Free Republic

Democrat honchos, while forever complaining that President Bush has hurt America's image in the world, have themselves been engaged in a systematic campaign to slander President Bush, particularly over foreign policy, consequently undermining America's image in the world.

I tried. I really did. I wanted to deal dispassionately with l'affaire française. I even resolved to refrain, until my Schadenfreude wore off, from commenting on the situation in the country formerly known as "France." (Possible future names include: Paristine, Gaulistan, Frarabia and the Algerian North Bank.)

In its day, World War One was called "The War to End All Wars." Sadly, it wasn't.

CHARM, Ohio — More appropriate names are hard to come by. In Charm, situated among the rolling hills of Holmes County — the largest Amish settlement in the country — life is postcard perfect and, yes, charming.

Sylvester Stallone has gotten the green light to make "Rocky 6." No word on exactly who granted the green light, presumably Satan. There is such a concept as too much of a good thing. "Rocky" is a classic, no doubt about it. A feel good underdog story that inspired a nation to wake up at dawn, eat raw eggs and jog. "Rocky 2", as sequels go, was pretty good. "Rocky 3", okay, all the oddball charm of "Rocky" was gone by now but not bad. "Rocky 4", with the evil Russian commie robot "Drago", as played by Dolph Lungren, well,...

According to its Office du Tourisme, the big event in Evreux this past weekend was supposed to be the annual fête de la pomme, du cidre et du fromage at the Place de la Mairie. Instead, in this charmingly smoldering cathedral town in Normandy, a shopping mall, a post office, two schools, upwards of 50 vehicles and, oh yes, the police station were destroyed by — what's the word? — "youths".

When, seven months ago, I finished writing my book, "The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations?" (Regnery Publishing, Washington, D.C., Sept.11, 2005), London had not been attacked by Islamist terrorists, the Tate Museum in London had not removed an art exhibit because it offended radical Muslim sensitivities, and France had not yet experienced the explosion of violence from elements of its Muslim population in its "no-go zone" communities.

Stories. They can shed a light on the news, even the news to come, like nothing else. One story can be worth a thousand pictures, graphs, statistics, analyses, at least if Theodore Dalrymple, the best social critic writing today, tells it. In part because he knows how to tell the one story that sums up a whole social trend, tragedy or crisis to come.

Observing the riots in the suburbs of Paris, an American is tempted to rejoice. Are not the French getting their just desserts for their arrogance, opposition and condescension toward the United States and for their observation that the predominantly poor victims of Hurricane Katrina revealed an ugly underside of America that they happily condemned?

Former Marine Staff Sgt. Jimmy Massey was the liberal media's dream come true: An anti-war Iraq veteran who came forward to publicly lambaste the Bush administration and accuse American troops of murdering innocent civilians.

On November 9, 1938, the Nazi government launched a vicious pogrom in which thousand of Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps, while bands of young Nazi thugs smashed the windows of Jewish homes and shops. Kristallnacht — the "Night of Broken Glass" — sent through the world a premonition of the dark and murderous future that lay ahead for Europe.

Paris, Baghdad. Paris, Baghdad. As winter looms, the savvy traveler begins meditations on spring break and summer vacation. Naturally, I'm torn between springtime in Paris or … Baghdad, the world's newest and unlikeliest fun spot for those who like a little adventure mixed with their relaxation. If you like paintball, you'll love the Green Zone!

Sony Pictures got upset about a "bad" word. They demanded it be taken out of the title of a movie. The word is "Muslim." Give me a break. Do we have to be that sensitive? Or fearful?

One by one, they join the silent majority. But thinking about them provides some of the comfort and assurance that being with them once did.

Even the Terminator can make a mistake. A new television commercial promoting his four propositions on Tuesday's ballot reveals a Terminator with humility:

Democrats were saved from utter devastation last week by the indictment of Lewis Libby. At least they could console themselves that one high-ranking White House official was in danger of being jailed for a very long time (and their glee when contemplating the maximum possible sentence was undisguised).

Harry Reid and Co., in accusing Team Bush of manipulating intelligence, have managed to pioneer an even more egregious abuse of the American political system: the manipulation of ignorance.

Sometimes a small issue lights a large landscape like a slash of lightning; for a moment we see society with dazzling clarity. A new edition of "The Elements of Style" has just appeared — "Elements" is the classic writers' handbook by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. The new version starkly illuminates our disrespect for national treasures.

Parents increasingly at war against a culture they find aggressively sexualized just lost another battle. This time against the local school board.

"We in America know the benevolence that is at the heart of Islam," declared Condoleezza Rice, addressing assembled Muslim dignitaries at the annual Ramadan dinner at the State Department — and provoking a second, consecutive examination in this column of the rhetoric of the most important US official next to the president.