Ironic that history will probably record that the "clownish sideshow" consisting of the likes of Mark Styn empowered leaders so monumentally corrupt that a handfull of jihadi fanatics were able to bring down the American superpower armed with nothing but box cutters.

Not that familiar with him, so not sure how to take this, re NIU shooting . Searching, and not finding the right word, or something else ? (Just seemed a bit of odd phrasing..*shrug*)

"...unfortunately, we’re so hedged in with various restrictions on that, the people can be, in effect, as weird as they want to be, and it’s still not possible to remove them from the classroom..."

Oh yeah , almost forgot , the UK has been "hollowed out by Islamism", and we're blind . ;D

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=c3da016e-0628-4e0e-81c9-d14cdfb115b1

I’m sure Glenn will want to comment on this one…

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/opinion/18kristol.html?ref=opinion

Kristol quotes Orwell to support the concept of immunity for telecom companies who were complicit in the illegal surveillance that occurred under Bush. I’m sure that the author of 1984, the man who invented the term ‘big brother’, must be spinning in his grave.

Allow me to quote good ole Roger Waters on this:

Hey bartender, over here

Two more shots and two more beers

Sir, turn up the TV sound, the war has started on the ground

Just love those laser-guided bombs, they're really great

For righting wrongs, you hit the target and win the game

From bars 3,000 miles away, 3,000 miles away

We play the game,

With the bravery

Of being out of range

Send the whole lot to Iraq and we'll see how long they last.

"The Democratic party (of America) will again become the party of war and oppression, of that I have no doubt. We will always have among us those that reject unity - those that cannot reconcile individuality with the common good... to them I say only this: 'have the courage of your convictions - if you want to walk alone, then so be it, don't hide behind words - don't quaver in your cowardice, speak plainly your intentions and we shall deal with you on universal terms. Stand up and be the 'man' you claim to be, and the rest of us will deal with you as the law proscribes, the same law to which we bind ourselves.

-- DogFather"

Wise observation. Both Parties are war-parties; but the Republicans are bat-shit crazy at the moment. The power that has accumulated in the White House over my lifetime will drive even the best person mad with power and the answer is obvious; reduce the power drastically.

As to speaking plainly, we have had many authors warn that perverting the language was the horrible method that governments (and men) use to sugar coat the latest bitter pill that they are trying to peddle.

I am surrounded by fools who think they can save the planet by forcing others to do their will.

bucky1

Yo, bucky1. Have you considered the proposition that you live in an isotropic universe?

Kasimira = destroyer of peace

Kasamira = defender of peace

odd, isn't it?

-- ondelette

Yes, I was a 'big banger' before it was cool (apologies to the songwriter), but further evidence over the years has caused me to waver in my support of the theory. Now you add even more! :-)

If this universe is an illusion and we are all observers as some eastern philosophies (religions) have stated; then it must be a 'dark comedy', eh?

Thank you Glenn for once again pointing out how ludicrous the arguments of Mark Steyn et al really are.

One other point - they rely upon the public being ignorant of world history.

So to anyone who claims we're facing some huge great threat, I invite them to glance at this web page, which lists the Wehrmacht order of battle for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR, in the summer of 1941:

http://sturmvogel.orbat.com/BarbarossaOB.html

It sort of puts a bunch of amateurs living in a cave in Afghanistan in perspective...

@Slancio,

Mr. Krystal is making a profound point. His own gig at the New York Times is living proof of the "deterioration of the quality of thought of the pensioned opposition". The Gray Lady once again lets us know she is senile to the point of irrelevance.

There is, however, that interesting notion of Krystal's:

"erring on the side of safety". Would that be another step forward - an admission that one CAN err on the side of safety in these noble matters - or an artfully deployed contradiction in terms?

"But for the House Democrats, sticking it to the phone companies — and to the Bush administration — seemed to outweigh erring on the side of safety in defending the country."

O man! to get paid real-world responsible $$$ for that level of writing. . . Never mind Orwell, Kipling must be the saddest man in Heaven today.

On any given day, the President, the vice president, and any other government official or corporate CEO has the liberty to travel freely anywhere he chooses to go in this country and the world. Ironically, the common citizen is limited in his travel and must do so in fear.

This realization brings me to wonder if the Terrorists are under strict orders to only attack common and innocent citizens. I further notice that only leaders of foreign nations have lost their lives or are targets of these Terrorists.

The Terrorists seem to be afraid of the President, vice president, corporate CEOs, and other government officials of the United States. Yet there is a zealousness to harm women and children and elderly in this country as well as all other nations.

Imagine a Terrorist not willing to destroy the Heads of State or corporate CEOs in the United States and Britian with whom they seem to be angry. Why destroy the innocent?

I have observed the rise in Terrorist activity over the past few years. I would seriously question their motives, aspirations, and objectives. Also I wonder who employ them? How do they remain in existance? Where do they come from? Are there any homegrown? Who signal their scheduled attacks?

Maybe the elite minds in this county will endeavor to answer these questions for a concerned and potentially endangered citizen.