More Presidential Songs for School Children

WARREN GAMALIEL HARDING

[To the tune of "The Times They Are A'Changin'"]

Come gather 'round people,
Whoever you are,
And think of those times
That were better by far;
In spite of justice imperfect
The law was the law,
And we lived in a country
Worth saving.
And a man came along
Sworn to serve one and all:
Warren Gamaliel Harding.

Come writers and pundits
Who stab with your pens,
And ruin the names
Of much better men;
Don't miss this chance
To get your licks in again,
For your curses
Earn praises in Heaven.
When you're long forgotten
Will still live the name:
Warren Gamaliel Harding.

Sure, the man took a few
Drinks now and then,
And the poker games lasted
Until God knows when.
He was not very wise
In the choice of his friends,
And sheer eloquence
He oft times was lacking.
No pretty boy,
For prayers Heaven sent:
Warren Gamaliel Harding.

He had no great vision
To save the whole earth;
He had no list of enemies
To grind into the dirt.
Yet he pardoned those
Whom others had hurt,
And for such deeds
Is high pardon given.
And the last ones now
Will later be first:
Warren Gamaliel Harding.

In re Roman Polanski: Who cares what Hollywood scum think, but ...

I'm sorry to see the names of Bernard-Henri Levy and Pascal Bruckner on the petitioners list. These are men who in the past have had the courage to stand up to the foolish opinions of rotten elites. That courage has failed them now.

The Unhappy Coincidence of Obama and Iran

Over the past few days, Iranians have done something that can't be done often enough. They've shown that human beings still aspire and deserve to be free. This ought to be an obvious fact, but our insane political culture makes it a deeply controversial one.

Oppression is strong and efficacious; it may well crush this moment of liberty, though it will hopefully pay a price for doing so. History obeys nobody's moral laws, as it is moved by the good, the bad, and the accidental.

One of those historical accidents attending Iran's revolutionary moment is Barack Obama, and if he is a blessing he wears an impenetrable disguise.

In March Obama sent an unprecedented video message to "the people and the leaders of Iran" - as if these two things were a harmonious whole. In it he repeatedly refers to Iran as The Islamic Republic of Iran, rolling out the phrase with relish. Whether or not Iran ought to be an Islamic republic is a question that is currently being put to the test of blood in Iran itself, and US interest would be better served by a negative answer. It was not diplomatically necessary for Obama to insist on Islamic Republic; on the contrary, it was diplomatically undesirable. Obama cannot distinguish between deference and diplomacy. This is not a small thing, just as making respectful reference to a "Supreme Leader" of Iran is not a small thing. Matt Yglesias makes the useless point that "The Fuhrer" was Hitler's "proper title", missing the obvious fact that Roosevelt and Churchill did not refer to Hitler as The Fuhrer.

In his video message, Obama heaped effusive praise on Persian civilization. Well, Persian civilization is currently in agony, so if this praise was sincere then we should expect some indignation to match it. Obama coolly explains that he is too smart to fall into such a trap - Obama does his diplomatic thinking out loud. Empty flattery, followed by indifference.

In explaining his sang froid, Obama refers to the history of US-Iranian relations - what does he think of when he thinks of that history? US crimes, apparently. The fact that the clique that currently oppresses Iran is the same clique that seized our embassy and held our people hostage seems to be missing from his consciousness. Obama assumes the moral superiority of anti-American claims, or thinks that "diplomacy" requires him to assume it.

Whatever message Obama thinks he is sending to the bloody hangmen that rule Iran, the message they are getting is clear: There is no danger, whatsoever, of pushing Obama too far. Kim Jung-Il understands this, if our own intelligensia do not.

What do you get when you cross Moral Equivalence with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

"What we want to do is open a dialogue," Obama told the BBC. "You know, there are misapprehensions about the West, on the part of the Muslim world. And, obviously, there are some big misapprehensions about the Muslim world when it comes to those of us in the West."

So I have returned at last ...

GLEN: And look what kind of a mess this country has gotten into while I was gone.

SOCRATES: Being an Athenian myself, thanks be to Zeus, I'd have to note that you Americans have no idea what a real mess looks like.

CRITO: You're absolutely right, Socrates. Wait'll he sees what Phaedo did to the guest room.

SOCRATES: You want to talk about the sad state of the world? Have a few beers with Demosthenes some time. By which I mean, don't.

CRITO: That's for sure. He starts out talking about Rule of Law, then he just raves about how Meidias stole his lawn furniture.

SOCRATES: Which is very American of him, I think. And speaking of ersatz Americans, we might as well have the Romans over and listen to Cicero and Tacitus bitch and moan all night.

CRITO: Very true, Socrates. You are so wise.

GLEN: Things have really changed around here, I can see.

SOCRATES: Exactly.

Eight things every Obama supporter should believe ...

1. His kids went to school with Zbigniew Brzezinski.
2. With God’s help, Obama learned how to sleep in church with his eyes open.
3. When Obama says “Hope”, you’re supposed to say “How high?”
4. Every time Obama says “Change”, Arkansas and Kentucky change places.
5. Iran doesn’t really have a president, but Canada does.
6. “Preconditions” are those stripy pants that diplomats wear.
7. Obama’s grandmother burned down the Reichstag. It was totally not cool.
8. Ambition is Poverty. And he should know.

To the Names of the Unknown

The regimental chaplain, if any, who usually attends the burials from the hospital, should make notes and communicate details to the captain of the company, and to the family at home. Of course it is usually impossible to mark the graves with names, dates, etc., and consequently the names of the "unknown" in our national cemeteries equal about one-half of all the dead.

William Tecumseh Sherman