Mark Steyn

Pliny · September 23, 2011

On Mark Steyn:

A fabulous writer that can capture the essence of a concept that are simply vague ideas until he puts them into words and evokes that sense of clarity necessary to a full understanding.

Pliny · September 23, 2011

After reading his op eds, why would I?

So you WERE listening when folks like me were telling you years ago the US was going splat.

Huh...go figure.

Weren't you full of hope and change in 2008?

The US will recover when it realizes how far socialism has crept into it's political system. Obama is helping to bring about that awareness. There may be some weeping and gnashing of teeth in the transition phase when power is being transferred back to the people. It may take a total economic collapse to bring that about but that should be lesson enough to not allow government to run the show just allow it to run and do it's job of keeping the cogs clean.

I think the left believes that society is populated with animals and not humans. Humans have compassion animals and governments don't.

eyeball · September 23, 2011

Weren't you full of hope and change in 2008?

2008 was a good year for me personally and this year was even better. Assuming the Titanic turns in time I should be in pretty good shape. If it doesn't I guess I'll be in the same boat as everyone else.

The US will recover when it realizes how far socialism has crept into it's political system. Obama is helping to bring about that awareness. There may be some weeping and gnashing of teeth in the transition phase when power is being transferred back to the people. It may take a total economic collapse to bring that about but that should be lesson enough to not allow government to run the show just allow it to run and do it's job of keeping the cogs clean.

The lesson I'm hoping for is that we never allow government to run the show without total public awareness of every single thing it does...and I mean really deep souveillance.

I think the left believes that society is populated with animals and not humans. Humans have compassion animals and governments don't.

You really need to give this left right thing a rest. I'm afraid that a total economic collapse will almost certainly result in a violent civil war between the right and left.

You seem pretty confident that the state will be on your side. I guess that's why I'm afraid.

Black Dog · September 23, 2011

There are people here saying he's a hack or he's a jerk etc.

Not a lot of people saying that the stuff he's saying is actually wrong.

Pointing out that Mark Steyn is wrong is like pointing out that the sky is blue or water is wet. It's just a given.

On Mark Steyn:

A fabulous writer that can capture the essence of a concept that are simply vague ideas until he puts them into words and evokes that sense of clarity necessary to a full understanding.

Or more accurately: a writer who takes vague ideas and inflates them through turgid prose to sound meaningful.

The US will recover when it realizes how far socialism has crept into it's political system. Obama is helping to bring about that awareness.

Do tell us more. I really want to hear this.

Boges · September 23, 2011

Pointing out that Mark Steyn is wrong is like pointing out that the sky is blue or water is wet. It's just a given.

Then tell us some of the issues you disagree with him on.

Islam and the downfall of the US are two of the big things I hear him discussing when I see him on TV.

August1991 · September 23, 2011

Mark Steyn is one of the few people in this world who really understands what is going on in the world.

Huh?

Steyn is a nationalist-populist. Unfortunately, his ilk are common in French Canada: ever predicting the demise of the race....

IMV, Mark Steyn doesn't understand mathematics, so he doesn't understand demography and he doesn't understand economics.

----

BTW, I read (present tense) Steyn's columns and I read (past tense) his latest book and I think that he makes some good points. As to the latest book, he needs a much better editor, or maybe he shouldn't publish simply to sell books and earn money. This latest book is very badly written.

Edited September 23, 2011 by August1991

lukin · September 23, 2011

Huh?

Steyn is a nationalist-populist. Unfortunately, his ilk are common in French Canada: ever predicting the demise of the race....

IMV, Mark Steyn doesn't understand mathematics, so he doesn't understand demography and he doesn't understand economics.

----

BTW, I read (present tense) Steyn's columns and I read (past tense) his latest book and I think that he makes some good points. As to the latest book, he needs a much better editor, or maybe he shouldn't publish simply to sell books and earn money. This latest book is very badly written.

His new book makes you think the way the elite establishment doesn't want you to think. That's good enough for me. We could all use a little de-programming.

August1991 · September 23, 2011

His new book makes you think the way the elite establishment doesn't want you to think.

No, his latest book is badly written.

His earlier books were written better.

I suspect that Steyn needed the money so he published this latest collection of his columns, and he did it badly. But what do I know of Steyn's situation.

----

Let me add that my opinion of Steyn's latest book is separate from my opinion of his ideas in general. In general, I agree with Steyn's ideas, I think. For example, I tend to agree with the idea of freedom of opinion - and the freedom of expression of an opinion.

But then, what if your colleagues/the family of your rich/blonde spouse disagreed with you? Would you express your opinion?

Steyn is free to express his opinion - he can sell books.

Edited September 23, 2011 by August1991

lukin · September 23, 2011

No, his latest book is badly written.

His earlier books were written better.

I suspect that Steyn needed the money so he published this latest collection of his columns, and he did it badly. But what do I know of Steyn's situation.

----

Let me add that my opinion of Steyn's latest book is separate from my opinion of his ideas in general. In general, I agree with Steyn's ideas, I think. For example, I tend to agree with the idea of freedom of opinion - and the freedom of expression of an opinion.

But then, what if your colleagues/the family of your rich/blonde spouse disagreed with you? Would you express your opinion?

Steyn is free to express his opinion - he can sell books.

It's a shame that many don't say what they feel to whomever...but many are scared of not being politically correct. Being politically correct is a weakness.....not an attribute. I guess we will know in 30 years if Steyn is on the mark or out to lunch. he does make you think outside the box.

Political correctness is destroying western society.

Edited September 23, 2011 by lukin

bud · September 24, 2011

And I am an educated, polite left-winger,

*snort*

describe to me how you're a left winger.

do you play hockey in a beer league?

lukin · September 24, 2011

Subsidies, welfare, numerous newly created gov't jobs. A growing number of people are relying more and more on gov't to get by.

In 18 months after the collapse of 2008, around 7 million Americans lost their jobs. However, the number of federal bureaucrats earning 100K or more increased from 14% to 19%. These parasites are paid for by members of the private sector. These gov't parasites can retire at 55 and live with a comfortable pension paid for by members of the private sector.

So in essence, the guy who works for the gov't checking citizens' thermostats can retire at 55, while his neighbour, the private plumber or electrician has to work until 65 or 70, because he doesn't have this wonderful gov't pension. The plumber has to pad his retirement, while his taxes pay for his lazy neighbour who has a great pension because he worked at a useless job created by the Top_Down gov't.

jbg · September 24, 2011

*snort*

describe to me how you're a left winger.

I'm a true progressive.

do you play hockey in a beer league?

No. I'm not Canadian.

Pliny · September 24, 2011

I'm a true progressive.

No. I'm not Canadian.

I wouldn't describe you as a left winger. In my view, you are a classical liberal who stubbornly refuses to admit he is surrounded by socialists.

A true progressive liberal, those of the classical liberal variety, are about social progress and not government engineering or what it institutes as progress, which it usually institutes because it has the added advantage of building political empire by creating another level of bureaucracy or a new department, or bulking up it's budget.

I had to edit that. I have to get in the habit of re-reading before I post. Sometimes I am in a hurry.

Edited September 25, 2011 by Pliny

Pliny · September 24, 2011

Pointing out that Mark Steyn is wrong is like pointing out that the sky is blue or water is wet. It's just a given.

You mean - it's as obvious as water is wet? I suppose you feel there are alot of dummies inthe world.

Or more accurately: a writer who takes vague ideas and inflates them through turgid prose to sound meaningful.

I think you have "Mark" confused with "Marx" - now there is some turgid prose.

Do tell us more. I really want to hear this.

Liberals do generally state the opposite of what they want. I know you don't really want to hear this.

Yukon Jack · September 25, 2011

While he seems to grasp that the bigger you are the harder you fall, Steyn really doesn't know shit from Shinola. I was saying it would be more like a giant splat than a thud way back when Steyn was still masturbating to the idea the US would be the greatest hyper-power the universe has ever seen.

Be as crude and vulgar as you want to be, after all, this is still a free country, affording opportunities to idiots, regardless of the degree of their idiocy.

Prove Steyn wrong with cogent and valid arguments and reasonable counter-proposals.

August1991 · October 7, 2011

It's a shame that many don't say what they feel to whomever...but many are scared of not being politically correct. Being politically correct is a weakness.....not an attribute. I guess we will know in 30 years if Steyn is on the mark or out to lunch.

I agree with Steyn when he defends freedom of speech. I don't agree with him for much else.

For example, Steyn hasn't studied/learned mathematics much so he doesn't really understand demographics, or economics. He doesn't speak "math". To understand the universe, one must at least speak "math". And Steyn doesn't.

His conclusions on US federal government debt and western demographics are wrong.

Nevertheless, I agree with Steyn for his basic, fundamental, optimistic point (and to use a word he probably hates): in the long run, a sustainable, civilized society must be based on free individuals choosing freely. Any other civilized society is not sustainable. (Heck, even an uncivilized society is likely unsustainable if individuals don't approve.)

Edited October 7, 2011 by August1991

August1991 · October 7, 2011

Prove Steyn wrong with cogent and valid arguments and reasonable counter-proposals.

See above.

August1991 · October 7, 2011

See above?

Let me make my points more plain.

----

1. Steyn talks about demography, the "present borrowing from the future". Well, I was reading recently a book based on letters written by a British solder in the Great War. The soldier died in 1917. How many people "borrow" from the "future" in 2011? In 1916, old Europeans slaughtered young men. And Steyn now talks of "borrowing" from the future. The world of 1916 "borrowed" from the future - it slaughtered it.

Unless we kill youth or destroy the environment, how can people alive today "borrow" from the future? (We can't borrow from Martians.)

Today, we live in a better world - young men don't die needlessly. The environment is better protected.

Steyn's argument is senseless - unless he means that Bernanke and Goldman-Sachs are killing young men to defend western civilisation.

2. Steyn talks about how the world changed more before. Between 1890 and 1930, for example, Steyn notes that we discovered airplanes. After 1930, according to Steyn, we discovered little. But between 1960 and 1980, we discovered the green revolution. Between airplanes and rice paddies, what matters?

In fact, productivity is increasing - in the US (where statistics are measurable) productivity (real GDP per capita) grew by about 1.1% annually between 1800 and 1900. Between 1900 and 2000, the growth rate is closer to 2%.

----

I think Steyn should applaud democratic America, with a bigger government, for these accomplishments.

Edited October 7, 2011 by August1991

Shady · October 8, 2011

Unless we kill youth or destroy the environment, how can people alive today "borrow" from the future? (We can't borrow from Martians.)

We borrow from the future by unsustainable deficits and a mounting debt headed about 100% of GDP to pay for things and entitlements for people alive today. That will bring about much higher interest rates and much higher taxes for those lucky enough to have jobs IN THE FUTURE. That's how people alive today are borrowing from the future to pay for the present. Really, it's not rocket science. And no martians are necessary! :lol: :rolleyes:

DogOnPorch · October 8, 2011

Ah....Douglas. Why not run for the big job?

Michael Hardner · October 8, 2011

The best of that video is that Steyn gets cut off after 2 seconds.

Not much there - a general lament for the 'good old days', basically, followed by a defense of pluralism, then an admission that Christianity isn't practiced anymore either.

Also, he blames multiculturalism for crimes by immigrants... a non-starter since nobody can show whether one causes another or not. He is an eloquent speaker, but it's just eloquent moaning and grinding of teeth without any idea of what to do about the situation.

DogOnPorch · October 9, 2011

The best of that video is that Steyn gets cut off after 2 seconds.

I agree, Michael. It is a good thing to stifle opinions that you do not agree with.

Michael Hardner · October 9, 2011

DoP.... Do you never tire of getting me wrong ? I didn't make the video, so I didn't stifle anyone.

Bob · October 9, 2011

Also, he blames multiculturalism for crimes by immigrants... a non-starter since nobody can show whether one causes another or not.

Aside from the fact that multiculturalism isn't even mentioned in the video linked in the OP, what does the above statement even mean? Are you suggesting that higher rates of crime from immigrants isn't a direct consequence of contemporary multiculturalism policies?

Michael Hardner · October 10, 2011

Aside from the fact that multiculturalism isn't even mentioned in the video linked in the OP, what does the above statement even mean? Are you suggesting that higher rates of crime from immigrants isn't a direct consequence of contemporary multiculturalism policies?

So immigrants don't commit as many crimes if there is no multiculturalism ?