Saturday, September 14, 2002
SPEAKING OF MR. FERGUSON
John Ferguson has also provided links to two new articles worth reading. The first one deals with new security measures for gardeners at the University of California system. The only problem with the article is that it does not state the rationale the university system gives for taking this new measure. Nevertheless, gardeners?
The second reports that Jim Leach is starting to criticize his opponent Julie Thomas.
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VILSACK LEADS GROSS? MAYBE
About ten days ago I argued that a poll conducted by WHO-TV that showed Doug Gross with a 49%-46% lead over Tom Vilsack meant that the advantage in the race was with Gross. Yesterday the Des Moines Register released a poll showing Vilsack with a 48%-43% lead over Gross. So, what’s going on?
Reader John Ferguson emailed to say:
Polls aren't always very good gauges; when a contest is close, they're darn near useless [except retrospectively] & when a race isn't close, who pays much attention to the actual numerical values!
It is true that polls are not "always very good gauges." But I disagree that they are "useless" when a contest is close. At the very least, they can confirm that a race is indeed a close one. They may also tell us which way the race is trending. If, for example, the new Register poll had instead shown a result of Gross 50%, Vilsack 46%, then we’d have more evidence that the race was trending toward Gross. Obviously, that did not happen. To be fair to John, if he meant that polls can be misleading when the race is close, then I think he is right about that.
So, what is going on in the Iowa governor’s race? Well, there are three possibilities as to what the new poll numbers mean. First, the numbers could simply be a fluke. Do to a statistical "quirk," about one out of twenty polls yields an inaccurate result. Thus, the new register poll could be that quirk. However, I don’t think that is likely.
Given the past two polls, a more likely explanation is that it is a dead heat. (This is an explanation which I dismissed last time; better throw some crow on that grill.) The first poll, in June, showed Vilsack with a 2 point lead; the next one in late August, show Gross with a 3 point lead. Now, the most recent poll shows Vilsack with a 5 point lead. If future polls continue to bounce back and forth, then "dead heat" is the most likely explanation.
The third possibility is that the momentum has shifted to Vilsack. In the last two weeks Vilsack has run a TV commercial that casts him in a pretty sympathetic light. He has also run radio ads bashing Gross’s involvement with hog lots. Thus, the advantage may now be Vilsack’s and that may be what is reflected in the new poll.
Hopefully, another poll will be taken in the next two weeks. It will tell us more. Maybe.
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Friday, September 13, 2002
THE POLL ON THE IOWA GOVERNOR’S RACE
Tomorrow I will post some more thoughts on the new Des Moines Register poll on the Iowa governor’s race. Until then….
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SOME GOOD TITLES
Via Rodger Schultz, there is this hilarious post at a blog called Kristiv’s Weird Existence. It is a list of titles of children’s books that you’ll never see. Rodger is pretty damn hilarious himself.
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TOO MUCH FUN
Hoystory takes down Kristoff, Krugman and Albright, all in one post! (Thanks to Instapundit.)
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FLORIDA AND SPAIN
Indepundit has this bit on the new Florida recount.
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DAILY DIATRIBE: MORE BASU HYSTERIA
Last week I criticized Des Moines Register columnist Rehka Basu for peddling such hysteria as increased security measures were leading to internment camps, loyalty oaths. The more I read her stuff, hysteria appears to be the order of the day. Specifically, it appears that most everything she disagrees with has totalitarian implications.
For example, last Tuesday she opposed a curfew for teenagers in Des Moines. Surely, one might debate the merits of such a curfew as crime-fighting technique. But Basu sees something far more sinister:
I've been in countries that had government-imposed curfews. They were under martial law. Fortunately, that isn't us. But we ought to be wary of any efforts to restrict people's rights "for their own good" or that make potential victims, rather than perpetrators, the ones that need restraining. A company that refuses to hire women for fear they might get pregnant and be exposed to toxins isn't acting in employees' best interests either. If it were, it would make sure working conditions were safe.
There is no shortage of problems with that last paragraph, but I’ll restrict myself to the insinuation. You might argue that Basu clearly states that martial law “isn’t us.” True, but then why bring it up in the first place? That paragraph could easily get its point across without the first two sentences. That she includes them suggests that she thinks that a city-imposed curfew for teenagers is one big leap down the path to actual martial law. Given her column that I panned last week, it is a very reasonable conclusion.
In her column from yesterday, Basu even suggests that loveable grandmas could be in trouble:
But as these women are learning, being for peace can brand you a subversive. Some people would prefer that grandmothers stick to knitting instead of getting politically active.
Yes, and being for peace can also get you space in the New York Times. Note how she also begs the question of who is labeling these little old ladies as “subversive.” Is it the government? And does that mean the government is going to put surveillance on these folks? Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the U.S. government would bother with a bunch of grandmas. Oh wait, let me rephrase that: Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the U.S. government—outside of airport security—would bother with a bunch of grandmas. One would hope that the folks at the FBI are concentrating on more likely terrorists suspects.
Perhaps she means that commentators-presumably right-wing ones—are labeling them “subversive.” I spend a lot of time reading conservative websites, and I can’t recall the word subversive being used all that much. (Perhaps I’m not reading the right ones.) But even if they were, so what? That’s called freedom of speech. Basu and others like her seem to forget that freedom of speech does not mean the right to be free from criticism. Criticizing those you disagree with is a healthy part of a democracy. It hardly means that the U.S. is well on its way to tyranny.
Indeed, few, if any, of the things Basu worries about are putting the U.S. on the road to tyranny. To claim that they do is not the basis for a well-reasoned argument.
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AMNESIA OR SOMETHING ELSE?
In it’s editorial today on Bush’s speech to the United Nations, the Des Moines Register asks this question:
why is the president addressing the United Nations now?
Gee, I don’t know. Why would the president give such a speech at this time? Would it have to do with the fact that many members of Congress have been demanding that he make the case for war with Iraq? Not too mention certain Iowa newspapers that have been demanding the exact same thing.
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HANG ON A MINUTE…
New poll out shows Vilsack leading Gross 48%-43%. Could mean something in the campaign has changed, but I’m not sure what. Perhaps Vilsack’s recent ad claiming the budget problem is not his fault and that he’s done his best? Or it could mean that this is simply a horse race, and going to go down to the wire. Interesting though.
In other bad news for Republicans, Senator Tom Harkin leads Representative Greg Ganske 52%-40%. My prediction is looking worse and worse.
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WHEN A 10% INCREASE ISN’T ENOUGH
The Iowa Department of Human Services is requesting a 10% increase in its budget for next year (or 18% depending on how you count it.)
Is it enough? Of course not:
Still, the department expects to fall further behind in meeting the needs of children and families. An increased demand for service is expected to outpace the proposed budget increases.
Only a government agnecy….
. . .
SOME PEOPLE CAN’T CONNECT THE DOTS
Here is a curious letter to the editor in the Des Moines Register. Mr. Albert N. Browne urges the return to a progressive income tax, presumably to the top marginal rates of 70 to 90%. Newsflash Mr. Browne: the income tax is still progressive; those who make more money pay more in taxes.
Mr. Browne’s reason for wanting to return to such high marginal rates?
During the Korean War, the top marginal tax rate was about 92 percent. Of course, only a handful of billionaires paid at that rate.
A typical CEO may have been taxed at less than 50 percent after deductions on his average dollar of income. But the last dollar he collected every year may have been taxed at a very steep marginal rate - perhaps 70 or 80 percent.
CEOs did not usually demand excessive increases beyond that point, nor did companies pay them, because most of the money would have gone to the IRS.
There were many loopholes then, but the most often used was the charitable-contribution deduction. The government would not tax income if you gave it away first. And give they did. It was a powerful incentive to philanthropy. But it was a powerful disincentive to theft. Why loot a company and risk bankrupting the company that employs you and perhaps even risk going to jail if 92 percent of all you stole was collected in taxes anyway?
And:
But under Ronald Reagan, top rates were lowered to about the same marginal rate paid by middle-class workers, a moral outrage in itself by the standards of most countries, and then all hell broke loose.
It was as if the administration said, "Hey, boys, you can keep all you can steal now. Come and get it."
Only returning to a progressive income tax will solve the problem. If those who loot their companies for ridiculous amounts of money find they have just boosted themselves into a ridiculous tax bracket by doing so, they'll quit doing it.
First of all, I seriously doubt that corporate fraud was virtually non-existent in the days of high income tax rates. In fact, one could argue that fraud may have been higher, since the honest way of making more money, earning it, resulted in the government taking more of it.
But if high income tax rates really do result in a disincentive to steal, what effect on does Mr. Brown think they would have on wealth creation? I.e., all of those things like expanding a business, creating new businesses, investing, etc., that are so crucial to keeping our economy growing and creating new jobs. Of course, the answer is probably that Mr. Browne sees no connection between CEOs making more money and job creation.
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Thursday, September 12, 2002
CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE, WHAT GIVES?
You may have noticed that I used to post a fair amount of stuff from the Cedar Rapids Gazette. But the last few weeks they have had very little political commentary on Iowa. It's as though they have forgotten that we have a gubuernatorial race going on. Here is today's commentary page. Plenty of stuff on 9/11, the Iowa vs. Iowa State game, school vending machines, and the like. Where is the Iowa politics?
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I'M SHOCKED!
Shocked, I tell you! Shocked!
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LARRY SABATO
Out of the blue I received an email from Larry Sabato's Center for Politics. Here's the link to Sabato's Crystal Ball, a set of predictions on races all over the country. Very comprehensive, and very interesting. One problem: He gets some things about Iowa wrong, like Governor Robert Ray served from 1969-1985, and Governor Terry Branstad served from 1985-1999. Those should be 1969-1983, and 1983-1999, respectively. I tell you, this state gets no respect.
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HOW MUCH CAN YOU GET FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION?
Find out here. (Thanks to the Tech Central Babe.)
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MORE AT CROOOOW BLOG
Thanks to Croooow Blog for pointing out this pro-America piece in the Daily Mirror. Also thanks for pointing out that Greenspan didn't give the Democrats any political ammo.
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CATCHING UP ON SOME READING
There is some good stuff at the Weekly Standard, including defenses of a war with Iraq by Fred Barnes and Richard Lessner.
Elsewhere, the Tech Central Babe is back!!
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ACCURACY IN ACADEMIA
Just stumbled upon AIA's website. It has some great columns by Dan Flynn and Christopher Chow about a Black Panther Conference, plus one by Christina Hoff Sommers about balance (or lack of it) on campus.
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DAILY DIATRIBE: REGISTER PREACHES COMPLACENCY
Since I was trying to avoid politics yesterday, I decided not to do an extended takedown of this amazingly stupid editorial in the Des Moines Register. But, now it’s September 12, so all bets are off.
Let’s begin with this pathetically predictable paragraph:
Since then, the momentum has been lost. The whereabouts of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is unknown. Bipartisan unity slipped away. Democrats feel free to criticize, while the president has turned his attention to raising money for the Republican Party and trying to talk the world into making war on Iraq, a nation that, insofar as anyone knows, had nothing to do with the attacks of Sept. 11.
Note the bias. Democrats are violating bipartisan unity by engaging in free speech. Bush is violating it by doing dirty things like raising money and trying to make war. I guess the Democrats aren’t raising any money.
And since when is planning to go to war with Iraq not in the "spirit of 9/11"? Going after terrorists, including the ones in Iraq, was—and still is—very much part of the spirit of that day. What does the Register think the words "Let’s Roll" mean? Hold hands and sing Kumbaya?
The Register editorialists then reveal what they really think about 9/11:
It would be naive to have expected the unity of a year ago to last forever, especially after it became clear that 9/11 wasn't really comparable to Pearl Harbor. For all its horror, it did not put the United States in mortal peril. Except for those directly affected, life has been almost disturbingly normal in most of our daily routines. Our large and powerful nation discovered we can fight terrorists and still conduct business pretty much as usual.
Oh yeah, no worries. No big deal. Nothin’ much has changed. Fear of new terrorist attacks? Anthrax letters? New security measures? Eh.
The Register continues this vein of thinking with regard to terrorism:
Terrorism is the weapon of the weak, of history's losers. They turn to terrorism because they lack the strength to confront their perceived enemy face to face. Al-Qaida has only a few thousand members worldwide. Many are outlaws in their own countries. On Sept. 11, a small band of plotters got lucky. They caused damage beyond their wildest, twisted dreams. Other conspirators might be capable of inflicting further damage. But they are not a threat to the existence of the United States.
Terrorism is the "weapon of the weak"? I dare the Register editorialists to tell that to the relatives of those who dies on 9/11. And yes, many terrorists are outlaws in their own countries. Others are harbored by nations like Iraq, or did the Register miss all those recent stories about Abu Nidal?
Finally, the terrorists of 9/11 did get lucky. As Jay Nordlinger writes, "I think of that chilling maxim that terrorists have long recited: 'You have to be lucky all the time; we have to be lucky only once.'"
Then they presume to give us advice on how to wage the War on Terrorism:
Recognizing the limited nature of the threat is the first step to refocusing efforts to eliminate it. Al-Qaida and other terrorist networks are made up of criminals to be hunted down, not enemy nations to be engaged in battle. The means to fight them include halting cash transfers to deny them resources and leaning on their patrons to cut off funds and stop financing schools of hate. In addition to tighter security at home, the best defense is a good offense - a strong foreign-intelligence service that disrupts plots overseas before they are hatched. Close working relationships with allies are crucial, because a terrorist apprehended in Frankfurt or London is a terrorist who never reaches America.
Um, it’s pretty hard for most terrorist groups to function without the support of "enemy nations." That’s why we invaded Afghanistan. It’s also why we should invade Iraq. Any strategy against terrorism must include the possibility of invading countries that harbor terrorists.
You know, it’s editorials like this one that make me so glad that Bush in running the show. If the clowns at the Register were running it, al Qaeda would already be at the Illinois border.
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NO SHORTAGE OF DISSENT
Matt Welch effectively dispels the belief peddled on the left that America has squelched dissent following 9/11. A must read.
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HOW AMERICANS REMAIN FREE
Dean Bartkiw reminds us of the importance of the 2nd Amendment.
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OP-ED OR ARTICLE?
Marc Hansen has this interesting piece about a panel discussion at Simpson College led by two persons who oppose a war with Iraq. Hansen spent the first half of the column exploring the opposition side, and the second half exploring those skeptical of the speakers. What’s interesting about this is that it appeared on the op-ed page of the Des Moines Register, not the news section. Well done, Mr. Hansen. Because your column was balanced, you are hereby officially banned from ever working for the New York Times.
What struck me most was this passage in which one of the "peaceniks," Brian Terrell
talked about the horrible images of people jumping from the towers. The images of death and human suffering in Iraq, he said, should evoke the same feeling of horror.
"We need to be every bit as outraged," he said.
Um, excuse me, but humanitarian aid has been pouring into Iraq over the years. The reason it doesn’t help the Iraqi people is that Saddam uses it for his army, palaces, etc. We should be outraged. But the focus should be Saddam, not America.
Just another fine example of the moral tone-deafness on the left.
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ANOTHER GOOD ONE FROM YEPSEN
Yepsen has an excellent column on 9/11. Here is the best part:
Today, as we look ahead, I'm not sure the war on terrorism will ever be finished. Despite all the patriotic ballyhoo in the air this week, I'm not sure America really has what it takes to see this through. I hope I'm wrong.
At home, the conservative isolationists and the liberal pacifists and civil libertarians are all in a dither. There are people who think this country, the world's only superpower, can somehow still withdraw behind the oceans and let the rest of the world go to pot without our being touched. There are also people who think we can deal with evil by negotiating with it. And some are worried we'll throw too many people in jail.
But history teaches there's no negotiating with evil. We've learned the hard way in past wars that we have special responsibilities as the world's leading economic and military power.
And there has just not been the sort of wholesale violations of civil liberties we saw in past wars, although liberties are constitutionally and necessarily constrained in wartime.
In fact, we've learned from the 9/11 post-mortems that an excessive concern for civil liberties may have kept law enforcement from preventing these attacks.
Actually, I’m not as worried that America has what it takes to see the war through. It seems to me most of the wavering, especially on a war with Iraq, comes not from the American people, but from the news media. It is the likes of the New York Times, ABC News, and others that are hyping the opposition to the war. Heck, just look at the op-ed page of you own paper, Mr. Yespsen.
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HOW MUCH?!
While I’m on the subject, the article listed below on Gross’s tax cuts also has some comments about the effect previous tax cuts have had on state revenues. According to the article:
A study last year by the Department of Revenue and Finance showed that Iowa allows 280 breaks in corporate income, individual income, sales and use taxes. The breaks cost the state $3.86 billion in 2000. The state budget is about $4.5 billion.
$3.86 billion!?!? That’s roughly 85% of what the Iowa currently collects in taxes! I don’t need to even get into a "dynamic vs. static" to show that such a number is ridiculously large.
It’s also inconsistent. This editorial in the Register from last May also reports on the numbers from the Department of Management study. It says that the "cost" of tax cuts to the state in Fiscal Year 2002 was $844 million. How can it go from $3.86 billion in 2000, to $844 billion in FY 2002? It can't. Someone has their numbers wrong.
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TAXES, SPENDING, AND THE IOWA BUDGET
An agenda is still emerging from Doug Gross. This article in the Des Moines Register cites him as favoring targeted tax cuts. Although I’m not a huge fan of targeted tax cuts, done right they can provide some economic stimulus. Furthermore, if Gross is willing to propose minor tax cuts because of budget problems, it likely means he’d propose the important kind of cuts—i.e., reductions in income taxes—when the budget situation is better.
What does Vilsack want to do? Take a guess:
Vilsack, speaking to the group an hour later, said any upturn in state revenues should not be used for tax cuts, but for restoring money to areas of state government such as education and health care, which have seen budget cuts in recent years.
Yep. Spend, spend, spend. Never mind that’s what got Iowa into the budget mess in the first place.
Yet, none of this may matter. According to this article, the state faces a $60 million shortfall in its Medicaid program. Guess that’s going to put a crimp in both candidates' plans.
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Wednesday, September 11, 2002
LAST POST FOR TODAY
9/11 also makes me realize how fortunate I am in many ways. One important way is the new friends I’ve made through blogging. Here’s one of them, Dawn Olsen. She recounts her 9/11 experience of hearing the news while driving her daughter Lily to school.
God Bless America.
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SOUNDS OF SILENCE
Other bloggers have decided to keep silent for today. A very respectable choice. They include Eric Olsen and Sasha Castel. Meanwhile, Jason Steffans is fairly silent, except for this.
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MORE REMEMBRANCES
Boy, the Blogosphere does not disappoint. Susanna Cornett, Ken Layne, Jay Caruso, John Hawkins, Jane Galt, and Ted Barlow all come shining through.
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WELCOME TO THE WORLD—NOT
Dr. Manhattan recounts his experience of 9/11. Not only does he actually live in New York, his son was born September 9, 2001.
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YOU GO CROOOOW!
Croooow Blog has lots of excellent links today, including this one and this one. As usual, Hanks does not disappoint.
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A PICTURE TO REMEMBER
Hesiod has posted this photograph. A picture speaks a thousand words.
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GOOD POINT, WILL
Will Vehrs of Quasipundit marks the day with some well-chosen quotes, and also notes:
And I take it as a great sign of our fundamental national unity that the New York Times today publishes an op-ed by President Bush.
Your right, Will. It's also a pretty good editorial.
Meanwhile, Tony has decided to let those "more eloquent" than himself speak on this day. That's okay, but I think he's underestimating his own eloquence.
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A LETTER TO ONESELF
James Lileks remembers by addressing a letter to himself a year ago. Very elegant prose. (Thanks to Instapundit.)
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DAILY DIATRIBE: SLOW ON THE UPTAKE ON 9/11
A while back Indepundit sent out an email asking bloggers to recount where they were when they heard the news on 9/11. I’m sure there are many inspiring stories out there. Unfortunately, mine isn’t one of them.
My experience can be best described as “slow on the uptake.” To start with, I was watching Imus in the Morning when MSNBC interrupted its regular programming. To think I was initially annoyed that Imus had been cut off.
My initial reaction wasn’t “something big is happening here.” Rather, when I heard that a plane had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, I figured it was an accident! I assumed that a plane had malfunctioned, veered off course, and crashed into the Tower. It just didn’t occur to me that perhaps planes don’t generally fly close enough to downtown New York for something like that to happen.
It gets worse. After watching it for a few minutes, I decided it was time to take a shower and get ready for work. After washing up, I walked back into my living room to see any updates on the TV. It was then that I received the slap in the face that alerted me that, yes, SOMETHING VERY BIG WAS HAPPENING! While I was in the shower, the South Tower had also been hit by an airplane.
At that point I muttered the only smart words to come out of my mouth all day: “Holy shit.”
I called my colleague, Steve Garrison, with whom I was carpooling at the time. I believe I asked him if was watching the events unfold. (Brilliant, huh?) Of course, he was. We agreed to go in to work a bit later than usual, so we could watch some of the events unfold.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly when I learned that a plane had also hit the Pentagon, and another had crashed in Pennsylvania. I do remember Steve picking me up and listening to NPR’s coverage on the way to work. I further remember remarking how well the Twin Towers must have been constructed given that they had not collapsed. Yep, like I said, slow on the uptake. It couldn’t have been more than five minutes after I said it that NPR reported one of the Towers had collapsed.
In short, 9/11 makes me feel foolish. But before I wallow in self-pity, I remember that I did not lose my life on that day. I did not have any family or friends who lost their lives. I was lucky. Many others were not. Thus, my feelings should, and will, be focused on those poor souls. My prayers go out to them.
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REGIONS OF AMERICA
Geitner Simmons explains the burdens that America must face.
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SOME DIFFERENT APPROACHES
Caleb Brown has decided to commemorate 9/11 by not blogging today. A choice that I can well resepct. For Scott Koenig, a.k.a. Indepundit, September 11 is his birthday. He has decided to not let the terrorists win by going ahead with his birthday celebration. Good idea. Happy Birthday Scott!
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REGISTER LETS US DOWN
I had hoped that, at least for today, we’d put political disagreements aside in an effort to commemorate 9/11. Alas, that is just too much to ask for the Des Moines Register.
In this editorial, the editorialists encourage us to "rekindle the spirit of 9/11." Unfortunately, they don’t adhere to their own suggestion:
Since then, the momentum has been lost. The whereabouts of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is unknown. Bipartisan unity slipped away. Democrats feel free to criticize, while the president has turned his attention to raising money for the Republican Party and trying to talk the world into making war on Iraq, a nation that, insofar as anyone knows, had nothing to do with the attacks of Sept. 11.
Using the anniversary of 9/11 as a pretext for political commentary. Every time I think the Des Moines Register can’t screw up any worse, I’m unpleasantly surprised.
Here’s the Register’s email: doakr@news.dmreg.com. Let them know what you think.
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AND ON REMEMBERING
Andrew Sullivan explains why we will always remember.
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NEVER FORGET
Over at Blogcritics, Jay Caruso urges us to never forget.
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GOD BLESS AMERICA
Today everything on this blog will be dedicated to 9/11. I will especially focus on other bloggers remembrances of that day. The first is Stephen Green. He first found out when his mom called him that morning.
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SULLIVAN ON SONTAG
Andrew Sullivan has his takedown of Susan Sontag here.
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Tuesday, September 10, 2002
I'M SHOCKED! AREN'T YOU?
Florida screws up the ballots again.
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SOMEONE HAS SMASHED A FEW TOO MANY RACKETS
One of the (few) things that I dislike about America is that you can pronounce an opinion without knowing what you’re talking about. This permits the endless parade of celebrities to spout off on the issues of the day and then have the press take them seriously. This, of course, is a price we pay for living in a society that generally eschews elitism. It is a price that I’m more than willing to pay given that I think America’s disdain for elitism is on balance a very good thing.
Nevertheless, sometimes it gets to be a bit much. Today’s example comes via the Daily Telegraph (thanks to Croooow Blog). One John McEnroe, a.k.a “SuperBrat”, takes his turn at lecturing the uninformed American masses about how the world works. His rambling commentary gives us gems like this:
The Civil War apart, we Americans have never felt the full horror of war so close to home; Pearl Harbour was too far away to have much impact upon the population. 9/11 was our reality check.
9/11 was wake up call? Gee, thanks John! Never fully realized that myself.
McEnroe then displays his marvelous ability to make moral distinctions:
As a boy I grew up believing everything was black and white. It came as a shock to discover that most things in life were grey and the most horrific example of that was the attacks on New York and Washington. You think to yourself, "How could someone justify that?" But they did.
Apportioning blame was not as cut and dried as people liked to think. I mean, didn't we arm Iraq in their war against Iran? And didn't we back that same Osama bin Laden, who wreaked such havoc and misery upon our country, in his fight against the Russians?
Uh, yes, there are many shades of grey, John. But flying planes into buildings to slaughter innocent civilians is one of those areas that is pretty cut and dried. The fact that some people can justify doesn’t mean that it is a morally confusing situation. To better explain, let me use a tennis example. I’m sure the sicko who stabbed Monica Seles has his justification for doing so. But just because he justifies it, doesn’t mean “shades of grey” can be applied to the Seles situation, now does it?
And yes, at one time the U.S supported Iraq—when Iran was the greater evil in the world. Sometimes in international politics you have to choose between not the good and the evil, but the lesser evil and greater evil. As for Osama, to my knowledge, we did not support him against the Russians. You’re thinking of the Taliban, John. Again, another case of the lesser evil vs. the greater evil.
John further shows his moral idiocy:
If there is any good to come from this act of evil it is that ultimately it may help us to understand what other people in the world are thinking, be they our friends or our enemies. As a nation we've lost sight of that. We have to improve communication, to be more aware of our shortcomings as well as our strengths.
Actually, David Gelernter had an excellent piece in the NY Post today about the moral bankruptcy of telling folks to “understand their enemy.” I won’t go into Gelertner’s argument (you should read it for yourself, John.) But if I may go back to the tennis analogy, asking Americans to understand the folks who are trying to kill them is on the same degenerate moral plane as asking Monica Seles to understand the sicko who screwed up her brilliant tennis career.
Next, you really get in a cheap shot—pun fully intended—with this passage, John:
The lack of uniformity in the world's approach to dealing with terrorism is only further proof that we need to find common ground. I think that President Bush has realised he doesn't have the support he thought he had for an attack on Iraq; like all politicians he has just been seeing which way the wind is blowing before he bends with it.
There are very few people who lead in the way Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, did during last year's tragedy, who have a set of convictions and don't give a hoot about the next election. In Britain, you had it with Winston Churchill during the Second World War. The world needs more people like them.
Nice, subtle dig at President Bush, John. He’s not Churchill—or even Giuliani, in your estimation—therefore he’s not a very good leader. Excuse me, John, but Bush’s performance in the wake of 9/11 was outstanding. Furthermore, Bush has shown no signs he is going to bend with the wind on Iraq. Simply put John, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
And speaking of cheap shots:
In travelling the world as a tennis player, I have a better appreciation of other countries than most Americans. We could do with being a little less besotted with money, money, money, win, win, win. When I am in England each summer people always ask: "Why don't English players win Wimbledon? They ought to be more like Americans and play to win." To my mind, it's time Americans started being more like the English - or at least learnt to lose with grace.
“Money, money, money,” John? I suppose your tennis career was based on nothing but a concern for the brotherhood of mankind. “Win, win, win”? As reflected by your on-court antics, no doubt. I guess it is official, John. You’re now a bona-fide liberal: You don’t practice what you preach.
Finally:
Getting back to normality this year has not been easy, since that in itself seemed the wrong thing to do. It took a while before New Yorkers could bring themselves to look each other in the eye, never mind celebrate Christmas in the way most people normally do. You just longed for a sense of calm and continuity. But eventually things do return to normal and I have been as guilty of that as anyone because of a hectic schedule which has involved the promotion of my autobiography, seniors' tennis and television commentary.
Yes, John, and many of us would appreciate it if you would go back to your career and stay there.
UPDATE: Stephen Green, a.k.a. VodkaPundit, has called for a takedown of McEnroe. In response, Gut Rumblings has posted a hilarious overhead smash at the motormouth. There are also some great remarks in Green's comment secion, especially this one by Will Green: "I've spent quite a bit of time among professional athletes and entertainers, and folks, gving the vast majority of them space to fill on a large newspaper's editorial page is like giving a gift certificate from a bordello to a eunuch; they really don't know what to with it."
UPDATE 2: The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler and Neolibertarian News Portal also have takedowns.
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CROOOOW ON TAP
Croooow Blog is going after TAPPED's most recent and rather lame attempt to portray the media having a conservative bias. You'll have to scroll down at TAPPED's site. The link is broken.
UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds has something interesting to add to this.
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A QUICK COMMENT
Daily Pundit picked up on a great line from Dick Cheney during his Meet the Press interview. (Thanks to Croooow Blog.)
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DAILY DIATRIBE: REMEMBERING
As the tomorrow is the anniversary of 9/11, it is important to remember the horror of that day. Specifically, the horror of knowing that innocent people were murdered.
If you haven’t read this piece by James Lileks, please do so. It speculates on the terrible last moments of Christine Hanson, a two-year old who was headed to Disneyland on one of the planes that struck the World Trade Center. It also speculates as to what her parents must have been telling her to try to reassure her that things were going to be okay.
This article by Rod Dreher reminisces about what the hole in the New York City skyline reminds him of. According to Dreher:
It is, I think, good to be reminded of the tragic sense of life — good, because it reflects the truth, and having that front and center, day and night, helps one guard against blithe optimism, our American temptation. Forewarned is forearmed.
Last night, I watched Investigative Reports account of that day. Overall, a very moving piece, in keeping with the excellence that Bill Kurtis usually produces. So much of that report focused on people who were communicating via cell phone with their loved ones trapped in the Towers above where the planes had struck. As I heard their anguished interviews, I could only imagine what such an experience is like. Knowing your loved ones are in immense danger. Knowing that there is nothing you can do about it. Knowing that your loved ones face a near certain death.
The report also focused on the people who managed to escape. One of them recounted being unable to open the door leading to a stairwell. Miraculously, two maintenance workers, one of them named Pablo Ortiz, managed to open the door from inside the stairwell, thereby extricating the people on the other side. Ortiz and his friend did not join the others in escaping the building. Instead they continued moving up, hoping to free other people who were trapped. Again I could only imagine what such an experience is like. Knowing that your actions would cost you your life. Feeling the immense fear that such knowledge must certainly induce. And somehow mustering God-like courage to continue climbing those stairs.
I can only imagine.
In its editorial about the anniversary, the Des Moines Register also recalls many of the horrific images of that day. It concludes, "Even a year later, their images should renew the resolve to destroy the network of perpetrators."
Amen to that.
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GUESS WHAT THE NY TIMES IS RUNNING THIS MORNING?
Why, an editorial by Susan Sontag, that's what. (Thanks to Andrew Sullivan.) It's the standard left-wing whining that the political right is using the "so-called" War on Terrorism to stifle dissent.
Two comments. First, note the slick rhetorical manuever Sontag makes of equating dissent with "reflection." The implication being, I suppose, that if you support the War on Terrorism you haven;t been reflective.
Second, doesn't it seem at least a tad ironic that Sontag is complaining about stifling of dissent in the "Paper of Record" on the day before the one-year anniversary?
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ANALYSIS OF THE GOVERNOR'S RACE
David Yepsen has this excellent analysis of the Iowa gubernatorial race.
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MORE BASU HYSTERIA
Rekha Basu continues her hysterical ways, this time over curfews for minors. I was going to comment, but this needs extended treatment, like a Daily Diatribe. I'll do that later in the week, after 9/11.
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YE OF LITTLE FAITH
The Des Moines Register is all bent out of shape over the Bush Administration going it alone on the Faith-Based Initiative:
When the Bush administration can't beat members of Congress, it just circumvents "em. After the U.S. Senate refused to pass a bill that funneled more dollars to faith-based initiatives, Cabinet agencies simply took matters into their own hands.
Five agencies are writing new rules to accomplish what Congress wouldn't allow. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for example, allows churches to use federal money directly for religious programming and to take religion into account when hiring and firing employees.
Never mind Congress. According to Robert Polito, director of the HHS Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, "It would be great to have legislation, but there's a ton of stuff I can do without it."
And:
Bush has repeatedly promised to help religious groups get more federal money. When Congress didn't accede, administration officials simply sidestepped Congress. That's not right.
Oh please. For decades Congress has written legislation giving the executive branch flexibility in how it spends government money. All presidents have used that power to some extent. For the Register to act as though this is something unique to the Bush Administration is either naïve or disingenuous.
Furthermore, when Congress didn’t accede to the Clinton Health-Care Plan, that didn’t stop the Clinton Administration from trying to implement small portions of it on its own. Perhaps the Register ran an editorial denouncing that also. But I doubt it.
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Monday, September 09, 2002
TCS ON FIRE
I can't seem to get enough of Tech Central Station today. Two more interesting pieces. This first one dismisses the media reports that many Americans are dissatisfied at work. The second shows how freedom and responsibility haven't quite yet merged in post-communist Europe.
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RECYCLING IS WASTEFUL
Recycling may cost more than making new stuff. So says this piece by C.C. Kraemer at Tech Central Station.
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NOT SO FAST
Last week I commented on this editorial in the Des Moines Register that extols the virtues of alternative energy. According to the piece by the Register:
Fortunately, alternatives are just over the horizon. Major automobile and energy companies are persuaded that the days of internal-combustion engines are numbered. They will be replaced by electric motors powered by fuel cells.
If this article by Brock Yates is any indication, the folks who run the auto companies apparently aren't listening to their engineers on this matter. Accroding to Yates:
During a meeting of the Management Briefing Seminar for the joint government-industry "Freedom Car Project," some alarming news was produced regarding the fuel cell. According to the engineers who have been laboring to produce a practical, affordable fuel cell for automotive applications, they are about as close to reaching their goal as Anna Nicole Smith is to winning an Emmy for Best Lead Actress.
Another case of the Register not doing much research.
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PROBLEMS WITH POLLS
Howar Fienberg has this piece at Tech Central Stateion about a recent opinion poll conducted by Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). This is interesting not just for what it says about CAIR, but also for what it says about the problems with public opinion polls in general. If you want to learn something about opinion polls, this is educational.
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NO POSTS UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON
Sorry, my friends. Work intercedes.
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