David Rodeback's Blog

Saturday, April 22, 2006

This Week's Readings

Peggy Noonan, Charles Krauthammer, Gene Weingarten, and Orson Scott Card lead this week's rather short list. Weingarten tickles.

Favorites

Peggy Noonan discusses President Bush, his presidency, and the White House -- and, more broadly, leadership itself.

Charles Krauthammer has some cogent thoughts on retired generals who whisper.

Those first two were serious. This one's fun. Gene Weingarten challenges a children's songwriter to a duel of sorts. I wonder if someone could put American Fork's biggest current zoning battle to the tune of "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree."

Orson Scott Card discusses freedom of religion in the context of that allegedly peaceful religion which claims the right to kill anyone who doesn't believe, or who chooses to believe in something else.

Iran, Nukes, the War, the SecDef

Mark Steyn weighs in on the Western response to Iran's bragging about nukes. Check out this paragraph:

You know what's great fun to do if you're on, say, a flight from Chicago to New York and you're getting a little bored? Why not play being [Iranian] President Ahmadinejad? Stand up and yell in a loud voice, "I've got a bomb!" Next thing you know the air marshal will be telling people, "It's OK, folks. Nothing to worry about. He hasn't got a bomb." And then the second marshal would say, "And even if he did have a bomb it's highly unlikely he'd ever use it." And then you threaten to kill the two Jews in row 12 and the stewardess says, "Relax, everyone. That's just a harmless rhetorical flourish." And then a group of passengers in rows 4 to 7 point out, "Yes, but it's entirely reasonable of him to have a bomb given the threatening behavior of the marshals and the cabin crew."

Jack Kelly offers some insights into Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's detractors and defenders.

Mark Davis has a different view of Donald Rumsfeld than the Big Media Acronyms.

Miscellany, Mostly Political

James Lileks pens a delightful romp about going to the moon.

Erik Lokkesmoe advocates authentic communication in politics. (A guy can dream, right?)

Here's another good piece on immigration by Thomas Sowell.

Rich Karlgaard contrasts problem solvers and opportunity seekers. (Free subscription to Forbes required.)

Walter Williams offers a dose of economic reality about deficits, taxes, and so forth. It's not what you might expect.

Ann Coulter on moral and immoral behavior and consequences.

Jonah Goldberg doesn't buy into Al Gore's global warming scare. That's one. Wait a minute, neither do I. That's two. Could this be a trend?

Ramesh Ponnuru predicts likely outcomes if Roe v. Wade were ever overturned.

Fred Barnes interviews presidential hopeful George Allen.

Local Interest

Caleb Warnock writes that some people are accusing Alpine School District of playing dirty with respect to charter schools. I am shocked! Scandalized! Undone! Wait! . . . Why should we be surprised when a near-monopoly uses its near-monopoly to defend its near-monopoly?

Mark Eddington offers one of the clearer and more accurate reports in recent months on American Fork's water situation.

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