The Pleasures Of MSNBC
Historical Analogies Run Amok: Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann have just compared Obama's victory to Lexington and Concord and the election of 1932 and the American Civil War. They neglected the obvious Glorious Revolution comparison. Giuliani Interview: It was a genuine pleasure to listen to Giuliani nervously laugh his way through questions about whether he could support a nominee like Huckabee with his views on arming the citizenry. Last I looked, Rudy had four percent in the caucus--that's sixth place, I believe. READ MORE >>
Panic!
The pro-Romney folks over at the Corner are starting to hyperventilate. READ MORE >>
Fog of War
For months, our magazine has been subject to accusations that stories we published by an American soldier then serving in Iraq were fabricated. When these accusations first arose, we promised our readers a full account of our investigation. We spent the last four-and-a-half months re-reporting his stories. These are our findings.When Michael Goldfarb, a blogger for The Weekly Standard, left me a message on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-July, I didn't know him or his byline. And I certainly didn't anticipate that his message READ MORE >>
How to Handle Iran
Political Pitch
This article was adapted from The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup. There have been revolutions to create socialism, democracy, and authoritarian dictatorship. But humankind has yet to fight a revolution to guarantee one of the most vital elements--if not the most vital element--of the good life. That is, a winning soccer team. If we were to take up arms for this reason, what kind of government would we want to install? READ MORE >>
How governments nurture soccer.
This article was adapted from The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup. READ MORE >>
Simon Says
Highbrows widely regard the singing competition "American Idol"--and the contest's mascot, its tart English judge, Simon Cowell--as an omen of impending cultural apocalypse. To list the specifics of this grim forecast: Performing more-or-less karaoke, complete with shooting flames and ocean waves projected on a massive video screen behind them, contestants pay homage to the most irksome trifles in the history of pop. READ MORE >>
Trilling, Sontag ... Cowell.
Highbrows widely regard the singing competition "American Idol"--and the contest's mascot, its tart English judge, Simon Cowell--as an omen of impending cultural apocalypse. To list the specifics of this grim forecast: Performing more-or-less karaoke, complete with shooting flames and ocean waves projected on a massive video screen behind them, contestants pay homage to the most irksome trifles in the history of pop. (Tonight, we fete the genius of Gloria Estefan; next week, Barry Manilow!) Despite the unspeakable lameness of READ MORE >>
Simon Says
Mr. Abramoff goes to Hollywood.
Nineteen eighty-six marked the height of Dolph Lundgren's powers. Following his triumphant portrayal of Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, Hollywood pundits touted Lundgren as the Swedish Schwarzenegger. With his girlfriend, the flat- topped Jamaican actress Grace Jones, he formed a muscle-bound glamour couple that paparazzi could hardly resist. Therefore, it made little sense that Lundgren would follow a rookie producer into a small African kingdom to make a B-movie called Red Scorpion.It didn't make any sense, except that the film's producer was Jack READ MORE >>
