On maintaining the nation

I've always thought of the United States as a man on a bicycle (well, better make that a person on a bicycle). He does great as long as he keeps moving. Stopping, however, is an awkward business, especially as one gets older.

Lately I get the impression that the American bicycle is finally coming to a stop. (Perhaps that's why we favor long-legged presidents?) The reasons are many, but one of them is entirely self-inflicted: we're jettisoning the culture that got us this far. The other day in the Wall Street Journal, Tony Blair expressed it beautifully. Muslims were on his mind, but they are or ought to be on our minds as well, and anyhow muslims are a fair stand-in for the entire multi-culti stew:

But there has to be a shared acceptance that some things we believe in and we do together: obedience to certain values like democracy, rule of law, equality between men and women; respect for national institutions; and speaking the national language. This common space cannot be left to chance or individual decision. It has to be accepted as mandatory.

Amen. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford