Some time ago, I don’t remember just when, I was somewhere, I
don’t recall just where, and I was asked by someone, I don’t
recollect just who, for my opinion on something, I don’t retain
just what, and I said I had none. The dismay which met my response
was intense.
“No opinion?!” the fellow exclaimed, gasped, griped,
snapped, spat. “But you’re an American?! You are entitled to an
opinion!”
Before this encounter, I had imagined this entitlement
could be forgiven, a bequest from the national patrimony, but I
found that was unforgiveable. I had thought I could look at a
subject from various angles, shake well before using, and if an
opinion did not fall out I could move on, so long as my shrug was
not too French. If there’s no gold in the mine, move on to a more
maternal lode. Or stay right in my seat and cede my right to take a
stand. If I can’t quantify it, I can leave it to the
qualified.
No more. I learned that with the right to an opinion comes
an expectation. A true American must opine for the flag. I live,
therefore I choose; being pro-life, I must be pro-choice. Add to
that my childhood fascination with columnists – Alsop, Buchwald,
Buckley, McGrory and Alsop – and it is no surprise to find me
hawking opinions for a liveliness, if not quite a
livelihood.
As 2010 closes to a draw, I thank God (and The
American Spectator) for giving me the opportunity to make my
voice heard. In that light, a few reflections on the year
passed.
***
The year began with the passing of the health care bill,
the mandate or tax or benefit or entitlement or whatever it claims
to be. It was not developed by anyone or any group we could
identify. It did not have extensive research or studies in support.
It made no tests, conducted no experiments, took no measured steps
in development. It appeared fully born like Adam and was left on
our stoop like an unwanted changeling.
The only thing I can say for sure about this Cyclops —
and I know this experientially, not empirically — is that
absolutely no one will benefit from this in any way and that none
of the predicted improvements will materialize. It is not in the
nature of things for sloppy people to do sloppy work and create a
sloppy product which then produces fabulous results.
***
The feel-good story of the year featured a group of over
thirty miners in Chile trapped underground for weeks. Through a
miracle of international cooperation, the right people and the
right machines were brought to bear on the problem, with happy
result. This was what a world of individual initiative looks
like.
***
Unfortunately, it probably comes too late to convince the
Western world that salvation is the end result of freedom. Too many
years of propaganda have convinced them that free rein brings the
fall, and that Heaven is on the side of the Engels.
***
The daughter of the Clintons married a Jew in a
multi-denominational service that denominated nobody and served
nobody. It provided a model for religion as the collected vague
thoughts of superficial people trying to ponder matters of the
spirit without heavy lifting. The notion that there is
no one below government who knows what he is doing thus becomes
wedded to the notion that there is no One above government who
knows what He is doing.
***
Harry Reid won an election in the state of Nevada despite
presiding over the squandering of trillions of dollars, thousands
of thousands of millions, on his personal hunches without solid
evidence.
Bernard Madoff went to jail for taking a few billion
dollars from people for safekeeping and squandering it on his
personal hunches without solid evidence.
***
The Yankees were eliminated in the playoffs and George
Steinbrenner went to Heaven anyway. Michael Vick’s career, once
gone to the dogs, began to soar on the wings of Eagles. LeBron
James forsook the city of Cleveland, prompting its citizens to
compare him to his late brother Jesse.
***
The Republicans won the House and blocked the Democrats in
the Senate for cloture but many Americans lost their houses to
foreclosure. America came to its census and moved away from New
York to Florida. And don’t look now, but Jerry Brown has been
reelected Governor of California.
***
Iran caught a virus and Greece is a riot. Argentina lost
its shadow President and Venezuela lost its shadow citizenry.
Afghanistan can’t control its surges while Pakistan can’t control
its boarders. Israel froze its freeze and North Korea was
contemplating a Korea change.
***
The world is still a dangerous place which resists the
blandishments of men for melioration. As far as I am concerned,
this would be a good moment for the Messiah to enter… even stage
left, if that’s what it takes. Farewell to 2010, a mixed bag
indeed.
Happy New Year 2011!
