Posted on 01/28/2011 5:25:23 AM PST by Rummyfan
HH: We have a lot to do today, and we begin with Mark Steyn, the commentary equivalent of the high speed train without the massive public subsidies, our Columnist To the World. Hello, Mark, and how are you?
MS: Well, I must say, Ive been insulted many times in my life, but Ive never been compared to President Obamas light rail initiative. I take great umbrage at that, Hugh.
HH: Well, not the Fresno edition, not the Valley edition. More like the Mid-Western edition, which has only 150% chance of not getting built. Mark Steyn, at this hour, the Egyptian authorities are shutting down Twitter, Facebook, theyre trying to close all of the internets, to quote the late Ted Stevens. What do you think is ahead for Egypt?
MS: Well, you know, Egypt is historically, it certainly regards itself as the most important Arab nation. And again, in historical terms, Mubarak has had a good long run. Hes been there over thirty years. But the fact remains that hes an unpopular thug dictator who thought that he could hold the lid on the pot. Hes discovering, as the Tunisian regime did a couple of weeks ago, that in fact thats a lot harder. And the question now is whether hes prepared to kill to maintain himself in power. At the last minute the Tunisians decided they were not willing to do that, its not clear to me whether theyll be as happy an ending in Cairo.
HH: Now Mark Steyn, the El-Baradai is there. Hes the face of the opposition, the completely inept former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Im not sure Im looking forward to him at the head of an Egyptian government. Do you know of anyone that we ought to applaud to come to power?
MS: No, and I dont really think thats what its about. I think the idea that suddenly overnight the Egypt or Tunisia morphs into Sweden or New Hampshire is not plausible. The alternatives are not pleasant. As you say, El-Baradai was a disaster as head of the IAEA. The democratic urges within Egypt are not necessarily pro-American. But the fact of the matter is that this country has gotten billions and billions of dollars since the Camp David accords from the United States of American to prop up this ugly dictatorship. And what has American gotten in return for it? Its gotten nothing other than Mohammed Atta flying through the office window on a Tuesday morning in 2001. The fact is the maintenance of stability in the Middle East, which has been American policy for half a century now, theres a direct line between that false investment in stability and September 11th. So on the whole, I have no great expectations of Egyptian democracy. But Mubaraks day is done, and I dont think its in the interest of the United States government to prop him up.
HH: I want to note that the dictator there and everywhere tries to shut down communication as a last, desperate gasp. And today, in the Wall Street Journal, we have four hundred rabbis demanding that Glenn Beck be sanctioned, demanding that Roger Ailes apologize for, and they charge insensitivity to Jews, and slander to Soros, et cetera. What do you make of this effort, Mark Steyn?
MS: Well, Jews have all I get very heated about this because of what I went through in Canada. And rabbis in particular should know this, because the original proponents of speech codes was the Weimer Republic, the pre-Hitler regime in Germany, which prosecuted the Nazi party for anti-Semitic speech on, I think, 200 occasions, and at one time, imposed a speech ban on Hitler. For the benefit of your younger listeners, Hugh, Hitler was the Roger Ailes of his day.
HH: (laughing)
MS: And his opponents succeeded in getting him banned from public speaking in Bavaria. And a fat lot of good all that did. As any rabbi with a single functioning brain cell ought to realize, if youre on the side that wants to shut people up, then youre on the wrong side. Thats not a side the Jews, of all people, should be on. But the fact of the matter is, as Im sure youre aware, Hugh, is that what goes on in the right is that every time we try to hold an argument about health care, Obamacare, were told were racists. If we have differences over gay marriage, were told were homophobic. If we object to, if we support Arizonas law, were told were xenophobic. If we oppose the Ground Zero Mosque, were told were Islamophobic. Were told that we dont have policy differences, but in fact, were mentally ill all the time. The right in this country is the one that wants to hold the debate. Rabbis should not be on the side of saying no, were ruling the debate out of order, because that is Mubarak territory.
HH: You know, I was on the BBC World Report with Mick Moore earlier today. The wonderfully named chief strategy officer of the Jewish Fund for Justice, he found it inconvenient as we debated this that I cited Frank Rich, whod been tossing around Kristallnacht as the analogy to the Tea Party.
MS: Right.
HH: And he countered with a reference to Dana Milank, at which point the newsreader got us both off the air, because he was totally confused. But I find it amusing that there is this one-sided view of who offends good taste in America, when in fact if you want Nazi references, just fall back a few years, Mark Steyn, to the Bush Hitler years.
MS: Right. Right, right. And you know what Id be annoyed about, if I was a rabbi, what Id be annoyed about, there are millions and millions of people all across the country, all across the world who know the difference between real Nazism and real Fascism, and the cheap slurs of the left.
HH: Yes.
MS: And its incredibly insulting to anybody who lived in Europe in the years between 1933 and 1945 to get on your high horse about Glenn Beck. I mean, I think that is far more insulting than anything Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin, or anybody says. If youre in the business that rabbis are in, rhetoric is your currency. Language is your currency. And youre debauching your own currency with this banality.
HH: Let me ask you, speaking about the climate of rhetoric these days, Chris Matthews has come close to exorcist-like head spinning when he brings up Michele Bachmann. Have you see that? And what is at work there?
MS: (laughing) I know. Well, for a start, let me tell you, I love Michele Bachmann.
HH: So do I.
MS: Because theres something, theres some stupid thing called Congress Reads every year, where Congressmen have to pick out a book. And I gather that most times, theyre just sort of photographed, you know, reading Thomas the Tank Engine to grade schoolers or whatever. And God bless Michele Bachmann picked out my book, America Alone.
HH: Oh, good, for the little third graders? Good.
MS: Yeah. And her opponents saw that as, took that as final confirmation shed gone completely insane. I always, I think its incredibly valuable to have people who are to the right of the Republican establishment to keep them honest. Its actually the most important thing we can have at the moment. And Im with Michele Bachmann all the time, because you need somebody to counter all the reach across the aisle types in the Republican establishment. And so Im with Michele Bachmann, and all the more so if she makes Chris Matthews head explode.
HH: Oh, that brings me, though, to the NBC dictate, that they will run the first Republican debate at the Reagan Library on May 2nd, along with Politico. It will be hosted by Brian Williams. They just told people to show up. And you know, Ive got to assume that Brian Williams and Chris Matthews talk a little bit. Why in the world would we allow, Mark Steyn, the conservative movement, to allow the MSM to mediate these debates?
MS: Oh, come on, Hugh. I mean, I think Brian Williams is the perfect man to moderate the debate, and determine who is going to be this years Bob Dole or John McCain. Were interested, I think in this political season, we need to identify as early as possible the decent, dignified Republican loser who knows how to give a great concession speech. And I think thats what Brian Williams and NBC are hoping to get a jump on. And now if youre actually interested in saving this country from sliding into a multi-trillion dollar abyss, then letting Brian Williams dictate your nominating process is a complete waste of time. But Im not sure the Republican party at heart quite gets that yet.
HH: Last question, new press secretary, Jay Carney. He has got some chops. He was with Time Magazine for all those years, quite a reporter and writer, more in the Tony Snow than the political operative mold of Robert Gibbs. What do you make of this choice? Whats it tell us?
MS: Well, you know, I think the problem here is its not a question of shuffling the manpower. This is where youve got Obama was elected as the star show. And the problem is that the star vehicle has a hole at the center. And so shuffling the chorus boys, I dont think, is really going to do much for him. That was really the lesson of Tuesday, I think, that this guy is out of gas. It turns out that the star you put in the star vehicle isnt really a star at all. And as I said, shuffling the chorus boys isnt really going to cut it, really.
HH: Last question, Dennis Kucinich is suing the House cafeteria for $150,000. Do you think were going to see House members lining up to get sandwiches and win the Lotto?
MS: (laughing) Well, you know, Im not, I mean, because I guess were on the hook for this, ultimately, so at first, well maybe you know, if enough Congressmen sue because of near fatal sandwiches, it will actually reduce the deficit. But on the other hand, I think the taxpayers will end up paying for this sandwich.
HH: I think its a very sad day for olive pits. Mark Steyn at www.steynonline.com, thank you, my friend.
End of interview.
Don't forget - Mark Steyn is guest-hosting for Rush today.
Thanks, Rummyfan! I absolutely love, love, love Mark Steyn!
I disagree with Steyn here. Obama isn't "out of gas", he's never had any to start with. He's a campaigner and a sloganeer, but now he's saddled with something he's never had to deal with before: a record.
My sentiments exactly!
Great post! Mark for PRESIDENT. Or at least, Czar of the FCC...
No doubt. The MSM will try to pick the Designated Loser for the establishment republicans. However we have other plans.
BTTT
Thanks for posting. Reading this conversation helps to ‘reset’ my brain.
bump
I wish he would add some content to the website, just talk and let someone else transcribe it or something, geez.
:)
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