The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.
Other Than That, the Story Was Accurate
“In a story April 27 about fleas, The Associated Press erroneously reported that one flea bite can kill a dog or cat if the pet is allergic to flea saliva. One bite can cause severe dermatitis, not kill the animal.”–Associated Press, April 28
Libertarians Against Joy
What a sourpuss Reason’s Radley Balko is. “Osama Won” declares the headline of his post at the libertarian magazine’s website. He argues that the 9/11 attacks “fundamentally altered who we are,” a claim that has been a cliché for at least 9½ years, and he gives a long list of particulars.
Some of them we even agree with, such as airport-security overkill. But we notice two conspicuous omissions from Balko’s list: the death and destruction wrought by terrorist attacks themselves, and the legitimate fear of terrorism. It’s an example of how ideology can promote a blinkered worldview.
This bit, though, is the worst part:
There was something unsettling about watching giddy crowds bounce around beach balls and climb telephone polls last night, as if they were in the lawn seats at a rock festival. Solemn and somber appreciation that an evil man is gone seemed like the more appropriate reaction.
What’s the point of having libertarians if they’re going to boss us around and tell us how we’re supposed to feel? Liberals do a more than adequate job of that.
Out on a Limb
“US Official: New Tape May Be Last From bin Laden”–headline, KSRO-AM website (Santa Rosa, Calif.), May 2
For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for thef “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.”
