NRO Break

Jay Nordlinger: Little Suppressors

I love this little exchange that appears in this article. It is an actual account sent to Jay from a reader regarding his experience in a local New Jersey bookstore.

A while back, I paid a visit to our local bookstore (I live in southern New Jersey) with the intent of perusing the new release Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man [these titles are getting out of hand]. I looked on the new-release, bestseller, and new non-fiction racks — nothing. I wandered around for a while and then headed up to the information desk. The clerk, [unflattering description of looks goes here], smiles at me. Here's a fairly accurate transcript:
Clerk. How may I help you?
Me. I'm looking for Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man.
Clerk (still smiling). You mean Stupid White Men by Michael Moore . . .
Me. No. Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man. It's a new release.
Clerk. We don't have it.
Me. Are you sure? It's very popular.
Clerk (tight-lipped). Never heard of it. (Looks past me.) Can I help the next person, please?
Me. Excuse me, but can you check on your computer?
Clerk (very annoyed). Fine. (Bangs away at the keyboard. Scrolls down the screen at warp speed.) No. Doesn't exist.
Me (spying it on the screen). Wait — there it is.
Clerk (extremely annoyed). Oh . . . um . . . yesss. We only received one copy. It's in the back.
Me. Where in the back?
Clerk (loudly). In the political science section!
Me. Thanks!

I searched this section. The book was nowhere to be found. I walk back to the desk.

Me. Pardon me, but I couldn't find it.

(Clerk curses under her breath and slams her pen on the counter. Slams swinging door. Marches to the back of the store.)

I could not believe what she did next. She grabs a step ladder and climbs up. The book was lying flat on the top row of books — with the spine toward the back so you couldn't see the title. She grabs the book, climbs down, and slams it into my chest. Her face beet red, she screams, "HERE!!! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, YOU FRIGGIN' FASCIST?!?!"

I was shocked — but I figured it was time for some Brooklyn diplomacy. I walk up to the counter again.

Me. Excuse me: Do you have Treason by Ann Coulter? In the bestseller section? I couldn't find it . . .

And now something from the couch of Jonah Goldberg:

Jonah Goldberg: Good Enough

Jonah offers 10, no 13, criticisms that he believes are valid about Iraq and then goes on to argue that regardless of the criticisms there is still an upside to fighting the war. He states for instance:

There simply is no diplomacy with the enemy today. So, that means going on offense. That means taking the fight to them. That means, in the short term, "creating" more extremists and terrorists by fighting on their home turf. But the point isn't merely to fight them, it's to pull the rug out from under them. The ultimate goal is democracy, of course. But the interim goal is to rationalize the Middle East so that, while it may still produce enemies, they will be ones we can deal with around a table, not a crater. And the short-term goal is to kill lots of them where they live, instead of them doing the same to us.

Unfortunately today's NRO didn't have a column by John Derbyshire. Maybe tomorrow.