Best of the Web Today - August 3, 2005
By JAMES TARANTO
A Journalist Is Murdered
Steven Vincent, "an art critic inspired to write about war after watching from the roof of his New York apartment as the World Trade Center towers fell," was found murdered in Basra, Iraq, yesterday, Reuters reports from New York. Vincent published an article in Sunday's New York Times criticizing British troops in Basra for being insufficiently aggressive in promoting democratic values:
Fearing to appear like colonial occupiers, they avoid any hint of ideological indoctrination: in my time with them, not once did I see an instructor explain such basics of democracy as the politically neutral role of the police in a civil society. Nor did I see anyone question the alarming number of religious posters on the walls of Basran police stations. When I asked British troops if the security sector reform strategy included measures to encourage cadets to identify with the national government rather than their neighborhood mosque, I received polite shrugs: not our job, mate.
Vincent was also a frequent contributor to National Review Online, which has collected links to his articles. Blogger Larry O'Connor picks up a pertinent Vincent quotation:
Words matter. Words convey moral clarity. Without moral clarity, we will not succeed in Iraq. That is why the terms the press uses to cover this conflict are so vital. For example, take the word "guerillas." As you noted, mainstream media sources like the New York Times often use the terms "insurgents" or "guerillas" to describe the Sunni Triangle gunmen, as if these murderous thugs represented a traditional national liberation movement. But when the Times reports on similar groups of masked reactionary killers operating in Latin American countries, they utilize the phrase "paramilitary death squads." Same murderers, different designations. Yet of the two, "insurgents" and especially "guerillas" has a claim on our sympathies that "paramilitaries" lacks. This is not semantics: imagine if the media routinely called the Sunni Triangle gunmen "right wing paramilitary death squads." Not only would the description be more accurate, but it would offer the American public a clear idea of the enemy in Iraq. And that, in turn, would bolster public attitudes toward the war.
Supporters of the conflict in Iraq bear much blame for allowing the terminology---and, by extension, the narrative--of events to slip from our grasp and into the hands of the anti-war camp. Words and ideas matter. Instead of saying that the Coalition "invaded" Iraq and "occupies" it today, we could more precisely claim that the allies liberated the country and are currently reconstructing it. More than cosmetic changes, these definitions reflect the nobility of our effort in Iraq, and steal rhetorical ammunition from the left.
The most despicable misuse of terminology, however, occurs when Leftists call the Saddamites and foreign jihadists "the resistance" What an example of moral inversion! For the fact is, paramilitary death squads are attacking the Iraqi people. And those who oppose the killers--the Iraqi police and National Guardsmen, members of the Allawi government, people like Nour--they are the "resistance." They are preventing Islamofascists from seizing Iraq, they are resisting evil men from turning the entire nation into a mass slaughterhouse like we saw in re-liberated Falluja. Anyone who cares about success in our struggle against Islamofascism, or upholds principles of moral clarity and lucid thought--should combat such Orwellian distortions of our language.
May he rest in peace.
A Squeaker in Ohio
Democrats are ecstatic over yesterday's special election for Ohio's Second Congressional District, even though their man lost. But Democrat Paul Hackett threw a scare into Republican Jean Smith, coming within 3% of beating her. The heavily Republican district, vacated when Rob Portman became U.S. trade representative, gave President Bush 64% of the vote last year. Here's a foul-mouthed celebration (we've cleaned it up) by liberal blogger Bob Brigham:
As Paul Hackett would say, "ROCK ON!"
Raise your glass to fighting in every district, in every state, every day. When the a--h---s in D.C. (cc) write off a district a district, my answer is F--THEM. Because Democrats want to fight and we'll do it ourselves. There are no roadblocks--let's get some sh-- done. People are going crazy celebrating tonight, the 2006 backlash will be huge.
RaisingKaine.com, an independent blog, sees the Ohio result as a promising omen for Tim Kaine, the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia (one of only two gubernatorial races this November):
Sure, the two states are different, but yesterday's Ohio results were unmistakeably [sic] a GREAT sign for Democrats' chances in Virginia this November. In Ohio yesterday, the enormous swings (20, 30, even 40 points) away from the Republicans and towards the Democrats were so astonishing that they could not have been flukes.
Well, maybe. But as RaisingKaine acknowledges, "the candidates had something to do with it, and Jean Schmidt was a very weak candidate compared to Paul Hackett." Hackett, a Marine civil affairs officer who has served in the current Iraq conflict, was able to get away with attacking the president's patriotism, unlike Howard Dean and John Kerry. As the Associated Press reports:
Hackett complained about politicians who "use the war to wrap themselves in the American flag" and called the administration's approach to using the military to fight on several fronts simultaneously--in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans--while cutting taxes "irrational" and "patriotism light." . . .
In his concession speech, Hackett made a veiled reference to his criticisms of Bush: "Chickens are a very interesting bird, not to be confused with birds of prey." He earlier had called Bush, who had a noncombat role in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War, a "chicken hawk S.O.B."
"I meant it, I said it and I stand by it," Hackett said.
Hackett also benefited from youth and good looks; whereas Schmidt's appearance has been the target of cruel barbs from bloggers. And despite all this, Schmidt won anyway, thanks to the heavily GOP composition of the gerrymandered district. Strangely, after more than a decade of Republicans controlling the House, there doesn't seem to be much of a move on the left for redistricting reform.
Does Hackett's near-victory portend a Democratic tide? We won't know until November 2006, but we'd guess he's more of a one-off--a candidate like Eisenhower, Clinton or Schwarzenegger, who is able to prevail (or, in Hackett's case, come close to prevailing) against the political tides by dint of a compelling biography or a strong personality.
ACT Down
From today's Washington Post:
A year ago, the liberal group America Coming Together was on the cutting edge of national politics, spending tens of millions of dollars on a massive voter-mobilization project in every presidential battleground state.
The dream was that ACT--heavily funded by billionaire George Soros--would play a decisive role in getting Democratic nominee John F. Kerry elected president and then remain in business as a permanent force in liberal politics.
Instead, the group this week began sending e-mails to most of the 28 people who make up the remaining ACT staff warning that their paychecks would stop at the end of August. All the state offices have been, or are soon to be, closed.
Well, that's interesting, but does the Post have to be so long-winded? Why not just say, "America Coming Together is coming apart"?
The Early Byrd
West Virginia's Sen. Robert Byrd "is running scared," according to blogger Don Surber, a Mountain State journalist. Last week, as Surber noted, the National Republican Senatorial Committee began airing anti-Byrd ads, and now Byrd is airing back. Surber transcribes the Byrd ad:
Announcer: Out-of-state special interests are running false attack ads against our Sen. Robert Byrd. Their agenda: privatize social security and tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas.
Man in blue shirt: I'm Sgt. Jared Towner and I served in Iraq. Sen. Byrd has provided for us, bringing jobs to West Virginia, funding schools and hospitals, protecting our jobs and supporting our troops.
Byrd: I'm Robert Byrd. I approved this ad because the people of West Virginia deserve the truth.
Noting that Byrd "never was re-elected by less than 30 percent," Surber sees the early ad as a show of weakness: "West Virginia may have its first truly contest Senate race in 22 years."
But the GOP doesn't have Byrd in the hand; it still must recruit a challenger. If Rep. Shelley Moore Capito runs, this could get interesting.
Boys Don't Cry
A path-breaking new study by Robb Willer, a Cornell doctoral candidate in sociology, finds that, as Willer tells the Cornell University News Service, "if you made men more insecure about their masculinity, they . . . tended to support the Iraq war more":
Willer administered a gender identity survey to a sample of male and female Cornell undergraduates in the fall of 2004. Participants were randomly assigned to receive feedback that their responses indicated either a masculine or a feminine identity. While women's responses were unchanged regardless of the feedback they received, men's reactions "were strongly affected by this feedback," Willer said.
The men who were told they were effeminate were not only more likely to support the Iraq war but also to support "homophobia," by which Willer apparently means adhering to the traditional definition of marriage.
This research has real-world applications. It suggests that conservatives who want to encourage the lachrymose Sen. George Voinovich to adhere to the party line can help by sending him tissues.
Be Civil, You Hypocritical Jackbooted Extremist Bully Dogs!
We just had to chuckle at this letter from Anita Riddle of Kirkwood, Mo., in yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch (sixth item):
The Republican president and senators ask for civility and fairness in consideration of the conservative Republican nominee to the Supreme Court. They demand that Democrats rise above partisanship and not resort to a filibuster in opposing extremists.
Yet the Republican attack dogs in the media, Rush Limbaugh chief among them, are out there every day inciting people to riot against those enemies of America, the Democrats. The hypocrisy is stunning. If the Republicans want civility, let them rein in the bullies in their media machine, who trample Democrats daily under their rhetorical jackbooted feet and call it entertainment.
Call off the dogs, Republicans. Then maybe we Democrats will listen to your lectures on civil behavior.
Too bad Anita's last name isn't Kulov, or she'd be a perfect candidate for "It's the Eponymy, Stupid."
0 for 3
"Former President Bill Clinton has hired a new spokesman, a veteran of the Howard Dean 2004 presidential campaign and New York City's 2012 Olympics bid," reports the Associated Press. "Jay Carson [is] also a former press secretary for Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D."
With a record like that, Clinton is lucky he's not running for anything.
Homer Nods (and So Does Begala)
Michael Farley is the judge who oversaw the assault case against an Olathe, Kan., teenager who vomited on his teacher. Yesterday's item (since corrected) erroneously referred to the queasy teen by this name. The teen has not been identified in news reports.
Paul Begala might have made a somewhat similar mistake in a quote we cited yesterday. According to this analysis, Begala apparently was using the pronoun they to refer to multiple antecedents, and thus appeared to be conflating Republicans and terrorists in this quote:
They want to kill me and my children if they can. But if they just kill me and not my children, they want my children to be comforted--that while they didn't protect me because they cut my taxes, my children won't have to pay any money on the money they inherit.
In this interpretation, the first three theys refer to terrorists, the fourth through sixth to Republicans, and the seventh to Begala's children.
Our Friends the Saudis
"King Fahd was laid to rest in an unmarked desert grave Tuesday," the Associated Press reports from Riyadh. But although Vice President Cheney went to "pay condolences and honor Crown Prince Abdullah's ascension to the throne," Cheney wasn't allowed to attend the funeral, because he's an infidel: "Non-Muslims were not allowed at the ceremonies." Nor were all Muslims: "Women were not allowed at the funeral or burial."
King Fahd has a proud legacy. He helped lead his country into the seventh century.
Prince Charming
"Three Qatari's [sic], including 25 year old Crown Prince Tameem Bin Hamad Al-Thani, involved in drunken and disorderly behavior have been banned from joining the G.A.Y (Good As You) event in one of London's biggest night clubs," reports Al Jazeera, a Dubai-based magazine not associated with the Qatar-based television network:
According to the Qatari based website, Islamonline.net, the Prince who was educated in the UK spends most summers in London and was involved in a fight during which blows were exchanged with local youths. . . .
Scholars of Islamonline.net condemned the actions quoting religious text:
"Almighty Allah has prohibited illegal sexual intercourse and homosexuality and all means that lead to either of them. Moreover, Islam emphatically forbids this deed [homosexual sex] and prescribes a severe punishment for it in this world and the next. How could it be otherwise, when the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever you find committing the sin of the people of Lut, kill them, both the one who does it and the one to whom it is done." (At-Tirmidhi: 1376)
The eminent Qatari based scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi also quoted:
"The scholars of Islam, such as Malik, Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ishaaq said that (the person guilty of this crime) should be stoned, whether he is married or unmarried."
Perhaps when Prince Tameem ascends to the throne, he'll march through the streets of Doha chanting, "I'm here, I'm emir, I'm proud of it, get used to it!"
Life Begins at Conception--if You're a Panda
"A 13-year-old giant panda gave birth to a cub at San Diego Zoo, but a second baby died in the womb, officials said Wednesday."--Associated Press, Aug. 3
"A cancer-ravaged woman robbed of consciousness by a stroke has given birth after being kept on life support for three months to give her fetus extra time to develop."--Associated Press, Aug. 3
Good Thing She's Got Plenty of Vegetable Oil
"Boil Order Issued for Fonda"--headline, Associated Press, Aug. 2
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pimpled Peppers
"Peppers Preparing for Breakout Season"--headline, Associated Press, Aug. 2
The Whopper Diet
Here's an interesting report from the Los Angeles Times:
In their battle against the bulge, desperate dieters have tried drugs, surgery, exercise, counseling, creams and even electrical fat-burning belts.
Now some psychologists have a new idea: Lying.
Wow, we're going to give this a try. We weigh 170 pounds, and we're going to keep saying so until we actually do. |
