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Saturday, September 16, 2006The Week's Excellent ReadingsThis week is heavy on the war and September 11, as befits the fifth anniversary of the latter, but there's some other great stuff to read, too. Favorites: Various Topics Here is a superb Paul Greenberg essay about -- it could be about almost anything and be superb -- about baseball. Marvin Olasky says compassionate conservatism is definitely not dead, and it's not a euphemism for unrestrained government spending, either. He suggests a major improvement I've pondered for a long time, too.
Tom Purcell seeks help from a therapist for his addiction to Wal-Mart. (I myself am not addicted. I shop there a lot, but I can quit anytime I want to. Really.) More seriously, George Will nails the Wal-Mart thing, and suggests that it will come back to bite the Left.
James Lileks is both witty and scathing in this look at the effects of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act. Peggy Noonan doubts the merits of Democrats obsessing on President Bush, and finds them both unlikely and unworthy to win leadership. Favorites: September 11 and the War Against Islamic Fascists Charles Krauthammer says military action against Iran is a year or less in the future, and he describes the political, economic, and diplomatic consequences of acting -- or not. Victor Davis Hanson reviews the evidence, noting in the process what I suppose should be obvious now:
Robert Tracinski describes some lessons we've learned since September 11. Here's an essential part of his analysis:
Kathleen Parker recalls some of the things we've learned about ourselves and our enemies since the plane hit the first tower on September 11. Suzanne Fields' look at September 11 and the larger war includes these splendid quotations from the past:
9/11 Plus 5 See also "Favorites" above. Chuck Colson lists things we've learned and things we haven't since September 11. Leonard Pitts, Jr., writes:
Kevin Hassett looks at the economic aftermath of September 11, closing an intelligent analysis with this:
Jed Babbin looks ahead to the tenth anniversary of September 11. Mona Charen reports on a meeting with President Bush. Torture is not a happy subject, and Rich Lowry's discussion of interrogation techniques is not a cheerful one. Where would you draw the line? William Rusher takes up the question, "Is it a war." (Duh. But it's not an ordinary war.) He makes some good points here. What some conspiracy theorists will believe in is, well, unbelievable. Mary Katherine Ham comments. Jonah Goldberg looks at the conspiracy theorists and their theories. Kathryn Jean Lopez says that it will help the Republicans in November if the Democrats actually get what they demanded this week: more television coverage for their statements on the war and national security, not just for the President's. Michael Goodwin explains how September 11, 2006, was a bad day for the Democratic Party. Jack Kelly says, among other things:
Diana West speaks of things that are black-and-white and things that aren't. She closes with this description of the US mission:
National Politics Zzzzinnnngg! I didn't plan to list this Debra J. Saunders column until I read the last lines:
Joel Mowbray discusses Keith Ellison, who has since won the Democratic primary in Minnesota and likely will be elected to Congress in November from Minnesota's 5th District. He is a Muslim who keeps some very suspicious company. It should be an interesting race to watch. There are workhorses in the Senate, and there are show horses. Paul Weyrich describes a workhorse. Froma Harrop says the Democrats could win on immigration, and she suggests a plan. (Certainly, the Republicans don't seem inclined to win on immigration!) Robert Novak casts more light on Plamegate, as he is uniquely poised to do. Alan Sears has pretty much nailed it -- the reason why I derisively call the ACLU the "Anti-Christian Liberals' Union." Education, Economics, and a Historical Perspective Debra J. Saunders is skeptical that the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' new math standards herald more than a cosmetic change. This front-page Wall Street Journal story talks about the changes in math standards and the larger debate. Thanks to Oak Norton for pointing it out. David Strom does a good job explaining oil prices, and suggests we see our politicians as part of the problem, not the solution. Economics 101, he calls it, and that's about right. How does one explain the 20th Century -- a bloodbath -- and what does it mean for the 21st? This long Niall Ferguson article will intrigue and challenge you, but likely will not cheer you. Copyright 2006 by David Rodeback. |