Euston Manifesto

Michael Ledeen pointed out this remarkable document/website. Actually, "The Euston Manifesto" is a group of self-described (British?) democrats and liberals, who by opposing tyranny, terrorism, and esteem the United States, call for a new political alignment on the Left. This is indeed good news.

They warrant support and watching.

Re-Enlistenment Up

Glenn Reynolds point out this recent article the continuing trend of increased re-enlisting--among the branch that suffers 69% of fatalities!--over at Strategy page:

Why U.S. Troops Re-Enlist in Record Numbers

April 14, 2006: In the last six months, the U.S. Army is seeing 15 percent more soldiers re-enlist than expected. This continues a trend that began in 2001. Every year since then, the rate at which existing soldiers have re-enlisted has increased. This despite the fact that 69 percent of the troops killed in Iraq have been from the army. New recruits continue to exceed join up at higher rates as well.

All this is extremely important, especially when there is a war going on. Experience saves lives in combat, and more of the most experienced troops are staying in. This means that, a decade from now, the army will have a large and experienced corps of senior NCOs. That, in turn, means the younger troops are likely to well trained and led.

Steyn's Humorous Exercise

From his latest:

You know what's great fun to do if you're on, say, a flight from Chicago to New York and you're getting a little bored? Why not play being President Ahmadinejad? Stand up and yell in a loud voice, "I've got a bomb!" Next thing you know the air marshal will be telling people, "It's OK, folks. Nothing to worry about. He hasn't got a bomb." And then the second marshal would say, "And even if he did have a bomb it's highly unlikely he'd ever use it." And then you threaten to kill the two Jews in row 12 and the stewardess says, "Relax, everyone. That's just a harmless rhetorical flourish." And then a group of passengers in rows 4 to 7 point out, "Yes, but it's entirely reasonable of him to have a bomb given the threatening behavior of the marshals and the cabin crew."

Cheney

Victor Davis Hanson, in his "Response to Readership" section of his website, had this to say on a question about Dick Cheney:

Vice President Dick Cheney, in my mind, is a most intriguing character. I admire and respect his intelligence, calm demeanor, and toughness, especially since the U.S. has been at war with Islamic fascists. I subscribe to Cheney's view of this war as a fight for the future of civilization. Is there a man from the Greek age that held a similar position of power and that reminds you of Vice President Cheney?

Hanson: A good question. A good book could be written about how a formerly much admired public servant has become demonized by the far Left to such a degree that his general poll ratings reflect a newfound public antipathy—despite his constancy and rock-solid views that are not predicated on adulation. But I doubt Cheney cares much for the polls of the age, and counts on history's verdict that more likely will see us in a long war against Islamic fascism, and thus his own tough worldview substantiated. Many of the media hate him because they sense he is on to them, and sees them as vain and in constant need of affirmation and adulation. Whether true or not, it matters little, since no felony is worse in Washington than seeing the press there as childish rather than cutting-edge. Remember something from the Greeks: every statesman of any account — a Themistocles, Aristides, Pericles or Epaminondas — who functioned in democratic society was at one time either exiled, fined, or put on trial. No real Greek leader wished to be liked rather than respected or even feared. So yes, in that sense Cheney's perceived disdain for shot-term fawning is, in the age of Clintonism, both Hellenic and welcome — however unwise for his increasing his popularity.

Priceless Mansfield

Harvey Mansfield has just published a new book on Manliness in age of feminism. New York Times interviews him. It is just too funny.

Andre Glucksmann

Andre Glucksmann -- an interesting find during my Dostoevsky studies. Here is a site dedicated to the French philosopher. It contains a lot of his writings, 1/4 of it is in English.

From America and Democracy:

Human rights measure our ability to resist the inhuman, the evil that faces us like a devil and that each of us carries within him.

Also these interviews:
Gehlen, Liss and Jens Heisterkamp, Bin Laden, Dostoevsky, and the Reality Principle: an Interview with Andre Glucksmann, Info 3 (March 2003) (5 pages, pdf)

Restan, Jose Luis and David Blazquez, "Terrorist Nihilism and the Crisis of the West: Interview with Andre Glucksmann" Traces (June 2004

Western Weapon of Terrorism

According to the AP caption: "An unidentified Kenyan woman demonstrates in Nairobi, Kenya Friday Feb. 10, 2006." (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

(Hat Tip: Volokh Conspiracy)

Michael Barone on Elites' Spurning of America

Check out this very good article by Michael Barone on the supposed superiority of the elite liberals.

Zawahiri's Letter

This should be the biggest news of the week, a glimpse inside out enemies: the release of al Qaeda's second man's, Zawahiri, letter to Zarqawi, al Qaeda's man in Iraq. It should educate and remind the forgetful, the self-doubting, and the skeptics among us of what we are up against.

At least two key things he mentions is that the primary battlefield is in the media, which they are pretty successful with. And the other point is that Iraq is everything to them; however it goes, so it goes for them.

Download the letter from the National Intelligence Director's website.

Scott over at Powerline has some good commentary.
Austin Bay also is said to be good on the subject. (Hat tip: Michele Malkin)

Bush's Speech at National Endowment for Democracy

Bush's speech

John Podhoretz's commentary - 7 October 2005
Daniel Pipes' commentary - 11 October 2005 -- Pipes says Bush has ushered in the 3rd stage in civilization's war on the Islamofascists.
USA Today's list of the 10 foiled terrorist strikes

Goods on Harriet Miers

Marvin Olasky's post over at World Magazine blog is a very good starting place for information on the latest appointment to the Supreme Court. There is a lot of discouraging reactions throughout the blogosphere and conservative, but Hugh Hewitt, again, is upbeat and optimistic.


UPDATE:
It really is amazing how controversial Meiers is with CONSERVATIVES! You would have thought Bush appointed a Ginsburg clone. Hewitt and Medved have been doing the Lord's work though. And Ken Masugi at the Local Liberty blog has some sensible things to say:

We have a better view of Bush’s ambition for Miers in Senator Cornyn’s defense of her, calling her a justice who would bring the “dangerously out of touch” court “back down to earth.” This means not just replacing one justice with another but altering the public perception of the court as well. Hence Meirs’ faith plays a political role. To tame the Court we need a combination of skills: Thomas’s originalism, Scalia’s rhetorical brilliance, Roberts’ legal skills, and now Miers’ practical experience, producing a plain reading of the Constitution.

Mark Helprin's New Website

Joe Knippenberg over at No Left Turns points out Helprin's new website, a valuable resource, if ever he links up his articles and commentary and essays to his favorite books.

Bill Clinton's Legacy Revives

Just when Clinton was back in the spotlight with Katrina charity work and Bush-bashing over the weekend, this story comes out to remind us of what is truly his legacy--are you ready for this?--the Clinton-Lewinsky Condom.

Gary Schmitt: Why the Sunnis Won't Deal

Schmitt on the way to success in Iraq.

Katrina

Jack Kelly on the fast federal response to Katrina.
Rightwingnuthouse has a timeline of all government action in response to Katrina.

Mark Helprin on the Conservative failure in the War on Terror

"They're All So Wrong"

CNN vs. FOX

One frequently hears about the political or ideological differences of the news channels and FOX, but here is a former news executive's analysis of the differences of CNN and FOX's coverage of a non-political event, the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina. (HT: Rich Lowry, The Corner)

Victor Davis Hanson: Our Civil War over the War on Terror

a piece on National Review Online (15 July) and transcript of Hugh Hewitt's interview from yesterday (15 July).

Great picture in need of caption.

Uberman vs. Unterman: Lesson of a Surviving Navy Seal

Wretchard at Belmont Club has a great post on the importance of perseverance and resolve on the battlefield. This, he says, is what the one surviving member of the Seal Recon team demonstrated. And the lesson bin Laden should glean from that is that he will lose. Wretchard draws upon our fight against the Japanese at Guadacanal as support.

Michael Ledeen at The Corner adds a few thoughts.

Eliot Cohen Reflecting on Iraq Now That His Son is Heading There

Steve Hayward recommended this article in Washington Post by Eliot Cohen, a self-described war hawk, thinking back through the War in Iraq in light of his son's soon deployment.

Blair: Our Determination

It is important that those engaged in terrorism realise that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world. Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilised nations throughout the world.

This is Blair's claim, and it is good. It needs to be said over and over again. But the question, for a good part of the West, as Bill Bennett says, is still an open question. How many of the left would echo Blair's determination?

UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt got an email (regarding the bombing in London, the loss of the SEALS and Stockdale and Al Franken's interview of Tom Oliphant) from a Navy officer today unwittingly answering Bennett's question:

We at USNA are suffering this week as we lost not only two former alumni in Afghanistan, but we also lost a paragon of honor and bravery in VADM James Stockdale. But let me be very clear about today's events in Great Britain. The human refuse who committed these heinous acts are desperate and those of us who wear our country's uniform are MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER to put an end to their reign of terror. Unless America decides to lose its mind and allow the left and its buffoons like Oliphant and Franken to run the show, we WILL PREVAIL. Oliphant strikes no fear in anyone . Navy SEALS and ARMY SOF and Marine Force Recon scare the living heck out of Bin Laden. I will put my hat with them as well as all of the future officers we are producing at USNA, USMA and USAFA and let Oliphant and his ilk defend themselves. We are going to hunt the terrorists down and we will kill them, one at a time if necessary. Sleep well Mr. Oliphant, braver men than you are on the job!"

Alex Massie in 'The Scotsman' on the 4th

A nice column by Alex Massie in the Scotsman.

Lincoln on the 4th of July

Over at Powerline, Scott has a fine post on "The Eternal Significance of Independence Day," relying on both Lincoln and Coolidge.

Henniger's "Ground Zero to Baghdad"

Hugh Hewitt points out this piece, "Ground Zero to Baghdad: September 11 and the collapse of national unity," by Daniel Henniger and includes this quote:

On a very warm Wednesday this past May, during Fleet Week in New York City, a passerby at Ground Zero encountered some 150 astonishingly young Marines in fatigues, wet with sweat after a run, standing at attention on the site's edge, outside the fence. They were from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and they appeared to be in the middle of a formal ceremony. Yesterday the organizer of the May event, Maj. Dave Anderson, explained they were laying a wreath to honor the victims of September 11, and that the three Marines chosen to lay the wreath had earned Purple Hearts while serving in Iraq. When the ceremony ended, he said, a woman came out of the crowd, crying, and grabbed his wrist to say that her brother had died in there that day, and she said to him, 'When people see you Marines doing this, they'll know that you will take the fight forward.'

Henniger does think that the media has been changing its coverage of the Iraq War, moving from opposing to supportive. I look forward to that.