Today's Politicos vs The Words and Deeds of The Founders

Ex-Clinton counsel Seth Waxman said that the FAA should be able to “pick and choose how to reduce spending within the air traffic organization activity so as to minimize the adverse effects of sequestration on the FAA’s core mission priorities.” Waxman doesn’t get it. The FAA made its choices and they are not intended “to minimize the adverse effects” on travelers.”

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Simon Winchester's short biography of two interesting men who were key in the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, is put together in a style reminiscent of that employed in The Knife Man, by Wendy Moore. As one might expect in a book in which the story revolves around the creation of a dictionary, each chapter is prefaced with a word and it's definition. The word in each case pertains to a theme in the chapter. It's interesting because the reason for the choice of word is not always readily evident until the reader is well into the chapter. This is a small thing, but for bibliophiles, it's a nice touch, and one can appreciate the care that went into the organization and layout of the book.

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In 1993, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D., N.Y.) coined the phrase “defining deviancy down."* Moynihan’s thesis was that, as a society, America has been “re-defining deviancy” so as to exempt conduct previously stigmatized, and quietly raising the "normal" level for behavior that was abnormal by earlier standards.

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It’s obviously time to call on Harry Reid and Diane Feinstein to introduce legislation banning the sale of knives or other sharp instruments. (The weapon in Texas was described as a razor edged weapon that sounds like a box cutter.) At the very least, knife registration should be mandatory and every person who buys one should submit to a background check. Since the Obama administration wants us to follow Great Britain into government run health care, we can now actually be first to outlaw cutlery, especially the scary looking ones with the black handles. But we’ll have to hurry.

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Does this guy get around, or what?

This time it’s on the Christopher Mantei Show.   The good stuff (Curtice) starts at 18:00 mark and runs thru 42:00.

 

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Our very own Curtice Mang offers his thoughts on the Republican Party, Benghazi, and the Constitution.

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Good old MSNBC. The cable network that manages ratings that are barely above those of the Shoelace Channel, managed to stir up a little noise recently with one of their promotional ads. For those who are unfamiliar with MSNBC’s marketing campaign, “Lean Forward” (and really, who would be?), the ads feature various network hosts talking about something that makes no sense (much like regular MSNBC programming). For example, one ad features host Rachel Maddow standing on top of the Hoover Dam talking about how America doesn’t have small things in its future, it has big things. Clearly she was talking about food stamp enrollment (big and getting way bigger), the White House entertainment budget (Sequester? What sequester?), or the national debt (much too large to fit inside the Hoover Dam). She couldn’t have been talking about things like dams. There isn’t a liberal this side of Martha’s Vineyard that wouldn’t be lining up to sue everybody at the slightest hint of a Hoover Dam-sized project. And Rachel, you’re on top of the Hoover Dam, don’t lean forward too much, it’s a long way down.

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The author’s claim that he offers a “new understanding” seems overblown to this reviewer. Truth to tell, there is little in this book about the American Civil War that hasn’t been covered by other historians. Fleming’s contribution is more a matter of emphasis than originality. That having been said, this is an interesting and readable book. In the course of Fleming’s narrative he casts light on some little discussed related events, one of which will be addressed later in this review.

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Margaret Thatcher’s death has particular poignancy for America today. She not only understood the socialist mentality, she articulated it in terms accessible to everyone. Would that members of the Republican Party had her acuity and clarity.

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If you're an aficionado of British naval history, a Patrick O'Brian fan, or both, you shouldn't pass up this book by historian Chris Ware. Ware meticulously researched the life and times of his unfortunate subject, Admiral John Byng.

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