Thank you for your kind (and unkind) letters from the Canada, America, Britain, South Africa and Australia. 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 letters on Mark's post Auto Demography, see Mailbox Extra.

Letter of the Week
FLIGHTPATH TO NOWHERE
Well put, it is the creeping soft tyranny that will doom the Western dream (not just American, or US but the Western form of civilization). 

Just an interesting example that this is not new, our benevolent federal government has been practicing how to do in for decades.

I am a pilot, have been since 1972.  The FAA promulgates a set of regulations (the FARs) which control and enable all flight activities in the US.  During the late 70's, less so during the 80's and then massively in the 90's these regulations exploded in number and scope.  So much so that it is a given among pilots (and mechanics etc as well) that it is logically impossible to prepare an aircraft, depart, fly to your destination, land and secure the aircraft without breaking at least one regulation. 

Normally of course nothing happens, but should there be some incident or accident (there is a specific FAR difference) the FAA has - no matter what you as the Pilot-In-Command did - to charge you with a violation.  Basically - if they want your behind, it is theirs.

That is coming to all of America - and I speak of the continent, not just the US - in everything.  I foresee, before the term of the current administration ends, that no-one will be able to visit a McDonalds or drive between two cities without violating at least one Food Regulation or Energy Conservation Regulation.  All for the common good don't you know. 

Interesting thing about Regulations - even when conflicting  and logically impossible situations are pointed out to the FAA, the regulations never seem to go away.

Thanks for your writing - it challenges me and makes me think.  Likewise when you guest host for Rush; I enjoy the Undocumented Guest Host.

Herman Price

Re: Regulatory despotism
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
So what have we learned in 2 millennia?

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." Cicero - 55 BC

Evidently nothing..

Conrad Shurtz

IT’S OVER
You ask if we have the will to resist it.

For most Americans, the answer is clearly No. The evidence is absolutely overwhelming.

Richard Reed

AT WHAT POINT DO WE JUST IGNORE IT?
The question of the technological wonder of the modern world making government more authoritarian than anything Nero could have dreamed of doing I think is an issue no one, conservatives included, don't address enough.

It starts with red-light cameras, and it ends with telling parents what to read their kids before the national mandatory lights out regulation.

It makes me wonder how far we are from losing our government - in the sense that people ignore most laws and do what their good sense tells them to.  I wonder how many Texan handgun-conceal-and-carry permit holders would continue to carry their guns if the feds somehow outlawed it.  An awful lot I imagine.

Good for them, but bad for our system of government.  I think this is the quandary conservatives have to explore - as we're trying to reduce government and protect our liberties through process - at what point does the reasonable and patriotic thing to do become to ignore repressive and unjust laws?  Gun-rights, taxes, or homeschooling - when do we drop out of a rigged fight?

Depressing.  We need a happy warrior perspective.

Scott Salvato
Valley Stream, NY

THE WILL TO RESIST
Do we have the will to resist it?

Sadly, no.  If we did, we would have resisted when it would have been easier to do so, and so now we have less and less will for it all the time.  America's soul has been hollowed out, and we're importing millions upon millions of new souls to restore it, none of whom having any clue what Western Civilization or liberty is all about.  I'm now 29; I'll die a pleased old crotchety git if things can be reversed in my lifetime.

Ben, from Texas, who might vote to secede if given the chance.  Perry's a fool, but he's our fool.

INSIDE THE BOX
As a regulator (U.S. financial self-regulatory organization - I can't do this from work), I have to wonder whether such losses by regulators as your Human Rigths Commission "hearing" and - potentially -over the firearms permit may still serve those regulators' purposes.  The regulatory message being that it is best for the individual to avoid the fight in the first place.

Not that there isn't benefit in someone having second thoughts about robbing a bank because they might get caught, but the lines have definitely moved much further in the direction of regulation as a means to itself - even when that regulation doesn't do much (anything?) for the stated objective of "protecting" the public.   The majority of people working in regulation think that it is courageous and committed to think outside the box in putting others inside a box - any box. 

It would be easy to blame a few people or an ideology, but at some level those in the middle know what they are doing and ignore or rationalize it.  Hopefully, there will be enough cognitive dissonance in labeling ordinay people like those at tea parties as extremists to open enough eyes to the fact that the current direction of regulation is its own extreme. 

Phil
Illinois

THE GUN QUESTION
Your comment about the application for a gun permit in Canada reminds me of this bit from NR.

"Last week, William F. Rickenbacker, an investment counselor, and a member of the staff of National Review, was brought before a Grand Jury in New York City to answer questions in connection with an “alleged violation” of Section 221, Title 13, of the United States Code, which relates to the powers of the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce. The use of the word "alleged" was pure formality. For there was never any doubt, not since the issue of National Review dated May 21, 1960, that Mr. Rickenbacker had, after due deliberation, refused to complete a census form ostensibly authorized by Section 221, Title 13. He reasoned that the kind of thing the Census Bureau had taken to doing, under the authority of Section 221, was unconstitutional. . . ."

Richard Samuelson
San Bernardino, California

NO
Suppose they had asked: "In the past two years have you had a romantic breakup involving physical abuse or violence, or been involved in other domestic abuse or violence that led to police or court action?  If so, please explain your role and why a permit would not pose a danger of gun violence."

Would you be OK with that?

Michael Shore

Re: Tea, but no sympathy
THE MIDDLE CLASS ARE REVOLTING
I went to the tea-party in Spokane, WA. The thing that jumped out at me was the lack of professional looking people.  I saw no coats and ties and only one woman in a professional looking suit. (Don't forward this to George Will). Yes, this is Eastern Washington.  Still, this "movement" seems to be very middle class.  And therein, I would suggest, lays the reason for the contempt being expressed for it from MSNBC, CNN and other establishment media.  It's not just the opposition to the liberal agenda, but the elite's revulsion at people who don't know their place.  Very similar to the reactions to Joe the Plumber, Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh.  For confirmation, I await the derisive comments of Will, Parker and Frum, the snob right.

Bill Manuel
Spokane

LIVE TEA
Inspired by your "Live Tea or Die!".

I admire your intellect and insight.

Pamela Rice Hahn

JUST SAY NO
You ask the most vital of all questions: Do we have the will to resist?  My answer, perhaps like yours, is "I'm really not sure."  And that is both disturbing and disappointing.  Only time, of which we appear to have little, will tell.  The key, I believe, is the evolution of the Tea Party phenomenon.  If it develops from a movement of protest to one with a will to active resistance, then there is a chance we can halt, and eventually reverse, the course of events.  At the heart of Pierre Lemieux's protest is the spirit of civil disobedience, a willingness to say No and take the consequences.  As you point out, this necessarily involves one in years of trouble, tedium, inconvenience, expense, ridicule and, eventually, perhaps
even hard time or worse.

I would very much like to hear your thoughts on the chances of this happening, i.e., of Tea Parties solidifying into a real resistance movement, a movement advocating and supporting selected forms of refusal and disobedience.  In what you have seen and heard regarding Tea Parties, and those who participated in them, are the makings of active resistance at all evident?  Have you thought about what form and actions a resistance movement ought to take?  The Left, gays, blacks, and feminists have from time to time organized successful boycotts, should we be doing the same?  Or should we restrict ourselves to the electoral processes?  Can resistance movements remain "law abiding" and have any real chance of success?

There are many, many more questions.  You are in a marvelous position to raise them, and to sow the seeds of what might develop into what you and I think is needed.  I encourage you to do so.  With power comes responsibility.  You have great power in the conservative community, a power well earned.  You are admired and respected.  You are also talented, gifted, and very hard working.  I hope you will agree with me (an old man of 65) that there is perhaps no better time or cause to which you should apply all your abilities and prestige.  We need to resist, yes, but we need leaders to help us clarify means and ends.  They are trite, perhaps, but allow me to end with the old and honorable questions:  "If not you, then who?  If not now, then when?"

John E. Peters
Dresden, Tennessee

THE ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE?
I was thoroughly amused by the Graham quote wherein the Globe wouldn't in these times and circumstances cover the Revolution.
 
The effort to make BHO's latent enemies the enemies of the people is well underway (it started at least two years ago.)
 
DHS stands for Department of Hussein Security.
 
BHO is in full retreat in the world, apologizing while back-pedaling, and on the warpath at home. Tough guy.
 
I saw not a single person of color at the 3,000-strong Fishkill, NY, Tea Party. There may have been, but I scanned the turnout from my high vantage point and saw none. Color does trump much (except abortion on demand). The biggest roar at the event came when an agitated female speaker started off by saying, "How 'bout them Navy SEALs?" The other-than-standard-issue placards were priceless: like the hand-made one showing a caption referring to right-wing extremists and pictures of a uniformed George Washington, Abe Lincoln and Ronaldus Maximus beneath.
 
It was certainly a mixed-political persuasion crowd and perhaps a patriotic one. But like I tell my college freshman daughter, it's not the cost but the angle.
 
Great article (as is usual).
 
Dave Smith
Fishkill, New York

THE RIGHT TO RATIFY
Instead of just blowing off steam with these silly "tea parties" why don't people in the Red States start lobbying their State Legislatures to pass resolutions calling for a Constitutional Convention that could go completely around Congress and ratify one or more Constitutional Amendments to limit the size/scope of the Federal Government?

Just a thought ... and keep up the good work!!

John Wallace

THERE’S NO TAXES LIKE NO TAXES
You said on the Hugh Hewitt show: 

"My worry, though, is when you see polls like this poll that came out yesterday that showed something like 53% of the American people think their taxes are either fair or too low, that you know, we have still got a way to go." Why are you surprised when over half the country doesn't or won't be paying any income tax?

John Hunt
Harvard, Massachusetts

Re: Here we go again
DISCREDITING CONSERVATIVES
Mark, it occurs to me that all of this is not only aimed at discrediting the Tea Party participants in particular, and conservatives in general, but that it is also part of a concerted effort to point a finger of blame at the conservative-dominated talk radio industry. They set the premise that there are right wing extremists, and they will naturally follow the thread to the talk radio hosts such as Rush, Hannity, and yourself, inciting bad behavior, and declare that for the good of the country, we must reenact the “Fairness Doctrine”. Call me paranoid, but I believe that these folks have a master plan.
 
Ben Mills
Longmont, Colorado

ON THE HIT LIST
On Obama's hit list ,acc to World Net daily's Monday release, are one-issue groups and groups who're anti-illegal immigration. This AM, a truck driver called in to say he'd been stopped by the Wisconsin State police. The cop told him that his NRA bumper sticker was on the list of what they'd been told to watch for. Our police are being subverted into anti-American groups.

Last year a citizen asked assemblywoman, Lori Saldana at a rally, why she was always voting in favor of illegal immigration. HE WAS FOLLOWED HOME by the CHP and cross examined and told to stop harassing poor Lori.

In '96, most of our police were anti-Clinton, but the national police union ENDORSED Clinton's presidency. This is how PEOPLE IN HI PLACES  can suddenly turn "friendly police" into our sworn enemies

Al
Lemon Grove

OUTLANDISH
I haven't seen much commentary on this part of the report, which is the real punchline:

"DHS/I&A assesses that lone wolves and small terrorist cells embracing violent rightwing extremist ideology are the most dangerous domestic terrorism threat in the United States."

A few words of context.  I presume "domestic terrorism" includes any terrorism by Americans in the US.  Where are the references to our latest domestic terrorist of note John Allen Mohammed?  Doesn't his American jihad fall within the definition of:  "adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely"?  

If the report were to acknowledge that American jihadis fall within their definition of Rightwing Extremism, they might have a point, and some actual evidence to back up their outlandish claims.

James

SO OUR GOVERNOR’S AN EXTREMIST…
So, I guess Texas governor, Rick Perry, is one of those right-wing extremists that Janet Napolitano and her gang are so concerned about. He signed a document reaffirming state's rights according to the 10th amendment.
 
Jeffrey Chestnut

…AND SO ARE THE COPS
Jonah in his post had this interesting tidbit: 

"The nine-page document was sent to police and sheriff's departments across the United States on April 7 under the headline, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."It says the federal government "will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months" to gather information on "rightwing extremist activity in the United States.""

Down here in Texas I believe a vast majority of our law enforcement and sheriff's departments personnel could be accurately described as meeting the definition of "rightwing extremists" as described by the Obama/Napolitano report!!  Most interesting. 

If it looks like the Feds are going to surround the "Steyn Compound" just send out your address and a whole bunch of us will show up with a six pack of Shiner Bock (best beer in Texas), a bag of corn chips, salsa and our shotguns to repel all boarders!  We'll even defend the Compound from those damned anti-free speech Canadians who are after you!

George Hawks
Southlake, Texas

LEFTIST WACKOS
And of course left-wing terrorist groups in the United States can be divided into two main groups: A) wackos who bomb federal buildings and city policemen, and B) their friends and associates on the intellectual left who, after the bomb dusts have settled, help the (A)-types get cushy teaching jobs at prestigious U.S. universities. 

Note: the "friends and associates" are the more clever and insidious of the two groups, managing to downplay their associations with the violent crowd, and concealing their own academic papers 'n such so as not to impede their "mainstream" political ambitions (ambitions of the highest order, in some cases).

John Gross
Quebec

AMMO AMASS
If you're expecting at shootout at the Steyn compound, good luck finding ammunition.  Here in Indiana there's a massive shortage of handgun ammunition.  Don't know what it means or  who's fault it is, but several stores have bare shelves where the 9mm and .357 mag ammo used to live.

Lance

RECRUITING TOOL
At the bottom of first page of the Washington Times story about the report is this:

"The report says extremist groups have used President Obama as a recruiting tool."

In the spirit of the liberals who've argued for 6 years (correctly or not, I don't have enough knowledge to take a position on it) that the war in Iraq was a recruiting tool for Al Qaeda, I suggest that America withdraw from the presidency of Obama.  You know, to prevent terrorism.

Matthew Schiros

Re: From the inside poop deck
REVENGE
Other pirate sources on the US disproportionate response, via Reuters:

"The French and the Americans will regret starting this killing. We do not kill, but take only ransom. We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now," Hussein, a pirate, told Reuters by satellite phone."

And so, alas, the cycle of violence continues....

Mark Beddis
Vancouver

EUROPEAN ETHICS
Remember the British response to Iran seizing their men?

You're right. European ethics have arrived in America

John Barrett

Re: Our remprimitivized future
DECLINE AND FALL
Your comment about the rich nations lacking the ability to defend themselves reminded me of Gibbon.  The late Roman Empire was ravaged because of that exact dynamic.  Rome was rich but had lost its ability to defend itself.  It was easier to pay off Atilla than defeat him.  The problem was that those wealthy undefended cities were just asking to be sacked.  It was simply a matter of time before someone took Rome up on its offer.

Great wealth without strong will, is in effect an invitation to the barbarians to take what they will.  My only hope is that the civilized west will respond like the earlier empire and turn a series of defeats  into a chance to reform and emerge stronger and able to stand for several more generations.  I rather fear it will not be so.

Austin J. Agnew

Re: The Europeanisation of America
THE STRAIN IN MAINE
Thanks for printing Chris' letter from Oslo.  Always uplifting to know where we are headed. 

Anyway, a bit closer to home we have what scientists like to refer to as a "control case" -- it's your neighbor off to the northeast , Maine.  As you pointed out in America Alone -- and countless other articles -- Europe is headed down a demographic death spiral of the indigenous population once known as "Europeans", to be supplanted by, well, non-Europeans.  To summarize your own works, we may not know the exact outcome but the likelihood of this story ending well is remote.

Enter Maine.  Maine has no immigration issues to worry about, instead we are hemorrhaging population through deaths (Maine is the oldest state in the union I believe) and natural exodus at an alarming -- and accelerating -- rate.  Hence, Maine is a pure form, or control case, for what Europe is experiencing due to our high tax and high levels of government spending.  Surprise!  no jobs, industries in decline, poor schools, crumbling infrastructure, and continued attacks on "the rich" (not that there are many left).   While we tread the same path, in the not-too-distant future Maine will end with a whimper, Europe with a bang.

Scott J.
Waterville, Maine

Re: We are the world
and We are the world (footnote)
DOMESTIC PROBLEM WITH FOREIGN LAW
One of my law review classmates (LSU, 2005) wanted to cite foreign law in support of gay marriage.  The professor (who was otherwise somewhat a liberal), said she had two problems.  First, international law governs the relationships between states.  What she wanted to quote was actually the domestic law of another state; hardly the same thing.  Second, once you get past Europe, a head count of the 191 or so countries on the globe would show about 170-180 against it.  He called out Saudi Arabia as an especially unlikely set of courts to support her position.

kmh
(retired B-52 pilot; law school at 50, admitted at 53, and not a fan of Ginsberg)

SHE’S VIOLATING HER CONTRACT
There is a more simple reason Ginsburg is dead wrong.  That is simply that it is not hers or any other Justices' job to give a hoot about any other country's law, precedent or any other legal matter as it pertains to them executing their official responsibilities.

The issue is not the efficacy of legal merit - it is the fundamentals of the oath they take pursuant to Title 28, Chapter I, Part 453 of the United States Code, specifically the part that says, "I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as [TITLE] under the Constitution and laws of the United States."  There is nothing in there about what British Common Law, Germanic tribal rituals or what the tea leaves told a Gypsy regarding any legal matter as it pertains to the SCOTUS. 

Under that, Ginsburg has no legal or employment authority to interpret anything as a SCOTUS Justice using any other source but US law and the Constitution.  When she does so, she is insubordinate to that USC at least. She is possibly violating her contract with the Federal Employee Benefits System regarding adhering to OPM regulations as well, although I do not know if SCOTUS has a different contract than departmental federal employees, like our US Congress.

I apologize if this has been brought up and realize that it is simplistic, but it really ends at that point.  What she "thinks" or "feels" does not matter, even if like a broken clock, her opinion is occasionally correct. 

Bill Simpson
Concord, New Hampshire

ALL FOR EXCEPTIONALISM
Here's what gets me about Ginsburg's reasoning: if the court isn't bound by some hypothetical German judge why even bring him/her into it?

Merely being influenced by it? That doesn't pass the smell test. Why should an American court be influenced by a court that doesn't have the same historical underpinnings as it does? If the two are based on similar constitutions there might (but it's very thin) be some value but the vast majority of nations have a very different history and very different legal concepts and trying to marry them to U.S. law is problematic at best and impossible the majority of the time.

Personally I'm of the opinion we should insist on a Constitutional amendment forbidding the Supreme Court, or any American court, from basing any of its decisions on foreign law. The problem would be wording it in such a way that the transnationalists couldn't weasel out of it.

American exceptionalism? You bet, and I'm proud of it.

Steve Moyer

APPEAL COURT, OF A SORT
You state: "The Privy Council in London remains the highest court of appeal for many independent nations".  This is not technically accurate.  The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council heard appeals from many independent nations but they did not sit as a court of appeal.  Instead, they merely made recommendations to Her Majesty (who, of course, always followed such recommendations).

Jacob Kaufman

Re: Gloomwatch update
and The object of his affection
THE AMERICA SUCKS TOUR
You call it the "Obama Apology Tour".  You say Caroline Glick thinks it is more of an "Obama Appeasement Tour".

I dare say that it is an "America Sucks Tour".  Obama's contempt is plain, and unworthy of that office.  God help us!

And you can quote me on that.

Mike Porter

BOWING AND SCRAPING
If I am correct, Mr. Obama lived for four years in Indonesia as a child.

I lived 15 years in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the U.A.E., and Oman, and you would not catch me bowing to any king, emir, sheikh, or sultan simply because I happened to live in their countries for a time.
 
That is, if I may say, a bunch of bowsh-t.

Love your wit, by the way.

Cristin Daniel
Tampa, Florida

COOK COUNTY RULES
The NYT has learned the Cook County rules: when something never happened, it never happened.  A search of their archives turns up 39 articles in which it is mentioned that Bush held hands with King Abdullah. Hell, they even have one article in 1994 about a very slight inclination of the head that Clinton was caught doing in Abdullah's direction -- during which they mentioned that a bow would be "unthinkable."
 
As far as the Times is concerned, where the Obama bow comes in, the unthinkable is unmentionable, and they play hide the Salaam.  Not one tiny hint appears in their august pages, so they can't even run the White House's denial now -- denial of what? -- their loyal readers would be heard faintly asking from deep within the cocoon.
 
When the Times finally breathes its last I will know how those Romanians felt as they watched Nicolae Ceauşescu finally being dragged away to be shot.

David McCourt
Chicago

DISGRACE
I just watched over and over again the video of Obama bowing to the Saudi King.  I could not believe what I was watching.  Is this why my and many American families fought and died for America?  We refused to have to bow to the leader of England, Japan or Germany and here we have Obama bowing to a Saudi King.   I am disgusted, absolutely disgusted.  I will not use the term President because my President would never as the President of The United States bow to a foreign king!  Obama is a disgrace.  I will never again refer to him as President, he has not earned the privilege.  He should either resign or be impeached.

Tom Lowe
Puerto Penasco

TOP 10 DICTATORS
By the way, with reference to Obama's recent bow to the King of Saudi Arabia, I thought it was a strange juxtaposition that it happened a week or so after I read the king's name on Parade Magazine's list of Top 10 Dictators in the World. And this in a kingdom with no freedom of worship, that lets schoolgirls burn alive rather than be seen in public, and thinks gays should have the right to be tortured to death.  Not that anyone in the media felt obliged to point this out.  Paging Michael Moore.

Mark Pfeifer

BAD NEWS FOR THE JEWS
All I can say about the bow is that the Jews are screwed.

John Reid

CULTURAL TRADITIONS U-LIKE
Points on bowing to despots by someone who's lived in both Indonesia and Arabia.

1. King Abdullah is an Arab, not Indonesian.  If Mr. Obama had grown up in France, would he have given the King a great big smooch?

2. Friends in Indonesia of the same sex routinely hold hands.  Interesting how Mr. Obama has chosen to quietly drop this cultural tradition.

3. Our President is technically an apostate Muslim and therefore is subject to the death penalty unless he reverts.  Perhaps he is pessimistic about the Secret Service's ability to protect him.

4. I wonder what caption was under the Arab language press:  "American apostate thanks King Abdullah for sparing his life".

Bill Reeves

POP CULTURE PRESIDENT
Obama continues to derive his foreign policy from pop culture, in this case Superman II

President: "I'm the President. I'll kneel before you, if it will save lives."
General Zod: "It will, starting with your own."
President: "What I do now, I do for the sake of the people of Earth." [kneels]
President: "Oh God."
General Zod: "Zod!"

Mark Lake

Re: Strong horse
GUIDE HORSES ARE COOL
Actually it's not just Muslims who are interested in guide horses. There has been a bit of controversy recently around this.

Apparently, people are over-exploiting the "therapeutic animal" exemption and qualifying their birds, their dogs, etc. so that they can take them into places where pets are normally not allowed. In an attempt to crack down on the practice some jurisdictions are trying to limit the choices, and the use of truly legitimate guide horses are threatened by such a crackdown. Here's an interesting web site about them.

Michael C Grant

Re: Lebensraum
TOWERING CONDOM
The "US Listening Post" atop Teufelsberg in Berin would work.  See the pix here.   

There's a better picture here, when it was in operation during the Cold War.  Teufelsberg was the highest point in the divided city, and the tower was five stories high on top of the three-story building.  It was visible all over the city.  To give you some idea of scale the small radome on top was 12 feet in diameter, the large one below it had a diameter of 50 feet.

Mike Cakora
Columbia

Re: TARP in Space!
SINISTER ORGANIZATIONS
CS Lewis, in his dystopian novel That Hideous Strength (the last volume in his space trilogy) predicted the "art tree" as part of the plans of the sinister anti-life organization called NICE (National Institute for Coordinated Experiments):

Spooky, eh?

Keep up the good work - both in print and whenever you fill in for Rush.

Mark Soper
Evansville, Indiana

GIANT SHIELD MOVIES
As someone who almost never misses a good reference to a bad movie, I can't believe you didn't make a mention of the top-notch badflick "Highlander II", wherein the Conner MacLeod has created a giant shield to protect the earth from UV since all the ozone was lost. Then of course, the whole world goes to hell under the shield, then we find out the ozone has somehow fixed itself.

A level of stupidity that could only come from Hollywood milking a sequel or the environmental movement grasping for power and government money.

Thanks for all the global content.

Joe Auchter

RAINCLOUDS ARE FALLING ON MY HEAD
I oppose almost everything that Obama has done so far but I have to disagree with your dismissal of his contemplation of geo-engineering solutions to global warming.  I am not sure if GW is actually occurring anymore and whether or not it is man-made or even if it is necessarily a bad thing overall.  My views are pretty close to Ron Bailey's and Bjorn Lomborg on the issue.

However, if global warming does turn out to be real, I much prefer the geo-engineering type of solution you poked fun at in your article instead of the preferred prescriptions of the eco-religious cultists, who see global warming as evidence of mankind's fall from grace and wish to atone for our sins by banning cars, air travel etc.  To me, the geo-engineering solution is the American Way of looking at the problem: let's use technology to fix it and get on with our lives, liberties and our pursuit of happiness.

This is also the approach that Freeman Dyson - another skeptic - recommends.  I have seen several solutions proposed: from genetically modified plants that absorb the excess CO2 to salting the oceans with iron to act as a CO2 sink.  Personally, I rather favour putting an ultra-thin gigantic mirror composed of  silvered carbon nanotubes at the Lagrange point between the Earth and the Sun (but maybe because I watch too many sci-fi movies).

John Willock

SCEPTIC SITE
Do you have any interest in global warming?

May I recommend "wattsupwiththat.com"

Mark A. Morrissey
Albany, New York

NOT PROTESTING BUT DROWNING
Did you read this? The story says:

Acid-rain countermeasures could drown London

 New research from NASA suggests that the Arctic warming trend seen in recent decades has indeed resulted from human activities: but not, as is widely assumed at present, those leading to carbon dioxide emissions. Rather, Arctic warming has been caused in large part by laws introduced to improve air quality and fight acid rain.

Look at the story here.

Every time the lefties get their panties in a knot about one problem, they cause another one.

Larry Eubank

THE WHEEL COMES FULL CIRCLE
Please see this  - proposal is near the bottom.

Might want to surf a little on the blog. I am an engineer and the administration proposal to put particles in the upper atmosphere sounds remarkably like what power plants did before their smoke stacks were cleaned up. I make the point that the hydrogen content of today's coals make them the largest hydrogen energy source in use.

Bob Polys
Edwardsville, Kansas
 
AND I’M PUTTING IN MY GRANT APPLICATION ANY TIME NOW
Regarding the geo-engineering hysteria you mention, here is an interesting excerpt from The Guardian (4-9):

Stephen Salter, an engineer at Edinburgh University and a pioneer of techniques to seed clouds so that they reflect the Sun's rays back into space, said: "Everyone working in geo-engineering works with some reluctance: we hope it'll never be needed, but we fear it might be needed very very urgently."
 
Hmm.  How many "very's" does it take to make the reluctant part a bit disingenuous?
 
Bob Strauss, Jr.
Greenwood, South Carolina
Re: Not with a bang but with a miaow
HELLO KITTY
Tell my wife about this.  She doesn't want children but lavishes love, money, and attention to our six cats instead.  I want children, she doesn't.  It takes two, ya know.

Scott Slotterbeck

STRAIGHTEN UP AND SPELL RIGHT
Hey, Canada Boy, you're an American now.  We use "meow" in these here parts.  Just looking out for you (don't you hate that trope?)

Greg

MORE SIGNS OF DECLINE
Beginning of the Life of Pericles in Plutarch's Lives:
 
“Caesar once, seeing some wealthy strangers at Rome, carrying up and down with them in their arms and bosoms young puppy-dogs and monkeys, embracing and making much of them, took occasion not unnaturally to ask whether the women in their country were not used to bear children; by that prince-like reprimand gravely reflecting upon persons who spend and lavish upon brute beasts that affection and kindness which nature has implanted in us to be bestowed on those of our own kind.”

David R. Upham
Irving, Texas

Re: Tie a yellow ribbon
DON’T WAIT FOR BACK-UP
I can't vouch for what the Binghamton police did, but in my academy classes  they made a specific exception to the idea of waiting for backup, for this exact  sort of incident. They emphasized that the police waited far too long at the  Columbine shooting, and could have prevented completely unnecessary deaths by  going in right at the outset. I'm pretty sure that most places teach this, also.  It could be that their department (Binghamton) has policies requiring this, which is probably the only reason they held back.

Chuck D Bear

HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE
RE: Binghamton law enforcement response:  There's a reason why a frequently voiced sentiment on the part of 2nd Amendment supporters is "Dial 911 and die."
 
Mark

Re: America Alone
CHINA MOVES WEST
Russia's demographic death spiral ensures that Siberia up to the Urals will become Chinese, sooner rather than later. The world is about to become a very dangerous place.

David Govett
Davis, California

IT WAS THE NEO-CONS’ FAULT
It is true that Russia suffered a severe decline in births in the 1990s. Part of the problem was the “shock therapy” delivered to the Russian economy at the hands of neoliberal/neoconservative advisors,  including some close to Larry Summers. Since getting a “nationalist” leader in Putin and now Medvyedev  the situation seems to be turning around. See, for example this article. Also note the headline, which sends a negative message about Putin's attempts to increase the birthrate, with the actually quite positive comments by some of the actual Russian mothers.

Both Putin and Medvyedev  been sharply criticized by the powers that be in the West, including I believe the editorial big wigs at NR. They deserve some of the criticism, but I believe the real root of  the opposition is Putin's putting his nation -- and by that I mean the Russian people -- ahead of 'free trade', 'the market', 'global capitalism' or any other such abstraction.

As an aside, you claim that no society has increased in GDP while suffering long term population decline. That may technically be correct -- measures of GDP are new. The consensus among economists  and demographers seems to be, however, that the large population losses during the black death was a big spur to Europe's economic and technological growth. Scarce labor made for both innovation and  better treatment for the peasants/serfs.

Mitchell Young

MYSTERIOUS ‘HONOR’ CULTURE
What word is missing from this story? Hmm ...

More than 4,000 teenagers in Stockholm are exposed on a daily basis to cultures of honour that run counter to Swedish law, according to an estimate based on a new official study.

Violence and repression are regular occurrences for a large section of 16-year-old school goers in the city centre and suburbs, according to a study commissioned by local politicians.

Ulf Kristersson (Mod), Commissioner of Social Services, is one of a number of politicinas surprised and outraged by the findings.

"It's not permitted for adults, not even parents, to prevent children from living full, independent lives," he told Sverige Televsion.

The results come from a survey of a cross section of more than 2,000 pupils.

Almost a quarter of female respondents, 23 percent, said they were expected to retain their virginity until marriage and were not allowed to have a boyfriend. Sixteen percent of girls were not allowed to have male friends or decide who they would marry.

Seven percent of girls and three percent of boys said they were exposed to serious violations in the form of threats and violence.

And ten percent of girls and four percent of boys said their lives were limited to the extent that they could not live in the same way as other people their own age.

The majority of teenagers who matched the honor culture profile have parents born outside Sweden.

Sean Higgins

TOY CHICKEN PORN SHOCK!
Please extend your freedom of speech campaign to Australia!

Bill

THE PASTOR MARKET
Read your book - recommend it to everyone. But, I think you are (the publisher is) missing a large demographic very interested in your basic message. Pastors in America need to read your book, even if in a couple of places your prose are a bit frisky for the average-bear conservative evangelical cleric. If the publisher sends a personally signed copy to the top 500 conservative pastors in America, they'll eat it for breakfast, not to mention recommending it to all they know. 

I've been I publishing for 20 years - trust me on this point. 

Matt

STIFLING
It is an interesting sign of how thoroughly political correctness has stifled discussion about successful and failed cultures that  this interview could air on Al-Jazeera - which suffers from many faults, PC not among them - but could probably not be shown on any US network, not even, I would wager, Fox.

Ariel Kronman
New York, New York

MAKE BABIES NOT LOVE
I don't know if you recall this:

In 2001 former tennis star Bjorn Borg told  women to "F**k for the Future" in ads sponsored by Swedish government.

I recall being amused because nothing I had heard about the population problems in Europe has to DO with f**king.  I'm guessing there's ample amount of that going on.  Must be awful to be a liberal.  People are awful, but so terribly necessary.  How does one decide?

Mark Shelden

PIG IN THE PEN
At least the copper isn't a Muslim, or it would be even more of a hate crime.

Brian Warner
Blaine Washington

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE
Shouldn't you be giving some serious kudos to Obama for deciding to boycott the upcoming World Conference on Racism?
 
Credit where it's due and all that, dude. You wouldn't want your readers thinking that you're prepared to ignore material facts just because they contradict your perception of the president's foreign policy agenda - would you?
 
I seem to recall that one of your most right-on-the-money pieces was about the Durban version of the WCAR in 2001, by the way.
 
Pierre Burger
Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa

Re: Song of the Week
MISSING BROTHERS
I have read and enjoyed Broadway Babies Say Goodnight and many of your Songs of the Week, but the thought suddenly dawned on me today (while watching an old film with my kids) that I can't recall whether you have ever discussed the music of the Sherman brothers.

Richard and Robert Sherman practically dominated Disney in the '60s and early '70s, writing the songs for everything from Mary Poppins to Winnie-the-Pooh and The Jungle Book, among other things, but they also went on to write songs for non-Disney films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Charlotte's Web.  I believe they also wrote pop songs like 'You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful and You're Mine'.

Is there anything in your archives that you could re-post?

Peter T. Chattaway

Re: River deep, mountain high, sentence long
WHAT HAS IT GOT IN ITS POCKETSES?
Am I imagining things or does Phil Spector look a lot like Gollum?

I graduated from Fairfax High School about two years after Phil and remember a school assembly where the Teddy Bears sang their hit song.  How things have changed.  We didn't, however, hang out with the same crowd.

Susan Salisbury

Re: Norks over Japan
BIT OF A LET DOWN
Doubtless many have written in to point this out, but "nork" is in Australia a slang term for the female breast (as in "nice norks").

 I eagerly turned to your comment in The Corner entitled "Norks over Japan" and whilst interested, as ever, in what you had to say, was left feeling somewhat let-down ....

Andrew Porter
Melbourne, Australia

ARE HOOTERS  NORKS?
Subject: Nork is pronounced "norg"

Yes as an Aussie living in Sydney I should know.

The dictionary might say "nork" but I've only ever heard it pronounced "norg".

It's not used that much any more.  "Hooters", "pair", or "set" - as in "set of tits" seem to be more common these days.

Tony Negline

Re: A little hate, but mostly violence
NET NANNY FAN
I am addicted to The Corner but we have Net Nanny on our house computer to protect the kids. The settings are really easy to adjust, and we simply allow The Corner so it is never blocked. It is one of the most effective and most affordable filters out there, so go easy on them. It was an answer to prayer for us when our kids started surfing.

D Nelson

Re: Not a bug, but a feature
ORGANIZED DECAY
Weaker economy, weaker military, weaker moral, diminished prospects. Organized decay, indeed.  Madam bard nails it:

Crumbling is not an instant's act
A fundamental pause
Dilapidation's processes
Are organized decays.

'Tis first a Cobweb on the Soul
A Cuticle of Dust
A Borer on the Axis
An Elemental Rust -

Ruin is formal - Devil's work
Consecutive and slow -
Fail in an instant, no man did
Slipping - is Crash's law.

Emily Dickinson

Frank

OBAMA’S TAX ERROR
Funny how Obama's calling for a simpler tax code today.

Has anyone spotted this error in his tax return yet?

Page 1: Form 1040, Line 10 = State tax refund of $7,991 (the Feds consider this refund as income if you deduct state income taxes on Schedule A).

Page 27:  Federal Statement 7 = This statement is supposed to represent state taxes paid. Look at the last line "Illinois Prior Year Overpayment Applied" = $7,991. This is a refund of previously paid state taxes in 2007 (his Illinois estimated payments), not an additional payment of state tax. 

Why are his preparers deducting the $7,991 refund as an additional tax payment? 

Next form for Obama - 1040X.  As John McLaughlin would say, WRONG!

Roger B.

YOU’RE A RACIST BAG OF PUS
Herr Steyn,

We get it. You don't like black people, especially Barack and Michelle Obama. I suppose the world will always need a few fuckwads with 19th century attitudes for our general amusement, and if you want to play the colonialist clown, knock yourself out.It appears, however, that your hyperventilation about "protocol," which I guess is traceable to your Canadian lineage and worship of monarchy, is not shared by HRH. Oh, man, that has gotta hurt overstuffed tub of goo like you.

Just be blatant about it. You're a racist bag of pus. Embrace your inner Grand Klagan. Worship before a portrait of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Tattoo the Stars and Bars are your ample and swelling backside. (Why are conservative men such fat motherfuckers while the crones are sickly stick figures??)

A Canadian would-be cracker who worries about offending the queen is rather unseemly. You'll get your ass kicked down at the next cross burning with that kind of attitude. And if they find out you've been muff-diving on Katheryn Lopez, well, you're head is gonna be squeezed like a stale Moon Pie.

Jonah Doughnut

DEMS START WARS, REPUBLICANS END THEM
Every war we've gotten into since 1900, with a single exception (Gulf War I under the 1st Bush), was under a Democrat president:  WW I (Wilson), WW II (Roosevelt), Korea (Truman), Cold War (Roosevelt-Truman), Vietnam (Kennedy-Johnson), "War on Terror" (Clinton).  In the case of the wars concluded since WW II, it has taken a Republican president to extract us: Korea (Eisenhower), Cold War (Reagan-Bush I), Vietnam (Nixon-Ford).

If this pattern is any indication, Democrats blunder into wars that Republicans get blamed for - and get us out of.

Obama is blundering and it's not surprising given how much of his basic worldview has little to nothing to do with this particular world.  There will be war, and he will respond with a petulant, ineffective confusion that will make it worse.  In due course, a Republican will be elected to finish it, get us out of it and then take the blame for it.

Eric Verhulst

LAST WORD
What do you think of this?

I was thinking about organizing a local classic liberal book club.   Call it maybe. The Defenders of Liberty Book Club. 

At first, invite a bunch of like minded people, to sit around and discuss the constitution, founding documents, classic liberal literature, and even economic literature, such as Freedman, Adam Smith, etc.

Run it similar to the way a book club or bible study group would be run, but with no instructor. Just bouncing ideas off each other, openly analyzing the book of the period, and discussing how it relates to what is going on in our country today. 

I figure the group would read a specific book (likely one selected by the group; this would be generally limited to classic conservative and classic liberal pieces) then discuss these chapters, books, documents, etc. once a week, fortnight, or month.

If this were to somehow become very popular then allow no more than 15-25 to a group before dividing the group.  Perhaps set a few ground rules so that things do not get out of hand, establish some parliamentary procedure if necessary, yada, yada, yada.

Do you think this would have a following? 

I was thinking it might raise awareness and hopefully it would allow people to feel more comfortable openly discussing conservative ideals with their families, friends, and everyday contacts.  People would bring different points of view to the table allowing discussion so that participants might gain a better perspective on these issues. 

I thought it might be a little like when the founders got together in Independence Hall.  Hey well you know delusions!   

Anyway please consider this and give me your honest opinion.

Keith Anderson

MARK REPLIES: I think a liberty book group is a great idea. Start with the classic texts but make sure Tocqueville's in there, because it's not just theory, there's some great reportage, too. It's a tragedy that more Americans don't study these works in high school but that's all the more reason to create alternative networks.