Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, via
Recent links of note:
The Humbling of the West
Daniel Henninger, The Wall Street Journal
As if the West’s recent diplomatic capitulation to Iran weren’t embarassing enough, the consequences felt in Italy make clear just what sort of “deal” we’ve gotten. President Hassan Rouhani visits Italy, and the Capitoline Museum covers nude statuary; later, Italy’s President, Matteo Renzi refuses to serve wine at a state dinner. And here we see just how sinister the “deal” was. Not only must we now trade in Iranian goods, giving immense economic support to an almost unthinkably repressive regime, but we must also subordinate ourselves to the country’s nugatory notions. As Daniel Henninger says in in the Journal, now that the onslaught has begun it’s hard to foresee where it will stop.
Death of a Booster
Stephen Eide, City Journal
Buddy Cianci has died, and so America has lost one of its most entertaining politicians. Legendary on the east coast for his felony convictions and personal brand of “goofy showmanship,” he is not often thought of as a stellar leader. But as Stephen Eide tells it, there was something charming about Cianci’s commitment to his city, practicing a “boosterism” that transcended more typical mayoral styles. Cianci was a complicated man but according to Eide, he had a simple goal: to boost the city of Providence.
From our pages:
Who speaks for Islam?
TNC asks: who represents the real faith?