Thank you, dear Steve, for saying so clearly what a loyal reader you will never meet has often thought. How can all my friends and relatives be so blind? Well, with 'em or without 'em we'll win this war.

Hey mate, well done! Congrats, welcome to the club. And start thinking about a good case of '05 red to lay down for the little dipso's 18th (or 21st)!

Cheers!

In order of priority:

Congratulations to you and your wife! All the best to you both.

Regarding the exhaustion, it hit me hard last week, and I was unable to post anything that didn't degenerate into pointless, epithet-filled name-calling because of my frustration at the inability of so many to see beyond the next 24 hour news cycle.

We all do our best to fight the good fight, but we all suffer from exhaustion at times, too. Hopefully you will regain your energy soon. I am struggling to find mine.

And here's where I buried the lede, way deep: Melissa is pregnant.

Congratulations.

RE the other, less important stuff...

Where the hell are my allies?

Over thattaway. -->

You may not agree with 'em on every issue, and heaven knows they've got their faults, but when the SHTF, they're good people to have backing you up.

Congrats on the Vodkanipper; well done and best wishes to the VodkaMissus too.

As for the blog, when it no longer fun, it's proabably time to stop. I'll be sorry to see your redueced output, even though I disagree with perhaps half your stuff, but hey, we're on the same page on the big issues.

Mazel tov! And I understand about the burnout. Just remember that while you may not be effecting the big name folks, you're likely having an impact on the nameless faceless ones out here, wether that's dragging rank & file libertarians in favor of the war, or rank & file conservatives more in line with your social views. Hell, I was just glad to find someone who actually agreed with me on both!

It's just a slow news day (even the Professor noticed it). This, too, will pass.

Congratulations for the baby. My best to you and the better half.

As to politics:
Others before have felt the same or worse than you. Don't lose faith.

A minority of one armed by truth...

Congrats to you and Melissa.

I understand your sentiments exactly - and of course thanks to our freedom - it's your choice. But we will miss you.

Sometimes you fight the good fight and you realize - no one cares - or they're too stupid for their own good. Those are the times you pack it in and say 'every man for himself.' I guess this is one of those times.

Congratulations on what I'm sure will be the delivery of a happy and healthy child in December! God bless.

Hey, you found the secret to happiness that so many men in the third world already know. When life is hopeless, you make babies.

I used to have arguments with people here at work about the wisdom of going into Iraq. Thanks to you and others like you I have hard facts to counter the spin of the Big Media. I have many friends in Iraq and their e-mails that I shared with the people here at work also helped them see the real situation. However, there are still some here that just want everyone to hold hands and sing Kumbaya, all the time never understanding the true nature of our enemies. They believe in the ultimate goodness of all mankind with such fervor they just can't accept anything less. They are good people, just naive. Maybe it is up to the rest of us to pull their bacon out of the fire along with our own. We will never be thanked for it but it is the right thing to do. Congratulations on the baby. I'm already a Grandfather and it's great.

The night is black
Without a moon.
The air is thick and still.
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torchlit hill.

Features distorted in the flickering light,
The faces are twisted and grotesque.
Silent and stern in the sweltering night,
The mob moves like demons possesed.
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right,
Confident their ways are best.

The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will.
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill.

They say there are strangers who threaten us,
In our immigrants and infidels.
They say there is strangeness too dangerous
In our theaters and bookstore shelves.
That those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves.

Quick to judge,
Quick to anger,
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand...

And so it always goes - thus it has ever been, and thus it will ever be...

A great song about ignorance, and today, it just applies to a different group of people than those that Neal was writing about 30 years ago. But it still applies.

If anything, now, Stephen, you have an even bigger reason to fight for it, because your future is no longer just yours.

Congratulations.
And in a few months you'll know a whole deeper level of exhaustion.
As for the so called allies, I agree with you. For the first time ever I didn't vote Libertarian for president. The first duty of the national government is to protect the people from outside aggression. If you aren't going to go after those who attack us inside our country then I've got no use for you.
Liberty at home, security abroad. Why is that such a hard concept to get one's mind around.

"What happened? Did I pick bad allies? Are my other causes not worth fighting for, either?

I refuse to believe the former, and the latter is just plain untrue."

________________________________

If you refuse to believe the former, how are you any different from those allies you rail against for not joining you in the fight to preserve our way of life against the terrorists bent on destroying it?

How does that verse go, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11. . .

You grew and changed and they did not. Simple as that … and you are not alone. Just a couple of old time lefties you forgot, Ron Silver & Dennis Miller, who are a lot brighter and more courageous than the average liberal bear. Ron Silver talks about being shunned by his former friends. Nice, huh? Lots more not so famous people out here too.

I don't understand the reference to Hillary? No matter what she says to get you to consider voting for her, you can't really believe she would stand up to the liberal colossus and lead the fight against terrorism?

Wonderful news about the little cherub on the way. The best to you and Melissa.

It's "Neil" not "Neal." Spell the man's name correctly if you're going to crib his entire song. :)

And frankly, Part 2 of the Fear trilogy is probably more appropriate...

"With an iron fist
In a velvet glove
We are sheltered under the gun

In the glory game
Of the power train
Thy Kingdom's Will be done."

You really can't (and shouldn't) expect people to agree with you on everything. If you do, you'll continue to think you have no allies. What you have, like all of us, is people who are your allies on SOME things, maybe MOST things, but not ALL things. And, I have a prediction for you: after your child is born, your attitude on some social issues (not all) will slowly start to change, until, after some years have passed, you'll wonder why you felt the way you do now about certain things. This is the way of life and always has been. Having more to protect causes one to be more protective. Keep your chin up and your eye on the ball.

Many congratulations! And remember there are at least a few people (and judging by the number of comments, a lot) who still read this blog who are your allies.

Congratulations on the exciting news!

And may more folks come to their senses to see things the way you do to help insure that the world that Vodka Jr. comes into will be a safer place.

Congrats, man.

Mine are grown, although one blessed us with a granddaughter to raise and she's now almost 16, so I guess we're about done for the duration.

Being dad is a good deal and it leads to being grandpa, which is the best job on the planet.

As for that other stuff, I'm with you, but I suppose you can't count me as a convert, because the Dems and Liberals roared off into fog of denial and rabid fanaticism long ago, leaving me with no real options.

Conservative by inclination,
Republican by default,

Jim from Fort Collins

Congratulations on the baby. I hope you enjoy fatherhood half as much as I have; I can barely remember what I did with myself before my kids were born, and I sincerely hope you find yourself in the same position.

Congratulations to you and Melissa.

Maybe you're just tired and need a period of regneration. It's hard to keep up a battle mentality every day. Now there are more interesting thoughts to be had, like getting the baby's room ready and what to do about that car, and should I start some kind of education fund now or wait till January, oh my god! we have to pick out names! :)

The battle will be there whenever you feel like you are ready to fight it.

In the meantime, smell the air, pick out names and find the enjoyment that doesn't leave you exhausted.

Take care

You know what caused Melissa's condition: that little yellow asymmetrical swim thingy she wore in Playa del wherever.

I felt something kick just looking at it! Dang!

Talk about burying the lede!

congratulations compadre.

Congratulations on the baby, keep us updated, and streaming video of the birth is not, repeat not required.

For what it's worth. you're not alone. I likes me smut, don't care what gays do with their money and think it's nonsensical that they can't visit their partners in hospitals.

As far as your allies go, well, honestly, I've always regarding hard-core libertarians as being a lot like the sort of bitter MENSAns who can't understand why they wind up working for people dumber than they are, only with sidearms. Democrats are a disappointment if you consider them as a party with ideals, but if you consider them as what they are, a party whose only goal is the continued survival of the party, then their actions make sense: from supporting slavery, secession and Jim Crow to embracing the loony left and the proponents of religious terror.

As far as the San Francisco gay community, professional protesters and the columnists, I can only assume you weren't paying attention. You've just named the three most insular communities in this country today. These people have never seen beyond their own noses, and never will. So well, yeah, you looked for bad allies.

Doesn't mean you're alone though. I suggest you read the book, South Park Conservatives and you might find where to look for what sound like your real allies.

Congrats! I bet you think you're busy now! (ho ho ho ho)
Don't worry about the liberals who don't pick up the fight. Instead, look at those activists you are familiar with and ask, "What actual accomplishment has this person ever had, even in support of their beloved cause?" Most it's organising, picketing, haranging, and hectoring others to try to get something done. Do not, however, expect that they themselves will become involved in the mundane tasks of moving history forward. It's far easier to complain about what others do.

I am a conservative gay man. I live in the San Franciso Bay Area. I work for the city of San Francisco. In the past, in times of war, Americans put their parochial interests aside for the common good. Steve, a lot of gay people have done that with the WOT. I was moderately conservative before Sept 11, but the response of the Left was the last straw for me. Their rush to blame America, as usual, and excuse the terrorists was just more than I could take. I saw quite clearly in the aftermath that Bush was a true leader, and the Republicans were taking charge AS IF THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY DEPENDED ON IT. I did not, and still do not see, that kind of leadership and understanding of the issues on the part of the Dems. Nancy Pelosi is still talking about an "exit date" for our troops. Idiocy. You need to know that many, many gay people out here are exactly where you are on these issues. Our loud, typically clueless Leftoid friends are still fighting the social wars of the 60s and 70s, oblivious to the fact that reality has left them in the dust. And good luck being a dad. Sixty years ago yesterday mine was in London where he had spent three years dodging bombs in the last big one.

There's that Toby Keith song: "What Happens in Mexico Stays in Mexico." I guess not! Congratulations!

At our first OB appointment, my doctor told my husband 2 things: (1) "she's going to need back rubs and foot massages every day" and (2) "her body's working as hard as if she was cross country skiing all day."

I appreciated her first point, but the second one is more true than I imagined. I dozed off at Borders yesterday. But so far, it's been exciting and fun. We're about 3 months ahead of you (and got married about 1 month ahead of you, so I'd been looking for this announcement).

And your malaise seems to me to be fatherhood related. Everyone who's expecting asks themselves at some point "What kind of world am I bringing this kid into?" It's just that most of us don't have an internet audience that expect us to ask other questions and occassionally give answers.

An Army Wife hoooah for you and yours.

Steve - I am a long time reader who has never posted. I love your site and sure hope you continue to blog and fight. You have done alot for my own viewpoint and although I know sometimes you must feel as though you are banging your head against a wall, I know you have a great effect. Please know what you are doing is very worthy.

Congrats on the coming addition. Now ... remember that the fight gets harder and more important as WE (you DO have allies) fight to make this planet sane again and safe for our children and grandchildren.

When it gets to be to much ... take a break, post news on the baby and when the mood strikes ... then post articles again.

(by the way ... make me a tequila shot ... bwa ha ha ha)

Congrats on the coming addition. Now ... remember that the fight gets harder and more important as WE (you DO have allies) fight to make this planet sane again and safe for our children and grandchildren.

When it gets to be to much ... take a break, post news on the baby and when the mood strikes ... then post articles again.

(by the way ... make me a tequila shot ... bwa ha ha ha)

Steve,

Congrats on the soon-to-be! My two young-uns changes my life - for the better. They make you proud in so many fun ways. My youngest, 3 yrs old at this story 4 now, gave her Southern Baptist 3-day a week pre-school a good giggle early this year. She sat down some of her classmates at their play table. Went over to the "plastic play kitchen" and grabbed 4 bottles. Placing one in front of each child she said in her loud voice "Here's your beer. Here’s your beer. Here's your beer. Here's your beer." Yep, the "water into grape juice" SBC group got a hoot out of that. Wonder where she picked it up?

But..... keep slogging away. You are one of the places to convinced me to start blogging, so don't depart the line of battle. We need every ship we can get. Even if you can only keep up 1/3 the fire you had, every shot counts!!!
Cheers,
-Phibian

At least we know what you were doing in Playa del Carmen.

Congratulations and best wishes!

You're in for a treat. Actually, many many treats, in the form of incredible experiences.

Sir- Your rants are more intelligent and thought provoking than those of your perceived "allies", whose contempt of the "War on Terror" exposes their ignorance and knee-jerk reactionary thought processes. 9/11 was an unfortunate learning experience that forced Americans to either learn who their enemies were and why, or to revel in their own fear and guilt and declare themselves (read America) to be the problem. Learn or die that is the true human condition.

OoooH! Forgot the other human condition, propagate! Nice shooting! You have much wisdom to teach your future child and keep us on the list for occaisional nuggets, whenever they may get posted.

Congratulations to you both!

Congrats! And let us all pray it's a girl, so we don't have to see a post about circumcision, and the 12 million comments it's likely to inspire!

And I understand your exhaustion.. I haven't really blogged in years now. And I quite like it. :)

As a dear friend said to me after the births of our children: "Face it, from here on out, we're nothing but pack animals."

At first, I was certain that you were going to call it quits. I'm happy that you have come to your senses. There will be more now for you to blog about, not all of which will revolve around morning sickness and Natural Childbirth classes.

You are about to experience a love more intense than you have ever thought possible. I am confident that you will use your considerable talent to channel that love into some very worthwhile prose.

Best to you and Melissa.

Congratulations!

My first is almost nineteen months old and my second is scheduled to arrive on May 31.

You think you're exhausted now, just wait. But the rewards far exceed the burdens and it just keeps getting better and better the older my youngest gets.

As for the blogging, you're about to have a very good reason to keep beating your head against the wall. I hope you do keep posting for two main reasons, the first is I enjoy reading your work and the second and perhaps slightly more important reason is that I think your arguments are very well stated and compelling and perhaps, just maybe, you have already silently moved that wall a little and may move it further still.

Against the loss of old allies, you have new allies you never would have expected. A lot of us are trying to articulate the Right Thing -- not just what feels good, but what will actually work -- and you have set an eloquent example. 4.5 million visitors can't be wrong!

Best of luck with the Vodkababy. People say "your life is over", but it's more accurate to say that your childhood is.

Steve,

Congratulations to you and Melissa!

Being a good mommy and daddy to your child(ren) will definitely be much more fulfilling than blogging.

The influence you will have over your child's welfare and personality will likely dwarf any influence you or I or anyone else will ever have through his/her blog on the lives of their readers or the welfare of the world.

You have a great blog, and have already accomplished great things with it. I hope you will find a way to enjoy blogging enough to continue with your efforts here.

Where are your allies?

Six months ago, 60 million people voted for Bush/Cheney. On January 30th, millions more people in Iraq went out and voted in their national elections. I'd say that most of these American and Iraqi voters are probably your allies.

Where are your allies?

Look, everyone has the right to their opinion -- how could it be otherwise? If someone disagrees with you about Iraq, Bush, the War on Terror, or what have you, he is probably thinking "What's the matter with Vodkapundit guy -- why is he being so dopey about this?"

It's not easy to change someone else's opinion through argument or discourse. People get defensive, and start filtering facts and logic through various defense mechanisms.

The best way to persuade someone of something is to listen.

You have to understand someone else's point of view almost as well as you understand your own. Then you can build on what the other person knows and try to help him discover what you have already discovered.

There is no guarantee that listening will work, but even if the other person ends up still disagreeing, you will probably learn something yourself from the exchange -- often you will learn quite a lot. So the worst that can happen is that you will get something out of the encounter, and the other person won't.

Congratulations to you and Melissa.

Stephen,

Congradulations on the addition to the Vodka Empire. If you're lucky, nothing will ever be the same again.

It is hard to post when nothing ever seems to change. Of my two blogs, my 'serious' blog only gets updated twice a month. You might want to try angry, snarky sarcasm. I never seem to run out of the energy for that.

I also looked in vain for allies among the Libertarians. I've never believed in God and the 'religious right' have always made me nervous.

And yet, since 911, it seems like everytime I have to choose a side on an issue that will keep this country alive, I am standing among the Believers. The Left and the Libertarians are screeching about everything you describe.

I didn't think 911 changed me, other than to piss me off. I've always been for strong national defense, low taxes, personal liberty, etc., etc. But I'm finding that it got under my skin in a very peculiar way, similar to what you describe. Why are the people like me not standing here with me?

I've started to question the one thing that I thought was beyond questioning: whether a society can survive that allows not only liberty, but licentiousness. I read Bork's Slouching Towards Gommorah, and when he speaks approvingly of censorship, I didn't dismiss it out of hand. I thought, 'Could this actually be right?'

My first little drunkard should arrive at the end of november or early december so we are a few weeks ahead of you. Right about now your leading lady is probably exhausted and nauseous all of the time, but I pray that maybe she is one of the lucky ones who doesn't suffer that badly. The second trimester is supposed to be easier... You will begin to notice that it seems like everyone is getting pregnant right now! Good luck and congratulations! If you need to blow off some steam to someone who is in the same timeframe of pregnancy...

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am sorry you are feeling burned out on the political front (join the club, cher!) but that is GREAT news about your pending little one!!

Congrats on the bundle to come. The only blogs I really read on a daily basis are "war on terror" libertarians. IF I may be so bold, I think we are seeing a split in the libertarians along the I want all these freedoms so I can have fun and those who stuggle with the moral issues of liberty and freedom. The latter include the lib bloggers I read. Screw the others frankly.

That's a brilliant post, and I think we've all felt much the same over the past few months. It's like the lives of a few million brown people in Iraq just don't matter to some people unless they can be used as a prop to advance some anti-American party line. It seems like some people are born with a blame-America-first mentality that just won't go away.

If there's one solace, it's this: they're a minority. They're losing. Freedom is on the loose in the Middle East, and it's going to kick the ass of every dictatorship in the region sooner or later. Yes, there will be setbacks and problems and fits and starts, but there ain't nothing more powerful than people wanting to be free.

God willing, the VodkaKid will grow up in a world where King Fahd ended up getting turned into dog food like Nicolae Ceaucescu, Osama bin Laden's getting sodomized in Hell, and Beirut's the hot place to go for spring break.

To borrow from TR - it isn't the critic that matters, and those who don't get this war now will be rushing to take credit for it when the dust finally settles.

Congratulations! and best wishes to you and Melissa.

The rest of your essay is a perfect example of why we'd miss you if you closed up shop, entirely or mostly. You don't owe it to anyone to keep blogging, but damn, am I grateful you will.

Congratulations! :=) I can safely predict that your offspring will join the ranks of Beautiful People, even before he or she is born.

Believe it or not, you are reaching a vast underground movement, who share your thoughts, but don't know how to put it in words as well as you do - and don't find too many examples of the legacy media that speak for them.

Congrats, an Olive! Or a tax deduction....

But vote for Evita???

So, does this mean you're going to need a bigger house?

You think you're on a roller coaster now.....

You beat your head against the wall, but if you give up, that's what they want.

Congratulations!!! Please stick around...

Hooray! The VodkaBaby!

You know that the VodkaBaby and World Wide Runt #2 will be entering the world around the same time (we're due late Nov / early Dec). I think this calls for a drink. Or ten.

When are you next up our way?

Felicidades to you and the missus!!! And I echo the sentiments stated here, thanks for your hard work and please do stick around.

Congratulations....I'll be waiting for your blog posted May 9, 2006, 3:00 am, when you explain to the "unknowing" what the true meaning is of real "exhaustion".

Steve - obligatory (but nonetheless heartfelt) kudos on successful sowing of an oat.

Alllow me to join with Jack on the "Me too!" bit, though we're prolly only 75% congruent on views...

My refuge is Gun Pr0n!

And Tequila.

Congratulations to you both! What wonderful news.

Steve,
Hey, I hear you. As you know, I just became a daddy on the 21st of March. It is exhausting to blog, especially when the night before was your turn to change the diapers and feed the little poop machine.

Additionally, you know that I am a very loyal reader. It would not be an exaggeration in the slightest to say that you were one of the reasons why I started blogging. To lose your insight on the political and social lunacy that surrounds us on a daily basis would be intolerable.

I stand with you. I always have. I wish you the best of luck on whatever decision you make. But know that you will be sorely missed if you decide to hang up your keyboard.

SSG Dan Felten

Steve:

Happy, joyous congratulations to you and Mrs. Vodkapundit!!

You've given yourself the best reason to continue the fight.

Ain't irony a bitch?

Keep up the good work. You *do* reach lots of us, and make a positive difference.

We just need to remember to say "Thanks!' more often.

A very moving entry.

You will always have an ally at Sophistpundit, Mr. Green.

1. Congrats.
2. I have noticed no slippage in quality here. Especially compared to the fact that almost every political blog I read (mine included) has slipped a bit since the election out of a combination of fatigue and slow news days. The muse comes and goes for us all. In other words, hang in there.

About giving up.

Stephen, a few question to you. Do you enjoy living in liberty? How can you live in freedom? You can because many brave men had dreams and didn't give up. Think of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, etc. They had a pretty steep uphill battle, but they won. They won because they had their dreams, believed in them, and didn't give up.

Those people fought no so much for themselves but for their people and for the next generations. They fought, many of them died, and so we, the next generation, can enjoy liberty.

Do you want ours to be the last generation to live in freedom? Didn't you just say that Ms. Vodkapundit is pregnant? We have our responsibility for the next generation. We have to ensure that liberty stays. Not only stays, but marches on to newer and newer places. To uncharted territories.

If you give up now, then how can you look into the mirror together with your son? What will you say? "I believed, but due to some disappointments and bad apples, I gave up. So my generation is the last free one. Sorry son." Do you think he will have the right to spit at the mirror?

Don't give up. Life is full with disappointments. You fight it for the next generation. And to ensure that not we are the bastards who dropped the ball.

Vilmos

Congratulations to you and the missus!

Always remember: "Blog with your legs, not your back." If you need a break, take it.

We'll be here. Or close by, anyway...

Stephen, congratulations to you and your wife. And so begins your army of atomic supermen!

wow, I couldn't agree with you more. Their are so many hypocrites in politics its stifeling. I think what blows my mind is that we have taken a whole country with a HUGE army in weeks and has held it for more than a year with just 1500 killed. The press and the left makes that seem absolutely unreasonable. Open up a GODDAMN history book . This is got to be the greatest military upset in the history of this world. You would not know this if you read the mainstream press. On Sept. 17, 1862 at the Battle of Antietam over 26,000 men died in one day. That is when the country was small. When I hear talking heads say this is a mess, I know that person is a dumbass. This great country deserves better media.

Steve

Read your blog every chance I get.
Everybody has an incredible tolerance for facts that get in the way of their beliefs; it is very hard for us to have our minds changed. It is an admission to been wrong all along. Unfortunately it takes quite a bit of character to change your mind about anything. Give up if you wish, if it is no longer the struggle that motivates you then it is probably for the best. The minds you seek to change are surrounded by people who pat them on the back for their "enlightened" views. Even myself, I seek out reading that agrees with what I believe, probably because I seek the same back patting that they do.
When 9/11 happened, I felt incredibly guilty about bringing my children into the world. That happened for a couple of weeks, until I realized, this world is going to be better for the addition of my children; this world needs kids like mine and yours.
If you feel like going on, concentrate on helping those of us in our personal lives with tips on how to put our lefty friends into a logical corner, if ideals hit an impass, that is the only way to change minds

Thanks Steve
Matt Molberg

Congratulations!!

Vodka Progression
First came the Quart from a life of sport,
There joined The Fifth to coddle.
And after flight from South delight...
A tiny airline bottle.

...Certainly the game is rigged. Don't let that stop you; if you don't bet, you can't win."

     - Robert A. Heinlein

I will repeat part of something I said on another blog...

Looking back, other then the Democrats embracing of neo-liberal ecomomics during Clinton (which they have unfortunately turned against of late), Civil Right's was the last great cause they truly stuck their necks out for. They have mosltly been reactionaries ever since. They are behaving now as they did during Reagan, a way I also behaved then though I am definately over that now.

I don't agree with the right on everything but I will tell you that the left being 'no longer always on the side of "good,"' as was stated did not start with Bush, a post 911 world just made it obvious enough for a hard-head like me to get it (pass the smelling salts please), in truth on some level it has been this way since Civil Right's and Vietnam. Nixon was easy to hate but it really should have been obvious with Reagan, their is no excuse I mean Mondale, Dukakis... please! (Yes I voted for them but again, please!).

I forget who said it but it is something I basically agree with... "If 9/11 wasn't enough to change you, then you probably never will" It was enough for me and I have quit fighting with those who have not because it will take something greater then 9/11 to change them.

Just to add my small voice to the encouragement you're getting here...

It may take another attack - a really big one - before the traditional left reasserts its moral authority. At the moment, it's the old "new left" that holds sway. And I'm afraid they're a lost cause, not only to America, but to what we used to call western civilization.

Some would blame Foccault and Derida for this, me among them. But it's deeper than adherence to a worldview that posits the notion that nothing matters - not form, not substance, not theory. Why this fecal matter runs so rampant amongs those circles is a mystery.

Would a terrorist nuke attack bring about the change you're looking for? I hope we don't have to get to that point but I'm afraid nothing else will cut through the myopia.

I'll add that it seems like you and Larry Elder are two libertarians with much in common.

Steve,
I'm another who's been silently paying attention here.

First and the highest priority, huge congratulations on the upcoming joy of parenting! It really is great news!

Now, about the blog. I've only been blogging for a year, but I realized some time ago that it's EXTREMELY rare to change someone's mind on a blog. Most blog readers come with their opinions firmly in place and if they don't agree, will go blue in the face trying to change YOUR mind. How often do you change your opinion from a blog comment? I know I never have. Sure, you can expand people's knowledge about your (or the other) side, but most people pick and choose the facts that support their arguments. I don't expect to change the world with my blog, so I quit trying to be serious all the time (not that I recommend that to anyone else, much less you). You/we may soften someone's entrenched opinion, but that can be swayed back as soon as they return to the rhetoric on the other side.

That said, this comment above:

Thanks to you and others like you I have hard facts to counter the spin of the Big Media.

...is a VERY valuable thing to remember. Clearly you take the time to get the facts right and to use them to support your arguments, and it's a valuable resource to those who know in their hearts that (for example) the war in Iraq is for good, but don't always have the verbal ammunition they need against the nay-sayers. Don't underestimate the power of that. The more people who are equipped to argue the points of an issue, the better.

Yes, I'm also sick and TIRED of the same old crap from my ideological opponents, but that's why I've got a blog--so I can bitch about it (or laugh at it) when I want to. More often though, I've found that this helps:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

So I do more shilling for advocacy groups, fundraisers (particularly for the military organizations), etc., to empower those who can influence lawmakers.

Please don't think I'm saying "do what I do," God knows I'm the LAST person you should take unsolicited blogging advice from! I'm just saying don't give up the good fight, because you ARE making a difference, even if you don't see it. You know the contrarians are always the loudest and get your attention the most easily. Others listen and take mental notes silently, rather than leaving a comment saying "Eureka!" (or whatever).

John D said, "When I hear talking heads say this is a mess, I know that person is a dumbass. This great country deserves better media." ME TOO. But if we keep talking, sooner or later the media will have to change. They have been forced to do so on previous occasions (Rathergate, Eason Jordan), even with the blogosphere still being in its relative infancy. When blogs or some incarnation of them have matured beyond a couple of years, they/we will have real influence like today's MSM (which has been around for FAR longer).

There's my two cents...er, at this length, dollars. ;-)

As evidenced by the sheer lack of volume in blogging over at my site...I'm tired too Steve. I'm tired for just about the same reasons and the frustration level has driven to distraction. I can blog about a few subjects (gun rights being primary) but if I had a nickel for every news item I'd bookmarked and blog post I'd started before coming to my senses and saying, "why do I want to do little more than attract trolls and get slapped on the back by those who already agree?"

The problem being that it seems that the "back slapping' going on here in the blogosphere has removed the need for many to get involved in an open debate. There are too many who, if people don't agree with them in a debate, simply call in the partisans to flood debate threads with supporters...why debate when you can simply gather those who believe as you to rally around you in support? I willing to listen to any well-supported position and debate it's merits...but most of the denizens of the Net seem to be more interested in making sure that THEY ARE RIGHT rather than finding out if they are right.

It's frustrating and mirrors almost exactly what happened in the smaller venue of dial-up BBS and Fidonet forums back in the mid-80's (yeah, I'm THAT old.) Tragic really...but predictable.

Cngratulations! I wish you, your wife, and your youngster the very best, and I'll be looking forward to hearing about him or her!

I haven't read through all the comments yet so I'm sure someone has already said what I'm thinking --- and far more eloquently too.

First, congratulations to you guys !. My wife and I have been married 3 months and 4 days (not that we're counting ) and I look forward to the day when the little feet I hear around the house belong to someone other than our new puppy.....not that he's not loveable too.

As for the rest of what you said, right on brother.....I still conisder myself a libertarian (mostly because I refuse to let others define what that means for me) but have grown increasingly frustrated at the way people I used to respect have talked since 9/11. For all her faults, Ayn Rand I personally have no doubt would've been on the right side of this issue.

As for the burnout, you're fighting the good fight. Keep it up.

Steve

If you make it down this far on the comments, please accept my congrats.

And, hopefully without sounding too maudlin, I think that something as frustrating as this blog will have much more meaning with a Steve Jr. around. Trust me.

Keep up the good work.

Wow- How totally cool!!!!!
way to go missy.
not you steve
you depressive fuck
you write better then
shakespere and your worried about the unresponsive. Right or wrong you are at least standing up. Most merely crouch.
Love Petie

Ohhhhhh...this changes everything.

Get ready for a PERSPECTIVE change like you never knew you would have.

Your real allies are right here--on the right side.

I understand your exhaustion, I've felt it, too. What keeps me coming back is the thought of all those men and women in the US military fighting this war.

They are why the absent allies have the luxury of being absent; there are plenty of very-much-present-allies in the form of our servicemen keeping the wolf far enough from the door that we hear the nay-sayers instead of the worf's growl.

Congratulations, Steven. You will soon see what we are fighting for,and you will soon feel that fierce protectiveness that every parent should feel. Those news reports about missing, abused or neglected children are now going to hit you in the gut like never before. You will even look differently at that baby who is crying on the airplane in the seat behind you. My first two were born 8/20/01, so I had about three weeks of uninterrupted joy before the world changed. At least you are going into this with your eyes open to the evil that is facing us now. I am still pissed about 9/11 and I know we are doing what must be done. About two weeks after 9/11, my best friend, who is German, brought his new German fiance over for a visit. She who had never been to the U.S. before proceeded to give me and my wife (who is Chinese) a mini lecture on how 9/11 was our fault. My friend looked very uncomfortable, and my wife had steam coming out of her ears. I excused myself from the room without comment,to regain composure my and we all went out to a very "Curb Your Enthusiasm" dinner. My German friend is no longer engaged to her, and he says that he almost gets into fistfights with childhood friends when the GWOT comes up in conversations at home in Germany. He, like me, was once very liberal, but now he says he cannot live in Germany anymore because of socialist economics and insane immigration policies. He completely supports our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and you can imagine how painful it is for him to see what has become of his country. My Chinese wife also supports the war, although that is probably because she is a stubborn, confrontational, hardass mother of three (yes, we had another one last year)who takes no shiite.
Another little anecdote to let you know you are not alone: last week I was at the convenience store. The guy in front of me had on a Hawaiian shirt, and the clerk asked him which island was best to visit. The guy said he liked Kona, and the clerk said he was going on a cruise next month. I told the clerk to bring his passport or he would be refused entry on the ship, as I was when I failed to produce passports for my twin 1-year-olds, whereupon the fiftyish lady behind me in line shouted, "That's another reason to hate those terrorists!!" We may not see or hear it very much, but this sentiment you and I share is smoldering quietly in the hearts of many in this world. Now if I could just get my lesbian sister to listen to her Iraqi lesbian friend who lives in Canada and supports the war in Iraq...

Rock on, Stephen. Being a daddy is probably the most important person you'll ever be in your life. But it's so good stuff. (I have an 18-month-old myself and have been digging up some thoughts on impending fatherhood lately that I wrote before the tyke was born.) There's a commercial out there with the tagline, "having a baby changes everything." Boy, does it ever.

Oh, and Baby Einstein and Pixar will be your very good friends.

And about your allies--if your natural ones seem to have abandoned you...well, don't be too ashamed of us unnatural ones, us uptight social cons. We're not so bad, once you get to know us.

Congratulations to you and Melissa, Steve. That is truly outstanding news. :)

And good on ya for sticking with the blog. The blogosphere would be diminished if you left.

Don't let the bastards, or misguided friends, get you down.

Congratulations and Cheers! I feel so late to the party on this one. Big hug to the wife and have a Scotch, neat, on me.

Congratulations to both of you!

I'm VERY glad you talked yourself out of bowing out of the blogosphere.

I'm a bit more of a "social conservative" (particularly on abortion) than you are, Stephen, but Vodkapundit has been one of my favorite places in the blogosphere. Glad you'll be sticking around.

Where the hell are my allies?

Any wonder that so many GIs want to return to their units where they know who's covering there back.

That said .. I've often found that when I've written, both here and elsewhere, many people can't seem to recognize when they are being agreed with, as I guess they don't read the "whole thing."

As for the "daddy thing", my advise .. don't take any pictures of the actual birthing process .. before and after for sure, but some things are best left only to your memory.

“..to be... to do... whatever.” S. Green

“To be is to do.” Plato

“To do is to be.” Socrates

“Do be do be do” F. Sinatra

Congratulations on the baby Steve.

But while I consider myself to be your ally and agree with much of what you say, I do not consider it self-evident that I was endowed by any "creator" with anything. If you prefer to exclude atheists as your allies, that is up to you, of course.

doug

Congratulations, and my best wishes to Melissa for a healthy, trouble-free pregnancy, and an easy delivery.

Becoming a parent will change you in ways you can't possibly expect now.

I do hope you keep up the blog so we can keep tabs (heh) on you. It doesn't have to be all politics, you know.

Steve, you're gonna have a lot of fun being a daddy. Don't let them tell you it's a lot of work. It's just fun.

Just a thought for you - last year when we were at this stage of the prgnancy we had no idea it would be twins. Even after the first ultrasound.

Good luck!

Congratulations. I thought it was getting near that time for you. The lull in blogging had to mean more than just exhaustion.

Get used to exhaustion. I don't know how all you moms and dads tolerate it.

Wish I had the energy level all of you seem to.

Cheers.

You forgot Giras and Hanson. Periodically I like to post this Geras link, as it explodes the hypocrisy of the nominally liberal left from within.

Just a quick thumbnail summary of my personal overall take on 9/11 et. seq.:
The paleo-right (Buchanan) is too selfish to do the right thing, and the paleo-left is too squeamish and conflicted. Thank God (or Whatever) for the rest of us, I say!

Oh, about the baby. Remember that an infant is NOT a blank slate; he/she will come with potentials, predelictions, and problems that DO NOT DERIVE FROM YOUR ACTIONS AND TREATMENT. You'll have to adapt to those on-the-fly, and it may well keep you hopping and guessing for some time to come.

Here's a neuro-biological preview of the next 22 years:
By age 1, a child has many more neurons (about 2x) than an adult; as attitudes and abilities are developed and selected for emphasis, the unused ones will die off.
By age 8, a child will have a functional and fairly accurate, but somewhat cartoonish and 2-dimensional, grasp of social interactions and other people.
By age 12, brain cells have doubled again, and have restarted the process of trimming back, on the "use it or lose it" principle. The frontal lobes, in charge of social modelling of others, abstract thought, moderating and projecting consequences of desires and impulses, and goal-setting, will still be growing for a while, and are in a state of near-chaos, as they are the most changed and most complexly organized. Social understanding has effectively collapsed, as so much more is now being perceived and learned about.
Age 18; self-control and social comprehension have about returned to the 8-year-old level, but with far greater depth. However, the vastly greater awareness of abstracts and priciples and morality have lead to a tendency to become enthralled with Great Ideas and Absolutes. Intolerant self-righteousness is a likely consequence.
By age 21 or so;
here's Mark Twain, paraphrased: At 19 I left home for the Mississippi riverboats and points west. When I returned home 3 years later, I was astonished at how much my old man had learned about life in such a short period of time!

The teenage Black Hole is actually a period of massive and almost desperate exploration of what is valuable, workable, real, individual, communal, ethical, evil, and so on. Respectful consistency in handling generally produces the best results, but short of a failure of the linkage between the motivational centers of the brain (in the general region of the amygdala) and the frontal lobes--which does happen--you should see the first stages of competant adulthood by the early 20's.

It's a wild ride.

Oh, and that other stuff. I think no news is good news. People are ready to finally just see things out. I think every one has learned to take the opposition with a truck load of salt.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to you both!

Congratulations. Having a child is the most obvious sign of optimism for the future that I can imagine.

Congratulations on the baby. I'm one libertarian that is fairly close to where you are. I guess you could call me an ally. I'm starting to think I am going to have to start calling myself something other than libertarian because many are just so philosophically intolerant.

I'm a non-open borders, anti-anarchist, atheist, pro-US, libertarian. I believe Islam is philosophically incompatible with a free society. I believe there are cultures that are not compatible with liberty, and cannot be integrated as is.

Most importantly, Stephen, congratulations. Making new humans is a lot of fun, and when done right, about the most optimistic thing people can do. Here's to you and Melissa, with a nice glass of Iron Horse Brut Rose.

As to other matters, blog only when it is fun to do so. Period. Also, the abandonment of ideology is a marker on the path to enlightenment. I always admired Hitchens from afar, and still differ with him on many things, but when I read an interview with him in which he noted that he no longer considered himself part of any political group, that he didn't have loyalty any longer to any ideology, my respect for him deepened. It sounds as if you are on the same journey.

Perhaps the fact that you see so many that you admire in direct disagreement with you..it's a sign to rethink your position.

Congratulations on your pending parenthood, btw.

Congratulations to you and Melissa. Your world is about to change in wonderful and permanent ways. Enjoy the journey!

congrats on impending daddyhood! Knew that vacation would work it's wonders.

It's amazing how introspective one gets when parenthood is coming.

I am only a blog reader and I have learned much from what you have written. Please feel proud of being one of the many pioneers in this field. They just concluded Blognashville and it seems that blogging has been taken to new heights. It will include more A/V and become more commercial. If you stop, you will find it harder to get back in. Better to keep on going but at a different pace.

When you become a father, your perspective about life and what's important will change. Reading about your views as you grow will be interesting. Your passion may be different. But your writing is what attracted me to your blog. Your writing won't change. Perhaps it will be better as your focus changes with parenthood.

Here's what the Year of the Rooster will mean to the United States:

Excerpt from Theodora Lau’s
The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes, 1979, p94
-------Advice to the Monkey-----
The Rooster Year is a stable time for the Monkey. He will have the extra money he needs and the right contacts to push his plans through. But in turn, he will neglect his home life, take on too much and find himself exhausted or overextended in commitments. The Monkey should not underestimate his opponents this year.
[Note: the USA was born in the Monkey Year.]

The Year of the Rooster is a good year into which your child is to be born. Roosters have lots of good qualities.

Congratulations to you and Melissa!
Beth

Congrats. Kids are awesome.

And....your allies are here.

Steve,

Just never stop writing.

The reason people hold things like freedom and liberty to be less than self-evident is that those who take freedom for granted never stop talking or writing.

And even if that talking or writing is ridiculous or treacherous, if people hear it often enough, over and over again from a variety of different people, it starts to become conventional "wisdom."

And once it becomes CW, people stop questioning whether or not it's ridiculous.

The only solution is to keep talking and writing, and never giving up the fight. Vigilence is the name of the game.

Just keep up the great work. You already had an effect an many people who would have otherwise continued to accept the so-called wisdom of people like Harry Browne.

Stephen

It doesn't matter if the whole world is allied against you, so long as you have hope.

Hope to make your future better, hope to make the world a better place for your unborn child.

I am reminded of a cartoon encaptioned "Never give up." Depicted is a bird attempting to swallow a frog, who in his desire not to give up hope, has stuck his arms out & is using them to strangle the bird.

Congratulations on the child. A fairly smart feller once said that children are the gift of a loving God.

Congratulations and thanks for the excellent post, Stephen. This kind of thing has been nagging at the back of my mind for the past year or so, but I couldn't have put it as well even if I'd managed to sort out my thoughts as coherently.

Stephen,

Perhaps it would help to shoot over to Fort Carson to remind you that you aren't alone.

You were lucky and talented enough to gain an audience at a time when many were struggling to determine the best response to an asymmetrical threat unmatch in our history. I understanding the frustration you're feeling in being part of the fight to convince our fellow Americans that the present path is the best (not perfect) way to advance the war on militant Islam. It ain't easy for any of us; if you don't believe me, come visit me in the San Francisco. I share your pain.

But, like I said, you have been fortunate enough to build a soapbox where many come to listen, challenge, and hopefully reflect. You're tired of standing on the box and dodging the occasional tomato - but take a look in a 3rd ACR soldier's eyes. You'll find true exhaustion there - but also perserverance. Hang tough, do a tag out when you need it, but please keep up the good fight. Remember, Tom Paine didn't play a part on the field of battle - but he helped others understand the battlefield.

Best,
Greg

Congratulations!

Thanks for all the excellent commentary.

You are making a difference, but don't burn yourself out on my account. :D

Congratulations on the baby!

Jack (Random Fate) pointed in your direction , so I came and read. I hope you find your passionate energy again, and to echo BenJ, don't burn yourself out on our account!

First, let me just say thanks. I knew there was reason to keep checking this blog every day. When you bring the blog, you damn sure bring the blog 100%.

Second, as to allies: don't sweat it. And don't let it get you down. If you have the fire of conviction, others will come to you. You certainly have the "voice" to influence, just keep using it.

Lastly, and most importantly: going to be a daddy? GOOD ON YER! There is nothing, nothing better in this world than to be a parent (yes, of course that's a personal opinion, but one I stand by). My daughters can drive me up one wall and down another, but just before my head finally explodes they can wreck me with a simple smile and a laugh.

Enjoy every minute of it. (Baby photoblogging!)

ill miss your blog ifn you decide not to continue, but who cares whether i miss it or not? do what makes you happy. and congratulations to you and the vodkawife on your imminent arrival. ill hoist a few in your honor. in fact, i already have.

I hope you feel better. You might consider watching The Star Wars Kid, it has been a while and it is funny again.

There are a ton of people who agree with you, but they might not be vocal about it. Personally, I never discuss politics outside of the internet world. I feel that my political convictions have merit, but when people challenge me my gut says smash their face (it is difficult to debate someone if you want to crush them). That is why you need to stick around, not for me or you, but for them. If you have the ability to argue in a "fight or flight" situation you are obligated to do so. I may not be tempered or civilized, but you are sometimes. At least, you contribute to a civil society. This is not a crazy partisan blog.

-file under Miller Lite

Congratulations Mr. Lede-burier. And thanks for a great rant that was right on the money.

--Perhaps the fact that you see so many that you admire in direct disagreement with you..it's a sign to rethink your position.--

ehhh, Carla?

The world has been in direct disagreement w/US for 228+++ years, they're still wrong. And getting pretty pissy about it.

Of course to get along, we must give up our archaic 18th century document, but it's worth it to be prom queen contender, isn't it?

Mazel tov on the fetus.
Let us know when it turns into a baby.

I guess "VodkaBaby" sounds better than "Infantini". ("The MiniMartini" maybe? Hey, just be glad I didn't make a burying the lede/impregnation joke.)

Libertarians can't agree on _anything_. (And yes, I say that as a proud dues-paying member of the LP.) Plus, there are sound libertarian reasons to distrust this administration, and this war. (They are, IMHO, overwhelmed utterly by the sound reasons to _support_ the war...but I'm not going to pretend that it's a stand on pure principle, as opposed to a question of priorities.)

And frankly, if you were expecting the Left to line up behind a war...any war...then I think you were suffering from some serious delusions about domestic politics.

As for "porn for me but not for thee"...well, I'm out of the porn business for the moment, but as someone who used to make his living from the stuff, and may again someday, I've never wavered one iota from the belief that every intolerant and repressive regime in the known universe ought to be toppled with all due speed.

You are far from alone. We miss you when you go on hiatus. But we understand.

congrats steven.

it's called south park conservatism, or jonah goldbergism + drugs - censorship. You have lots of allies in the readership and in the quiet folk who actually do the work.

as for figuring out what to do: well, stick with the rightwingers, then we can fight the social stuff after we've ensured the survival of our way of life. unlike WWII, we will have to fight our allies as soon as we defeat our enemies.

Remember taht it is idiots like arthur sleschinger that continue to justify selling out our allies to stalin rather than listening to patton and going after the soviets the second we finished ze germans. there are very very few allies to the left, and few enemies to the right, what with the way the axes are currently defined.

Uhh..Sandy?

The whole world hasn't always been against us. That's a fairly new development. They used to admire us.

While I cant speak for the rest of the world but as others have pointed out the rest of the world for the most part has always hated America. In the good ol USA however I cant help but think this anti war on terror has a large part to do with the way the 2000 election was resolved in the court system. And because of that it doesnt matter what it is the people who disagreed with the 2000 election will disagree with Bush on any issue no matter the personal cost to themselves or the country.

thats just my opinion (badly worded ) but I could be wrong

Suck it. It is about your choice. War and peace only exist as long as we are destroying the enemy. When they die we have peace, until that day.

Congratulations on the pending new arrival, Stephen.

Congrats on the baby. Blog the ultrasounds when you get 'em; we'd love to see the little nipper.

Steve, if you can't be excited about anything else, be excited about being a father and husband, because in the end the rest of it really won't mean that much. Congratulations and good luck to you and Melissa!

I too hope you'll get down this far in the comments.

I remember back 20 years ago to the birth of our first. We'd been married six hours or so, and Mrs. Azlib. was pregnant (unplanned, of course). That first nine months was a blur. The wedding, two moves (one to a training sight, the other to my overseas military posting), and a pregancy. I knew I loved (and still love) my wife, but I never knew love like I knew it that moment as I watched her deliver our son, followed in the next few years by our two beautiful daughters. The experience is absolutely incredible.

Then to top that off, you get to become a parent. Sure, you can love a pet, and you can love your spouse, but the love of a child eclipses all. You're in for the ride of your life, my blog-friend. I wish you both well.

[And I'll also try to remember to recommend a Mexican vacation to those wishing to conceive.]

Regarding the lack of support you see...
Well, as you see so far from the volume of these comments, you're obviously wrong.

I used to go by the moniker "AZLibertarian", but dropped the upper case when the Libertarian Party became so nutty. I too voted for Harry Browne in '00, but after Bush's post-9/11 leadership and the LP's crazy stance on the GWOT, I happily and heartily supported W on '04. I am very glad that we have a clear leader for our country and the world. We must win this fight: Freedom--and yes liberty--are very much at stake. I think the Republicans could find great success if they moved towards more libertarian thought, but many of them are still RINOs, and really no better than the Democrats. And Hillary!??? Please--on her best day, she's nothing but a socialist.

As much as I hate the "neo" prefix/qualifier, I have begun to explore NeoLibertarianism. I haven't fully decided if this is right for me, but you can find more here...
http://www.qando.net/

Steve - First, congrats on the pending birth. That's fantastic news. I think it was mentioned elsewhere here, but that may be partly why the thoughts in the rest of your post were nagging at you so.

I am most impressed with how you talked yourself into sticking with the blogging. I too have found my desire flagging of late due to exhaustion of trying to explain the same things over and over again. But my difference is that I don't really assume I'll change any minds. I'd like to as any ally we can get during this tough fight is great. But like so many issues where the lines are drawn so sharply, all we can do is keep talking the talk while the good guys keep walking the walk overseas.

If my words can change even one mind, or just get them to think on the deeper issues, then my job is accomplished. But then, I only get about 20 or so people reading mine. I'm glad you plan on sticking around because I've loved this blog ever since you built the model of the Star Destroyer. Great post then and great post now.

Al Hurd

Oh hearty congrats to you and your bride!

My youngest of four daughters graduates high school on June 10th and I'll let you in on a little secret... when they're little and you feel you are almost at wit's end and thinking "this is going to be forever" ... the next day you wake up and they're almost grown, packing boxes and moving out.

Treasure and cherish each moment of baby vodka's childhood.

Straight from heaven up above. Here is a baby for me to love...Dumbo; Walt Disney
Good luck on your upcoming attraction!...

Stephen

Just adding my congratulations on the baby - my wife and I have a newborn son (he'll be 1 month old tomorrow) - I have found that planning a family, living through the pregnancy, and now dealing with the reality have only reinforced my core beliefs. It's scary, and wonderful, and I'm sure you'll draw strength from the experience.

The best of luck to the both of you.

Congrats on the baby! And sympathy on the burnout. Think of it as a fallow season. That way you'll be ready for a huge crop of posts in time for the '06 election. And hopefully we'll be getting better choices this time.

Congratulations on the small Vodka!

And here's one academic busily swimming upstream in an attempt to give the young minds I see each semester a different point of view! You do have allies...don't give up the good fight.

For what it's worth, even though I disagree vehemently on abortion and gay "rights," I'm with you. You can count on me. I'll get your back anytime you need it. No one is perfect (not me, not you, not John Bolton or Henry Kissinger or even Ronald Reagan) but some are better than others and we're (the right thinkers in this great and blessed country) are the some that are better than the others (the murderous fetishists stuck in a cultural dark age for over half of a millenia.) I can't promise we won't disagree, but when the chips are down, you can look to your side and I'll be there with a whatever I have available to smite evil on the head with.

Steve,
As a steady reader I offer my congratulations. The other posters are correct; your life is about to change in ways you cannot imagine. I know - I just brought my 19 year old back from his first year of college.
I find myself fairly close to you in worldview and unlike you I am old enough to remember the 60's when much of the current worldview of the Left came into being. I concluded during the 70's that they had lost their way with regard to the notions of individual freedom and liberty. I think we take our allies on the WOT where we can find them and work on educating those on the right who share our perception of the external threat in the benefits of 'messy' individual freedom in the social sphere.

I think you will find that your future son or daughter will give you more energy than you ever thought possible now to continue the debate. You're now working not just for the world you live in, but for the world they will inherit.

Reading your posting on my daughter's 23rd birthday... The time has passed so quickly by and yet how much has changed since the day she was born. Then we faced the threat of nuclear annihilation from the Soviet Union. Communism collapsed and millions of people enjoy freedom today thanks to the resolve of the United States. Now so many of those who made excuses for communism are busy making excuses for the jihadists and terrorists. I remain confident that freedom will prevail -- in part thanks to stalwart defenders such as yourself. Do not hesitate to continue to speak out...

(And best wishes for your impending parenthood!)

For what it's worth, even though I disagree vehemently on abortion and gay "rights," I'm with you.

And I agree vehemently with you, so isn't that what this country is all about? Give and take, slathered in respect for each other's positions and one's right to them, with the maturity not to resort to infantile tactics when the other side doesn't come around. While maintaining the ability to recognise an evil that threatens everything we are and what the rest of the world should be able to choose to be. What a concept. And what a load of brain-dead psuedo intellectuals out there, who can turn pissy at the drop of a hat and should just STFU and grow a pair. Peer pressure seems nowhere so intense as in the ranks of the hyperbolic left. Like the Greek Chorus seagulls in Finding Nemo. (Don't laugh ~ years of Disney videos are 230 days away) Glad you'll still be here to throw the bullshit flag.

Kisses to the Missus. I know you'll both be taking very good care of each other. [Cue soundtrack] Don't worry, be happy.

Burn strawmen much?

The problem with you types is that you're annoying. Most Americans support the GWOT, but they just aren't obsessed with it, and that's what you're truly bothered about. People are mostly going about their lives.

>>What exhausts me most – and what on bad days, just absolutely disgusts me - is that after three-plus years, I still haven't gotten a single worthwhile point through to a single person who should be my ally already.

Even so, you are strengthening our resolve (the worthy allies, that is), with your clever, logical thinking. Keep your chin up. Your blog is my default page in Moz Firefox. Drudge is the SECOND tab!

Congrats on your baby! My husband and I have a 20-month old. It changes your priorities, but strengthens your values. Take some time off and get recharged. You'll have LOTS of new material post-baby. You develop a clarity about life in general.

- Let us not grow weary in doing good. Galatians 6:9

Congratulations on the baby!

And I agree with the vast majority of what you say. Disagree on abortion, because my definition of who has a right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" is a bit different. Although maybe you would agree with me on where to draw the line on abortion. (I'd prefer something closer to most of the Western European countries, which ban late-term abortions that the US (and Canada) allows.)

" 9/11 showed that freedom and tyranny cannot coexist on a single planet."

No.

9/11 showed that a small group of very evil, very determined people can cause a great deal of death and damage in a very short period of time.

Our adventure in Iraq has shown that the worlds last super power with the finest fighting men and women on the planet still has a really tough time planting seeds of freedom in a rather small country (population wise at least) which by all accounts should have been an excellent target for such endeavors.

And the House of Saud has shown that no matter how much we talk about stopping tyranny, terrorism, and fundamentalist dictators we value some things far greater than the safety of our populace.

A perfect example of extremely tough talk from safely under the bed I'd say.

Well you can count me as one of your libertarian allies.

I am relentless on the drug war and just today I wrote a piece supporting Janice Brown for her libertarian stance on police searches.

Unfortunately you can't count on me as a Libertarian ally. I quit the party (I was very active in the local Lib Club serving 3 years as Secty/Treas.) shortly after 9/11.

I now consider myself a Republican leaning independant. I voted Bush/Obama. Why Obama vs Keyes? Rather have a communist than a theocon.

Libertarianism is a religion. There is a chatechism. The tennents of true belief. One of its main points is very close to anarchism. They no longer consider government a necessary evil. For the Libs government is just plain evil.

Congratulations to you and Melissa. I suggest you start checking out recipes for gourmet babyfood. ;)

And thanks for this post. It's nice to know I'm not alone.

Congratulations on your daddyhood-to-be. Good luck. I understand your frustration -- I have a lot of the same issues with the libertarians. You know what they say: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

Let me add my Congratulations.

You have a gift and I thank you for all the free ice cream, however often you dish it out.

Your allies, if I understand you, are libertarians and you have wondered where they have gone. I do not think they are gone. They are afraid. Their fear has as its roots the dichtomy between the needs and exigencies of the GWOT and how those needs and exigencies have been exploited by the Republican party.

For Libertarians whose focus is primarily economic read the following http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050516&s=chait051605.
It basically posits the idea that small government conservatism has been given lip service by the Republican Party. It attributes it to the alliance of K Street lobbyists to achieve economic goals by legislation sponsored solely by the Republican Party(it is all rather French).

For social Libertarians and Liberals the threat is far more visceral. It is causing a unique form of cognitive dissonance for many groups of people. For people of faith, faith is becoming a rigid value, a value more in tune with the Taliban than tolerance. It is as though everyone forgets that many of the orginal colonists came as religious refugees from England. England where religion and the monarchy defined whom you are and what rights you had. for most people of faith it is scary to fight a foe whose religious values are repressive at best and nihilistic at worse and then be told in order to win we must practise religion at home as though we were the enemy(Schiavo, the definition of what is Caesar's, what is Rome's?)

For homosexuals, for whom repression has long been a watch word, how to do you concieve the idea of fighting a foe whom would definitely kill you outright for a society intent on rolling back your hard won freedoms at home(the DOMA,not simply a definition of marriage in state consititutions but an inablity to enter into contracts)? How do you concieve of it when witch hunts occur in the military which take away the very members who can translate raw intelligence(Farsi, Pashtun, Arabic) into a useable form for analysis to defeat the enemy whom would kill you?

The same goes for every other group. It becomes worse when you sit down and think about what is needed to protect the country at home. Yesterday when I started this an airplane caused a panic because it flew to close the White House. Do you really think that al-Queda terrorists would try for the White Hoouse when it is so much more pyschologically significant to induce fear by crashing into a power plant, chemical plant or refinery? Which do you think is more frightening, the death of a President and destruction of a building or the fear induced by an act of terroism that says you are not safe in your daily lifes? Where are the public/private plans for what to do? Where is the public speech laying out what is needed to defeat the enemy, to remind us we are in this _TOGETHER_? It can not simply be the order by the police do not run in the streets as shown on the news. It can not simply be the Zeitgeist of Freedom(Rose, Orange, Purple or Cedar).

It is mind boggling to fight for your life when your allies are those whom would take away your liberty or state the common cause we have. It induces the flight response especially when you know that militarily the enemy cannot win. Why not keep your powder dry for the upcoming battle for your freedom at home and let those whom would fight abroad, fight?

As I read the comments and backtracks this dissonance was even more pronounced. Liberty at home,Security abroad???!! To impinge on our liberty(s) at home by restricting access to commercial airliners, buildings-public and private and dual use chemicals is one thing. They are the exigencies and needs of the GWOT. Being told I can not belong to a my church because I did not vote a certain way, that I can not attend a public policy speech unless I agree to belong to a Potemkin village and the list goes on, is not.

The GWOT is not the province of one party(it would help more Democrats like Clinton were more vocal), nor is it a call for one party to proclaim they are infalliable and it is not a crusade for espousing one view of religion over another. Nor is a discussion of the GWOT's causes, failures, successes nor being against it treason. Without the liberty to openly discuss it publicly, pro and con, to continue to live out our lifes as though the GWOT has little changed them since Sept 11 2001 means we have _LOST_. To win the most convincing victory we most continue to be an open tolerant society not one in fear at home.

As long as this fear is there you will feel your allies have abandoned you when in reality it is not the real situtation.

Should read "nor" in sentence "It is mind boobling...

Awesome!!! Congrats!!