Pajamas Media

When One Side is Mad, MAD Won’t Work:

“There is no deterrent to suicidal martyrdom, involuntary mass martrydom. No deterrent that depends on belief in the value of life by genocidal murderers on a “martyrdom mission”. Is there a solution to this problem aside from pre-emptive strikes which will likely be catastrophic for both sides and probably only postpone a second Holocaust? Are there any deterrrents that will stop Ahmadinejad and his ilk from carrying out their genocidal designs?” (More @ PajamasXpress)

“Aren’t you tired of the whole ‘you’re-a-fascist’ line? “

Richard Miniter looks at some ancient Leftist ideas and their survival in the 21st Century @ PajamasXpress.

Kofi: the Man, the Myth, the Mercedes and the Apartment:

“The questions for Kofi are: who did hold the lease, who does now, how did well-paid Kofi and his wife – who are forever lecturing the U.S. on obligations to those less fortunate – justify their use of a low-rent NY state-subsidized apartment right up until he became Secretary-General in 1997, and how did the transfer of use to the family of his brother take place?” (Claudia Rosett is on the case @ The Rosett Report.)

Our Leaders Dither. Our Troops Die. by Michael Ledeen

“Rumsfeld, Rice, Tenet, Hadley, Hayden and Negroponte. None of them wanted to know about the murderous activities of the Iranians. Just ask Imad Mughniyah, the world’s most lethal killer.” (Read the rest HERE @ PajamasXpress)

Afghanistan Again: Somalia Falling to Al Qaeda

The terror group stands on the verge of conquering first safe haven since 9/11. by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross A Pajamas Media Exclusive Al Qaeda's allies in Somalia are on the verge of seizing the secular government's last stronghold - opening the possibility of a "new Afghanistan" to shelter America's enemies. Somalia is at a critical juncture. In the coming days, the world will learn whether the transitional federal government is strong enough to fend off the terrorists' assault. If it fails, al-Qaeda will win its first countrywide safe haven since 9/11. The radical Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a Taliban-like group linked to Osama bin Laden, seized the Somali capital of Mogadishu in June and has steadily gained control of strategic cities throughout the country since then. Its main rival, the secular transitional federal government, is now confined to the south-central Somali city of Baidoa.

The Glenn and Helen Show: A Martha Stewart Christmas

It’s a Martha Stewart Christmas at the Glenn and Helen Show! Well, it’s a show about Martha Stewart at Christmastime, anyway. Glenn Reynolds and Helen Smith interview law professor Joan Heminway about her book, %%AMAZON=1594602360 Martha Stewart’s Legal Troubles,%% which comes out next week. They’re joined by Professor Ellen Podgor and talk not only about Martha Stewart’s legal troubles, but about the Sarbanes-Oxley bill, white-collar crime, and the criminalization of nearly everything.

Christmas music by Audra and the Antidote. Brought to you by Volvo US.

The Glenn and Helen Show: A Martha Stewart Christmas

“Old Farts” vs. Bloggers

By Catherine Seipp The Michael Richards n-word incident continues to take its toll, especially in media circles. I just noticed, for instance, that former Los Angeles Timesman Bob Baker's attempt at "satirizing" Richards' recent comedy club implosion used the n-word 23 times and therefore got him in trouble with a "reporter/friend," (presumably nonwhite, otherwise I suspect Baker would have tried to come up with some sort of argument.) But the sometime L.A. Times writing coach quickly backed off from his Lenny Bruce-inspired parody regretfully and fully.

The Sanity Squad: Ready or Not

Here comes Barack Obama, and just in the nick of time, because, “The Democrats are not going to win with any of the [ermmm... people] that have been representing them.” That and more from our panel of gentle and caring professionals when the Sanity Squad takes on Senator Obama’s apotheosis and the prospects for civil war in Palestine, in this week’s episode. (Listen HERE)

Milk Toast Politics by Victor Davis Hanson

“Democrats have become old Republicans abroad, and Republicans have become old Democrats at home. We the public think the renewed realism is stability and a return to normality, but it is a prescription for disaster: a “stable” Middle East gave us 9/11.” (Read the rest HERE)

Film: The Lives of Others

A continuing series of "out of school" Oscar reviews by Motion Picture Academy Member Roger L. Simon My friend novelist David Freeman said the German movie The Lives of Others would remind blasé me why I was once interested in working in the movies and he was right. Thirty-three year old Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's first film about life under the Stasi (East German State Security) is a masterpiece of political cinema with the depth and lingering impact of a serious novel, an extreme rarity in movies these days. It is also a riveting theatrical experience. The film won Best Picture at the European Film Awards (after being astonishingly rejected by the Berlin and Cannes Festivals - more on this below) and should contend for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.