I’m not very happy with Bush (and I never actually have been) but I’m glad that, in contrast to the wishes of the Democrats and the “bipartisan” ISG of Jim Baker et al, he refuses to surrender to the enemy.
Why Women Aren’t Funny
A long but interesting disquisition, by Christopher Hitchens.
He makes an interesting point that I’d never thought about before–that the male equivalent of childbirth for women is war.
Why Women Aren’t Funny
A long but interesting disquisition, by Christopher Hitchens.
He makes an interesting point that I’d never thought about before–that the male equivalent of childbirth for women is war.
Why Women Aren’t Funny
A long but interesting disquisition, by Christopher Hitchens.
He makes an interesting point that I’d never thought about before–that the male equivalent of childbirth for women is war.
Our Friends The Syrians
Does anyone really believe that Syria and Iran, at least in the short-term, abhor chaos in Iraq? Iran fought a long war with Iraq, and fears deeply American scrutiny of its nuclear program. Only a perceived mess in Iraq keeps the attention of the United States and, indeed, the world community away from Teheran. Ditto Syria that does not want more Cedar Revolutions on its borders, given that democracies or the efforts at such in Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey now surround this dictatorship.
There were three wars fought to destroy Israel before the Golan Heights were taken. The withdrawal from Lebanon and Gaza did not lead to commensurate moderation on the part of the Islamists or dictators. And if the Study Group believes that Israeli concessions will result in Syria and Iran
Government Versus Private Enterprise Space
Dan Schrimpsher has some thoughts.
The Myth Of Disengagement
Joel Himelfarb points out that we are talking to Iran and Syria, and have been throughout. We’re just not doing it the way they want us to:
The real issue today is that the Bush administration, which has been repeatedly burned in recent years when it tried to engage these governments, prefers discretion and holding lower-level talks. These regimes insist on holding well-publicized summits that yield them P.R. windfalls without forcing them to substantively change their policies.
They’ve got the speaking softly part down, but I don’t know if they have a stick of any size. And I agree with this wholeheartedly:
Based on the historical record, the advocates of U.S. engagement with these regimes are delusional. The record, from Carter to Bush II, strongly suggests that neither regime has any interest in cooperating with us in Iraq, and are more likely than not to view the Carter-Brzezinski-Hagel approach as a demonstration of American weakness.
Now That Was A UN Ambassador
Jeanne Kirkpatrick has apparently died. No details.
She was eighty years old (not unusually old these days). I hadn’t heard that she was sick, but then, I hadn’t heard much about her at all in a long time, so maybe the fact that she was sick was why she wasn’t making much news.
Whenever Clinton defenders made the idiotic argument that conservatives didn’t like Hillary because they didn’t like strong women, she and Maggie Thatcher were always the two obvious rejoinders.
Like Oriana Fallaci, requiescat in pace to another fierce lioness.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Here’s a memoriam from AEI.
[Update a few minutes later]
From her speech at the 1984 Republican Convention, about the time she changed parties:
They said that saving Grenada from terror and totalitarianism was the wrong thing to do – they didn’t blame Cuba or the communists for threatening American students and murdering Grenadians – they blamed the United States instead.
But then, somehow, they always blame America first.
When our Marines, sent to Lebanon on a multinational peacekeeping mission with the consent of the United States Congress, were murdered in their sleep, the “blame America first crowd” didn’t blame the terrorists who murdered the Marines, they blamed the United States.
But then, they always blame America first.
When the Soviet Union walked out of arms control negotiations, and refused even to discuss the issues, the San Francisco Democrats didn’t blame Soviet intransigence. They blamed the United States.
But then, they always blame America first.
When Marxist dictators shoot their way to power in Central America, the San Francisco Democrats don’t blame the guerrillas and their Soviet allies, they blame United States policies of 100 years ago.
But then, they always blame America first.
And over two decades later, they still do.
Ouch
One of many (good) reasons that John Kerry will never be president. A letter to him from the troops:
DEAR SENATOR KERRY:
WE ARE STILL LAUGHING OVER HERE IN IRAQ AT YOUR JOKE ABOUT THE TROOPS BEING DUMB. WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE A LOT SMARTER THAN WE ARE BECAUSE YOU WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF COMBAT IN THREE MONTHS. THIS IS WHY WE ARE SEEKING YOUR ADVICE. PLEASE GIVE US GUIDANCE.
1.) WHERE IS THE LEAST PAINFUL AREA ON THE BODY TO INFLICT A WOUND?
2.) DOES IT HAVE TO BLEED OR WILL A SCRATCH DO?
3.) WHERE DO YOU GET THE FORMS TO FILL OUT RECOMMENDING YOURSELF FOR A PURPLE HEART?
4.) DO YOU NEED A WITNESS? IF SO, HOW MUCH DOES THAT COST?
5.) ARE THREE PURPLE HEARTS STILL GOOD FOR A TRIP HOME?
6.) WHAT IS A REALISTIC PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH TO ACQUIRE THESE WOUNDS? LESS THAN THREE MONTHS SOUNDS A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS EVEN TO US.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP AND KEEP THE JOKES COMING.
JUST A DUMB G.I.
P.S.–WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE ME ON HOW TO MEET REALLY RICH WOMEN?
Too Bad
James Sensenbrenner didn’t get the ranking member position he wanted on the House Science Committee. He lost out to Texan Ralph Hall. Hall will be much more devoted to JSC, while Sensenbrenner, with no NASA centers in his state of Wisconsin, would have been better for commercial space.