homesick?
Saunchus Maximus
Kansas
Re: They wait for us to run again
SITTING US OUT
Reading your piece "They Wait For Us To Run Again" it struck me that your title said it all. People in Indochina and the Middle East make their political calculations on the rational expectation that, sooner or later, American forces will leave Indochina and the Middle East, and return home to America.
It was quite different in the 19th century campaigns against the Native Americans or Mexico, where it was obvious that the US would stay forever, and resistance was therefore futile. China has engaged in a brutal occupation of Tibet, killing millions in the process. But, sadly for the Tibetans, it's virtually impossible to imagine a situation in which the Chinese army will ever leave and return to China, short of some unexpected massive collapse of the Chinese state
itself. A Chinese military adventure in, say, Africa might be a different matter.
This is the central problem. The only way America could have won the Vietnam war was if it had annexed South Vietnam just as it had previously annexed California, and governed it accordingly, as a state of the union. Only the belief that the US presence in Indochina was permanent and eternal would have been sufficient to break the will of America's local opponent.
The British were able to put down the Indian Mutiny. The immediate consequence was that the British state had no choice but to take over the governance of India directly, something it had previously left to a corporation. President Bush thinks it's possible to achieve the kind of victory the British achieved in 1857 without doing what the British did politically. This brings up the lesson Napoleon learned in the Spanish Peninsular War, that you can achieve anything with a bayonet, but you can't sit on it.
It's politically unimaginable that a future US President will announce that Mesopotamia is the 51st State of the Union, of course. But this means that everyone in the region, friend or foe, from Iraqi democrat to Iranian mullah, is planning for the Iraq that will emerge AFTER America leaves. America's enemies believe they just have to wait. America's friends are planning their escape.
What a perfect mess.
Guy Sigsworth
DEFEAT WAS NOT INEVITABLE
I've often thought that one of the reasons the left is so determined upon our defeat in Iraq is that, if we win, the Vietnam mythos that defeat was inevitable dies. While that myths lives, they can take solace (and shelter) from responsibility for what followed. After all, the worst case then is that it was just a matter of timing, as if the left only took the part of a mercy killer.
Win in Iraq though, demonstrate that the guerilla is defeatable, and the Vietnam debacle goes from a mere matter of timing to what it really was, long distance vicarious assassination, complicity in mass murder and last, but not least, treason.
Tom Kratman
Blacksburg, Virginia
Re: Techno-racists bearing checks
STAT ATTACK
Love the article, but I'm curious about the stat that 30 million African-Americans are wealthier than 30 million Canadians. I wouldn't have expected that - could you provide a reference?
Mark Dykstra
Re: Hugh Hewitt
YOU DON’T KNOW A HUM FROM A VEE
In the recent interview Steyn gave to Dean Barnett on the Hugh Hewitt show, he twice identified a "Humvee" as the culprit vehicle in Beauchamp's fictional account of soldiers running over dogs.
In fact, the vehicle Beauchamp referred to is an M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (see picture here), which is basically a tank, with tracks. A Humvee (picture here) is basically a beefy jeep, with wheels.
I enjoy Steyn; just wanted to correct a sloppy mistake.
John
NUTS TO THAT
"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued an allergy alert about cookies sold at furniture stores in Calgary and Vancouver."
Very funny, changing the name to "Death by Walnut."
In my opinion though, anyone to goes to a furniture store to buy cookies gets
what's coming to them.
Barbara Duran
Kaneohe, Hawaii
HARD TO CRACK
I think a few characters in The Sopranos met that fate, as the enforcer numero uno was Paulie Walnuts.
Joe Huenke
BUYER BEWARE
I believe Monty Python said it best thirty years ago:
"Milton: We use only the finest baby frogs, dew-picked and flown from Iraq, cleansed in the finest quality spring water, lightly killed, and then sealed in a succulent Swiss quintuple smooth treble cream milk chocolate envelope, and lovingly frosted with glucose.
Praline: That's as may be, but it's still a frog!
Milton: What else?
Praline: Well don't you even take the bones out?
Milton: If we took the bones out it wouldn't be crunchy would it?
Praline: Superintendent Parrot ate one of those.
Parrot: Excuse me a moment. (exits hurriedly)
Praline: Well, the Superintendent thought it was an Almond whirl. People won't expect there to be a frog in there. They're bound to think it's some sort of mock frog.
Milton: (insulted) Mock frog? We use no artificial preservatives or additives of any kind!
Praline: Nevertheless, I must warn you that in future you should delete the words “crunchy frog”, and replace them with the legend, “crunchy raw unboned real dead frog” if you want to avoid prosecution.
Milton: What about our sales?
Praline: I'm not interested in your sales! I have to protect the general public!"
Thanks for all you do!
Edward Morrissey
Captain's Quarters
FOLLOW THE MONEY
Can someone with the raw data and mapping software supply us with a colored coded map of recipients of the farm subsidies?
If, as I suspect, the farm country would receive only a small percentage: I believe the bill could be defeated.
Dale Switzer
Oklahoma
KILL DOGS, AND YOU’RE DEAD
I'm a big fan of The Simpsons and I have many of the DVDs. The episode commentaries are particularly interesting and one of them I think is particularly relevant.
During one episode the commentators (writers, directors, producers, animators) talk about how in show biz you cannot kill a dog. You can kill cats - you can kill people - but you can never, ever kill a dog. You will lose the audience. And in The Simpsons they kill people all the time -
they even kill children in Halloween episodes. But no dog is ever killed.
So, of course, this makes these dog vs. black people comparisons very handy for the perpetually racially outraged crowd. But it's not like white people would compare more favorably to dogs.
There's a pretty good example for this : the Vick crime has received far more attention and outrage than the case of Jayson Williams in 2002. An former NBA player, he was charged with shooting his white chauffeur.
“stupid puppy”
DOG-FIGHT FANS
I viewed Dyson w Malkin, also. Nobody represented the other side - the rednecks who
consider dogfighting the nat'l sport. Ain't no people of color in them crowds. If he wants to talk about the real racial problem in dogfighting, there's his hook.
“Fritz”
WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE?
You have nothing to say about the departure of Bush's Mexican monkey? Where's the outrage over those Democrats who dragged little Fredo through the mud? I would expect more comradship from you, given Gonzo's work on the Patriot Act, Abu Ghraib, and Guantanamo. It's not as though you don't owe him.
Sergio Rizzo
Berwyn, Illinois SUNNIS WON’T BE LOSERS
You say in The Corner "And to demand a "truly national government" is to deny the country the possibility of normal politics, which after all, in America and Britain and India and Slovenia and St Lucia, presupposes that there will be winners and losers".
In America and Britain and India, the system works because today's losers can become
tomorrow's winners. It works because those 3 countries are nations. Iraq is three nations in one country. Sunnis will not accept being the perpetual losers. Of course the obvious solution is to divide the country in three, just like Pakistan and India did some 60 years ago. But that won't happen because the Sunnis don't have oil and the neighbours don't fancy an independent Kurdistan.
Part of the problem is that the Sunnis think they can reclaim Iraq if only the Americans leave. Hence they are unwilling to compromise. But unless concessions are made to the Sunnis and a formula is found that gives them more power than their 20% make up of the total population warrants, the problems will continue.
Nizar Nakhle
CIRCUMCISION OMMISSION
I saw this article in the National Post and it was quite jaw-dropping.
Prof. Boddy's book has received criticism for leaving Sudanese men out of her discussion. In focusing on the way women perform, perpetuate and desire the practice (since it ensures marriageability), critics say she fails to address the ostracism and potential violence women
may face unless they submit.
But these are Western discourses, Prof. Boddy says, arguing that in Sudan, it is women who have power in the domestic sphere.
"You can abhor the sin, but you can love the sinner," she concludes. "I don't want them to receive the blame from the West for doing what they think is in the best interests of their daughters because otherwise they won't be marriageable."
The professor from the University of Toronto, Janice Boddy also said this in an interview in 2002
"But she says it is not that simple. "Of course, I don't want this practice to continue, but I also respect the people who think of this as an important part of their identities – physically, spiritually and culturally. They don't consider this to be aberrant at all – they see it as very normal, and they consider us to be perhaps unclean."
I am from India and was contrasting this attitude with the anecdote you have in your book about suttee. She goes on to say that the reason the British tried to stamp it out was that they feared that this practice would lead to medical problems which in turn would result in not enough workers for the cotton fields.
Murthy
‘CIVILIANS’ KILLED
I have a new post up at pointing out that the BBC is continuing to claim that “most” of the Lebanese killed in last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah were civilians, when a cursory examination of the figures shows that this isn't the case.
I hope you can bring this scandal to a wider audience than my little blog reaches.
Mike McNally
HOMELAND INSECURITY
How was this "student" allowed to get into this country in January of this year???
The only excuse I will accept is falsified ID from Egypt. Otherwise, every single student visa in this country needs to be re-evaluated. And, perhaps, there needs to be no further student visas from the Middle East.
Lindsay White
DEMOCRATS GAIN BY OUR LOSS
Did you hear the comment about a week ago where Hillary said that if there is a terrorist attack that the Republicans would benefit? Should she not be concerned about what might allow the attack to happen and what her ideas may be to keep the country safer than what George Bush is doing? Isn't this more of the same where the Democrats are looking for political gain by all cost and who cares about the security of the American public?
I really enjoy your columns and I cannot wait to read your article every Sunday morning in the Orange County Register. Your post in The Corner at NRO are also a crack up.
Tom Page
Silverado, California
PROVINCE PURSUES MENNONITES
Why don't you comment on the plight of the peaceful Mennonites chased away by the
Ministry of Education (it is akin to a religion) of Quebec. Why? Is it because contrarily to French Quebeckers they have large families, are not liberal enough, too Christian?
Sounds a lot like that.
What's wrong with Quebec?
(See even the Journal de Montréal is wondering, though I guess tomorrow we'll have the spin from the government speaking about law, curriculum, conformity, etc.)
P. Andries
Roxton Falls, Quebec
CRUELTY TO PEANUT BUTTER EATERS
This is Mitch from Chicago. Long time reader, first time writer.
School is back in session and I've noticed that this year is the Great 2007-2008
Anti-Peanut Butter Crusade. This is in tandem with an anti-fatty injunction. In the suburban public and Chicago private school systems, unhealthy or peanut tainted snacks are either summarily throw away or sent home with a letter. Children who have such treats are "taught" by their authority figures why such acts are wrong and ostracized by their peers.
Obviously this is a petty tyranny and allergies/ obesity can be real issues for some children. However, that being said, this still really, really bugs me. Unfortunately, my written and oral skills are not up to the task of deconstructing the issue and defending any decent counter-argument.
Luckily, there are the capable editors and writers of National Review, The Wall Street Journal and global content provider, Mark Steyn. If you find yourself chatting around the water cooler in the Vast Right-wing Conspiracy Fortress of Doom (or laying on the sofa) and the scribblers are looking for some grist, please throw this idea out there. I'm sure your rapier wit and mighty word processors can provide erudite written retorts and commentary on this vexing societal issue.
Mitch Brumwell
Chicago, Illinois
ILL-GOTTEN GAINS
How come Hsu doesn't get his money back?
Also if Hsu was convicted of embezzling a lot of money from investors shouldn't the Hsu money go to them first as proceeds from illegal gains?
I wonder what charity the money goes to. Bill's library?
Doug Goldsmith
THE WORST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
I have just been referred to this report from London which has two fascinating bits of info about modern London:
Britain is the worst country in the world for robbery and the number of armed and violent attacks is growing, according to the head of the country's biggest security firm.
He said: "It's just part of our business. It is a rising trend, particularly in the UK, mainly because we are not armed. Britain is the worst country in the world for robbery."
Mr Buckles's comments, made as the company's results were published yesterday, were particularly troubling because G4S also operates in countries which are notorious for violent crime, such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, the U.S. and Colombia.
There is one other point:
The concerns of G4S echoes those of other companies. Some are so afraid for staff safety that they have declared certain urban areas of the UK no-go zones.
The parcel delivery firm DHL once said it was happy to deliver to Baghdad but not to some inner-city areas, including Canning Town and Custom House in East London.
Bye London.
Name withheld on request
A HOLE IN MY PAPER
One reason for reading the Chicago Sun-Times was your Sunday column. The other reason was my parting of the ways with my former lifelong companion, the Chicago Tribune because of its abrupt left turn.
Then, weeks ago, you disappeared from the Sun-Times. Vacation? Travel Abroad? Anyway no explanation from the Sun-Times.
I sent the following two emails to the Sun-Times, but never received and answer. Nor was my subscription cancelled.
Robert Stelton
Lemont, Illinois
LAST WORD
Greatly enjoy your website. Love hearing you on the Glenn Beck program
C E Mcanespie
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