On one of the greatest days for human freedom in recent memory, as Iraqis, delirious with joy and disbelief that they can finally sincerely cheer in the streets as a tyrant’s statues fall, Spider Robinson is compelled to write an essay describing just how much the twenty-first century sucks.

Pieces like this really make me miss Poul Anderson and Bob Heinlein.

They’re starting to open up the torture chambers. I don’t know how people who worked so hard to keep this regime in power can look in the mirror, or sleep at night.

The Palo Alto City Council wants to outlaw frowning. At council meetings, anyway.

Eye rolling wouldn’t be permitted, either.

A prominent Shia cleric is putting the lie to Iraqi claims that we’ve been attacking mosques. Also, if his account is true, it’s good news, at least for Najaf:

Kho’i had earlier been cited as saying that Iraqi militiamen were using residents in Najaf as “human shields” around holy sites against the invading troops. The cleric, who arrived in Najaf last Tuesday from his usual base in London, told IRNA that life in the holy city was very much back to normal.

“Restaurants, shops and the grand bazaar are currently open and the only problem is the lack of power which force shops to close earlier,” he said.

Kho’i described Najaf “very secure and calm”, saying the city was completely in the hands of its residents and the last remnants of Iraqi militiamen from the ruling Ba’th party and Saddam’s suicide Fedayeen forces in the city had “either gone to hell or been captured or fled”.

A new audio tape has shown up, late to the party, supposedly of bin Laden calling for martyrs to fight the US and the Arab nations that supported the deposing of Saddam.

This act is getting a little old.

Even Richard Cohen, in his own eulogy to Michael Kelly, has noticed the inexplicable love of thugs expressed by many of his compadres on the left.

[Update at 1:30 PM PDT]

Chuck Divine makes the following point in the comments section:

A lot of us know how major media companies screw over artists — just check out Instapundit’s reports on the topic.

Too many artists — good at music or acting or directing or writing or whatever — just see this aspect of capitalism. Not being very broad thinkers, they fall for any liar who attacks their enemy.

I respect and like artists — I’m a bit of one myself.

Perhaps we — meaning those of us who see Castro as the real villain he is and also see MPAA/RIAA for what they are — should actually talk patiently and friendlily with artists to get them to distance themselves from Castro and others of his ilk. And, hopefully, join us in our efforts to win freedom for all.

That’s an interesting point, Chuck.

Actually I’ve got a thesis (which I’ve put forth previously here) that the reason that so many Hollywood types (especially screenwriters) hate business and capitalism is that when they’re in between gigs, and have to get real jobs, they tend to work for ad agencies, which are managed by the scum of the earth (by many accounts). This belief is buttressed by the number of movies and television shows set in ad agencies, out of all proportion to the number of people who work at such places in real life.

People write what they know, and if I had to make a living in the advertising business, I might hate capitalism, too.

In response to a comment by “Judith” at this post and last week’s Fox column, I’ve registered the name “bunkumbuster.com.”

It’s for sale.

I hate to beg for contributions to the tip jar, though I could use them, but I’d like to auction this domain off, which is a great one for a blog (I like to offer more value for the donation than just my posts…). I’ve got no problem with doing so, because as far as I know, I coined the name, and no one else bothered to register it. Yes, I know, you can get “bunkumbuster.net,” or “bunkumbuster.org,” or several other variations, but this is probably the most valuable, and I’d like to sell it to a worthy blogger.

That’s right. I’m not going to the highest bidder (though, obviously, if someone offers me megabucks, or even kilobucks for it, I’ll take it–I’m crazy, but not stupid). I’d like it to go to a worthy contender.

Send me either URLs to blogs that you’ve already done, or if not a current blogger, examples of what you could do, to let me judge if you’re worthy of the name.

My decision will be based on a combination of blogworthiness and cash on the barrelhead, with the first having the highest priority. That is, all other things being equal, writing (and particularly bunkum-busting writing) will trump the money, barring an outrageously high-priced bid.

Decision will be made by tax day…

I have mixed feelings listening to the news that Saddam has been killed in tonight’s bombing.

I’m not unhappy he’s dead, but I think that it was much too easy, and ambiguous a death. Both to convince the Iraqis, and for reasons of basic justice, he should at a minimum have seen it coming, and suffered the public ignominy of Mussolini.

Scott Ott has an explanation for the Iraqi (dis)Information minister’s bizarre proclamations.

It’s a new word that I just coined, and that Matt Ridley describes well in this article from the Guardian.