Who else but Bill Whittle can so adeptly weave together the early history of commercial aviation, this month’s deadly Chinook crash involving members of SEAL Team Six, the end of the Space Shuttle program, the private space race, the November 2001 crash of American Airlines flight 587 in Queens, and the needless, gut-wrenching destruction of the recent London riots.
Don’t miss “The Deal”, Bill’s latest Afterburner, on PJTV:
I would add one minor adjustment, that I doubt Bill would quibble with: To me, it’s being willing to risk dying for something that’s the key. Excepting one who chooses to embrace certain death as the last and only possible way to save others (as a soldier diving on a grenade, using his body to prevent the deadly spray of shrapnel from killing his comrades-in-arms), in a culture that rightly celebrates and cherishes life, we achieve our ends by embracing risk and seeking to live through danger, not by dying. Dying is just what happens the one time the gamble doesn’t pay off, despite our best reasonable efforts to prevent it short of playing life safe and never daring to venture anything at all (which is an end far worse than dying in the pursuit of a meaningful goal).
Amazon has Ernest Gann’s “Fate is the Hunter” in paperback.
Bill Whittle is back at the presses again with latest essays, “Rafts” and “The Web of Trust”. As usual, I found both to be stirring and right on target. I’m greatly looking forward to watching his new book project, “An American Civilization”, take shape.
Glenn and Helen have another great podcast interview/discussion up with Austin Bay and Jim Dunnigan. Springing off from the recent news regarding the British terror busts and Israel-Lebanon/Hezbollah conflict, they discuss data gathering technology and the balance between privacy concerns vs. antiterrorism efforts, cycles of Islamic fundamentalism, and prospects for the region. Truly great stuff, as always seems to be the case when they get Jim and Austin on the show. Don’t miss it!
I was driving in to work this morning when the news of today’s bombings in London came in. Thankfully they appear to have been an utter failure casualty-wise, due to faulty detonators. Investigators seem hopeful at this point that the undetonated bombs may yield significant forensic evidence that could identify the perpetrators of the attack, and apparently two suspects are now in custody in connection with the explosions.
Instapundit had the day’s news roundup here, here, here, and here. John Howard’s remarks seemed spot on to me.
Hold fast, London. We’re with you.
A section of the exterior walls of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum still bears damage from the Blitz, which has been preserved as a reminder of a time when Londoners lived under constant threat of attack.
I snapped these pictures during a visit last year, not imagining that I would soon revisit them with new eyes.
I wish to express my deepest sympathy to our valued friends, allies, and fellow human beings in the U.K., who on Thursday, July 7th endured a terribly vicious set of attacks on their home soil — attacks that were clearly premeditated to kill, maim, terrorize, and intimidate as many as possible. Know that I and many others around the world and in the U.S. stand with you, in firm resolve that we shall not capitulate to such contemptible, apparently anti-civilizational acts.
I was traveling outside the U.S. on the 7th, and received the news of the bombings in a frustratingly slow trickle via CNN and BBC World beginning Thursday morning. Having limited Internet access during such an event made me appreciate just how valuable the blogosphere has become to me as a source of news, analysis, and commentary; during a too-brief opportunity I managed to quickly check in with Instapundit and read a few posts and comments on neo-neocon’s blog and a few others. Back at home now, I’m frantically catching up with these and all the other sites I regularly read…
I tend to agree with others who’ve asserted that whomever was responsible has probably just made a very bad strategic mistake. They have underestimated the strength of our resolve and of our love for what we hold dear. We will not be intimidated. We’re not afraid.
It would certainly be good to see a widely supported anti-terrorism protest in London. I hope there will be one.
