Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

How to spot a dictator

Coyote Blog:

You Know its a Dictatorship When:

1. Michael Moore portrays the country as a kite-flying paradise
2. Jimmy Carter sanctioned their last election
3. The UN certifies that there is no genocide
4. They sign friendship pacts with other dictatorships (also here and here and here too)
5. They are a member of the UN Human Rights commission (not 100% foolproof but getting closer every year)
6. They were once a French colony, and/or France is opposing sanctions against it (also here too)
7. Their people are impoverished and they lag the world in economic growth

Hat tip to Winds of Change.


Candles for freedom

Melanie Phillips:

Another tremendous demonstration in Beirut provides a definitive retort to the recent press-ganged show of strength by Hezbollah -- itself staged in response to the burgeoning 'Cedar Revolution'. According to this report in the New York Sun, a million people took to the streets in the biggest pro-democracy demonstration in the history of the Middle East. Inspiringly, it brought together Christians, Sunni Muslims and Druze, all speaking with one voice for democracy, freedom and peace. Oh -- and support for America, who they recognise as the key to their freedom:

'More recently, in keeping with Mr. Bush's post-September 11, 2001, doctrine of promoting democracy rather than simply "stability," so long favored in the Middle East, the White House has been telling Lebanon's democrats that America will keep its faith with them. In Beirut yesterday, it was clear that message has been heard. Unlike the Hezbollah demonstrators with their chants of "Death to America," many in the crowd were friendly to Americans. "Thank's Free World," (sic) said one poster, held high by a woman in a bright red jacket, Rawya Okal, who told me: "We thank Mr. Bush for his position." Overhearing this in the throng, a middle-aged man in a green baseball cap, Louis Nahanna, leaned over to say, "We love the American people" - adding, "Please don't let Bush forget us. Your support is very important."

'Asking more people what they thought of Americans turned up the same refrain. From a young driver, Fadi Mrad, came the message: "We want to change. We need freedom. Please don't let Bush forget us." From a group of young men came not only the message "Our hope is America," and "We believe in democracy in the Middle East," but also praise for Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. There was also an invitation from one of them, young Edgard Baradhy, for his heroine, Ms. Rice, to come to Beirut "and I am ready to take her for coffee." '

What a rebuke this is to those in the west for whom President Bush's democracy policy is an anathema. What an illustration of the moral and political bankruptcy of the left, which has had its progressive disguise stripped from it as it has been revealed to be as reactionary as the isolationist right. They are all simply on the wrong side of history.

The veteran Kamikaze pilot

James Taranto:

If at First You Don't Succeed, Die, Die Again
We're not sure if this is meant to be serious or not, but the Web site SatanService.org has a page called "How to Kill Yourself: A Meta-Guide" that purports to come from something called the Church of Euthanasia. The conclusion:

Suicide is hard work, and should not be undertaken lightly. It's easyto [sic] do it badly, or make rookie mistakes. As with many things, the best results are achieved by thorough research and careful preparation.

"Rookie" mistakes? Just how many suicide veterans are there, anyway?

The cost of mass transit

P.J. O'Rourke:

...

There are just two problems with mass transit. Nobody uses it, and it costs like hell. Only 4% of Americans take public transportation to work. Even in cities they don't do it. Less than 25% of commuters in the New York metropolitan area use public transportation. Elsewhere it's far less--9.5% in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, 1.8% in Dallas-Fort Worth. As for total travel in urban parts of America--all the comings and goings for work, school, shopping, etc.--1.7 % of those trips are made on mass transit.

Then there is the cost, which is--obviously--$52 billion. Less obviously, there's all the money spent locally keeping local mass transit systems operating. The Heritage Foundation says, "There isn't a single light rail transit system in America in which fares paid by the passengers cover the cost of their own rides." Heritage cites the Minneapolis "Hiawatha" light rail line, soon to be completed with $107 million from the transportation bill. Heritage estimates that the total expense for each ride on the Hiawatha will be $19. Commuting to work will cost $8,550 a year. If the commuter is earning minimum wage, this leaves about $1,000 a year for food, shelter and clothing. Or, if the city picks up the tab, it could have leased a BMW X-5 SUV for the commuter at about the same price.