Frivolous politics, and today's items

Dr. Sowell on Frivolous politics

With a war going on in Iraq and with Iran next door moving steadily toward a nuclear bomb that could change the course of world history in the hands of international terrorists, the question for this year's elections is not whether you or your candidate is a Democrat or a Republican but whether you are serious or frivolous.

That question also needs to be asked about the media. In these grim and foreboding times, our media have this year spent incredible amounts of time on a hunting accident involving Vice President Cheney, a bogus claim that the administration revealed Valerie Plame's identity as a C.I.A. "agent" -- actually a desk job in Virginia -- and is now going ballistic over a Congressman who sent raunchy e-mails to Congressional pages.

This is the frivolous media -- and the biased media. Republican Congressman Foley was wrong and is out on his ear. But Democrats in both Congress and the White House have gone far beyond words with a page and an intern. Yet the Democrats did not resign and Bill Clinton's perjury, obstruction of justice, and suborning of perjury by others were treated as if these were irrelevant private matters.

Even when serious issues are addressed, they can be addressed either seriously or frivolously. If you are content to see life and death issues of war and peace addressed with catch phrases like "chicken hawk" or to see a coalition of nations around the world fighting terrorism referred to as "unilateral" U.S. action because France does not go along, then you are content with frivolity.

Rich and frivolous.

Because of course, China has absolutely no power over North Korea, and the UN does: China urges UN action on N Korea. Expect a strongly-worded letter.
Was North Korea testing a suitcase nuke? I believe that North Korea's looking at the nuke marketing business, much more than the nuke ownership-and-deployment side.

North Korea followed its rogue nuclear test by issuing an explicit threat to attack the US with a nuclear missile unless we allowed Pyongyang to operate its counterfeiting business without interference.

How to think the ACLU would react to a Church that did the same thing?

At the blogs, via Larwyn
Speaking of the frivolous party, Gay thug to out Republican Staffers (again) on Monday

For "progressive" talk radio, it's all about the children

Disgusting and Heartbreaking This is barbarism

Honor Killing in Louisville?

At Newsbusters, Bill Maher Tees Up Sen. John Kerry's Virulent Anti-Republican Campaign Speech and Chris Matthews’ Panel's Extraordinary Hypocrisy Concerning Sex Scandals (now ponder Hillary as President and Bill as Secretary of State). As Taranto was saying,

say what you will about Mark Foley, at least you can trust him with your daughter!

Today's articles from Maria
October 7 was the anniversary of the battle of Lepanto, Clash of civilizations: Battle of Lepanto revisited

Jonathan Last of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted, "As Pope Benedict XVI explains in his book 'Without Roots,' the very concept of 'Europe' emerged as a reaction to the surge of Islam. Not until the failure of the second Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683 did the Islamic tide recede definitively. For the next 300 years, Western civilization was ascendant and the Islamic world stagnated."

Undeserved forgiveness

The World We Leave Behind

Czech officials: Islamist Planned Mass Murder of Jews in Prague Jewish cemeteries in Russia desecrated

Silence of the Sheep and What do I Care about the Pope? I strongly disagree with Sagamori's statement that The advent of Christianity plunged the world into the Dark Ages. Roman emperor Constantine The Great (who was married to another Fausta) made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 325, and after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, there were plenty of barbarian invasions to plunge Europe into darkness, but the posts are interesting.

And the Ig Nobel goes to...

In a lighter mode,
A bitchy little article from a local paper Rush's ex doing all right – in real estate

A slide show on the Paris auto show, in Russian, no less. I do like the Mercedes SLR 722.