When one declares oneself to be a conservative, one is not, unfortunately, thereupon visited by tongues of fire that leave one omniscient. The acceptance of a series of premises is just the beginning. After that, we need constantly to inform ourselves, to analyze and to think through our premises and their ramifications. We need to ponder, in the light of the evidence, the strengths and the weaknesses, the consistencies and the inconsistencies, the glory and the frailty of our position, week in and week out. Otherwise, we will not hold our own in a world where informed dedication, not just dedication, is necessary for survival and growth.
William F. Buckley Jr., Feb 8, 1956, NR
Youth, disturbed by US aggression in the Middle East and Central Asia, protested attacks on the Muslim faith in Mumbai last week. Some western travelers, many of whom traveled there to exploit the conditions of poverty, created by the largest democracy in the world, including US and British citizens as well as citizens of Israel, were inadvertently harmed by the series of protests, . It is feared that the government of India may have harmed the youth, in an overreaction to their protest. International aid organizations, the Pakistani government and the United Nations are demanding to know the condition of the young men seen carrying the symbols of struggle and resistance in various videos released late last week and over the weekend. Unnamed sources assure us that any civilian casualties were random and most likely due to Indian government ineptness.