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February 28, 2005
Vibrant multiculturalismCharles A. Coulombe
Type the phrase 'vibrant, multicultural' into the Google search engine, click 'Search,' and you will turn up no less than 7,120 hits. Most of these deal with various provinces, cities, counties and other local governments throughout the English—speaking world, although some belong to... More
February 28, 2005
Academy AwardsTim McNabb
Every year, my friend Jim has an Oscar party. It consists of a bunch of friends getting together, chipping in for pizza, and making commentary, conversation and wisecracks at the global spectacle that is the Academy Awards. Part of the fun of Jim's party is the chance to compete for... More
February 27, 2005
Will Europe be democratic?James Lewis
Following President Bush's trip to Europe this past week, a journey to promote democracy in Russia and the Islamic world, he might also want to turn his attention to the rapid decline of popular government in Europe. Strangely enough, the autocrats of the European Union seem determined to rule... More
February 27, 2005
Response to "Israel in retreat"Richard Baehr
Rachel Neuwirth's article "Israel in Retreat" is, to put it mildly, a bit hysterical. The Gaza disengagement plan was put together by Ariel Sharon, the father of the settlement movement, more than a year ago. He did not prepare it as a result of US pressure, which was nonexistent when it was... More
February 27, 2005
Farewell, Coach KeadyMatthew May
When Purdue head basketball coach Gene Keady coaches his final game after 25 years in charge in West Lafayette, Indiana, it will mark a career's end for one of the most unusual personalities ever to roam the sidelines in college basketball, a man whom most fans know by the scathing scowls of... More
February 27, 2005
Israel in retreatRachel Neuwirth
Under intense pressure from the United States, the European community, Russia and the United Nations —— the so—called "Quartet" of world powers —— Israel is pursuing a suicidal course that may well cause the state to collapse, and place its... More
February 27, 2005
Evolution, origins of life, and textbooksPatrick J. Casey
With each passing month, I grow more confident that a paradigm shift is drawing near in the scientific and intellectual community. The formerly impregnable facade of Modernity, with its creation story grounded in Scientific Materialism and its ethic expressed in Modern Liberalism, is crumbling... More
February 26, 2005
Carter up to no good in VenezuelaA. M. Mora y Leon
It defies belief. Ex—President Jimmy Carter, who crystallized a fraudulent recall referendum for Venezuela's dictator Hugo Chavez, now says his Carter Center will return to Caracas "to help consolidate peace and democracy." He also says he's got a final report on the Venezuelan recall... More
February 26, 2005
Rage and humiliation at the Washington PostEd Lasky
Richard Cohen's column yesterday exemplifies the incoherent rage of the left which pervades our media. In this column "Rage in Riyadh," Cohen bemoans the "rage" which Saudis feel when they face such inconveniences as "humiliating" immigration delays or the anger when one would—be... More
February 26, 2005
Guardian Angels in America's murder capitalBob Weir
When I pulled my car into a parking space at Dallas City Hall, I looked over to my left, and there was the man in the red jacket and matching beret, talking on his cell phone as he paced slowly on the concrete strip. I had a 4 PM meeting with the leader of the legendary crime fighting group... More
February 25, 2005
Guaranteed reservationsThomas Lifson
Have you ever been issued a "guaranteed" reservation by a hotel? You know the drill: they take a credit card number and tell you that you will be charged for the room if you don't show up. But in return, you comfort yourself with the assumption that your access to an actual room at that particular... More
February 22, 2005
Troop strength and CongressDouglas Hanson
The debate continues about US troop strength and its impact on the ability of our forces to conduct sustained combat operations in the War on Terror. Recently, The Weekly Standard published a bi—partisan Open Letter to the majority and minority leaders of both houses of Congress. ... More
February 22, 2005
Make Washington's Birthday a national holiday...againRick Moran
The year was 1783. While formal hostilities had virtually ceased between the Crown and the American colonies, peace talks continued to drag on in London. The Congress was broke and in serious debt even though the Articles of Confederation, which required individual states to contribute funds to the... More
February 22, 2005
The First George.W.Andrew Sumereau
George Washington was born 273 years ago today in the British colony of Virginia. At his death in 1799, after an active life as soldier, surveyor, planter, politician, revolutionary, and first Chief Executive of the greatest republic since Rome, he was widely regarded as the greatest man of his... More
February 21, 2005
Out with the old slogan, in with the newLona Manning
Critics of the Bush Administration are divided between those who tend to view Republicans as part of an ultra—secret, ultra—capable military—industrial cabal who control the world and everything in it, and those who view the President as a moron and his advisers as ideologues who... More
February 21, 2005
What European allies?James Lewis
"In a new century, the alliance of America and Europe is the main pillar of our security," — President George W. Bush, Brussels, February 21, 2005
Seeing our graceful new Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dancing her diplomatic minuet in Paris reminds me of a Woody Allen story about Sigmund... More
February 21, 2005
American demography and support for IsraelRichard Baehr
There is good news and bad news.* The good news is that the reports of the decline of Jewish and pro—Israel influence, and the rise of Arab/Muslim influence in the American political system are at the moment greatly exaggerated. The bad news is that change is underway, and the relative... More
February 20, 2005
Dear Mr. MoyersMichael Curran
Dear Mr. Moyers: I've been meaning to write you for quite some time, in fact, if the truth were known, I originally intended to communicate with you in 1964, when as Special Assistant to Lyndon Johnson, you approved that television ad showing a small girl picking daisy petals as a nuclear... More
February 20, 2005
The Celestial MaidenClarice Feldman
When I was a child someone gave me a beautifully illustrated book of children's stories from around the world. My younger sister's favorite was "The Celestial Maiden" and she begged me to read it to her over and over again. In the tale a poor Japanese woman prays for a child. One day she finds a... More
February 19, 2005
Old Sarge gets a care packageRuss Vaughn
Sergeant Vaughn got a care package today. It's been almost forty years since I got my last one, a case of twenty—four #2ス cans of sliced peaches from my father. Memory fails me now, but I don't believe I ever asked before he died what it cost to mail that monster, but it must have... More
February 18, 2005
Dazed and confusedThomas Lifson
I find myself stunned by the magnitude of the quick victory President Bush has won on tort reform, with the new bill, now awaiting his signature federalizing most class action lawsuits. No longer will judges and juries in obscure rural counties of Illinois, Mississippi and Alabama be able to award... More
February 18, 2005
The sinister spread of terrorismA. M. Mora y Leon
The story was about as buried as possible last September, given the dateline Asunsion, Paraguay. A former president's 31—year—old daughter was kidnapped by unknown criminals. As often happens in Latin countries, authorities were powerless and the public was angry. The fact that she was... More
February 18, 2005
Saint Hillary and Reverend Dean? Don't believe it!Christopher G. Adamo
Howard Dean, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Senator Hillary Clinton (D.—NY) jointly hold the dubious distinction of being the only major public figures with less credibility than Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas, the recently elected successor to the late Yassir Arafat,... More
February 17, 2005
The meaning of Lynne StewartRocco DiPippo
"I don't believe in anarchist violence but in directed violence. That would be violence directed at the institutions which perpetuate capitalism, racism, sexism, and at the people who are the appointed guardians of those institutions and accompanied by popular support."——Lynne... More
February 17, 2005
Judicial nominee filibusters and Senate rulesAndrew T. Hyman
Ten of President Bush's judicial nominees were filibustered by a Democratic minority in the U.S. Senate, during his first term. It's likely that there will be similar efforts in his second term, probably extending to filibusters of Supreme Court nominees.
This use of the filibuster has... More
February 17, 2005
The silent screams of Terri SchiavoBob Weir
Weir Thinking About It
'I see a flash of colors and the vague outlines of faces. I hear the voices of Mom and Dad as they talk to me, trying to get me to respond. Oh, God, I'm trying so hard to respond. I feel like I'm floating in a murky bubble with no control over my body and no ability to... More
February 16, 2005
How does the Left know that Hitler is bad?Jack Kemp
Recently, a high school student, seventeen—year—old Jeffrey Eden of Charlestown, R.I, Rhode Island won a prominent award, the 'Silver Key,' by constructing a diorama comparing President Bush and Adolf Hitler: ''Bush/Hitler and How History Repeats Itself.''
This raises a question... More
February 16, 2005
Ward Churchill is right. Partly.Christopher Chantrill
No sooner had Prof. Nancy Hopkins of MIT bounced up from her fainting couch, upon the prospect of yet another task force to investigate gender inequity in the darkly menacing groves of Larry Summers' Harvard, than conservatives started swooning over Ward Churchill's remarks to the effect that... More
February 16, 2005
The BandwagonMatthew May
In the Feb. 15 edition of The American Thinker, Steven M. Warshawsky wrote a thought—provoking piece entitled 'Beware the Condi bandwagon"а that, essentially, warned the gathering numbers of 'Rice for President' supporters that Sec. Rice cannot win the presidency in 2008, nor is she... More
February 15, 2005
The Fallujah treatmentA.M. Mora y Leon
The New York Times and the Associated Press, (two news agencies whose work in Andean Latin America is suspiciously similar) are at it again. They say that since our ally Colombia is fighting a terrorist war on a heated battlefield, the sky must be falling. They seize on... More
February 15, 2005
Hero Recognition Day?John B. Dwyer
The 24/7 news cycle destroys and distorts context and perspective; it befogs the memory. Think 9/11, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom On February 2, 2005 several articles appeared announcing the fact that Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith of Tampa,... More
February 14, 2005
Domestic violence in the QuranJames Arlandson
Does the Quran permit husbands to hit their wives, or not?
Summer Hathout is a prosecutor in Los Angeles, an activist for women's rights, and a Muslim. She denies that Islam promotes domestic violence, concluding in her short article:
To those of us who know Islam and the Quran, violence against... More
February 14, 2005
Losing freedomSelwyn Duke
Howard Weyers, President of Weyco Corporation, is worried about his employees' health and his company's health insurance premiums. So worried, in fact, that he has instituted a policy mandating that his employees may not puff on the vilest of vile weeds — tobacco — even at... More
February 14, 2005
The bitter fruits of appeasementRachel Neuwirth
We can now look back over the last century with the benefit of hindsight and consider just what we have achieved with international appeasement and timidity. Many threats we face today have origins that can be linked back in time to decisions that were made many decades ago. Following... More
February 11, 2005
A Naval hero's lifeJohn B. Dwyer
Reviewing AMERICA'S FIRST FROGMAN, The Draper Kauffman Story, by Elizabeth K. Bush. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 2004. 220 pages, photos, appendices, index.
Elizabeth K. Bush, sister—in—law of former president George H.W. Bush (who wrote the Foreward), has delivered... More
February 11, 2005
Nice work, if you can...Steve Feinstein
Isn't election year politicking fun? It never ceases to amaze experienced observers how things can be so incredibly important during the campaign, and then instantly fade into complete insignificance as soon as the political value of the subject is no longer relevant.
One of the prime examples of... More
February 11, 2005
Argentina's dangerous directionA.M. Mora y Leon
Buried deep in the appalling announcement of Cuba's new place on the UN's Human Rights Commission was the name of the country that nominated that outpost of tyranny for the honor: Argentina.
It's not the first time the southernmost country in the New World has done the bidding of Cuban... More
February 10, 2005
Age of (gutless) wonderCharles A. Coulombe
We live in age of wonder. A satellite can tell us about tides and storms on Titan; one of my best friends has a robot dog that is exhibiting jealousy toward his robot vacuum cleaner (to be fair, poor Speedy, as the techno—canine is called, did try to make friends with the new contraption at... More
February 10, 2005
Profiles in disasterBob Weir
Officer Tom Jones is patrolling the north end of his assigned sector in anytown U.S.A. A call comes over the radio:
'All cars be on the lookout for a dark, late model auto driven by two black males wanted for the murder of a security guard during a holdup of the First National Bank on the south... More
February 10, 2005
Democrats' desperationChristopher G. Adamo
Democrats are despondent over the latest polling data showing that nearly sixty percent of the nation approves of President Bush's job performance. In their eyes, the President is benefiting from the gamble he took when he invaded Iraq. Conversely, their own gamble of condemning the entire... More
February 9, 2005
Clinton on the Social Security crisisRichard N. Weltz
Virtually all Congressional Democrats and party officials, not to mention a number of prominent Republicans, are jumping all over President Bush's warnings and proposals about the Social Security program. There really is no looming crisis, they say. And even if there is one, it's much farther... More
February 9, 2005
The steady climb up RushmoreMatthew May
Obviously, it is too early to pass final judgment on the presidency of George W. Bush. His second term is not even a month old. Yet in his first four years, events beyond his control, his words, his policies, and his actions in response to these events, have placed him on a path that few in... More
February 9, 2005
Conservatives and the creative impulseChristopher Chantrill
What a difference a year makes! A year ago Americans were digesting the rude, crude Super Bowl 'wardrobe malfunction' of Janet Jackson. This year, twenty—something guys are sniggering over the Go Daddy Girl's troublesome bra—strap. A year ago America got hit in the... More
February 8, 2005
Thank you sir, may I have another?Richard Baehr
One of the many memorable scenes in the movie Animal House involves the fraternity initiation at Omega House. A young pledge, played by Kevin Bacon, is squatting before the sadist ROTC leader Nedermayer, who keeps walloping his behind. Bacon feels the excruciating pain, but keeps giving... More
February 8, 2005
Sharon, an Israeli King Lear?Rachel Neuwirth
In our war against Islamic terror we certainly need all the allies we can find. Since its re—birth in 1948, the Jewish State of Israel has been our loyal and helpful ally for over half a century. Both countries have share many values, which makes the friendship a solid one between two... More
February 8, 2005
Squandering CapitalAndrew Sumereau
As President Bush prepares to send down his latest budget proposal, a gloomy realization dawns——— Republicans are blowing a rare opportunity. With control of the House and Senate, the Presidency, and with the Democrats in absolute disarray, what have they chosen to focus on?... More
February 7, 2005
Counting the costDouglas Hanson
The anti—American left and the legacy media continue to highlight our losses in the Iraq War rather than focusing on the successful elections, which were a stunning vindication of GW's strategy in the region. The most recent example is their coverage of the recent crash of a US Marine... More
February 7, 2005
Iranian impasseOlivier Guitta
Iran is slowly but surely becoming the hottest topic in world affairs.
Not a single days goes by without reactions from the US, Europe, Russia or Israel regarding the Iranian nuclear program. It's already been two years since the 'EU 3' nations — France, Germany and the UK — became... More
February 7, 2005
Warrior's wordsJohn B. Dwyer
A hush fell over the assembled media—noids, struck dumb by the utterances of the uniformed officer.
'What did he say?' they asked one another, incredulity stamped on their otherwise blank faces.
'He said 'it's fun to shoot some people.''
In the aftermath of informal remarks made by Marine Lt.... More
February 6, 2005
Ward Churchill, chapter twoLona Manning
Did anyone ask the officials of Hamilton College to produce the death threats they allegedly received over Ward Churchill's scheduled appearance? Did any journalist check with the local police to see if they had been consulted? Or must we take the death threats on faith, just like Churchill's... More
February 6, 2005
The Long Arm of AuschwitzTimothy Nichols
Bravo for "How I Met the Holocaust" by Lawrence Henry, published last week in The American Spectator. It illustrates what I have long thought to be the single most important impact on Holocaust survivors: life in the camps dehumanized them and often warped their character in the process,... More
February 5, 2005
I wish I were this stupidPhil Gallagher
The common theme in Massachusetts during the presidential election was the need to replace the bumbling fool from Crawford, Texas with our own intellectual, worldly, French—speaking war hero from Massachusetts. Surely the country would see the difference between the two. After all, the... More
February 4, 2005
Feds nail Berkeley on race discriminationThomas Lifson
The United States government has caught the City of Berkeley, California in what appears to be a pattern of flagrant racial discrimination in handing out 'free money' to certain lucky residents.
Although no formal finding has been issued, a routine fair—housing compliance review conducted in... More
February 4, 2005
CBS News and the lawSteven Zak
Charles Krauthammer calls it "disgraceful." James Pinkerton says it "reeks" of "coverup." Hugh Hewitt labels it "a whitewash that can be summed up this way: 'Blah, blah, blah, blah.'" All apt descriptions of CBS's "independent" investigation of its own behavior in Rathergate. But is this a... More
February 4, 2005
Pelosi is left and wrongJames Arlandson
Democratic Congressional Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was charged by her Party with responding to President Bush's foreign policy declarations in his State of the Union Address on February 2, 2005. Her Senate counterpart, Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid responded to the President's domestic... More
February 3, 2005
Ward Churchill, liberals and free speechSelwyn Duke
There's a saying, 'Don't spit down my back and tell me it's rainin'' [sanitized a bit].а This comes to mind when I ponder the maelstrom that surrounded the now cancelled speaking—appearance of one Professor Ward Churchill, at Hamilton College in upstate New York.аWhat sparked the... More
February 3, 2005
The purple fingerDave St. John
Take a good look at it; purple indelible ink right down to the first joint of their index fingers. It's the new 'Don't Tread on Me' symbol. The people who proudly wear it and flash it for others to see are the new Minute Men. They are the latest in the legions of those who have... More
February 3, 2005
The Jennings mentalityEdward L. Daley
Do you consider all Americans of Italian descent to be affiliated with the mob, simply because they share the same heritage as the members of La Cosa Nostra? Thankfully, most people don't. However, ABC News anchor Peter Jennings apparently wouldn't have a problem making such a claim, judging by the... More
February 2, 2005
CBS News faces more Rathergate troubleThomas Lifson and Ethel Fenig
Future historians of the birth of internet as a political force will remark on CBS News's ineptness in attempting to put Rathergate behind them (and us). We are about to receive another burst of interest in the case, as the questions just keep accumulating, and the story tells us more and more... More
February 2, 2005
Chertoff's confirmation hearingsRichard N. Weltz
Few things infuriate the liberal left so much as brazen betrayal by the minorities they think their exclusive property. If you are black, Hispanic, or a Jew, you are owned and are not to leave the plantation. If you have the temerity to break with your race's obligation to the Democrats, you are... More
February 1, 2005
Ward Churchill, Bill O'Reilly, and freedom of speechLona Manning
Ward Churcill has attained sudden fame as the author of an essay claiming that the victims of 9/11 deserved their fate, because of their implication in America's Evil System. His speaking dates on campuses like Hamilton College in upstate New York have aroused controversy and have caught the eye of... More
February 1, 2005
Bush, military forces, and a strategic visionDouglas Hanson
Most of the punditry got it right about GW's second inaugural address: it was a monumental speech that prescribed a major shift in our foreign policy and national security posture. Not only was it a true description of the dangerous world we live in, it also established the framework for... More
February 1, 2005
Bill Gates, global warming, and DavosRichard Baehr
The New York Times has now reviewed Michael Crichton's latest novel State of Fear twice, both times scathingly. In the Sunday Book Review Section on January 29th, the reviewer, Bruce Barcott, an editor of Outside Magazine, pins the left's ultimate smear on the author — that his book resembles... More