FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Steynonline and National Review ^ | 26 May 2009 | Mark Steyn

[JLS]

I was in one of those hotels where they give you The New York Times whether you want it or not. And, even if you leave it in the corridor, the maid brings it into the room and places it invitingly on the table. And, even though you ignore it, you call down for a pot of tea and the room service guy moves it to put the tray down and then drapes the paper slightly over the edge between the cup and the single flower in the mini-vase as though posed for a “Still Life of Afternoon Tea with New York Times” that fetches $1.6 million at Sotheby’s. And at that point, fearing the next stage would be when I slid into bed to be awakened 20 minutes later by the hooker from the lobby curled up on the adjoining pillow and reading Frank Rich into my ear, I gave in and opened up the paper. Inside was a story of immigrants in Langley Park, Maryland “Struggling To Rise In Suburbs” (as the headline put it). Usual sludge, but in the middle of it, helpfully explaining Langley Park to his readers, Jason DeParle wrote as follows:

Now nearly two-thirds Latino and foreign-born, it has the aesthetics of suburban sprawl and the aura of Central America. Laundromats double as money-transfer stores. Jobless men drink and sleep in the sun. There is no city government, few community leaders, and little community.

At which point I stopped, and went back, and reread it.

[JLS]

Steyn on PC and an implication of it.

[JLS]

Good to hear about the assistant at work. Time for another Steyn ping.

[Travis McGee]

“Better dead than rude.”
Good essay.

[huldah1776]

“Very few Swedes knowingly voted for societal self-extinction.”

I beg to differ-if they vote pro-abortion.

[sionnsar]

I was in one of those hotels where they give you The New York Times whether you want it or not. And, even if you leave it in the corridor

My corporation doesn't put me up in those hotels. All I usually get is "USA Today" and when I (forget to cancel it and) put it in the trash -- it goes away.

Once in a while I wind up in a hotel that also offers the WSJ. Then I am happy; home away from home.

[La Lydia]

Very few... knowingly voted for societal self-extinction, yet in barely a third of century it’s become a fait accomplis. And in a politically correct world there is no acceptable form of public discourse in which to object to it. This is the triumph of the left’s assault on language. As my colleague John Derbyshire put it in another context: Better dead than rude.

[donna]

Frank Rich . . . Jason DeParle . . . New York Times and sometimes National Review . . . men from Mars speaking space language as far as I can tell.

[La Lydia]

I loved the part about the prostitute purring Frank Rich's column into his ear. What a mental image.

Langley Park and many other communities in Maryland and Northern Virginia, and the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of DC, already are Third World countries.

[sionnsar]

Do I read the original article aright? Is Sweden toast???

[ottbmare]

do I read the original article aright? Is Sweden toast???

Ask Western Civ; he's from there, he thinks it's great, just troubled around Malmo. A better standard of living than ours, if you don't mind the endless winters.

[sionnsar]

Do I read the original article aright? Is Sweden toast???

[sionnsar]

Waiting to hear. LoM spent some time there a while ago. A cultural education to me.

[Jack Hammer]

The worst thing about the Times is that if you use it for the only purpose to which it’s suited, you get that black ink all over your butt.

[goldstategop]

We can't oppose illegal immigration. If they want to subvert our societies from within, we better sit there and take it. The mods are about to ban Mark Steyn because he agrees with VDARE. So do I: I'll take Irish immigrants over Somali Muslims any day. The last thing I want is for the US to die from multicultural suicide.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[SuziQ]

*snort* “Better dead than rude!”

[LibreOuMort]

Yes, you do read correctly. Sweden will succumb to the invasion without so much as a “Hey DÅ!” I am afraid.

[knews_hound]

Thanks for the Ping JLS.

Trust me, no one is happier about someone to help me than I am.  What a load off my back it has been too.

Meanwhile ...

Pinging the Mark Steyn Ping List.

Welcome to the newest members of this ever expanding  list.




On or off, please FReepmail me.

Cheers,

knewshound

knewshounds blog

[COUNTrecount]

Thank you.

[GOPJ]

Very few Swedes knowingly voted for societal self-extinction, yet in barely a third of century it’s become a fait accomplis. And in a politically correct world there is no acceptable form of public discourse in which to object to it. This is the triumph of the left’s assault on language. As my colleague John Derbyshire put it in another context: Better dead than rude.

I know liberals who think any "speech" against them should be outlawed. They don't say it in quite those words - but it's what they mean. Thought crimes are totalitarian earmarks... always have been - always will be.

[Rummyfan]

And at that point, fearing the next stage would be when I slid into bed to be awakened 20 minutes later by the hooker from the lobby curled up on the adjoining pillow and reading Frank Rich into my ear...

Now there's a scary thought!

[Rummyfan]

Two generations ago, America, Canada, Australia and the rest of the developed world took it as read that a sovereign nation had the right to determine which, if any, foreigners it extended rights of residency to.

This PC will destroy our Nation.

[Billthedrill]

Even though 40 years ago governments routinely distinguished between Irish and Bulgar, Indian and Somali, now all that matters is to demonstrate your multicultural bona fides...

Multiculturalism has very little to do with what you are; it's vitally concerned with what you are not. It's pretty much strictly a self-destructive phenomenon of Western culture - one never hears of multiculti proponents in Mexico celebrating an enclave of Pennsylvania Quakers, Georgia Crackers, or New York Jews. That would be...colonialist, wouldn't it?

[Gritty]

BTTT

[alwaysconservative]

Thanks for the ping to another great Steyn article.

[spodefly]

We all seem pretty clear on what constitutes an assault on the Second Amendment ... and we are pretty clear on what constitutes an assault on parts of the First, especially the religious aspects ...

But most people are blissfully unaware of how political correctness and the speech codes of the left have almost completely altered our ability to discuss matters of interest, especially those matters involving the left's definition of oppressor versus opressed. They have defined the terms, and consequently limited any meaningful discussion of the fundamental issue.

[Egon]

The mods are about to ban Mark Steyn...

Wha??

[Victoria Delsoul]

We can't oppose illegal immigration. If they want to subvert our societies from within, we better sit there and take it. The mods are about to ban Mark Steyn because he agrees with VDARE.

No conservative in their right mind would ban a great commentator like Mark Steyn, and the fact is that true conservatives aren't the type to censor.  They have a deep respect for American values, especially freedom of speech.

[irv]

This PC will destroy our Nation.

Isn't that what it's for?