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March 5, 2011

The Passive Voice

The strange shrunken spectator who serves as president of the United States,
offering what he called "a few words about the tragic event that took place." announced that he was "saddened,"€ and expressed his "gratitude for the service of those who were lost" and would "spare no effort"€ to "€œwork with the German authorities" but it was a "€œstark reminder" of the "€œextraordinary sacrifices that our men and women in uniform are making . . . "

The passivity of these remarks is very telling. Men and women "€œin uniform" (which it'€™s not clear these airmen were even wearing) understand they may be called upon to make "€œextraordinary sacrifices"€ in battle. They do not expect to be "€œlost"€ on the shuttle bus at the hands of a civilian employee at a passenger air terminal in an allied nation. But then I don'€™t suppose their comrades expected to be "€œlost"€ at the hands of an army major at Fort Hood, to cite the last "€œtragic event"€ that "€œtook place" -- which seems to be the president'€™s preferred euphemism for a guy opening fire while screaming "Allahu akbar!" But relax, this fellow in Frankfurt was most likely a "€œlone wolf" (as Sen. Chuck Schumer described the Times Square bomber) or an "€œisolated extremist" (as the president described the Christmas Day Pantybomber). There are so many of these "€œlone wolves"€ and "€œisolated extremists" you may occasionally wonder whether they'€™ve all gotten together and joined Local 473 of the Amalgamated Union of Lone Wolves and Isolated Extremists, but don't worry about it: As any Homeland Security official can tell you, "Allahu akbar"€ is Arabic for "€œNothing to see here." -- Arid Uka’s Gratitude - Mark Steyn - National Review Online"€

Posted by Vanderleun at March 5, 2011 6:19 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

"W" started shoveling this bullshit ten years ago. Heaps of it.

Posted by: james wilson at March 5, 2011 9:16 PM

Steyn is back and he's ON FIRE!!

p.s james' pathetic pissing can't begin to put out Mark's FIRE.

Posted by: Hangtown Bob at March 6, 2011 8:37 AM

Does anyone else have trouble reading "Sideline" posts besides me? This came across in total Greek lettering on my computer, as do many posts here do...what is going on?

Posted by: David at March 6, 2011 5:10 PM

David, the font you're using on your screen doesn't translate ascii code.

Posted by: Peccable at March 6, 2011 5:17 PM

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