Mark Steyn is a little rough on the paper formerly known as the paper of record, and on the press in general. But then, what else is new? And what the heck, it's no more than they deserve.

...the New York Times has had a pretty risible war since October 30, when it loosed veteran correspondent R W Apple Jr to do a front-page "news analysis" with the hilarious opening: "Like an unwelcome specter from an unhappy past, the ominous word 'quagmire' has begun to haunt conversations among government officials and students of foreign policy, both here and abroad. Could Afghanistan become another Vietnam?" By "students of foreign policy", I think he meant him, and "the ominous word 'quagmire' " was haunting government officials only in the sense that some pill from the NYT kept bringing it up every press conference.

He does tip his hat to the blogosphere, though, and the man who coined the term:

...an estimated 10,000 Palestinians whooped it up in the streets of Gaza, celebrating their glorious victory on the battlefield of the university's Frank Sinatra Centre. Those Palestinians hipsters won't dance to Frank - no Songs For Swingin' Lovers in Gaza - but give 'em some Songs for 'Splodin' Losers and you've got a capacity crowd ready to cheer all the old favourites: Come Die With Me, I've Got Jews Under My Skin, I've Got The World On A Fuse, all the hits. As the internet pundit William Quick put it, we haven't seen Palestinians looking that happy since . . . oh, yeah, September 11, when they celebrated in Ramallah.

As usual, the whole thing is a joy and a hoot.

Bush and Cheney had Apple pegged exactly. The man has been in the clutches of Vietnam Nostalgia since the 1960s.

If those sexually repressed psychotic islamic fundamentalist murderers desire a jihad, why not give it to them? It is difficult to murder innocent people at a market in Haifa, if you are splattered all over your own living room in Nablus. It is challenging for a mullah to teach teams of five year olds to kill Americans if he has a gaping hole in his head.
This silly delusional religious fantasy of the world and especially America ever succumbing to the unholy extremism of islam, is an hilarious joke, and needs to be exposed as such. These madmen have to learn it is never going to happen. We evidently need to teach them this fact. Once they have understand this truth, - once we instruct them on the mechanics, physics, art, and chemistry of the military repercussions they will assuredly hazard for their refusal to recognize the right of individuals and nations to choose their own religion, - once fire rains upon their homes, - they will be less prone to strap on plastex and slaughter innocent people, or there will simply be,.. less terrorists.
It will not be pretty, despite all the cool video warfare is hideous and ugly, but it is I fear inevitable. Deranged islamic fundamentalist murderers, understand only one thing; - the ?sword?. Give it to them