25 July 2003 >> Some in this country still want our intelligence analysts to err on the side of caution, because doing so could thwart future attacks and would therefore save lives. Others believe that no action should ever be taken unless every scrap of intelligence data is unimpeachable and unambiguous. But if you complain that the administration wasn’t vigilant enough in interpreting pre-September 11th intelligence, you can’t credibly claim that the administration was too vigilant in interpreting the data pertaining to Iraq. More >>

3 July 2003 >> As errors and distortions plague the traditional news media, Internet outlets have emerged as an important watchdog, checking the power of the press and providing some much-needed media accountability. What impact has this new “open-source media” had, and what does it mean for the future of reporting? More >>

12 June 2003 >> Saddam and Osama must not exist. Why? Because they cannot be found. And, as we all know from witnessing the recent hyperventilation about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, if something can’t be found, it must not exist. More >>

21 May 2003 >> The success of Apple’s new online music venture shows that people are willing to pay for things that they could otherwise steal. The trick is relaxing the restrictions that competing systems have imposed on paying customers. Will the music industry take note and completely abandon intrusive “digital right management” schemes? Let’s hope so. If they need any more convincing, they should heed the lesson learned repeatedly by the software industry: pissing off paying customers isn’t good for business. More >>

6 May 2003 >> “Just as friends who disagree often show their respect for each other by avoiding political talk, entertainers should extend the same courtesy to their audiences. If they remain unwilling, here’s something you can do to help change their minds: Become a waiter at a four-star restaurant in New York or Los Angeles. Whenever some Dixie Chick comes in, politely interrupt her as she lifts her fork. Let her know where you stand on the issues of the day. Do this repeatedly. After a while, she’ll begin to see how distasteful her behavior is.” More >>

10 February 2003 >> “We, the free people of the world, in recognition of the fact that freedom is a gift given to us through the selfless sacrifice of our ancestors, and in agreement on the belief that it is our moral obligation to share this gift with those who were not fortunate enough to be born into it, declare ourselves united in an Alliance of Liberty, whose purpose is to secure the freedom of every human everywhere.” More >>

29 January 2003 >> “Sometimes, there is no choice but to meet danger with force. To resort to war is not the sign of ultimate failure, as some argue, it’s just the sign of diplomacy’s failure. But we shouldn’t let failed diplomacy fester while stealthy enemies strengthen and scheme. Now that we’ve seen how easily terrorists can bring death to our door, we must prevent them from acquiring weapons from thugs like Saddam Hussein. The best way is to make sure there aren’t any thugs like Saddam Hussein.” More >>

13 January 2003 >> Did you know that the cost of almost every PC sold includes the cost of a Microsoft Windows license, even if the purchaser intends only to use a different operating system on the machine? Or that Microsoft is scheming to have universities force every student to pay for Microsoft software, regardless of whether they actually use it? More >>

10 December 2002 >> “Regardless of whether Lott actually supports segregation—and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t—it is very difficult for excuse-makers to interpret his statement as being anything other than an endorsement of segregation. Instead of standing on feeble ground to defend the indefensible, they should stand aside, and let Lott receive the rebuke he deserves. For the good of the Republican Party, but more importantly, for the good of the country, Trent Lott should step down as the Republican leader in the Senate.” More >>

4 December 2002 >> “If you don’t share Tom Daschle’s view of the media, you’re a right-wing nut. If you characterize his blocking of legislation as obstructionist, Daschle will compare you to a mullah stirring the passions of terrorists. And Gore believes it is so unthinkable for the media to present conservative viewpoints that it must really be part of some grand conspiracy secretly funded by evil fascist billionaire capitalist pigs whose wallets are made out of people who died because they couldn’t find affordable prescription drugs.” More >>

17 November 2002 >> “Now, I know some people are going to say that calling the Democrats to task for their recent criticisms of the terror war is just a way of stifling debate. Not true. Debate is an exchange of ideas. But Senators Daschle and Graham offered no ideas for how to win the war. They just offered complaints. Until they propose actual alternatives that can be discussed and implemented, they’re going to continue sounding like stereotypical mothers-in-law who hover over any activity, whining, ‘No! You’re doing it wrong!’” More >>

11 November 2002 >> “Nancy Pelosi fits right in with the liberal orthodoxy: she was the only Democratic leader in the House or Senate to vote against the Iraqi war authorization, she routinely casts reflexive votes against tax cuts, and she even opposed the Welfare Reform package backed by President Clinton that passed with substantial bi-partisan support. If Pelosi becomes the Democratic leader in the House, it’s a sign that liberal Democrats have prevailed over the centrists. That shift in power could spell doom for Democratic hopes in 2004.” More >>

9 September 2002 >> “Whether to accumulate power and prestige or to avoid losing it, there usually comes a time when a tyrant resorts to war. You don’t have to study world affairs very long to realize that repressive regimes are the cause of nearly all the world’s conflict. Only when full freedom penetrates every part of the globe will there be any real possibility of peaceful planet. And if the United States were to lead the way in lifting the veil of repression that still darkens a frighteningly large portion of the globe, then perhaps more people around the world would have a reason to love—or at least respect—our great nation.” More >>

20 August 2002 >> As the Democrats spend the days leading up to the election trying to convince you that they are the party of the people, here are a few things to remember. More >>

27 June 2002 >> “Although the conflict in the Middle East may have originated as a dispute over land, it has grown into something much larger. Hate’s appetite is never fulfilled, and radical Islam, which was bred out of the Arab-Israeli conflicts, has found a more tantalizing target: Westernism. Make no mistake about it: the Middle East conflict and the war that al Qaeda brought to us are one and the same. That’s the reason why—despite the brilliance of the Bush plan—I am pessimistic about the chances for peace.” More >>

3 June 2002 >> “How would you feel if you went to your local music store, bought a tape of your favorite band’s latest release, and discovered that playing it in your car damaged the stereo so severely that your entire car needed to be brought in for servicing? Or what if the tape you just bought were incompatible with your walkman, so you couldn’t listen to it at the gym or while jogging? What would you think if you found out that the music industry intentionally manufactured tapes so that their customers would suffer this damage and inconvenience?” More >>

21 May 2002 >> “We must try to understand how we mishandled intelligence prior to September 11th, but let’s do it in a calm, rational way, far away from professional politicians. Our goal should be fixing the problem, not affixing the blame. Forgive my skepticism, but judging from the hotheaded handwringing that has taken place already, holding hearings in some Congressional kangaroo court will do little more than provide a podium for people whose primary concern is their next election.” More >>

7 May 2002 >> “Arafat has always claimed publicly that he has no control over the Palestinian bombers who routinely attack Israel. But if Arafat can’t control the bombers now, how can he promise Israel that they’ll stop bombing once a peace deal is signed? Either Arafat can’t control the bombers, in which case it is not possible for him to uphold a promise of peace, or he can control the bombers and is allowing them to attack, in which case he’s a liar and a terrorist. Whichever it is, Israel would be crazy to sign a peace deal with him.” More >>

15 April 2002 >> “After suffering the attacks of September 11th, I could have understood an American wanting to participate in a rowdy demonstration where enemy leaders were burned in effigy. Instead, it is the people supporting our attackers who routinely hold violent demonstrations, demonstrations where the participants burn our flag while they pray for, plan for, and attempt to execute our country’s complete annihilation. And yet, for some reason, despite only a handful of revenge crimes nationwide, we still must endure lecturing from the Left about tolerance.” More >>

4 April 2002 >> “We’re in a fight for survival, we must destroy our enemy before we ourselves are destroyed. Some of us understand this; people can call us ’simple’ if that makes them feel superior. But we simpletons apparently see something that smarter people can’t: we must defeat al Qaeda before they get the bomb, or we’re toast. Not recognizing that simple fact is a sign of someone who’s a little too smart for their own good.” More >>

27 March 2002 >> “Bill Clinton is a low-life thief, a petty swindler, and a smooth-talking scam artist more suited for Tammany Hall than the White House. He’s shallow because he was given remarkable gifts and the opportunity to do great things with them, yet he achieved nothing substantial. In the end, his presidency amounted to little more than talk and corruption. The man who spent the final days of his presidency fretting about his legacy will find it to be recorded quite accurately by history: Bill Clinton is a shallow, failed man.” More >>

11 March 2002 >> “It is our duty to see as much as we can of the catastrophe that was inflicted upon us. We need to face up to the depths of the evil in the hearts of the enemy we’re fighting. If we don’t, from what source will we draw the strength to maintain our resolve when the war gets long or the news gets boring?” More >>

1 February 2002 >> “Democrats believe they have politics on their side, and they may be right. After all, there are many more non-rich than rich. Pandering to the non-rich by attacking the rich is as old as Karl Marx, and it certainly may get the Democrats some votes. But it won’t get the economy moving any faster. Injecting more capital into the markets will. And if it just so happens to make the rich a little richer, is that so bad if we all benefit?” More >>

18 January 2002 >> “To disfigure a moment in history to satisfy ephemeral political concerns is not only an insult to the firefighters who raised the flag, it cheapens our nation’s historical record by turning it into a mere simulation.” More >>

11 January 2002 >> “Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle seems bent on becoming the Senate Minority Leader and destroying the chances his fellow Democrats have of retaking the House of Representatives this fall. While layoffs accumulate, while the unemployment rate climbs, and with the country mired in recession, Tom Daschle is selfishly playing with people’s lives so that he can provide his party with an ‘issue’ for the 2002 elections.” More >>

14 September 2001 >> “The vigil—which was supposed to be a remembrance for those who were killed in the attacks—was hijacked by a loud group that tried to turn it into an anti-war protest. About half of this group looked as though they had attended every protest held since 1968 and had been following personal hygiene tips from Wavy Gravy. The other half were college-aged neo-hippies who wielded their moral outrage with an air of self-congratulation, as though their misguided complaining somehow made them superior to those who disagreed.” More >>

12 September 2001 >> 12 September 2001: “We traded stories we’d heard about the day before, and after each one, we sat in silence, looking down, or out the window, but not at each other. It was as if each story needed its own little period of mourning, and out of respect for this need, we didn’t disturb each other with eye contact or talk.” More >>

12 September 2001 >> “My gorgeous, magnificent, wonderful city has been abused and violated. Gorgeous, magnificent, talented young people have had their lives unnaturally altered. My heart has been abused and violated. The hearts of my most beloved friends have been abused and violated. I am sad and angry.” More >>

11 September 2001 >> A trek through a chaotic Manhattan as the city struggles to absorb the attacks of September 11th. More >>

22 August 2001 >> If I call myself a Libertarian and support the application of anti-trust laws against Microsoft, will you still respect me in the morning? More >>