This is a great interview (really well done by Ben Weingarten, great questions and he actually lets Steyn speak), so make sure to watch the whole thing.
And in case you thought I forgot, I didn't, because it would be appallingly remiss if I did not note the lovely suit and bonus gold tie!
Nicely played, Mark Steyn.
Very stylish choice for reddish-haired person and the perfect outfit in which to battle Big Clime.
Never mind about speaking softly and and carrying a big stick! Be like Mark Steyn! Speak firmly and wear a fabulous bespoke suit!
Shameless sartorial pandering aside, there are a few points that really struck me from the interview.
First of all, Steyn briefly mentioned the witch hunt he suffered through in Canada for his alleged "flagrantly Islamophobic" writings. The whole thing was a real nightmare (I remember it well) but when I think about the accusation of being caught "in flagrante Islamophobictico" it makes me smile from ear to ear, kind of a strange, Zionist, Jewy, heterosexual, conservative hatemongering SteynFrau smile, so I guess I'm a horrible person.
*waves*
Second: Steyn's observations about the First Amendment are spot on.
How useful is the First Amendment in an insanely litigious country? If a writer can be punished for a 120 word blog post with a seven figure lawsuit, stretching close to a decade long battle without any sign of resolution, then the only answer is not bloody useful at all. And that is also of benefit to the political left, which never rests.
Third: The Battle of Competing Primitivism. This is a very compelling nugget. In the battle between lefty, utopian, moronic, environmental primitivism and nihilistic, Islamic primitivism, Islamic primitivism will always win because it is serious about the battle for power and doesn't need taxpayer dollars, and/or an official state ideology to fight. It's a religious jihadt, and an ideological war and thus Islamic primitivism needs only Western weakness and decadence to win. And there is a glut of that now unfortunately!
Both groups, however, want modern toys in their primitive worlds-neither will be giving up their iPhones, etc.. in the near future, I can assure you. So they are also hypocritical arseholes in addition to everything else.
Lastly: Steyn comments on the rave reviews garnered by the late Saddam Hussein ("he didn't write it himself, he dictated, he was a Great Dictator) for his babelicious musical ("he got two thumbs up"). Iraqis were smart enough to give two thumbs up instead of getting one head off.
The political left, Big Climate included, believes in similar tactics and similar punishments and will never let you rest.
There is no "opt-out' option and there won't be ever.
Therefore, each of us has to decide what we are willing to fight for and be serious about it, or resign ourselves to living as slaves.
Also: don't forget also to listen to Steyn Wednesday morning on the John Oakley show at 8:30 EST on AM 640.
