Rock Climbing is OK, But Vioxx is Not

Thomas Sowell wonders
why it’s ok to risk your neck rock-climbing, but not ok to risk a heart attack
with the arthritis pain-killer Vioxx. The reason is that there are people in our society who want
to take health decisions away from us. Why is that? Because there is enormous satisfaction in
being part of the elite of “wiser and nobler people — defenders
of the downtrodden, protectors of the environment, advocates of peace and opponents of war. There is
always some crusade that requires their superior wisdom and virtue to be imposed on others.”
Are you part of that elite? Do you deserve the scope to exercise your “superior
wisdom and virtue” for the benefit of the little people? Me too!

Waiting for the Emerging Majority

John Judis and Ruy Teixeira review the election’s verdict on their Emerging Democratic Majority. Naturally, they pronounce that everything is fine. Democrats are doing better with minorities, singles, and the college-educated. But what about the all-American process of assimilation, of minorities
throwing off their victim status, de-hyphenating themselves and becoming Americans? Wouldn’t they become Republicans? That’s what psychologist Don Beck and his Spiral Dynamics would predict.

Steyn: A Vote for Activist Judges

Activist American judges are a good thing, says Mark Steyn.
Their anti-democratic ukases get everyone riled up so we can
have a spirited national discussion of issues like abortion and gay marriage. In Britain there’s
no outrage about judge-made law because abortion and gay marriage get decided by Parliament.
So there’s no pitched battle over social issues.

Back to the Issues

London’s Daily Telegraph offers some thoughts
about the Christmas story and the importance of the family.

'Twas the Wait Before Christmas

A former child recalls
the dreadful character-building “waits” for Christmas he endured as a boy.
How did he, how did we, how did anyone manage to survive the trauma of being told to wait for
Christmas? Perhaps that’s why They want to eliminate Christmas. They fear the damage done to millions
of youthful positive self-esteems by the hegemonic patriarchal injunction: “No, Johnny. Wait until Christmas.”

The Experts and the Family

When children die suddenly, who is to blame, and what is the standard of proof? The welfare state and
its experts believe that they know more about child development than parents. So they decided to put a mother in jail
on the basis of the statistical improbability of two crib deaths in the same family.
Some might call it hubris.

Don't Worry About North Korea

This writer suggests that the Chinese have about had it with Kim Jong Il and his pompadour hair. Korea
is a tributary state, and it better get with the program.

Teachers in Trouble

When teachers lose it with their students, then what? In the old days, the principal could
deal with the problem in an informal process. Now it takes a formal review, and the kids know that
they can create mayhem.

Defending Christmas

Jewish pundit Charles Krauthammer defends
the celebration of Christmas from the anti-religious Scrooges.
Don’t they get it?

Men With Kids Most Conservative

A recent survey of Election 2004 shows that the most conservative fraction of the nation is
fathers with children.
On the question “which presidential candidate shared their views about the direction American culture should be moving”
fathers with children broke 77 percent to 18 percent for Bush over Kerry. Men without kids favored Kerry. It’s the children, stupid.