Instapundit Plays the Same Tired War-Card

At the risk of alienating Traffic Santa, I will direct your attention to this post by Instapundit.

I find it disingenuous to suggest that, just because there is a "war on," as Instapundit notes, all other domestic political jockeying -- at least of the kind Instapundit disapproves -- should stop.

He plays this card constantly. Whether it's the RAVE act, or cracking down on Ecstacy, or, now, a law making it illegal to take a child across state lines for an abortion-- he uses the "We're fighting a war" non-sequitor as an argument against any proposal or law or initiative he doesn't like.

Well, Instapundit: You seem to favor civil unions, and you argue in favor of them frequently. Don't you know there's a war on? How can we divert our attention to such a minor domestic issue when there's a war on?

It strikes me as very curious that Glenn Reynolds thinks we have lots of time to pursue domestic initiatives of which he approves, but, when it comes to socially-conservative intiatives, the entire government is far too busy, or should be far too busy, to pursue such initiatives.

After all--there's a war on!

Fine. There's a war on.

Then stop agitating for civil unions. Or decriminalizing drugs. Or any other libertarian change to the status quo.

I'm not saying I disagree with him on each of these initiatives or laws... but honestly, it's just plain disingenous to use the "War On" defense for only those domestic issues/initiatives he disfavors.

It's Just Like Newton and Leibniz Update! Dang... Matt sent me this tip to Galley Slaves making the exact same point, and even a bit feistier, too.

Worth reading. He wonders if, given there's a war on, we should be talking about Mazdas or digitical cameras, either.

I swear, I didn't see his post before I wrote mine.

But I will say this isn't the first time I've hit Instapundit up on this.

And Now Ramesh Ponorununununu (Whatever) Update!: Seriously, I've been hitting up Instapundit for this self-serving and silly War On argument since the beginning of the blog.

But now National Review Online notices too, giving Galley Slaves the NROlanche.

Well.. okay. They were technically first. Today.

Thanks to Nick.

Indeed! Update: Slublog notes Instapundit's carefully-considered opinion that the Pledge of Allegiance just doesn't matter... when there's a war on.

Deal Accepted: Okay, Ramesh, I will learn how to spell your name, as you were nice enough to link me and all.

posted by Ace at 12:51 PM

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