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APRIL 4, 2011 | VOLUME LXIII, NO. 6 | www.nationalreview.com

COVER STORY Page 28 Rick Perry’s Tenth Commandment Rob Long on Charlie Sheen Texas governor Rick Perry is busy in p. 26 his campaign to renew—or reinvent— American federalism, taking an BOOKS, ARTS extraordinarily robust view of states’ & MANNERS sovereignty. It’s a pretty good job for a high-profile governor. Or for a 42 WRESTLING WITH HISTORY Adam Garfinkle reviews Known president. Kevin D. Williamson and Unknown: A Memoir, by Donald Rumsfeld.

COVER: ROMAN GENN 46 TIBET’S ENDGAME ARTICLES Ethan Gutmann reviews Tragedy in Crimson: How the Dalai Lama Conquered the World but 16 OVERREACTION by William Tucker Lost the Battle with China, A call for perspective on the Japanese nuclear crisis. by Tim Johnson.

20 DEAL WITH THE DRAGON by Daniel Griswold 48 HARD WIRING Trade with the Chinese is good for us, them, and the world. John Derbyshire reviews The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and 22 THE CASTROS’ AMERICAN PRISONER by Jay Nordlinger A tale of U.S.-Cuban relations. Achievement, by David Brooks. 50 FILM: BORDER CONTROL 26 FROM TV STAR TO TWITTER TWIT by Rob Long Ross Douthat reviews Battle: Charlie Sheen’s collapse is his industry’s in miniature. Los Angeles.

51 CITY DESK: FEATURES DISTANT HARMONIES Richard Brookhiser breaks down a concert. 28 RICK PERRY’S TENTH COMMANDMENT by Kevin D. Williamson Washington shall not micromanage. SECTIONS 32 NOT ENOUGH MONEY by Ramesh Ponnuru Why QE2 worked. 2 Letters to the Editor 4 The Week 34 WALTER WILLIAMS’S BIG CLASSROOM by John J. Miller 39 The Bent Pin ...... Florence King The George Mason professor has spent a career debunking damnfoolery. 40 The Long View ...... Rob Long 41 Athwart ...... James Lileks 36 WHEN THE NAZIS STOLE MY PAINTING by David Pryce-Jones 47 Poetry ...... Donald T. Williams And the Austrians didn’t much care. 52 Happy Warrior ...... Mark Steyn

NATioNAl REviEW (iSSN: 0028-0038) is published bi-weekly, except for the first issue in January, by NATioNAl REviEW, inc., at 215 lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. © National Review, inc., 2011. Address all editorial mail, manuscripts, letters to the editor, etc., to Editorial Dept., NATioNAl REviEW, 215 lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. Address all subscription mail orders, changes of address, undeliverable copies, etc., to NATioNAl REviEW, Circulation Dept., P. o. Box 433015, Palm Coast, Fla. 32143-3015; phone, 386-246-0118, Monday–Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Eastern time. Adjustment requests should be accompanied by a current mailing label or facsimile. Direct classified advertising inquiries to: Classifieds Dept., NATioNAl REviEW, 215 lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 or call 212-679- 7330. PoSTMASTER: Send address changes to NATioNAl REviEW, Circulation Dept., P. o. Box 433015, Palm Coast, Fla. 32143-3015. Printed in the U.S.A. RATES: $59.00 a year (24 issues). Add $21.50 for Canada and other foreign subscriptions, per year. (All payments in U.S. currency.) The editors cannot be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork unless return postage or, better, a stamped self-addressed envelope is enclosed. opinions expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editors. letters--ready_QXP-1127940387.qxp 3/16/2011 2:04 PM Page 2 Letters

APRIL 4 ISSUE; PRINTED MARCH 17 How Efficient Is High-Speed Rail? EDITOR Richard Lowry I am disappointed that NatIoNal RevIew has again (in “the week,” March 7) Senior Editors dismissed high-speed rail as a “niche market” item. and, although the statistics Richard Brookhiser / Jay Nordlinger Ramesh Ponnuru / David Pryce-Jones in Stanley R. Staley’s insightful article in the same issue, “transportation-Policy Managing Editor Jason Lee Steorts Crossroads,” seem to support your thesis, I prefer his approach: using objective Literary Editor Michael Potemra Executive Editor Christopher McEvoy core principles to determine federal transportation-policy priorities. National Correspondent John J. Miller Studies show that trips of less than 800 miles can be more efficiently done by Political Reporter Robert Costa Art Director Luba Kolomytseva train than by air. airlines have long lost money on such routes and have curtailed Deputy Managing Editors Fred Schwarz / Kevin D. Williamson them. In addition, many americans do not drive because of age, infirmity, or Associate Editors other reasons. this number is likely to increase as our population ages. Helen Rittelmeyer / Robert VerBruggen Research Director Katherine Connell the only quarrel I have with Mr. Staley’s article is that the statistics he uses Research Manager Dorothy McCartney do not break out long-distance trips from trips to the grocery store. I believe Executive Secretary Frances Bronson Assistant to the Editor Christeleny Frangos applying his core principles honestly would reveal the need for an appropriate Contributing Editors high-speed-rail initiative, or, at the very least, an appropriate increase in exist- Robert H. Bork / John Derbyshire Ross Douthat / Rod Dreher / David Frum ing long-distance service. Roman Genn / Jim Geraghty / Jonah Goldberg one example of the latter: Currently, amtrak runs the Capitol Limited, leav- Florence King / Lawrence Kudlow / Mark R. Levin Yuval Levin / Rob Long / Jim Manzi ing washington, D.C., at 4 P.M., arriving in Chicago at 8:45 the next morning. Andrew C. McCarthy / Kate O’Beirne It makes intermediate stops in a number of cities, including Pittsburgh and David B. Rivkin Jr. Cleveland, in the dead of night. the return leaves Chicago at 7 P.M. and arrives NATIONALREVIEWONLINE Editor-at-Large Kathryn Jean Lopez in D.C. around 1:30 in the afternoon. again, intermediate stops take place in the Managing Editor Edward John Craig middle of the night. By adding one extra train, leaving D.C. at 7 a.M., arriving Deputy Managing Editor Duncan Currie News Editor Daniel Foster in Chicago at midnight, all intermediate stops would be better served, with pas- Editorial Associates sengers being able to board at reasonable hours and even return in the same day. Brian Stewart / Katrina Trinko Web Developer Nathan Goulding Ridership between intermediate cities would certainly improve if more reason- Applications Developer Gareth du Plooy Technical Services Russell Jenkins able choices were properly marketed. other current routes might also be reviewed to see if limited added service could make a positive impact. EDITORS- AT- LARGE a small step like this might suffice to address the need. But only an honest Linda Bridges / John O’Sullivan Contributors study, putting aside partisan rhetoric and preconceptions, can reveal that. Hadley Arkes / Baloo / Tom Bethell James Bowman / Priscilla L. Buckley Eliot A. Cohen / Brian Crozier Jeanne M. Mallett Dinesh D’Souza / M. Stanton Evans Washington, D.C. Chester E. Finn Jr. / Neal B. Freeman James Gardner / David Gelernter George Gilder / Jeffrey Hart Kevin A. Hassett / Charles R. Kesler David Klinghoffer / Anthony Lejeune SaMuel R. Staley RePlIeS: I appreciate the comments, but I am doubtful that D. Keith Mano / Michael Novak Alan Reynolds / William A. Rusher breaking out long-distance versus short-distance trips would give us the desired Tracy Lee Simmons / Terry Teachout results. Intercity passenger travel, whether by plane, train, or automobile, is a Taki Theodoracopulos / Vin Weber relatively small part of the overall travel equation and challenge. Moreover, Chief Financial Officer James X. Kilbridge Accounting Manager Galina Veygman high-speed rail is a redundant transportation alternative that attempts to sub - Accountant Zofia Baraniak stitute for an already extensive air-travel network and an interstate-highway Treasurer Rose Flynn DeMaio Business Services system that facilitates low-cost automobile and intercity bus transport. only the Alex Batey / Amy Tyler Circulation Director Erik Zenhausern dense and unique Northeast Corridor is able to generate revenues that meet Circulation Manager Jason Ng operating costs for intercity rail, implying that a more extensive intercity-rail WORLD WIDE WEB www.nationalreview.com MAIN NUMBER 212-679-7330 network would need taxpayer subsidies. SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES 386-246-0118 WASHINGTON OFFICE 202-543-9226 ADVERTISING SALES 212-679-7330 Correction Executive Publisher Scott F. Budd Advertising Director Jim Fowler Advertising Manager Kevin Longstreet Michael F. Cannon’s “obamacare Can’t Be Fixed” (March 21) cited an estimate ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Paul Olivett by the Cato Institute’s Jagadeesh Gokhale that New york State would lose $66 PUBLISHER billion because of the health-care law’s unfunded Medicaid mandates. Mr. Jack Fowler Gokhale has since found an error in the study; the correct number is $52 billion. CHAIRMANEMERITUS Thomas L. Rhodes

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n At least we agree: We wish he were president of China too.

n “Thou turnest man to destruction. . . . Thou carriest them See page 10. away as with a flood.” The 90th Psalm fears a wrathful Almighty, but a shrug of earth’s shoulders can do quite as much damage. The Japanese earthquake/tsunami has sown destruction on every hand. It is all the more shocking for having happened in a First World country where, we assume, civilization buffers us. So it does—until it does not. The U.S. Navy, as it should, is giving humanitarian help to a valuable ally. Media coverage has focused on the havoc at the Fukushima nuclear-power plant in central Japan, where there have been leaks of radiation and at least a partial meltdown. Much of the coverage has been foam-flecked, with Matt Drudge (NOW, NUClEAR SNOW) taking (dis)honors. As we go to press, the damage caused by disabled nuclear-power plants has been a trivial factor in Japan’s woes. The United States should continue to pursue nuclear power as an alternative to Qaddafi oil.

n Is lassitude coming in with Barack Obama’s gray hairs? Apropos of the Arab revolt, a friendly story in the New York Times reported that Obama “has told people that it would be so much easier to be the president of China.” Not so that he could wield, as per Thomas Friedman, dictatorial powers, but so that he might get less attention. “No one is scrutinizing Hu Jintao’s words in Tahrir Square,” an unnamed official n The House Committee on Homeland Security, chaired by explained. Obama picked the wrong job then, didn’t he? Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.), opened hearings on the radicaliza- Ambition, vanity, and a string of unearned successes may tion of American Muslims. Melvin Bledsoe, a Memphis busi- have persuaded Mr. legislator-Who-Votes-Present to think nessman, told how his son Carlos converted to radical Islam in that he could step up to the most demanding executive posi- college, traveled to Yemen, then killed a soldier at a recruiting tion on earth. What explains the troop of flacks, including station in Arkansas. Extremism, he said, “is a big elephant in Obamacons, who praised this man’s character as they the room, but our society continues not to see it.” Abdirizak whooped him into office? Bihi, a Somali immigrant from Minnesota, described his nephew Burhan Hassan’s joining an Islamic militia in Somalia. n The early days of Newt Gingrich’s not-yet-quite-a- American Muslim clerics threatened Bihi with “eternal fire presidential-campaign were dominated by discussion of the and hell” if he went to the authorities. The press mentioned break-up of his second marriage, during which he had an affair them, but showcased Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.), who wept with the woman who became wife number three. Gingrich over the “smear[ing]” of Mohammed Salman Hamdani, a gave an interview to Christian broadcaster David Brody, dur- former NYPD cadet killed on 9/11 while helping rescuers. In ing which he condemned his past behavior while also seeming mid-October the FBI and the NYPD, wrongly believing that to excuse it. His family life was under stress because he was Hamdani was still alive, briefly investigated him, and New working so hard, and he was working so hard in part because York papers reported on it. Two weeks later he was singled out of his commitment to the country. Patriotism made him do it, for praise in the Patriot Act. So that is the smear that Ellison chortled his many critics. We hold neither the view that infi- believes should derail investigations into Carlos Bledsoe, delity disqualifies a candidate for high office, nor its opposite, Burhan Hassan, and others who continue to be tempted into that it is irrelevant to his fitness to serve. The weight voters becoming America’s enemies. Carry on, Representative King. should give it should depend on what the circumstances say about the man, and will depend as well on their own sensibili- n James O’Keefe, provocateur and performance artist, put on ties. If he wants to run, Newt should reiterate his regret for past a show for National Public Radio. But NPR did not realize it sins, refrain from further explanations, and move on to other was part of the production. Two fundraising execs, including

ROMAN GENN topics. It is the least he can do for his current and past wives. Ron Schiller, senior vice president of development, had lunch

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THE WEEK with two members of the Muslim Education Action Center. nA Wisconsin T-shirt shop was The MEAC is a creature of O’Keefe’s imagination, but its sup- bullied by union brass for mak- posed members dangled $5 million before NPR, and Schiller ing pro-Walker shirts. When a jumped for it. He told them that the GOP, which now controls 17-year-old student wore the lime the purse-strings in the House, had been “hijacked” by “Islam - green garment—emblazoned with o phobic,” “xenophobic,” “gun-toting,” “racist, racist people.” “Scott Walker: My Hero!”—to When O’Keefe leaked a video of the lunch, Schiller was his Two Rivers high school, canned, and NPR president Vivian Schiller (no relation) quit Wes Glenna, a local teacher shortly thereafter. “Big Bird needs to be pushed out of the and labor leader, attempted nest,” said one House Republican, Doug Lamborn of Col ora - to shut down the T-party. Glenn e- do, understandably irked. Big Bird can thrive on his own. mailed the Van Ginkel family, which runs the busi- Foolish, left-wing Beltway moneygrubbers should be con- ness, and warned that their “decision could result in the loss of signed to try reviving Air America. profits.” The appalled VanGinkels would not budge and soon, thanks in part to a mention on NRO’s Corner, hundreds of orders n Our congratulations to Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and to began to pour in from around the country. If they wanted to avoid his fellow Republicans, who showed great resolution in curtailing controversy, they could have just stuck to Che Guevara shirts. the collective-bargaining powers of the state’s government- employee unions. The drama surrounding this vote—the cow- n In another blow to the “gay marriage is inevitable” narra - ardly flight of the Democrats, the occupation of the capitol by tive, legislation recognizing same-sex marriage has failed in bongo-beating hippies, the chanting union goons, the thug- Maryland. All signals had pointed to a different end: The bill gery and death threats—should not distract us from the fact had passed the state senate and Democratic governor Martin that this victory, while significant, is only a first step toward O’Malley had promised to sign it. But in the house, where there rebalancing the state’s fiscal priorities in a sensible and eco- are 98 Democrats and 43 Republicans, the bill could not muster nomically sustainable fashion. The task will be even harder in the 71 votes required for passage and was sent back to commit- other states. As governors and legislators contemplate fol- tee, an action that effectively killed it for this year. What changed lowing Wisconsin’s example, as they should, they must like- was an outpouring of opposition, most notably from black- wise bear in mind that the fight entails not merely restraining church members. The wave of the future isn’t hitting Maryland’s the public-sector unions but the public sector itself. A line was shore. drawn at Madison, but the campaign is only beginning. n The administration announced that military commissions for n “You and the people that support the dictator have to die.” Gitmo detainees have been reauthorized. But since the White Who got that e-mail? Some chum of Qaddafi? No—the 18 House simultaneously reaffirmed its commitment to civilian- Republicans in the Wisconsin state senate who supported Gov. court prosecutions, and refused to explain its plans for trying Scott Walker (“the dictator”) in his fight to rein in public-union Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his fellow 9/11 plotters, its pol- power. State officials say they are questioning a suspect, but icy remains at best a work in progress. In judging the twists and there’s more. Two Republicans, state senator Randy Hopper and turns of administration policy, always bear in mind that KSM et state representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt, were advised not to march al. were poised to plead guilty two years ago. Around the same in a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Fond du Lac because of threats. time, with less fanfare, the administration also announced its State representative Michelle Litjens was threatened to her face intention to treat part of Geneva Conventions Protocol I as when a goon shouted “You’re f***ing dead!” at her on the floor legally binding even though the Senate never ratified it, and to of the assembly. The goon was Democratic state representative seek ratification of Protocol II. Prior administrations of both Gordon Hintz, who non-apologized when, as he put it, he realized parties have rejected these treaties because they reward terror- his threat “may have been taken personally by someone.” Call ists with enhanced due-process rights. We are left with another Bill Clinton at the National Institute for Civil Discourse. mystery: If the president can adopt treaties without ratifica - tion, why is he bothering to submit Protocol II to the Senate? n Protesters, especially in state capitols, often cross paths with Remember this the next time the president and his men earnest- the past. Ann Althouse, a libertarian-ish law professor in ly declaim about how our treatment of detainees needs to fol- Madison, Wis., has been blogging about the modern labor low “the rule of law.” movement’s encounters with the Civil War. Col. Hans Chris - tian Heg, mortally wounded at Chickamauga, is memorialized n Speaking at West Point, Defense Secretary Robert Gates by a statue near the capitol. Demonstrators decked it with signs recently unburdened himself of the opinion that “any future saying, “I fought for the union, you should too.” Too cute by defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big half. The Awl, a hip website, reported that Governor Walker American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa gave his budget address “beneath a dead and stuffed eagle.” should ‘have his head examined,’ as General MacArthur so del- That, youngsters, was Old Abe, mascot of the 8th Wisconsin icately put it.” Incidentally, or rather not incidentally, it was Volunteer Infantry Regiment, who screamed at the enemy at Gates who helped dispatch considerable reinforcements to mis- Vicksburg, among other battles. For his services he is pre- sions in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Gates has served his coun- served in the Wisconsin Assembly chamber. But hey, one of try honorably and well, but in this instance he failed to grasp the perks of being a liberal is believing that history began yes- part of his job: keeping faith with those standing sentry on dis- terday—even if you’re a public-school teacher. tant frontiers.

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THE WEEK n The only thing worse than rule by arbitrary government supporters; others are “mini-plans” for part-time workers, regulations is rule by arbitrary government bureaucrats. Case who would probably lose their jobs if their employers had to in point: Obamacare, whose 900-odd pages contain endless offer full-scale coverage. In the latter case, at least, the invocations of “the Secretary shall determine . . . ,” leaving exemptions are certainly welcome—but why make providers many critical rules and parameters subject to the fickle whim apply for them in the first place? How many more of Obama - of whoever runs the Department of Health and Human care’s strict regulations will turn out to require waivers of Services. For example, more than 1,000 exemptions from the their own? Which waivers will be rescinded when no longer requirements of Obamacare have been granted by HHS, cov- politically expedient? And why should businesses have to ering some 2.6 million people, with no explanation or guide- jump through hoops to innovate in health-care provision? lines as to who gets them and who does not. Many of these When Congress finally passes repeal, perhaps it should call it exemptions cover the lavish plans of Obama’s labor-union the Omnibus Obamacare Waiver Act.

Brothers to the Rescue

EWARE the Kochtopus. This is the supposedly ne - and tell you that I have lined my pockets with the laundered B farious secret-Bond-villain network run by the Koch lucre of the Koch brothers. I’ve given speeches for Amer - brothers. If you went only by left-wing magazines, icans for Prosperity and other groups that have received blogs, and the emanations of their penumbras on Twitter, funding from the Kochs. I like getting paid to say what I you would be forgiven for wondering why Jack Bauer think, so I don’t see any problem with that. Indeed, I would hasn’t stopped the Kochtopus: They are that bad. The like to be paid a lot more of their money (or, frankly, yours) Kochtopus’s tentacles reach into every right-wing effort to to say what I think. destroy this country. They give money to the tea parties, lib- But I would gladly forgo that if the Koch brothers would ertarians, Republican politicians who want to take away follow my advice for how they can save the country (I collective bargaining for educrats, and ninjas hell-bent on know, you’d think my idea for saving the country would stealing your mattress tags (I made the last one up). have made it into the lede). The Koch brothers are very successful libertarians who, Every serious plan for saving the country from fis - as people who don’t much like the government should, give cal doom involves massive reforms to entitlements. But lots of money to things they want the voters who will determine to see more of—like museums, whether we can fix those en- scientific documentaries, hos- titlements are old and feel, well, pitals (including hundreds of mil- entitled to them. The good news lions to cancer research), ballet, is that pretty much every serious and, of course, other libertarians. plan (such as Paul Ryan’s “Road - Before I continue, I should point map”) exempts current retirees out that if you’re looking for a or people close to retirement. good but also novel reason to Kochtopus: Charles and David Koch The bad news is that this shad- dislike those damn hippies, the word “Kochtopus” is a owy, squidlike outfit called “the Democratic party” scares great place to start. You see, Koch is pronounced “Coke” the bejeebus out of the oldsters by lying to them about and not, well, the way that rhymes with octopus. how the other party wants to “take away” their Social But what the term lacks in euphony it makes up for in Security. And so long as these lies are effective, little to stupidity. The image is supposed to conjure shadowy, no serious progress can be made. secretive machinations. As Andrew Ferguson pointed out in So here is what I propose: Rather than give money a brilliant Commentary essay a few months ago, the Koch to individual politicians, ballet companies, or even lib- brothers have been doing their thing in plain view for 30 ertarian policy wonks, the Koch brothers should pay for years (David Koch ran for vice president on the Libertarian a national education campaign that calmly, clearly, and ticket in 1980). Just because the Left hasn’t been paying rationally explains that, under any tea-party-approved attention to something doesn’t make it a secret. By that reform, old people won’t lose their current benefits. standard, the whole state of North Dakota is a Brigadoon And that they shouldn’t fall for the fear-mongering to hidden in the very bosom of our nation. Yet every time the come. Koch brothers do something publicly, leftists respond as From what I’ve read, the Kochs will still have enough though they’ve uncovered an immense conspiracy. money for the ninjas. It’s at this point that I need to offer some full disclosure —JONAH GOLDBERG

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Affordable plans that I can understand – and no contract to sign! Unlike other cell phones, Jitterbug has plans that make sense. Why should I pay for minutes I’m never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won’t find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. Best of all, there is no contract to sign – so I’m not locked in for years at a time or subject to termination fees. e U.S. – based customer service is second to none, and the phone gets service virtually anywhere in the country.

Monthly Minutes 50 100 Order now Monthly Rate $14.99 $19.99 Operator Assistance 24/7 24/7 and receive a 911 Access FREE FREE FREE Car Charger and Long Distance Calls No add’l charge No add’l charge 100 FREE minutes Voice Dial FREE FREE . Nationwide Coverage Yes Yes A $43.99 value! Available in Trial Period 30 days 30 days Offer expires 05/31/2011 Red, White (shown), More minute plans available. Ask your Jitterbug expert for details. and Graphite.

Call now and get a FREE Car Charger and 100 FREE Minutes – a $43.99 value. Try Jitterbug for 30 days and if you don't love it, just return it. Why wait, the Jitterbug comes ready to use right out of the box. Jitterbug Cell Phone If you aren’t as happy with it as I am, you can return it for a refund of the Call now for our NEW low price. purchase price. Call now, the Jitterbug product experts are ready to answer Please mention promotional code 42014. your questions. 1-888-789-3141 www.jitterbugdirect.com We proudly accept the following credit cards. 47473 IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: 100 free minute offer is not available with online purchases. 100 free anytime minutes are for new GreatCall customers only and will be applied upon activation of service. Minutes must be used within one year of activation. All rate plans require the purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time set up fee of $35.00. Coverage and service is not available everywhere. There are no additional fees to call Jitterbug’s 24-hour U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operator in which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the length of the call and any call connected by the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. Rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges. Prices and fees are subject to change. Savings are based on marketing materials from nationally available cellular companies as of June, 2010 (not including family share plans). The full price of the Jitterbug Phone will be refunded if it is returned within 30 days of purchase, in like-new condition, and with less than 30 minutes of usage. A Jitterbug Phone purchased from a retail location is subject to the return policy of that retail location. The Jitterbug phone is created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Jitterbug is a registered trademark of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and its related entities. Created together with worldwide leader Samsung. Copyright © 2010 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. All rights reserved. week_QXP-1127940387.qxp 3/16/2011 2:06 PM Page 10

THE WEEK n Fred Phelps and his family cult won at the Supreme Court, people who come there every year would not exist.” Leaving which ruled 8–1 that they had a constitutional right to hoist their aside the small ontological error there, Reid’s speech left many “God Hates Fags” signs near a military funeral. (the cult holds citizens wondering what kind of poems are on display at the that our country’s tolerance for homosexuals leads God to kill Cowboy Poetry Festival. NatiONaL Review’s own deep bench american soldiers.) Justice alito was the holdout. Much of the of versifiers were quick to offer suggestions. “Yippi-ki-o yippi- debate between the majority and dissenting opinion concerned ki-ay / Cow Poets on the Dole,” went the refrain of Mark Steyn’s the extent to which the Phelpses were personally insulting the ode, while John Derbyshire reworked an old western ballad to dead soldier and his survivors or making a political point, albeit read “Defund us not on the lone prairie.” Parody aside, it is dis- a demented one. the case should serve as a reminder that con- maying to reflect on the possibilities for real reform of federal servatives were right to resist the “incorporation” of the Bill of spending when a legislator as prominent as Senator Reid will not Rights against the states. it is hard to see any good reason some- even contemplate the withdrawal of subsidies from these sage- one drafting a constitution would empower the federal judiciary brush sonneteers. Git along, little doggerelist, git along. to keep state governments from imposing reasonable restrictions on this sort of demonstration; and even harder to see the evi- n an FDa panel said that people be required to get a prescrip- dence that the drafters of ours did. tion before ordering or reviewing genetic tests for themselves. the coalition supporting this proposal is made up of paternalists (people will “jump off a building” when they get their results, n Donald Berwick, who currently serves under a recess worries one Republican congressman), regulatory bureaucrats, appointment from President Obama as head of the power - and biotech companies that work through physicians. On the ful Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is other side are entrepreneurs, personal-genomics enthusiasts, and facing a death panel of his own: Senate Republicans have the spirit of liberty. there is no good case for this regulation, and announced their intention to oppose his reappointment and the FDa should back off. have requested that the president withdraw the nomination. Dr. Berwick has praised government-monopoly n Sales figures are not encouraging for the Chevy volt and Nissan systems and their attendant rationing, and Leaf, two electric cars whose performance is as wimpy as their denounced “the darkness of private enter- names. (Cars used to be called Model a, Fifth avenue, imperial, prise.” President Obama is not a man who Rambler, Mustang; everything went to hell when car names start- knows how to choose his battles wisely; by ed sounding like the foreign minister of a Scandinavian country.) the volt is an electric car equipped with a supplementary gas showing early resolution, Senate Repub - engine, in case you actually want to go somewhere; the Leaf is all- licans are in fact doing him a favor, one he electric, and has the 70-mile range to prove it. the number of con- ought to repay by transferring Dr. Ber - s