Ben Stein: Happy Bush Country

The American Spectator ^ | June 1 2004 | Ben Stein

[risk]

Great story.

[ntnychik]

Ping to a great Ben Stein article.

[Old Professer]

When I first started reading Stein it was in the late 70s in L.A. in the now defunct Herald Examiner and he had a decided hippiesque take on things Hollywood, Malibu and LaLa proper and a terrible lecher-like affection for his nubile semi-intern "secretaries" from fancy prep schools, Beverly Hills High and UCLA; from there he moved to the New Yorker (briefly) The New Republic (I think) American Spectator and somewhere along the way got married, had a kid and got divorced and fell in love in the way only a self-indulgent doting post-prime protein-challenged biopic malatype can with his darling baby boy who will forever be 6 years old.

Poor Ben, he could have been a great writer.

[des]

And...he was Deep Throat :)

[john_virtue]

The great thing about Ben Stein is he puts his money where his mouth is, in a BIG way.

What cracks me up the most about this list are his donations to Nader, clearly done to piss Hollywood elites off.

[dano1]

Bump to the top. This is an awesome essay.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[Billthedrill]

Just got back - about two hours ago - from Northern Idaho, Sandpoint area. It is unutterably beautiful. Stein would be welcome at my table any time.

But the Nazi stuff is all true. And the bear stuff too - they walk the streets, eating little children. Not to mention the cannibal elk and the eagle that cruises my lake looking for small dogs in people's campsites. Nope, you don't want to go there, trust me. Hell on earth, yessirreebob. There's gonna be a volcano there soon and I understand that's where the asteroid's gonna hit.

There was, in truth a storm of increbible force that passed through last Sunday. I offer my FR buddies a picture taken from my deck. My friend's 5-year-old daughter told me that it was God's promise the the world would never again be drowned.

The networks are too busy telling you how awful America is to show you this stuff...

[My Dog Likes Me]

I've always enjoyed Ben Stein's writing. But, unfortunately, this essay actually exposes a dark place in his mind and leaves me sad.

He should have just come out and said "Hey! In the early 1990's I discovered that people in fly-over country didn't drag their knuckles!"

He and his fellow elitist bicoastal Neocons marvel at their own personal, and recent, realization that Americans are the most decent people on earth. People in fly-over country knew this from a very young age.

[dsc]

"Wait. I already did that :)"

What about people who haven't? Any jobs there?

[Redcloak]

I've been to Lake Pendoreille. It was the most enjoyable business trip I've ever been on. The country there is indescribably beautiful.

We were using the Navy's test facilities on the lake. A photographer who was working for the Navy was there to document our work. He told me that he had been all over the world working for the Navy but he planned to retire in the Idaho Panhandle. He said that it was the most beautiful place he had ever been sent to.

[John Lenin]

I saw Stein on some left-wing show a few months ago and thought I was listening to Andy Warhole. This guy flip-flops a bit.

[Victoria_R]

Another plus---During recent elections the dims failed to enter nearly all of the races in North Idaho!!! Must be afraid of the Nazi's--all six of em.

Personally I thought it was amusing that in the Presidential Primary (yeah, there was one on May 25 in Idaho) "None of the above" got 11% of the vote in the Republican race.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

This makes me feel like posting about some layoffs.

Who owes you a job?

[metesky]

Let's try again:

[lainde]

bttt

[SamAdams76]

Overall good article but I'm not sure the coffee correlation is accurate. I drink a lot of coffee and I'm no whiner, complainer or Kerry voter.

Perhaps Starbucks coffee shops might be a better indicator. Everytime I stray into one of those, I think I've entered the set of a Big Chill sequel. A bunch of middle-aged to elderly hippies with open-toed sandals and Mac laptops scowling at their issue of The New York Times or Mother Jones while some obscure jazz band does some horrid rendition of a 1960s Grateful Dead song.

[hellinahandcart]

I remember in the 80's that the blue states were always the Reagan states. I don't know when the color scheme got switched.

It switched when Republicans were no longer the incumbents.

States going to the incumbent party have always been shown in blue, states going to the challenger have always been red. So unless the networks all change precedent, Bush states will be shown in blue on election night.

I would declare here and now that Reagan's states were red on the night he defeated Carter-- but I was watching the returns on a black-and-white set in my college dorm, so I can't say that.:D

[hnorris]

This makes me feel like posting about some layoffs.

I got laid off at the end of January. I started my own business and haven't looked back.

I suppose in my situation, it's a jobless recovery?

[LadyDoc]

bump