| The Kensington Review |
12 November 2004 |
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Latest Commentary:
Gonzales to Replace Ashcroft as Attorney-General -- John Ashcroft resigned from the Justice Department and before his chair could cool, the president appointed long-time pal Alberto Gonzales to take over as US Attorney General. The change is largely cosmetic, despite what optimism may be heard in liberal corners. If anything, the appointment of Mr. Gonzales illustrates that Mr. Bush prefers dealing with people he knows. And if they happen to be political extremists, all the better. Arafat Failed in His Life’s Ambition -- The guns fell silent on 11 November 1918, and it was rather fitting that a man who promoted vicious violence dropped dead on that anniversary. Yasser Arafat, a hero to many and devil to others, leaves this world a failure. For roughly half a century, he was the leader of the Palestinian Arabs, a people who never got the country he promised them nor the kind of leadership they deserve. Many thing have been said of him in his last days but few have called him what he was a common criminal who stole from his people while claiming to be their paladin. Hurricane Recovery Boosts Florida’s Economy -- The four hurricanes that hit Florida earlier this year did quite a lot of damage, running easily into the billions of dollars. Now that the insurance checks are arriving, there is a risk that workers will be unavailable at any price. While Governor Jeb Bush was right when he said, “I do not believe ... that having four hurricanes is good economically for the state,” the ensuing economic activity makes Florida’s recovery a textbook example of growth. ABC Affiliates Pre-Empt “Saving Private Ryan” Fearing FCC Sanctions -- ABC planned to celebrate Veteran’s Day in the US with the showing of “Saving Private Ryan,” the Steven Speilberg/Tom Hanks tribute to the greatest generation, the D-Day invasion and common human decency. The film is incredibly realistic, and during the first twenty minutes or so, theatre audiences were treated to combat as vicious and as brutal as celluloid could be. On the small-screen, it is only marginally less nerve-shattering. Given the realism, it comes as no surprise that soldiers on occasion break into profanity, obscenity and blasphemy. ABC affiliates in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia have seen fit to pre-empt this film because the FCC might fine them for broadcasting such verbiage prior to 10 at night. It is a decision unworthy of Private Ryan and his compatriots. |
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