Updated: Getting to the Young’uns

Classical Liberalism, Ilana Mercer, IlanaMercer.com, libertarianism

I’m not tooting my own horn, I promise. That would be bad form. What’s satisfying about the following post (other than who it afflicts), however, is that it’s by a young reader on “The Hip Forums” (not yet “done with school”), whose interest in libertarianism was stirred by my writing. About one thing he is unfortunately mistaken: my general knowledge is not very good:

“Ilana Mercer is the best damn essayist I have encountered, right up there with Justin Raimondo (another libertarian), although she arguably surpasses him. Her analytical rigor and verbal fluency astound me (it’s not uncommon for me to have to check the dictionary one or two times when reading her essays), and she is just so reasonable and yet iconoclastic. She also has an amazing store of general knowledge.

I cannot say I am a libertarian, because only recently have I started reading her essays, but I plan on learning more about the ideology once I am done with school and have more free time.”

Update: I am posting here a comment and my reply. The comment was originally appended to the wrong post:

Ilana,

While you may reject my recommendations for documentary movies i.e. “must-see” titles, I most certainly respect your global political acumen. [I don’t recall rejecting anything…]

Could you please describe the genesis of the “classical” part of your liberal persona, so that I might offer some sage advice to my daughters, who apparently adore you?

A list of essential readings would be appreciated, as they are both in university, and still impressionable.

Autographed photos might suffice, for now….

Mercer Reply:

Your dear daughters are clearly gems who have an instinct for the philosophy of freedom, upon which this great country was founded, and which it has since abandoned. Rejoice that they have come to this philosophy while in the academy; it usually inculcates in the young everything but Jeffersonian ideas.

If by quizzing me you imply that they may need to be steered away from the American ideas of individualism and self-government —then it is you who may need their counsel more than they yours.

I wish I had time to correspond at length, but I don’t. (Please tell your girls how buoyed I am that there are youngsters in the left-liberal academy who think independently as they do. I’d love them to partake on my blog. I extend an invitation.)

My columns/essays almost always include references. It’s about taking the time to work through the columns and extract the references. I have links on my Links Page to great classical liberal sites. My website is easy to navigate. Begin with Ludwig von Mises, Ayn Rand, Henry Hazlitt, Murray Rothbard, Frederic Bastiat, F. A. Hayek, and the great heroes of the Old Right, such as Felix Morley, Frank Chodorov, Garet Garrett, and John T. Flynn.

Thank you for telling me about your lovely girls.

—ILANA

By Michael on 04.07.07 3:58 pm

Updated: Bush Should Slither On His Belly to Bashar

Bush, Democrats, Iraq, Middle East

The White House is furious that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has traveled to meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus. Assad is not the only Middle East leader Pelosi is speaking to. Omigod! Diplomacy!

Trust Pelosi to give as good as she gets; she has pointed to the hypocrisy of the administration, having said nothing about the “the recent visits by Republican members of Congress.” The U.S. also participated “in a regional security conference in Baghdad last month that also included representatives from Iran and Syria.”

But here’s the real difficulty, as the press sees it: “The United States has poor relations with Syria, accusing it of interfering in Iraq.” Come to think of it, Bush, like the snake he is, should be slithering on his belly to Bashar to thank him for serving as the US’s pressure relief valve vis-a -vis Iraq.

Although the cable cretins don’t bother to report about them, and the administration smears reporters who try —millions of Iraqis have been displaced and uprooted in the aftermath of our invasion. Syria has been incredibly generous to these poor refugees. Together, Jordan and Syria have taken in 1.6 million fleeing Iraqi refugees. “On 20 October, Ron Redmond, UNHCR chief spokesman, said some 40,000 Iraqis are now arriving in Syria each month.” Take into account that these figures date back to October 2006.

Pelosi ought to thank the Syrian president for extending to the Iraqi refugees the use of its public schools and the health care system, although they “have to travel out of the country every six months to renew their visas and cannot hold work permits, resulting in high unemployment.” [I’m sure they don’t risk popping back to Iraq when visa renewal falls due, despite McCain’s assurances.]

IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) reports that “the majority of Iraqi refugees in Syria live in the suburbs of Damascus, in deteriorating socio-economic conditions.” That’s where Pelosi should be headed.

Update: Of course, American interests in the Middle East are not to be conflated with Israel’s. The two countries have completely different interests in the region (the one “lives” there, so to speak; the other often makes life impossible for those who live there). The fact that Bush should be speaking to Bashar doesn’t mean that Israel ought to be doing the same. Israel would be in better shape if it didn’t aim above all to please or emulate the US. Syria wants Israel to return territory acquired due to Syria’s aggression. Israel should reject this “option” if it cares to survive. However, time and again Israel has shown that it is no more than an American satellite.

Further reading:

From Russia With (Less Than) Love

Who’s the Boss — Israel or the U.S.?

Updated: Moronic Maher Mocks Patriot Paul

Media, Ron Paul, The Zeitgeist

The thing that’s so awful about this YouTube clip is the manner in which Bill Maher deploys mockery to discredit Ron Paul, without attempting to counter his arguments. Paul, of course, is many times Maher’s superior, intellectually and morally. If not for this smarmy mockery in the mainstream, the patriotic Paul’s ideas would catch on.

Update: A little less sneering (although these female anchors sure pull faces, grimace, and gesture vulgarly), but still quite condescending. Here’s an MSNBC daytime interview with Paul, titled, “Flying Under the Radar.” Note that the woman wasn’t pleased that Paul didn’t rabbit on about the firing of the US attorneys, like her colleague Keith Olbermann incessantly does.