Steyn: Dems All Exit and No Strategy

Post Captain Mark Steyn returns to top form and
rakes the decks
of the Axis of Ennui from
its Euro forecastle to its Democratic poop. He expresses grave concern over the depth of the graves
of Darfur. But here’s the kicker. Did you notice that President Bush did not mention Europe once last
week in the State of the Union speech? Couldn’t be bothered, darling.

Girls That Kill Girls

From age 8 to 12 British girl gets raped by brother. At age 12 she complains to her mother and gets
chucked out in the street. At age 16 she gets her own apartment from social services. At age 18
she kills her younger lesbian lover in a drunken rage. But then? You need to
read it.
And then wonder what would have happened if an evil corporation had been responsible for this instead
of a sensitive, caring welfare state?

Spengler: What Iraq Democracy?

Democracy, writes Spengler,
is about brave Dutch merchants rising up against their Spanish overlords, or
brave Americans sacrificing their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. None of which applies
in Iraq.

New Establishment Line on Iraq

The center left gets the call from Thomas Friedman. Better take the Iraq election
seriously, and get with the program, is what he writes. Better say we are delighted. Read it to
keep
yourself aligned with the conventional wisdom.

Peggy Noonan on SOTU

Peggy takes in the sweep of the president’s State of the Union speech, and focuses on the key question
in the Social Security debate.

Do we,the American people, want a more hands-on retirement plan where we get to make the decisions about our savings or the simplicity of the government plan where we do nothing, paying tax while we work and getting a pension when we retire. The answer of course is both, and the president’s plan gives both. You can do nothing and get your Social Security pension, or you can opt out and take responsibility for yourself. It’s the American way.

First You Need A Majority

Paul Starr in The American Prospect reads Democrats the Riot Act. You can’t become a governing
majority unless you compromise
your sacred principles. It would help, of course, to have principles that the majority of the
American people could agree with.

An Invitation to Suicide

The advantage of liberalism was that it could never quite define itself, writes William Voegeli. “We’re
in favor of a lot of things and we’re against mighty few,” Lyndon Johnson assured us.
Yet, to develop a new narrative, Democrats must get off their current reflexive support
of the mothering welfare state.
Tell us where it will all end,
hectors Voegeli. Tell us when you’ll be finished nannying us and lecturing us, as if Democrats could ever do that. Don’t drink from the
cup Hamlet, just don’t do it!

Notice that conservatives have the opposite problem. Once they have
put the ownership society in place and restored a modicum of respect for the rule of law, who needs them?