Peter Hong,"How Harvard Could Share the Wealth," LA Times, 19 March, calls on the University to drop tuition, fees, and charges for room and board for all undergraduate students. Given the endowment, it could probably afford to do that, but without a change in admissions policies that overwhelmingly favor the children of privilege, a free education at Harvard is unlikely to send an egalitarian message. Thanks to Nathanael Robinson for the tip.

Donald Rumsfeld was giving some badhistorylessons in"What We've Gained in 3 Years in Iraq," Washington Post, 19 March. My friends, Manan Ahmed, Hiram Hover, and Ahistoricality, hovered over several passages:

The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.
Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture, and it takes some time and perspective to measure accurately.

Glad you've got that"bigger picture" thing in mind. Wish it had been there five or six years ago.

Consider that if we retreat now, there is every reason to believe Saddamists and terrorists will fill the vacuum--and the free world might not have the will to face them again. Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis.

Godwin's Law alert!

It would be as great a disgrace as if we had asked the liberated nations of Eastern Europe to return to Soviet domination because it was too hard or too tough or we didn't have the patience to work with them as they built free countries.

Two analogies now. I'm invoking Tim Burke's criteria for analogies. If they don't fit; you should quit!

The domestic, fiscal, and foreign policies of the Bush administration give this evangelical Christian Republican a renewed appreciation of the virtues of limited government and restraint. On a tip from Brandon Watson at Siris and verbum ipsum, I'm assigning these readings to GOP policy makers:
Edward Langerak,"A Christian Argument for Political Self-Restraint," 1999;
Linda C. Raeder,"Augustine and the Case for Limited Government," Humanitas, 2003; and
Glenn Tinder, The Political Meaning of Christianity (2000).

As a retired historian who battles insurance companies all the time, I understand Stanley I. Kutler's frustration. But, Stanley, get a grip! In an age of terror, or in any other age, for that matter, an unpaid bill for treatment of your sunburn in Hawaii doesn't justify threatening to bomb the insurance company's building. Thanks to David Davisson at Patahistory for the tip.

Finally, I don't follow South Park, but it was hard to avoid last week as Scientologist Isaac Hayes resigned as its voice for the character, Chef, and its show spoofing Scientology was removed from Comedy Central's schedule, reportedly under pressure from another Scientologist, Tom Cruise. Judge for yourself. Here's the show:"Trapped in the Closet." Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the tip.