European parliament

Monday

Cockburn

French politician calls for return of Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty was given as a gift by France, the United States’s oldest ally, to celebrate our centennial anniversary as an independent state. Now, as the US moves toward its quarter-millennial anniversary, Member of the European Parliament Raphaël Glucksmann is asking for it back. Glucksmann said to supporters he would tell Americans that, “We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.”  The statue was originally called La liberté éclairant le monde (Liberty Enlightening the World).

statue of liberty

Sunday

P.J. O’Rourke

Rach’s progress

Oh, to hell with the Olympian book review, that distanced and disinterested critique pronounced from on high. Our muses may dwell on a mountaintop, but we writers live on the molehill of our trade. An ant heap, actually, where every trifling insect in the little colony is kin. We’re constantly caressing each other with our feelers, trading morsels of wit with our mandibles and pushing each other under the passing shoes of the reading public. There’s no such thing as a book review without an agenda, any more than there’s such a thing as an ant that will leave your picnic lunch alone. My agenda here is to lavishly praise Rake’s Progress by Rachel Johnson. I like her, and she’s my friend. I freely admit to my affection for Rachel.

rachel johnson