Grendel's Dragon

On Philosopher Kings Who Don't Read History and Philosophy

2009-04-06T23:32:00.002-04:00

Victor Davis Hanson offers valuable perspective at Works and Days on Obama's recent speeches badmouthing the U.S. His leadoff, as always, is compelling:

"The most successful practitioner of community organizing looks around for what he thinks is a problem, chastises both sides and allots absolutely equal blame, gives exalted moral lectures about compromise and understanding, and then waltzes away well paid, praised for his moderation, but having accomplished nothing.

So I wasn’t too surprised to learn that President Obama decided to tackle European-American relations—something that has a pedigree going back to our Revolution, and has been analyzed by the likes of Tocqueville and Henry James to contemporary essayists such as Bruce Bawer, Joseph Joffe, Robert Kagan, and Bruce Thornton. But then who needs to read them, when you have the power of ‘hope and change’?"

Go read it all here.

For Obama's most recent trash-talking excursion in Turkey, you can read John Hinderaker's summary here. Power Line has been on it from the beginning, so you might as well go there and read for a couple of hours.

North Korea Launches Rocket, Not Intimidated By Lamb of Chicago

2009-04-05T12:42:00.004-04:00

North Korea tests missile.

Obama says "Stop it," and tells on North Korea to the U.N. That'll show 'em. Don't fret, though. My sources inform me that Kim Jong-il can forget about the movies Obama was about to give him. Within hours of the launch, representatives of the White House Administration proceeded to Target to return "The Fast and the Furious" Movie Three-Pack and The Complete Works of Pauly Shore. And the iPod Shuffle with Obama's best one-liners, including the commitment to make his administration "the most open and transparent in history" or to take his scalpel to the budget? "That depends," said one highly-placed insider on condition of anonymity. "Obama wants Kim to know that he'd like to trust him again, but it's just hard right now. Given their similar views toward government, economics, and ideology, Obama never thought Kim would just ignore him like this. But he just wants Kim to know he remains ready to offer that iPod, if the circumstances are right."

Roundup

Pilgrim of Say Anything calls it here: "Every half baked crackpot dictatorship on the planet was watching how we would react to this. And what they saw has plastered indelible smiles on their faces."

DrewM at Ace of Spades HQ posts here what many of us feel: "Compared to this idiot, I'm starting to miss the days of clear eyed realism and muscular military posture of Jimmy Carter."

Scott Ott at ScrappleFace knocks this softball out of the park by recalling Biden's "gird your loins" speech.

Mark Steyn warns that "we approach a state in which the planet's wealthiest jurisdictions, from Norway to New Zealand, lack any capacity to defend their borders, and the planet's basket-cases, from North Korea to Sudan, will be nuclear powers."

Tom Smith at the Right Coast knows a Team America moment when he sees it.

Richard Fernandez (Belmont Club) addresses the launch and the likelihood that the U.N. simply won't respond, noting: "On[] the one hand you have a comical tyrant firing missiles over the second richest country on earth towards the most powerful country on the planet, and on the other you have a “World Body” that can barely say — anonymously — that they aren’t going to do anything about it, though they may carry out sanctions they had announced earlier but had never quite enforced."

Scott Johnson at Power Line sees more trouble ahead: "Working in tandem with Iran, North Korea helped Syria install the nuclear reactor that Israel bombed last year. Iran's nuclear program is itself on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon. With the Obama administration now working feverishly to conciliate Iran, one senses that we are sleepwalking toward the precipice."

Gateway Pundit has this must-read post considering this event in light of Obama's Superman IV "World without Nuclear Weapons" speech.

Back Again

2009-04-02T23:33:00.002-04:00

It's been busy and will remain so for awhile, but how good does it feel to try another return to blogging?

This good.

Little Longer Hiatus

2009-01-07T20:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry -- What I said about being back? Well, the last month made the previous six weeks look like vacation. I'm underwater for another 3 weeks or so, but will get back to beginning in February.

Happy New Year!

Howdy

2008-12-09T20:58:00.002-05:00

Mama didn't say anything about days like these ...

In the last four weeks, I have often looked back fondly to the carefree, lackadaisical days of boot camp. You know, it's been that kind of month.

Enough caterwauling. It's good to be back.

Still alive

2008-11-19T02:28:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting, readers. And by "readers," I mean Mom. Work has me swamped these days, and even as I try to catch my breath tonight before racking out, the "Above an Beyonce" special -- 60 minutes of Beyonce videos! -- banished blogging. I will be back within two days!

Egyptian lawyer advocates mass rape of Israelis

2008-11-13T23:48:00.004-05:00

The video and translation is here.

But remember -- who's to say which culture is better or worse than others? And remember the Crusades, and many other nasty systemic abuses by Christians centuries ago, and whatnot. Did I finish the checklist, or do I need to add any other multiculturalist excuses to this?

H/T Ace.

Marine mammals still scoreless against U.S. Navy

2008-11-13T00:52:00.008-05:00

The U.S. Supreme Court permits the U.S. Navy to conduct training exercises with sonar.

Me? I look forward to the next PETA or Greenpeace flyer pushing for changes in the judiciary. Here is how the flyer will end:

Bush's legacy? A U.S. Supreme Court that approved the wanton use of sonar and unrestricted submarine warfare. Against whales. Dolphins. And even those poor polar bears stuck on the melting iceberg.

Target acquired.

H/T Instapinch.

James H. of Opinionated Catholic calls this "Conservative Reign of Terror" what it is.

So, this whole civil defense force thing ...

2008-11-12T20:36:00.006-05:00

I'm getting a little confused here. When the Lamb of Chicago mentioned in one of his speeches his "civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, [and] just as well-funded" as the military, I did what I had for much of the past year.

I assumed Obama was babbling about another idea that he would have no idea how to execute, thought it was a scary idea if taken seriously, took confidence that he usually reversed himself within days of stating anything remotely concrete, and went about my business. I still think Americans wouldn't stand for it.

But then again, I never thought I'd see a widespread cult of personality carry a preening Chicago politician -- whose strongest attributes are inexperience and the ability to earnestly mouth monosyllabic platitudes -- into the Oval Office. Even more troubling, Ace seems to be taking this one more seriously these days.

Getting to the creepy point: Let us concede that Obama is not Hitler the H-word and has no H-word-like designs. Even so, the idea of a permanent paramilitary for, um, "responding to emergencies" is worrisome. If anyone really believes that 18 year old college students with three months of kinda-bullshitty "civilian defense sleepaway camp" are going to be shoring up the levies the next time the Mississippi overflows its banks, I've got a collapsed bridge to sell you. What they're going to be doing is what they're always doing -- showing up late and getting in the way, smoking pot and trying to get laid.

Why are young military recruits different? Well, they're military, for one thing. For another thing, if they step out of line badly enough they can be court-martialed. Does Obama intend to impose military-style discipline and justice on his Obama Youth?

Obama's devoted cultists have already been caught abusing their jobs in the civil service -- digging dirt on political enemies, bullying a girl whose dad serves in Iraq. Why would we wish to swell the ranks of such hyperpartisan civil servants?

Read it all, and then ask yourself when the MSM will get around to asking these questions posed by Herschel Smith at the Captain's Journal.

UPDATE: Curt at Flopping Aces raises a valid point: "Can you just imagine the sheer hysteria that would spew from the mouth of the left if Bush had even had a fleeting thought about implementing something like this?" Funny how this double standard works.

You don't believe me? Try this one:

[George W. Bush] will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. [Dubya] will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.

Sounds scary, yes? But, of course, Michelle wasn't talking about President Bush. And that makes all the difference in the world. Barack brought a message of Hope. Change. And who would not welcome the requirement -- nay, the privilege -- of mandatory nationwide service under His Benevolent Leadership?

Belated Happy Veterans' Day

2008-11-12T00:37:00.003-05:00

Happy Veterans Day to those of you and your families who have served or continue to serve the USA. Terribly sorry for being so slow on the ball. Hell, even Google celebrated veterans before I did this year!

Happy Birthday, United States Marine Corps!

2008-11-10T01:44:00.004-05:00

The world's greatest fighting force was born 233 years ago.

The Commandant's Birthday Message is available here. The following is from the heart of this year's message:

3. Only a few Americans choose the dangerous, but necessary, work of fighting our nation's enemies. When our chapter of history is written, it will be a saga of a selfless generation of Marines who were willing to stand up and fight for our nation; to defend those who could not defend themselves; to thrive on the hardship and sacrifice expected of an elite warrior class; to march to the sound of the guns; and to ably shoulder the legacy of those Marines who have gone before.

4. On our 233rd birthday, first remember those who have served and those "angels" who have fallen - our reputation was built on their sacrifices. Remember our families; they are the unsung heroes whose support and dedication allow us to answer our nation's call. Finally, to all Marines and sailors, know that I am proud of you and what you do. Your successes on the battlefield have only added to our illustrious history. General Victor H. "Brute" Krulak said it best when he wrote, "... the United States does not need a Marine Corps ... The United States wants a Marine Corps." Your actions, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and across the globe, are at the core of why America loves her Marines.

Mike the Marine (From the Halls to the Shores) has a great video up for the occasion here. It is almost perfect, but for the fact that it takes about three minutes before you see Ma Deuce.

Welcome, Readers of "Charming, Just Charming"

2008-11-09T23:36:00.003-05:00

I have long enjoyed Charming, Just Charming, and I thank its author GUYK for the generous welcome here. As to needing "all of the small 'l' libertarians in the fight that we can get," I hope the ranks swell a bit in the next four years. I get the impression that Obama is a Big Government kind of guy.

National Obama Day

2008-11-09T22:10:00.005-05:00

I thought this was something from the Onion, but no. The Topeka Capital-Journal informs us that "Plans are being made to promote a national holiday for Barack Obama, who will become the nation's 44th president ...." Now, this initiative may just be the ravings of a few thousand (tens of thousands? hundreds?) Obama cultists. But given the Greek Temple, the presidential seal, and the Obamas' solid sense of entitlement, you never know.

But you have to love some of the reactions around the blogosphere.

Professor Bainbridge writes that "Pope Benedict announced that he is waiving the requirement that a prospective saint have died, so that Obama’s canonization process can begin immediately."

Matteo of Cartago Delenda Est offers a timely comparison: "We owe Him more than we ever did to Jesus. Jesus had to Do Stuff. Obama only has to Be."

LGF asks: "Remember when presidents had to actually lead and accomplish things before they had national holidays named after them?"

And Curt from Flopping Aces predicts that "the only thing the liberals are accomplishing with this embarrassing cult of Obama is setting themselves up for a huge disappointment."

The next four years are going to be interesting, I think.

UPDATE: Mt. Rushmore is looking a little ... incomplete ... these days, isn't it? See what Rob of Say Anything has to say about it here. Better yet, Jimmie at the Sundries Shack already has the problem fixed.

More on "Evil" and "Greedy" Oil Execs

2008-11-09T15:11:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Don Boudreaux at Cafe Hayek, I ran across a piece by Robert Higgs at the Beacon Blog about the absurd congressional posturing over gas prices. Read it all, but here's a piece:

Driving yesterday past the gasoline station where I usually buy fuel, I noticed that the price of the lowest grade of unleaded–the one I buy–was down to $2.09 per gallon. Registering this perception as a little piece of good news in an unhappy world, I drove on.

Later, however, I began to mull over the altogether unsurprising fact that, to my knowledge, Congress has held no televised hearings to look into the tremendous fall in fuel prices since last summer, when I paid more than $4.00 per gallon for a while. Oil company executives have not been summoned to Washington so that they can be applauded for sloughing off the greed that (allegedly) impelled them to charge so much for their products in June and July. No member of Congress has apologized for calling the businessmen there last spring to berate and threaten them while angrily mouthing sentiments that can only be described as idiotic.

* * *

It’s no wonder the public always believes that conspiracies among the companies explain the high prices, and hence that the public supports government action to whip the conspirators into line or to impose price controls. It’s a perfect match: ignorant (and immoral) members of the public and ignorant (and immoral) members of Congress to represent them in Washington. We are witnessing democracy in action. As H. L. Mencken said, “votes are collared under democracy, not by talking sense but by talking nonsense.”

Sad but true. I have heard from several friends that the real reason the price of gas has dropped was that the One, now that he has elected, has wished it to be so. And oddly enough, I can never convince them otherwise. Go figure.

Of course, as Michelle Malkin has observed, Obama supporter Peggy Joseph saw the link between Obama and gas prices before the election.

Election Night Hangover?

2008-11-08T22:51:00.006-05:00

Leave it to Iowahawk to heal your pain by looking on the bright side. Here's a taste:

Yes, I know there are probably other African-Americans much better qualified and prepared for the presidency. Much, much better qualified. Hundreds, easily, if not thousands, and without any troubling ties to radical lunatics and Chicago mobsters. Gary Coleman comes to mind. But let's not let that distract us from the fact that Mr. Obama's election represents a profound, positive milestone in our country's struggle to overcome its long legacy of racial divisions and bigotry. It reminds us of how far we've come, and it's something everyone in our nation should celebrate in whatever little time we now have left.

Less than fifty years ago, African-Americans were barred from public universities, restaurants, and even drinking fountains in many parts of the country. On Tuesday we came together and transcended that shameful legacy, electing an African-American to the country's top job -- which, in fact, appears to be his first actual job. Certainly, it doesn't mean that racism has disappeared in America, but it is an undeniable mark of progress that a majority of voters no longer consider skin color nor a dangerously gullible naivete as a barrier to the presidency.

Of course, Beth (My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy) is all about the bright side here.

Saturday Night Links

2008-11-08T18:41:00.012-05:00

One Man's "Cranky" is Another Man's "Emotive"

Bridget Johnson surveys media characterizations of Rahm Emanuel and -- you're not going to believe this -- perceives a slightly different tone than that adopted to discuss McCain or Rove. Who woulda thunk it? Read it here.

Getting Closer to the Edge

Mike at Cold Fury weighs in on Mark Steyn's piece today, "The Death of the American Idea", which asks "how do you tell an electorate living high off the entitlement hog that it's unsustainable and you've got to give some of it back?"

Steyn warns us about the tipping point:

While few electorates consciously choose to leap left, a couple more steps every election and eventually societies reach a tipping point. In much of the west, it's government health care. It changes the relationship between state and citizen into something closer to pusher and junkie. Henceforth, elections are fought over which party is proposing the shiniest government bauble: If you think President-elect Obama's promise of federally subsidized day care was a relatively peripheral part of his platform, in Canada in the election before last it was the dominant issue. Yet America may be approaching its tipping point even more directly. In political terms, the message of the gazillion-dollar bipartisan bailout was a simple one: “Individual responsibility” and “self-reliance” are for chumps. If Goldman Sachs and AIG and Bear Stearns are getting government checks to “stay in their homes” (and boardrooms, and luxury corporate retreats), why shouldn't Peggy Joseph?

Mike sees that we've got to put up a fight, but he's not too optimistic:

We absolutely should continue to resist the seemingly inevitable leftward slide every way we can, but nobody should be under any illusions that the fight is anything more than a rearguard action, and any victories we achieve will be small and probably temporary ones. If all we can do is hold it off for a while, well, honor demands that that’s what we do.

I hope he's wrong, but I'm inclined to agree. Then again, I had USF winning the Big East this year, so what do I know?

Good evening

2008-11-06T18:05:00.001-05:00

This, naturally, is a test to determine whether we are back in business.