The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Two Kinds of Crazy

Posted on | May 3, 2011 | 12 Comments

“Whenever America uses violence in a way that makes its citizens cheer, beam with nationalistic pride, and rally around their leader, more violence is typically guaranteed. Futile decade-long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may temporarily dampen the nationalistic enthusiasm for war, but two shots to the head of Osama bin Laden — and the We are Great and Good proclamations it engenders — can easily rejuvenate that war love. . . . Americans are marching in the street celebrating with a sense of national pride. When is the last time that happened? It seems telling that hunting someone down and killing them is one of the few things that still produce these feelings of nationalistic unity.”
— Glenn Greenwald

“I am sorry, but if you believe the newest death of OBL, you’re stupid. Just think to yourself — they paraded Saddam’s dead sons around to prove they were dead — why do you suppose they hastily buried this version of OBL at sea? This lying, murderous Empire can only exist with your brainwashed consent — just put your flags away and THINK!”
— Cindy Sheehan

Let’s begin by acknowledging that these are two different kinds of crazy. But people who find Cindy Sheehan’s crackpot paranoia risible might not see why Greenwald’s “nuanced” anti-Americanism is almost equally demented.

As I explained yesterday, I can understand people (e.g., Joy Behar) who view the news of bin Laden’s death as an occasion for partisan political cheerleading. I understand it, even if I don’t endorse it. Our political discourse nowadays is so often a matter of scorekeeping and talking points — the horse-race mentality where the only relevant question is “Cui bono?” — that this is only to be expected.

(If Hurricane Katrina could be used as a partisan weapon, what is off-limits? Once you politicize the weather, everything is fair game.)

No, what disturbs me particularly about Greenwald’s argument is that he doesn’t view every “sense of national pride” as dangerous, but only American national pride. Cubans or Canadians, Chechens or Chinese, Poles or Palestinians — all other peoples can cherish their national identity without stirring any Greenwaldian concern. But let Americans express satisfaction that their military has vanquished a sworn enemy, and this frets Greenwald to no end. His fear and loathing of American nationalism is so great as to produce its mirror-reverse.

Robert Frost once described a liberal as someone who refuses to take his own side in an argument. Greenwald is horrified that Americans do not join him in that refusal. He is appalled that we are happy about “hunting someone down and killing them,” as if bin Laden were just any old “someone,” and not the man who funded, organized and inspired a global terrorist conspiracy that killed thousands of innocent Americans.

America is, to Greenwald, the one nation on the planet so dangerously evil as to be underserving of affection, admiration or allegiance.

“One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that; no ordinary man could be such a fool.”

Category: Barack Obama, Terrorism

LIVE AT FIVE – 05.03.11

Posted on | May 3, 2011 | 1 Comment

TOP NEWS
Harper, Conservatives Win Big In Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and supporters celebrate their new, solid majority

Tories ahead in 165 of 308 seats for solid majority; Liberals, Bloc Quebecois decimated; NDP to be official opposition
“Canadians have chosen hope, unity of purpose and a strong Canada,” Harper said.


Mississippi River Levee Blown To Spare Cairo, Illinois
Corps of Engineers floods Missouri farmland; Mississippi, Ohio rivers at record heights

Red Faces In Pakistan And Fear Of Reprisals (Video)
What did the Pakis know about OBL and when did they know it?



POLITICS
Blagojevich Trial Restarts In Graft Case

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich

Steeped in corruption, or just crude and profane?

Alameda County Gun Show Suffers Court Setback

Devastated Ensign Resigns Amid $96,000 Affair

Clock Ticking On Florida Budget Negotiations

Rahm Picks Newark Chief To Run Chicago PD

Nevada 2nd CD Race: Now Legally A Free-For-All

California Senate Narrowly Approves Six Union Deals


South Jersey Muslims Welcome Bin Laden’s Death

NY Port Authority Adds Police At Airports, Ground Zero Site



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Crude Falls, Market Digests News Of Bin Laden’s Death
Chrysler Back In Black With $116MM 1Q Profit
Gold, Silver Extend Losses As CME Tightens Silver Margin Requirements
Buffett Remains Solid On The US Economy
Nasdaq Takes Hostile Route In NYSE Hunt
Arch Coal To Buy International Coal Group For $3.4 Billion
Is Apple’s Could Music Service Hidden In New OS X Build?
Where Is IE9? Have You Seen It?
Massachusetts Court Permits Tweeting, Facebooking, Blogging
NBC To Launch 24/7 Local News Channels In Three States



SPORTS
Lakers Fumble And Tumble In Game 1 Loss To Dallas

Lakers can’t hold onto the ball, can’t hold lead, wind up losing 96-94

Hawks Drub Top-Seeded Bulls 103-95

Genuine Emotion Fitting In Nationals’ Salute To Military


Red Sox Offense Finally Shows Signs Of Life

Flyers Fall To Bruins, 3-2

Kings’ Players, Coach Pleased For Fans As Team Remains In Sacramento For Another Season

Researchers Say Ex-NFL Safety Had Brain Damage



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Rick Springfield Busted For DUI

Rick Springfield - from hot rocker to old drunk

Drinking like an Aussie not a good plan in LA, rocker discovers

Sean Penn Has Bad Table Manners

Nicole Scherzinger To Host “X Factor”

Flavor Flav Doomed By Troubled Past



Universal Eyes Hemsworth For Role Of Huntsman In “Snow White”

Larry David Joins “Three Stooges” As Nun

Selena Gomez to Host & Perform At 2011 MuchMusicVideo Awards

Mummified Body Of Former Playmate Yvette Vickers Found In Rancho Canyon Home



FOREIGNERS
Japan Eyes $44 Billion Nuclear Compensation
Barak: Assad Nearing End Of Reign In Syria
53 PRC Officials Punished For Roles In Tainted Milk Scandal
India: Bin Laden’s Stay Underscores Concerns About Pakistan
Fighting Rages In Libya’s Western Mountains
ROK Police Raid Google’s Seoul Office; Search Firm May Have Collected Location Data Without Consent


BLOGS & STUFF
Breitbart: John Podesta, Put Up Or Shut Up
Lonely Conservative: Obama, The Brave Warrior
Allahpundit: Tajikistan Warned US That Pakis Were Protecting Bin Laden (Wikileaks)
Jihad Watch: Pro-Osama Rally In Pakistan
Another Black Conservative: The Politics Of Obama’s Victory Over Osama

— compiled by Wombat-socho

Category: Live at Five

I’m Not Certain That Robbie Is Offensive To Feminists

Posted on | May 2, 2011 | Comments Off on I’m Not Certain That Robbie Is Offensive To Feminists

by Smitty

. . .but I do sympathize with his plight. Minor language alert. Loose f-bomb early on.

Category: Music, National Offend a Feminist Week

Will No One Rid Us Of This Troglodyte And His Osama Theories?

Posted on | May 2, 2011 | 8 Comments

by Smitty

That didn’t take long. Sir Lance of the Boil is already out trolling for linkage, dragging foul ichor about the floors and generally stinking up the joint.
Of course Osama is alive, Lance! He’s cruising with Elvis in Bigfoot’s UFO! (A reference only maybe Belvedere will catch.)
Seriously, Trog: don’t you trust the Navy? You should.

Category: Camp of the Saints, Conspiracy Theories, Troglopundit

Selecting The Next Bob Dole Proving More Than A Trifle Tedious

Posted on | May 2, 2011 | 17 Comments

by Smitty

American Power picks up on the quest for more 2012 GOP candidates. Rubio’s firm withdrawal matches Christie’s. Who, then (emphasis mine)?

So for Republicans in 2012, while it seems late in terms of the “invisible primary” of money, media, and polling, in fact there’s still plenty of time for other candidates to throw their hats in the ring, and the field shaping up isn’t as bad as the media makes out. Mitt Romney’s going to be formidable, despite talk that RomneyCare is a killer (and I’ve even suggested RomneyCare’s an albatross). All Romney has to do is denounce his own healthcare record in Massachusetts as a colossal mistake, make reference to polling there looking for a change, and then turn around and say never again! It might be tough in the primaries against fellow Republicans, but with a GOP Congress looking to repeal ObamaCare, Romney can ride his mea culpa on top of a wave of conservative opposition to big government. He’s telegenic and an experienced campaigner, and the press will take him seriously, unlike Donald Trump.

Beyond that, I don’t know much about Tim Pawlenty, although he looks pretty self-assured at the clip from New Hampshire above. We’ll know more after a round of GOP pre-primary debates. Robert Stacy McCain reports on Herman Cain, by the way, who topped an AFP poll coming out of yesterday’s event: “Herman Cain Wins 2012 Presidential Forum in Manchester, New Hampshire” (with video). I like what I’ve seen of Herman Cain, and at this point it’s hard to figure out which would be a better ticket, Herman Cain and Allen West or Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, although I think this is still super long-shot territory.

But notice that discussion of Governor Mitch Daniels, who was Budget Director in the George W. Bush White House. Hmm … Should he take the adoration seriously and enter the race, he’ll likely end up an also-ran who leaves the grassroots wanting. The Times gives cursory discussion to Sarah Palin. Perhaps her moment to enter the race has passed (doesn’t bother me, since I’ve long suggested she run in 2016). There’s also mention of Chris Christie, Rick Perry, and Paul Ryan, and who knows, maybe one of them will surprise us (I like Christie)?

In any case, like I said, let’s get on with the debates and see how things shake out. And keep an eye on the money. Michele Bachmann’s been raising funds like the devil, and fundraising’s one of the factors facilitating media coverage, so things can snowball for a candidate that way.

It strikes me that the GOP has the harder decision to make. The Democrats are totally sold out to the Progressive Cthulhu. The Tea Parties are attempting to hold the GOP to some semblance of a non-Progressive pose. The GOP, and the country, can win only if the GOP decides to lose its Ruling Class, Progressive posture and do something a bit more, you know, representative. One would think that this decision would be less of a challenge, but let me pose a corollary to the Iron Law of Bureaucracy:

Once entrenched, bureaucracy is harder to root out than an insurgency.

Back to the Bob Dole question of who can give the most graceful concession speech. Yes, this is a devil’s advocate play. The GOP heads are aghast at anyone exhibiting real passion for the historical roots of American greatness. The we-are-not-sheep spirit that informed the revolution in the first place. At the same time, we have seen enough of a rock star president who doesn’t know how to fill the office. And, in Trump, we’ve seen enough of a buffoon who can’t differentiate between leading the country and a reality TV show.
So who fits the bill of someone with enough heart to be recognizably American, yet enough savvy and résumé to be taken seriously by the big donors? I respect Herman Cain tremendously. The sole legitimate question that will be raised about him is his health. Having read his book, I also like Tim Pawlenty. There is no shame in quiet competence. Sarah? Sorry, she’s still not a candidate. Disposition remains not unfavorable, but the Left’s efforts at poisoning the well have been nothing short of phenomenal. Part of me wants to support her in a pure illegitimi non carborundum sense, but that is pure emotion, and we should not be voting with our hormones, ever.
One day, maybe, we will achieve an era where politics can be more safely boring.

Category: American Power, Election 2012

If I’d Known the Drugs Were Gonna Be This Good, I’d Have Gotten Sick Earlier

Posted on | May 2, 2011 | 19 Comments

Sunday night, my wife took me to the emergency room. The pain in my ribs — like a knife every time I coughed — had gotten to the point where even I had to admit that I was really sick. They hooked me up to a saline drip, gave me 4 cc’s of morphine, gave me an X-ray and then did a CAT scan of my chest. This stuff costs money, so I’m asking readers to hit my tip jar. You can think of it as a “Get Well Soon” fund.

Cash: When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best!

I’ll make this post sticky at the top of the blog for a while, with new posts below and, by way of rewarding readers for their generosity, here’s a vintage pinup of a sexy nurse: Read more

Category: Health Care, Shoe Leather Fund

‘USA! USA! USA!’ (I’m Just Saying That Because It Bothers Liberals So Much)

Posted on | May 2, 2011 | 15 Comments

It is unfortunately predictable that the success of the U.S. effort that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan would result in finger-pointing, one-upsmanship and needless politicization. For example, Nate Silver at the New York Times:

To state the obvious, this is good news for Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. I can’t imagine a single, atomized piece of news, foreign or domestic, that would be better for the President.
Although the Republican candidates had not seemed especially interested in making an issue out of national security — perhaps because Mr. Obama’s foreign policy has been fairly hawkish and not clearly differentiated from theirs — it at the very least neuters the issue for them. It presumably will become a significant talking point for the President — the sort of thing that swing voters will be reminded of in a commercial on the eve of the 2012 elections.
The news will also, almost certainly, trigger a significant improvement in Mr. Obama’s approval rating.

All of which is inarguably true, but it does seem a rather narrow way of looking at an event of such magnitude. Meanwhile, on MSNBC this morning, Joe Scarborough implied that Democrats didn’t want bin Laden dead, praising Obama for “courage and leadership [in] saying no to his own base” and “going against his own ideological leanings.” Here’s video:

The folks at Think Progress are offended. But indeed it appears that there are liberals so clueless that they didn’t find bin Laden’s death a cause for celebration. Read more

Category: Aghanistan, Barack Obama, Pakistan, Terrorism

Not In Agreement With Insty Here

Posted on | May 2, 2011 | 1 Comment

by Smitty

Insty links Victor Davis Hanson on the topic of America being in decline when many indicators argue for improvement.

Like Britain just after World War II, we have a leadership class that fundamentally doesn’t like the country it leads as it is, and wants to change it into something . . . less.

Britain’s leadership class, which grew up shell-shocked from WWI, had tried to outlaw war in 1928. Clearly and early example of Progressive policies achieving spectacularly opposite results, a mere dozen years later. So, after to World Wars, all that was left for Britain to do was commence crumbling, empire first, home islands more recently.
So is that a fair comparison with our Progressive Ruling Class?
I’d contend that our PRC isn’t interested in replacing the U.S. with something less. I daresay they want to scuttle the country, for all intents and purposes, by gaffing off immigration and border security, letting unions price American labor out of the market, and turning our schools into incubators for Marxist zombies.
The demolition of the dollar is nearly complete, as spooky dudes contemplate discarding the dollar in favor of something. . .else. You sort of know that even fewer, less accountable people will be making Big Decisions at that point. In fairness, the Federal Reserve is a cancer, and so the rest of the world may see little choice but ditching the dollar.
No, my non-vote of confidence in the PRC is such that I doubt they care for the United States at all.
So let that be a bit of fuel for the Tea Parties.

Category: Instapundit
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