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October 15, 2005

 

 

Karen Hughes is back from her first trip to the Middle East as Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy, and the reviews have not been flattering. "Dangerous folly," declares Sidney Blumenthal, the former Clinton aide who knows something about propaganda (if not public diplomacy). "Hughes is helping bin Laden," adds Robert Pape of the University of Chicago.

Well, so much for liberal understatement. We, too, could pick nits with Ms. Hughes's performance, particularly on matters of style and presentation. But give her credit for this: At least she didn't try to "sell" the U.S. like a box of Wheaties.

--Editorial, “’Selling’ America,” Wall Street Journal, 10/11/05

As for next week's proceedings, one question remains to be seen: will the mainstream media make as big a deal over Saddam Hussein's trial as it did over, say, Scott Peterson's? Or as it doubtless will over Tom DeLay's hearings?

--Christopher Orlet, “Know Nothing, Do Nothing,” The American Spectator, 10/11/05

So there we have it. Fewer medicines. U.S. markets held hostage to foreign political pressures. A wholesale destruction of the Bill of Rights. Government of, by, and for the People -- Sovereignty -- cast to the winds. Such are the inexorable outcomes yielded by politicians and bureaucrats in hot pursuit of wealth redistribution, the larger adverse implications be damned.

--Benjamin Zycher, “So Much For American Sovereignty,” TechCentralStation, 10/7/05

In its corporate wisdom, the New York Times recently decided to hide its most influential columnists behind a subscription wall.  Now, those who have been accustomed to reading the likes of Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd for free on the Internet will have to pay $50 per year for the privilege. To make this proposition more attractive, the Times promised that it would provide a little something extra for subscribers.  Apparently, this involves publishing articles by its editorial writers that are not good enough to appear in the print edition of the paper.

--Bruce Bartlett, “The Times is Still Wrong on Taxation,” Town Hall, 10/11/05

In a trial that began Sept. 26, a federal judge in Harrisburg has been called upon to decide if intelligent design is a legitimate scientific theory. Once he has settled that controversy, perhaps he can tell us what killed the dinosaurs and whether there are civilizations on other planets.

--Jacob Sullum, “Schools Intelligently Designed?” The Washington Times, 10/8/05