PINOCHET VS. CASTRO: A surprising editorial from The Washington Post:

It’s hard not to notice, however, that the evil dictator leaves behind the most successful country in Latin America. In the past 15 years, Chile’s economy has grown at twice the regional average, and its poverty rate has been halved. It’s leaving behind the developing world, where all of its neighbors remain mired. It also has a vibrant democracy. Earlier this year it elected another socialist president, Michelle Bachelet, who suffered persecution during the Pinochet years.

Like it or not, Mr. Pinochet had something to do with this success. To the dismay of every economic minister in Latin America, he introduced the free-market policies that produced the Chilean economic miracle — and that not even Allende’s socialist successors have dared reverse. He also accepted a transition to democracy, stepping down peacefully in 1990 after losing a referendum.

By way of contrast, Fidel Castro — Mr. Pinochet’s nemesis and a hero to many in Latin America and beyond — will leave behind an economically ruined and freedomless country with his approaching death. Mr. Castro also killed and exiled thousands. But even when it became obvious that his communist economic system had impoverished his country, he refused to abandon that system: He spent the last years of his rule reversing a partial liberalization. To the end he also imprisoned or persecuted anyone who suggested Cubans could benefit from freedom of speech or the right to vote.

The other contrast is that you can find apologists for Castro in pretty much every newsroom and university campus in America. Pinochet, not so much.

DEAN BARNETT is setting the bar low.

MARK GRABER: “Has anyone noticed that what seems to unite the first politicians to declare their candidacy for the presidency is a total lack of experience in foreign policy. Indeed, such inexperience seems almost to be a qualification for the contemporary presidency which, since 1976 has been occupied for all but four years by a person with no foreign policy experience. From Jimmy Carter on, winning slogans seem to be ‘Vote for Me: Because I have Never Made a Foreign Policy Decision I Cannot Be Blamed For Our Present Mess.'”

This bespeaks a — well-founded — lack of confidence in our foreign-policy establishment, but it’s probably actually a formula for giving that establishment more, rather than less, influence over time.

JULES CRITTENDEN OFFERS KOFI ANNAN’S FAREWELL SPEECH, “translated from the original bullshit.”

ANN ALTHOUSE: “Remember how the Democrats ran on the competence issue?”

Heck, I remember when they ran against the “culture of corruption!”

UPDATE: On the other hand, Anklebitingpundits says they’re doing well on pork. That’s good news.

JAMES WOOLSEY ROCKS. No, literally.

YOUR MONEY or your land.

“FKMPG” — Fred Krause Miles Per Gallon — was a metric invented by my college friend Fred Krause. It’s defined as “the mileage actually achieved by a vehicle travelling at 85 mph with the air conditioner set on ‘MAX’.”

Now it looks as if the EPA is playing catch-up with Krause! They’ve still got a ways to go, though.

MORE REPORTING FROM FALLUJAH BY BILL ROGGIO: Read the whole thing.

LIFE IMITATES TEAM AMERICA: It’s been doing that a lot lately.

LITVINENKO UPDATE: “MOSCOW — Investigators here questioned a key witness Monday in the radioactive poisoning death of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, as four more possible victims of contamination were hospitalized for tests — this time in Germany.”

TERRORISTS TARGETTING KIDS: If the Israelis did this, it would be a huge story.

MICKEY KAUS: “The Brit papers are breaking the story that the Clinton-administration ‘secret service’ ** secretly bugged Princess Diana ‘over her relationship with a US billionaire’ Ted Forstmann. Initial questions: What was the grave high-level concern about Forstmann, a big-deal investor, Republican, and education activist? … What, were they worried Diana might endorse school choice?*** … And did they have a warrant?” I’m guessing the answers are no, and no.

UPDATE: Lots of updates to Kaus’s post, so be sure you follow the link.

Meanwhile Byron York has more on the Diana-bugging story. Is this what Sandy Berger was trying to cover up?

RANDY BARNETT looks at judicial deference and the rights to life and health.

SOME THOUGHTS ON the ABA’s role in law school accreditation.

NOW IT’S THE EDITORS OF POPULAR SCIENCE posting their Holiday Wish List.

I have to say, the Zojirushi Mr. Bento isn’t something I expected to find there, but it’s actually pretty cool. The flower-shaped computer speakers, though, are just weird — though 14-year-old girls everywhere will love them. I won’t be springing for the Ducati, however. Much less the Bugatti Veyron, which updates the verse about “I lost my license, now I don’ t drive.”

BLAWG REVIEW is up! So is the Carnival of the Capitalists, and a special chicken-themed Carnival of the Recipes.

That last gives me an excuse to tout my Insta-Chicken recipe. People who have tried it seem to like it.

DEFAMATION ON THE INTERNET: Julie Hilden says that courts tend to side with Internet publishers, and looks at some non-legal avenues of relief. (Via Howard Bashman).

My article on the topic, forthcoming in the Washington University Law Quarterly, can be read online here.

EUGENE VOLOKH has an article on state constitutional rights to bear arms.

A somewhat lengthier effort of mine can be found here.

ANOTHER BATTLE IN THE WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS: Is it just me, or are we hearing a lot less of this stuff this year?

AT FIGHTAGING.ORG, a look at mitochondrial DNA repair, plus how your immune system declines with age.

EMINENT FORMER JUDGE LEE SAROKIN is now blogging.

(Via The Right Coast).

SO I FINISHED THE JOEL ROSENBERG NOVEL that I mentioned last week, and it’s very good. I’m reading the sequel now, in my copious spare time, and it’s good too.

UPDATE: In an interesting confluence of reactions, some readers are turned off by the garish cover, while others who have read it say the book’s got too much talk and internal dialogue.

As to the first — dumb, garish covers are for some reason de rigeur in fantasy and science fiction. They seldom have anything to do with the story; I don’t know why this is.

As to the second: These books are a departure from Rosenberg’s traditional light fantasy. The “paladins” carry magic swords believed to damn the souls of those who use them, but do so anyway out of loyalty to King and country. They are not untroubled by this situation, and Rosenberg uses it to explore the moral dimensions of duty, patriotism, and religion. I think it’s interesting and well-done; those expecting something more like his earlier work will be disappointed.

ED MORRISSEY: “Kofi Annan has an op-ed column in today’s Washington Post that must be read to be believed. The column, which serves as a valediction of sorts, talks about what Annan has learned from his time at the United Nations. If his rule hadn’t resulted in such worldwide misery and despair, it would be one of the funniest pieces of opinion journalism so far this year.”

Kofi’s tenure has certainly represented a high-water mark in corruption and dictator-toadying, which is saying a lot, considering the U.N.’s history.

UPDATE: Link was bad before. Fixed now. Sorry!

PROTESTING AHMADINEJAD in Iran.