November 9 marks the 20^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, put up by the communist rulers in 1961 to stem the drain from behind the Iron Curtain of those to whom freedom meant everything.  There was widespread shock throughout the West at the end of the Cold War, which seemed endless, costly and perhaps unwinnable, and the fall of the existential threat of communism and its terrible toll on mankind, which to some seemed impervious or even eventually triumphant.

Roger Kimball, editor of The New Criterion, writes about “Tyranny Set In Stone: Why We Must Not Forget The Lessons Of Berlin.”

As we look around the world today, a melancholy spectacle greets our gaze. The Soviet Union is no more, but a minatory if diminished Russia has taken its place. A possibly nuclear Iran. A confirmed nuclear North Korea and Pakistan. Preposterous anti-American strongmen like Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. An increasingly rampant threat of Islamofascism. The enemies of freedom and the West are more numerous than ever. It is here that the two deepest lessons of the Berlin Wall lie. First, that tyranny frankly confronted can be defeated. But, second, that the victory of freedom is never final: it must always be renewed not only through our willingness to acknowledge and struggle against evil, but also through a forthright proclamation of our own founding principles. It is this last requirement of freedom that seems most difficult for Western intellectuals. To quote Kolakowski once more, there is “one Great Cause that has persisted more or less intact throughout the past decades in the Leftist mentality: the loathing of democratic countries. Allegiances changed, but if there was something enduring in Leftist politics, it was this: in any conflict between a tyrannical and democratic country, the tyrants were right and democracy wrong.” One would have thought that the admonitory tale of the Berlin Wall would provide an incontrovertible disabusement. Alas, it is a lesson we have yet to absorb.

President Obama is too disinterested, and occupied accomplishing nothing, to attend the 20th anniversary celebration in Berlin.

P.S.: Here's another rumination on 1989 and another fall.

However, I do object to the subsidization of urban and suburban sprawl by tax-supported highways. I also object to the public subsidization of home ownership via the mortgage tax deduction. (I am a flat-taxer.) From the Globe:

Nathaniel Baum-Snow of Brown University found that each “new highway passing through a central city reduces its population by about 18 percent.’’ The home mortgage interest deduction further encouraged suburbanization, because rental units are disproportionately in cities while owner-occupied homes are disproportionately distant from city centers.

Here are some of the things I have heard from people:

I wish I were...

taller
shorter
more beautiful and sexy
stronger
more handsome
richer
blonde
blue-eyed
green-eyed
more outgoing
more inner-directed
more charismatic
a better athlete
smarter
better at math
more popular
more disciplined
less fearful
better at memorization
better at focusing
less neurotic
more confident
more courageous
more authoritative
skinnier
able to relax
more energetic
more knowledgeable
less naive
less cynical
less of a manipulator
more interesting
less of an asshole
less self-centered
more self-interested
more adventurous
less reckless and impulsive
less boring
darker-skinned
lighter-skinned
bigger
smaller
bigger-breasted
smaller-breasted
bigger-penised
quicker to orgasm (women)
slower to orgasm (men)
younger
bigger-assed
smaller-assed
better at (fill in the blank)

The list could go on and on. It is not human to be too pleased with oneself unless one is delusional on some level. God, and our Moms, and Mr. Rogers might like us just as we are, but we generally do not.

Why would we? Love would not be as special, as miraculous, otherwise.

What would the world be like if we could all design ourselves - besides being filled with rich 6'3" guys with 3-foot johnsons and rich 5'6" skinny blondes with perfect - but generously so - boobs? All with 160 IQs and charming personalities.

It's not a real commercial, but still...

The Virginia Tech killer was a paranoid schizophrenic, as I understand it. That was Mad - with some Bad added into the mix.

Our prayers are with the families affected.

Ed.'s Addendum: The "Allah Akbar", I think, confirms the above impression. He is a Moslem terrorist.

Photo from yesterday's protest in DC

Office gossip. NYT

AVI: The liberals I am most familiar with

Is abortion pro-family?

WSJ: The Madness of Queen Nancy

Guy reinvents the Constitution

Eurocourt Bans Crucifixes in Italy

Related: Europe - a leviathan is born

Are mammograms worthwhile? NYT

Get a clue, O: Iran doesn't like you. But they enjoy toying with you.

Gitmo prisoners don't like the alternative

VDH on the plutocratic Left

Voegli on California vs. Texas

We'll miss Jungle Trader

Census blocked from asking citizenship questions

Stossel:

Reporters who think coercive government control is generally good
and I, who thinks voluntary market forces are generally better, both have a point of view.

So why am I the one called biased?

1. The membership was never consulted.
2. I quit. And I will not be alone.

This op-ed and the CBO Director’s transmittal letter briefly sums it up; the full CBO analysis is here. According to the CBO, less of those called uninsured, although in actuality only about a quarter are citizens truly needy, would be covered than under  ObamaCare.  Many of those actually needy would be covered, and others already insured would better afford keeping their coverage. This is at a savings of $1+ trillion, and our freedoms, and the ability of our world-leading health care innovations to not be stifled.

Sounds like a real choice, right? Throw out the baby with the dirty water, a la ObamaCare, or provide a proper cleansing.  Not with this heavily Democrat Congress.  But, wait and work for 2010 to correct that.

Hmmm. What next? And blame for what? Life on earth would cease to exist without CO2.