Posted on 12/28/2005 11:44:46 PM PST by RWR8189
The big story of the year happened last year, after every journalist in the world filed his biggest-story-of-the-year piece and went away for the holidays. That of course was the great tsunami. On this day one year ago the dimensions of the disaster had finally become clear. The tsunami is the story of 2005 not because it was shocking that natural disasters occur or that a quarter million people can die and many more be hurt in them--that information is well known to all adults. The great tsunami is the big story of 2005 because after it occurred the tired old heart of a tired old world responded with the energy and alacrity of the youthful and untired. Thousands went to help. We sent billions; we sent former presidents; we devoted air time and print. For a lot of people there may have been something reorienting in the drama: no matter what, we are all the same, and all together, fleeing the wave.
The second story, of course, is Hurricane Katrina. The same and different. Closer to home, not nearly as deadly in terms of numbers. Again it took days to understand the dimensions of the destruction, and again Americans stepped forward. But this time the political response, on the ground and in Washington, was not moving and rousing but inadequate and embarrassing. The fallout continues.
Third story: the death of Pope John Paul II and the rise of Benedict XVI. One of the longest pontificates in church history ends. Millions take to the streets and tell the Vatican to make him a saint. The Vatican is taken aback and elects Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who even 10 years ago was considered too old, too conservative, and too German to be pope. It is, still, the most amazing story of the
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
These columns always include a "serious" book mention, and a "Hey, I'm down with the pop culture" book mention.
Noonan can be good, sometimes, but this one was written on autopilot.
I agree. Pretty lame.
Peggy must be writing another book.
I was not impressed.
Switch back to regular coffee please Peggy.
Peggy has been going seriously downhill for about a year. Truly, in all of 2005, I don't think I read anything she wrote that didn't make me ask "What happened to Peggy?"
That's the Peggy Noonan story of '05.
What about the starvation murder of a disabled
woman whose smiling gaze at her devoted mother
should have melted even the most hardened hearts?
Peggy usually highlights something with great
moral gravitas. This list is missing that element, IMO.
That was my thought. Along with the side-bar story: a judiciary that encouraged and ultimately ordered that murder. Terri Schiavo's plight, and the very significant setback it meant for building a "culture of life," is one of the biggest story, if not the biggest, of the year, and yet where is it? Will it make any pundit's Top-Ten for '05? How soon everyone forgets.
Oh I totally disagree with this. Only in Washington where democrats want to hang it over Bush's head and boot lickers like Ed Rollins who practically apologized for being a GOP "consultant" does this work.
democrats think they can actually run on Katrina in 2006. I bet the only person who goes down is Blanco for the poor response, because it was her fault. Nagin will go down possibly if they can't find enough fraudulent voters in the 9th ward.
The biggest unreported story of the year is Able Danger.
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