Category: The Dish

Francis Fukuyama’s epiphany – on the Daily Show.

Are you ready? A new report says not:

"Our survey of households in seven U. S. regions demonstrated that few citizens have bothered to equip themselves with fireproof suits and extinguishers to deal with volcanic upheaval, solar flares, or the Lord’s purifying flame," Malthusian Institute director James Olheiser said. "Almost no one is prepared for a sudden shift in the Earth’s polarity or the eating of the Sun and moon by evil wolves Skol and Hati during Ragnarok."

Olheiser added: "All in all, America gets an ‘F’ for end-of-the-world preparedness."

More here.

He did it. This is the quote from Colin Powell, that leftist, terrorist-loving, draft-dodging guy who "doesn’t get" the threat from terrorism:

"The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism. To redefine Common Article 3 would add to those doubts. Furthermore, it would put our own troops at risk."

The president has decided to drive a huge divide within his own party in order to make war crimes legal. He must be stopped. And it’s a huge deal that even as the president is personally lobbying for the bill, his former secretary of state and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is lobbying against it. Some things matter more than your re-election strategy, Mr President. Why is he going against the advice of the entire military leadership, the most respected Senators on defense matters, and the conscience of his own party? Are the polls that dire?

Here’s the critical part of the Nancy Grace grilling of Melinda Duckett, a woman who subsequently killed herself. Grace went even further and replayed her vicious grilling even after the woman had committed suicide. Make your own mind up whether Grace went way over the line.

"An article in Business Day on Friday reported that the Walton Family Foundation had made contributions to four conservative research groups whose analysts wrote articles favorable to Wal-Mart Stores for newspapers and journals around the country. The Times article said that the groups and their employees had consistently failed to disclose the donations, and it said in the first paragraph that the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research was one of them. But a Manhattan Institute author had told The Times that he had indeed disclosed contributions from the Walton Foundation in an article he wrote, a fact that should have been included in the Times article.

The article also reported that Tim Kane of the Heritage Foundation and Karl Zinsmeister, formerly of the American Enterprise Institute, were among those who wrote articles favorable to Wal-Mart after their foundations received a donation.

Both those groups were called for comment for the Times article. Mr. Kane, who was not called, subsequently said that he did not know about the Walton Family Foundation contribution and that he had criticized Wal-Mart‚Äôs call for a higher federal minimum wage in an article he wrote. The Times also did not ask Mr. Zinsmeister to comment, but he declined to do so when reached after the Times article was published. Both Mr. Kane and Mr. Zinsmeister should have been asked to comment before publication." – New York Times, today. Ouch. Hey, you’ve always got blogs for hard news.

"This is not about November 2006. It is not about your election. It is about those who take risks to defend America," – Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, standing up for principle against the administration’s attempt to unilaterally rewrite the Geneva Conventions for the election campaign.

"The American Airlines ticket agent who checked in Mohammed Atta on 9/11 later committed suicide – unlike the man in charge who, being briefed on the potential threat, told his briefer, ‘Okay, you‚Äôve covered your ass,’" – blogger Susie "Suburban Guerrilla" Madrak, linked approvingly on Eschaton. (Hat tip: Brendan.)

There really is nothing new on earth – except Aristophanes’ comedies turning into contemporary realities.

From the man who gave us "coercive interrogation," "the dark side, if you will" and "alternative methods," this beaut from the 2000 campaign:

"They will offer more lectures, and legalisms, and carefully worded denials. We offer another way, a better way, and a stiff dose of truth."

Yep: Dick Cheney, a man whose stiff dose of truth does not include the question of "torture".

(Photo:Charles Dharapak/AP.)

A reader writes:

You wrote, "…just don’t expect the religious right to criticize it."

I spent 15 minutes with Google and I found a few examples of the "religious right" criticizing the prosperity gospel. Here’s one; and here’s another. And let’s not forget Christianity Today, the flagship publication of evangelicalism. Money quote:

"What is commonly called the "prosperity gospel" is a corruption of the gospel."

Then there are actually sermons by prominent evangelicals: John Piper, John MacArthur, Albert Mohler. Money quote:

"Some think that religion is a way to riches," he said. "That is hard to believe when you look at the faithful teachers of the gospel [and] you look at those who are spending their lives on the mission fields. … Authentic Christianity is not a way to riches — at least not material riches."

Thanks for the info and the links. Encouraging and helpful. But let’s hear these other Christian voices more loudly in the public square, can we?

(Photo illustration: Michael Elins.)