Derbyshire for Secretary of State

John Derbyshire is one of my favorite opinion journalists.  He’s grumpy and pessimistic, but his grumpiness and pessimism sync up with mine a lot of the time.  He’s also wicked smart and a hell of a writer.

On page 2 of his November diary entry on the National Review site, he answers Randall Parker, who wonders here why we’re being “pussies” about the Somali pirates, by explaining that we are, in fact, a nation of pussies.  The whole section is positively lyrical—look about two-thirds of the way down this page—but this was my favorite:

We’re pussies about enemy nations, embarking on decades-long, trillion-dollar campaigns to make them love us, instead of quick ten-million-dollar lessons in why they should fear us. Why? Because we seek love and approval, like the furrowed-brow, teary-eyed, compassionate pansies we are.

Poetry, no?

May Mr. Derbyshire remain prolific during the Obama administration.  I fear we’re entering the fret to end all frets about our beloved and oh-so-unbelievably-fragile “standing in the world.”  We’re going to need a substantive counterbalance.

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13 thoughts on “Derbyshire for Secretary of State”

  1. If you don’t believe we’re turning into a nation of “pussies” just spend an evening watching Bravo. Thank Bejesus fo Spike TV!

    Reply
  2. SS, don’t get me wrong: that was a high-five to him!

    Lee, my theory about the appeal of chick flicks is that all the men in them are really just big girls with beards.

    Reply

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