theOneRepublic
Contributors Blog
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[2/1/05
Tuesday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 7:01 am [link]
Dutch Threat: Here's a truly scary piece on
the threats being faced by Geert Wilders, a politician
in the Netherlands. Yes, some of his rhetoric and proposed
policies are overheated and over-the-top about the threat
of Islamofascism (and it's unfair to say that Islam is
fundamentally incompatible with democracy -- look at Turkey,
for example).
But
what's worse is to have had Islamocfascist terrorists make
death threats against him as a result. As Wilders points
out in the story, the terrorists are walking around free,
while he lives in a virtual prision of armed guards.
What's happened
in the Netherlands is the object lesson in the wages of mindless
multiculturalism. The Dutch lacked the conviction to require
Muslim immigrants to integrate into the country, and as a result,
it turns out that they may be harboring a significant hostile
population within its own borders.
As Americans,
that's something to think about every time those on the left
resist efforts to insist that immigrants are welcome -- so
long as they are wanting to become Americans, not just live
in the United States. [Liebau
Blog]
[1/31/05
Monday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 12:03
am [link]
Sour
Grapes: Almost
always, an unsuccessful presidential candidate retires
quietly from the limelight -- perhaps to private life,
perhaps back to a Senate seat. Here's an
object lesson in why -- it's the transcript of Kerry's
hour-long appearance on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning.
Kerry came across as the same haughty, unapproachable fellow we saw on the
campaign trail last year but now, he's "sour grapes," too -- an impression
that's almost impossible to avoid when a losing candidate resurfaces to whine
about the policies and practices of the winner. (He's also a flip-flopper;
he voted for Justice Scalia to sit on the Supreme Court, before voting against him
if he's nominated for Chief Justice.)
But the worst was this quote, right at the top of the program, on the topic
of the legitimacy of the Iraqi election:
"I mean,
it's hard to say that something is legitimate when a whole
portion of the country can't vote and doesn't vote."
How shameful.
How totally Kerry. Better to run down an extraordinary day
in the history of democracy than to give one's adversary or
his policies any credit. It will be interesting to see if voter
turnout exceeds that in Massachusetts the last year Kerry was
elected a senator. If it does, will Kerry deem his own reelection
illegitimate???
It was also interesting to see that, with the election safely over, Russert
pressed Kerry a little on his "Christmas eve in Cambodia" fabrication, but
not enough to require Kerry even to approach setting the record straight.
Kerry also waded into the Social Security debate:
If the
president would say to us, "Look, let's all get together
and make sure Social Security is going to be saved the
way President Clinton did, for the long term, and we're
going to do it without privatizing it but we'll find one
of these ways of doing it that's responsible," we will
be at the table and we will join him to depoliticize it.
Perhaps he
doesn't understand that he lost. The President doesn't
have to listen to him, and, frankly, neither does anyone else.
The entire interview leaves one with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for
the good sense of the American people. God bless those red states. And thanks
again, Ohio. [Liebau
Blog]
[1/28/05
Friday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 12:02 am [link]
See what I mean? There are plenty of ways
to go after Boxer and her friends who ganged up against
Dr. Rice -- not only on the merits, but on the politics,
too. In the (slightly adapted) words of Forrest Gump, "Ugly
is as ugly does." [Liebau
Blog]
[1/27/05
Thursday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 7:03
am [link]
Wash vote count Republicans have verified 737
illegal votes in the Washington governor's race. But why are they calling
for another election? They should simply be calling for the duly elected governor,
the person who received the largest number of votes on Election Day in accordance
with law -- whoever it is -- to be seated. [Liebau
Blog]
[1/26/05
Wednesday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 11:32
am [link]
Incipient fanatics of faith:
“On
balance it is probably healthier if religious conservatives
are inside the political system than if they operate as insurgents
and provocateurs on the outside. Better they should write
anti-abortion planks into the Republican platform than bomb
abortion clinics. The same is true of the left. The clashes
over civil rights and Vietnam turned into street warfare
partly because activists were locked out of their own party
establishments and had to fight, literally, to be heard.
When Michael Moore receives a hero’s welcome at the
Democratic National Convention, we moderates grumble; but
if the parties engage fierce activists while marginalizing
tame centrists, that is probably better for the social peace
than the other way around.”
It really
goes without saying that this passage, by Jonathan Rauch writing
in The Atlantic, reflects the predominant MSM view of people
of faith: All are incipient fanatics, willing to kill and capable
of bombing abortion clinics. Note that even the parallel between
his examples of violence on the left and right is slanted to
the left; the juxtaposition between perpetrators of "street
warfare" (a term not without certain romantic connotations
of a "struggle for justice") and outright murderers
is hardly an impartial one.
But perhaps
there's an even larger argument to be made against Racuh's
proposition as a whole. As a minor strategic point, there may
be some merit to his advocacy of integrating the most fringe
and violent elements of American society into the political
parties. As a moral matter, however, it is poor, poor advice.
As a Republican
and someone who is pro-life (except in cases of rape, incest & life
of the mother), I do not believe there is any room in my party
for someone who is willing to bomb abortion clinics. It would,
in fact, be wrong and injurious -- not only to the party but
to American society in general -- for Republicans to lend credence
to such extremism by accepting its proponents into their ranks.
A similar case can be made for the Democrats -- would it really
be morally right to lend mainstream respectability to, for
example, environmental terrorists (a more suitable anology
for Rauch to have employed)?
Rauch seems
to believe that the parties will moderate the fringes. What
if, instead, the fringes radicalize the parties and introduce
wild-eyed ideas into the bloodstream of the body politic? Exhibit
1: The Dems' embrace of Michael Moore. That's a recipe for
a poison that could choke civil society in very short order.
[Liebau
Blog]
[1/25/05
Tuesday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 6:32
am [link]
"Blog" by Hugh Hewitt - A "Must-Read" It
has been more difficult to locate a copy of Hugh Hewitt's
new book BLOG where
I live than to find a liberal in Harvard's faculty lounge.
(This [very] little joke came to me last week as I sat
on hold with my third local bookstore).
But persistence and Amazon.com finally paid off -- and how! If you're seeking
to understand the impact (past and future) of web logs, want to explain the
phenomenon to someone else, or even hope to inspire a potential blogger to
get to work, this book is for you.
Radio talk show host and author Hugh Hewitt is
the Godfather of the Blogosphere, and its most articulate proponent (this site,
in fact, owes its very existence to his repeated urging). But BLOG is
more than simple cheerleading for the act of blogging; it is a well-reasoned
and comprehensive brief on the blogosphere's behalf.
Part I sets the blogging phenomenon in both political and historical context,
ranging from an explanation of its centrality in the 2004 election to its place
as a direct descendent of the movable-type printing press. Part II explains
the significance of the blogosphere's rise -- in particular its threat to the "information
monopoly" long enjoyed (and abused) by the mainstream media. Part III sets
forth the advantages of blogging and the potential for the blogosphere's expansion
as a tool and a resource not just for politico-writers, but for governmental
and business types, as well.
And BLOG is
more than theoretical advocacy on behalf of the blogosphere; for those who
have been persuaded to begin blogging, it also provides helpful hints on how
to get started. The book has relevance even for extant bloggers; it answered
my question (oft asked by my wonderful correspondents, as well) about why I
find my blog so rarely cited throughout the rest of the blogosphere. Apparently,
I haven't been adequately alerting other bloggers when I discuss their work
(so get ready, everyone!).
BLOG is
a fine book by a fine man. Order a few -- one to read, a couple to distribute, right
here. [Liebau
Blog]
[1/24/05
Monday]
[Cliff
Kincaid columnist] 12:13
am [link]
A
Socialist at the Washington Post Washington
Post columnist Harold Meyerson is described by the
paper as “editor at large of the American Prospect and
political editor of L.A. Weekly.” That’s
only partly true. Myerson is, in fact, a socialist. More
specifically, he’s a vice-chair of Democratic Socialists
of America. Why doesn’t the Post tell us that? Is
the paper afraid to admit that it has hired a left-wing
extremist to write columns?
A socialist
implies opposition to capitalism and big money. But Meyerson
broke the mold last year when he showered praise on multi-billionaire
George Soros for spending millions to elect John Kerry and
other Democrats on November 2nd. The effort failed, but Meyerson
thought it was great that a global capitalist had privatized
the Democratic Party through loopholes in campaign finance
law. Late reports indicate that Soros, who promised to go into
a monastery if Bush was re-elected, has gotten out his checkbook
once again, and plans to spend millions more building up the
infrastructure of the political left. Of course, his plan to
go into a monastery was a joke; Soros is an atheist and seems
to think of himself as God.
An advocate
of big and bigger government, Meyerson thinks the failed Social
Security system is just great and is in fine shape. He recently
used his Post column to assure his readers that “Social
Security is on a sounder footing now than it has been for most
of its 70-year history,” even though its Trust Fund has
absolutely no cash.
Meyerson
also used his column to jump on the media bandwagon and lambaste
conservative commentator Armstrong Williams for taking $241,000
from the Department of Education to promote its No Child Left
Behind program. “In this administration,” thundered
Meyerson, “it is the role of a government agency to turn
out pro-Bush news by whatever means possible.” By the
same token, it is Meyerson’s job to sneak socialist propaganda
into the Washington Post by whatever means possible.
The paper is a willing accomplice and actually pays him to
do this.
Also jumping
at the chance to employ a socialist, the New York Times hired
Barbara Ehrenreich as a guest columnist last year. Gail Collins,
editor of the editorial page, said that she was “a brilliant
social critic, historian and political commentator.” Ehrenreich
is also an honorary chair of Democratic Socialists of America
and a member of the board of the National Organization for
the Reform of Marijuana Laws. She spoke to the national NORML
conference in 2000 and attacked drug testing as demoralizing.
But notes about her talk, posted on the Web, were written down
by an admitted “stoner” and so we can’t know
for sure exactly what she said.
As for Meyerson,
he doesn’t sit on the NORML board but is an avid backer
of “medical marijuana.” On the left, peddling dope
to cure one’s health problems is acceptable, even though
it’s just a modern version of the old snake oil salesman.
Meyerson has not explained how smoking a noxious weed linked
to documented cases of mental illness is beneficial. Perhaps
he’ll write a column on the subject for the Post. But
don’t expect the paper to label him a socialist.
[1/21/05
Friday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 12:03
am [link]
A Wonderful Speech, a Wonderful Day Every
Inauguration Day is a time of celebration. Of course, the
day is a bittersweet one for Kerry supporters, who hoped
to see a different man take the oath this morning.
But the fact
is that what happened at noon eastern on the West front of
the Capitol is worthy of celebration, whoever's the victor.
As Americans, it's all too easy to forget that there are many
societies where power is not transferred voluntarily -- it
only happens with armed struggle, often at the point of a gun.
Today, troops are marching in our Capitol, but not with menace
-- with pride. And so whoever your candidate is, our great
celebration of American democracy is both meaningful and moving.
The President's Inaugural
Address was a masterpiece. A very bold and ringing affirmation
of America's principles and its role in the world and human
history, it openly and squarely set America on the side of
freedom.
First, freedom
abroad: "So it is the policy of the United States to seek
and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions
in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending
tyranny in our world."
And also
freedom at home: "By making every citizen an agent of
his or her own destiny, we will give fellow Americans greater
freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous,
and just, and equal." And we're going to "reform[]
great institutions" to do it.
There was
no one ringing phrase in the speech. But in a deeper sense,
the entire speech was one ringing phrase, and it was this: "America
believes that freedom is the God-given right of every living
soul, and we are committed to defending and extending that
freedom at home and across the world." [Liebau
Blog]
[1/20/05
Thursday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 12:32
am [link]
We
knew she was simple-minded -- but Barbara
Boxer really thinks she's a "pretty good debater"?!
Please.
Note to everyone who didn't shake their tailfeathers to get out and vote for
Bill Jones last November: Barbara Boxer apparently thinks her margin of victory
provided her with a "mandate" to be a "truth-teller." Well, at least the latter
would be something new for her. [Liebau
Blog]
[1/19/05
Wednesday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 12:22
am [link]
Boxer v. Rice It's outrageous that
Condoleezza Rice should have to defend her integrity against
the likes of the pathetic Barbara
Boxer, who isn't really fit to tie Dr. Rice's intellectual
shoelaces. Here is
a transcript of the entire sorry affair. Dr. Rice was clearly
being forced into a battle of wits with an unarmed adversary.
As I pointed out in Monday's
column, Barbara Boxer is an embarassment to California -- I cringe every
time she invokes "her constituents" in any context. Is it possible to impeach
a senator for having an embarassingly low IQ? [Liebau
Blog]
[1/18/05
Tuesday]
[Carol
Platt Liebau - editorial
director theOneRepublic & CaliforniaRepublic] 12:11
am | 
