ILYA SOMIN: Just Say No To Terrorism. “Giving in to the terrorists incentivizes further terrorism, while refusing to do so reduces the risk of future violence. This principle applies to terrorism more broadly: An excellent way to reduce the risk of attacks is to refuse to give in to the terrorists’ demands. Over time, a government that develops a reputation for saying no to terrorists is likely to suffer fewer attacks in the first place. . . . Saying no has many advantages over alternative antiterrorism policies. Unlike defensive security measures, it doesn’t require much in the way of extra government spending or violations of civil liberties. It is also less costly than offensive military action against the terrorists and creates fewer collateral risks.”

This does not seem to be our current approach.

AMAZIN’ BLAZE WELDING SERVICE: “Welding anything from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.”

WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: GOP Dropping the Ball on Energy Debate? “Surprisingly, the energy revolution has been something of a no show in the presidential race so far. This is too bad. As the Economist‘s Lexington columnist notes, neither candidate has yet shown that he has a clear grasp of what U.S. energy policy should look like. Obama’s policies, in particular leave much to be desired.”

A reader emailed me the other day to suggest that Romney should open every appearance by asking the crowd how they like those ___ gas prices, with the blank being filled in by whatever the local number is. It would be a good approach, I think.

THE ASH HEAP OF HISTORY: The Forgotten Opposition To The Apollo Program.

AT AMAZON, Bestsellers In Ultrabook Computers.

Also, today only: ASICS GEL-Neo33 Running Shoe, $54.95.

IN MY SUNDAY WASHINGTON EXAMINER COLUMN, I ARGUE THAT EVA LONGORIA WAS RIGHT! Time For Hollywood To Pay Its Fair Share.

At the Democratic National Convention, Eva Longoria said that she should be paying higher taxes. I agree.

Actually, what she said was: “The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy’s flipping burgers — she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not.”

I’d actually go further than that. It’s not just Eva Longoria who doesn’t need a tax break — it’s her entire industry, which has enjoyed favorable tax treatment in all sorts of ways, at both the federal and state levels, for years. And now, with the federal government and the states in parlous financial condition, it’s time for those fat cats to shoulder more of the burden. Why should burger flippers at Wendy’s have to cover the national debt while Hollywood moguls enjoy yachts, swimming pools and private jets?

Some suggestions, at both the federal and state levels, follow. Repeal the Hollywood Tax Cuts! And time to crack down on that shady “Hollywood Accounting,” too!

A READER EMAILS:

What do Barack Obama and Al Bundy have in Common?

Yes Obama killed Bin Laden and Al Bundy scored four tds in a single game at Polk High.

Two losers who shuffle throughout the rest of their lives reminding you of their ONE singular achievement!

I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison. Al Bundy actually carried the ball himself.

And do you think that all the “I killed Bin Laden!” chest-thumping, amusingly lampooned above, just might have offended Al Qaeda types more than some obscure YouTube video no one had heard of before last week? Just asking!

ROGER KIMBALL: The Picture That Should Cost Obama His Job.

SAYING GOODBYE TO THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY TO SUPPORT MITT ROMNEY: An Exit Interview With Wayne Allyn Root. Excerpt:

I believe in economic and personal freedom. I want government out of my life- out of both the boardroom and the bedroom. I believe in the limited government promised by the U.S. Constitution. I want government to get out of the way of small business owners like me- put fewer rules & regulations in our way, and allow us to keep more of our own money.

Under the Obama administration we have seen businessmen be denigrated, demonized, punished, smothered by 60,000 new rules and regulations, and attacked by the IRS. However, far too often the GOP has given only lip service to smaller government, individual rights, and the Constitution. Once elected, they ignore those ideas and grow government just like Democrats. Look at the spending under George W. Bush. Look at the 25,000 new rules and regulations under Bush (far better than Obama, but still terrible). Look at the growth of government and the rising debt under Bush. Look at the increase in compensation, pensions, and number of government employees under all GOP Presidents. This was precisely why I left the GOP.

But I believe with the birth and growth of the Tea Party, this is now changing. I was born to be part of the Tea Party.

Read the whole thing.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Pay No Attention to the Burning Flags, Stormed Consulates, and Dead Americans . . . “One of the ways of understanding the strange nonchalant response of the administration to prior warnings of trouble in the Arab Spring countries, and its contextualization of the violence on the anniversary of 9/11, is its belief that it is somehow separated from the object of the violence. Raging crowds and Islamic wrath could not possibly be connected to the enlightened Obama administration or, more generally to a U.S. that has been ‘reset’ on his watch — given the three years of laborious Muslim outreach and the long-ago departure of George Bush.”

Yeah, well, none of those “resets” have gone very well. . . .

INTERVIEW: Rahm Emanuel: Rahmbo at the School Barricades. “What Mr. Emanuel doesn’t note is the bankrupt status quo: 99.7% of Chicago teachers are rated satisfactory while the graduation rate is just 60%, only 20% of eighth-graders are proficient in reading and less than 8% of 11th-graders are college-ready on state tests. Fixing such a system is a moral imperative, and Chicago’s mayor might have encouraged parents and taxpayers to see it that way. But then it would have been harder for him to celebrate Friday’s reported compromise on an evaluation framework far weaker than, for example, the one Michelle Rhee designed when she ran the schools in Washington, D.C.”

WELL, IT WORKED FOR HENRY VIII: Europe Considers Taxing Catholic Church to Raise Revenue.

JOE SCARBOROUGH’S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN off to a “shaky start.” Plus: “#Reynolds2016? Now, that’s a presidential campaign we can support!” Feel the momentum building! And I’m already getting attacks from other potential 2016 candidates, which must prove that I’m starting to get traction! After all, you never “punch down.” . . .

MICKEY KAUS:

Shorter John Heilemann: We the media are saying Romney is panicking, which is bad. So he better do something quick or we’ll say it again! …

P.S.: I suspect Romney’s criticism of Obama right after the embassy attacks hurt Romney, on balance. But isn’t the “OMG-this-is-a-’Lehman Moment’/turning point” frenzy already looking a little old and comically, wishfully overdone? … Heilemann has a tough job. He writes his column late Thursday, thinking he’s nailed tomorrow’s wave of CW. By the time it comes out, it’s yesterday’s wave of CW. Feiler Faster’s a bitch. …

Heh.

ROGER SIMON: I Demand To Be Arrested!

TAXPAYER-FUNDED ELECTIONEERING: Propaganda Update: TV Networks Will Be Asked to Boost ObamaCare In Plots of Their Top Shows. Somebody should organize a campaign to complain to / boycott the sponsors of shows that do this.

STAMPING OUT INCOME EQUALITY, OR SOMETHING: Financing the wealthy homeowner – Government loans helping some of the most affluent US communities. In 2006 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac backed one out of three loans in top 20-income markets. Today it is 3 out of 4.

MARK STEYN: Obama’s Ham-Fisted Response To The Attacks On The U.S. “Ham-fisted?” I’m sure that’s anti-Muslim hate speech.

ANTI-ISLAM FILMMAKER MAY FACE JAIL TIME. Not even a hint in this ABC story that there might be a free speech issue somewhere. Do you really believe this is just an ordinary probation case?

Related: Supermassive Blackhole of Obama Incompetence Sucks in First Amendment. I’m sure that characterization is somehow racist. “Hey Obama! The Libyans have actually offered a helpful hint that you may just want to follow-up on, in terms of the true origin of these festivities: al Qaeda. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Ministry officials formally state something that has become transparently clear: The U.S. ignored Arab radicalization: We knew what was happening, but the Americans preferred to find excuses.”

Meanwhile, folks have been busy with the Quickmemes:

Lots more at the link. Make and share your own!

JIM BENNETT WRITES:

Compare Margaret Thatcher and Rushdie to Obama and Nakoula.

When Salman Rushdie had a death fatwa pronounced on him for a novel considered insulting to Islam, Margaret Thatcher immediately ordered a protective detail to be sent to Rushdie, who took him to an undisclosed secure location. They have been protecting him ever since. Bear in mind that Rushdie had been a severe and vocal critic and political opponent of Thatcher.

Compare and contrast to Obama and Holder’s treatment of Nakoula.

I will also note that the reaction to Britain in the Middle East was not noticeably worse than the reaction the USA is getting despite Obama’s apologies.

Weakness seldom draws a good reaction.

IRA STOLL ON CREEPING ANTISEMITISM IN THE NEW YORK TIMES. “It’s quite a New York Times column for the eve of Rosh Hashana.”

ED MORRISSEY: Media endangers entire neighborhood to pursue thoughtcrime suspect.

Take a look at just the first minute or so of this report. Look at all of the media trucks in this sleepy little neighborhood, and not just KTLA’s. If anyone interested in taking revenge on Nakoula Besseley Nakoula wanted to know where to find him, it wouldn’t take long in this small city, especially with some media reports noting Nakoula’s distinctive front door. And while some people wouldn’t care about Nakoula’s fate, the kind of people looking to take revenge on him aren’t really known for their precision attacks and avoidance of collateral damage. This media swarm puts that entire neighborhood at risk, now and probably for a very long time.

And for what? Is Nakoula a serial killer? A child molester? No, he’s a man with poor taste who made a video that insulted some people who can’t deal with criticism, even the laughably inane and inept criticism of this 14-minute cheesefest that makes Plan 9 From Outer Space look like Citizen Kane. However, in the US, making really bad movies and engaging in even inept theological and historical commentary isn’t a crime at all. The media are undermining the same guarantees of free speech that allow them to operate without government interference, and they’re putting people’s lives at risk while doing so. They’re not going to be happy until there’s another crater in Cerritos.

Meanwhile, while the media provides moment-to-moment coverage of Thoughtcrime Enemy #1 this week, the feds are interrogating him as to whether his filmmaking might violate his probation on unrelated matters. . . . Here’s the question: would any of these people care about Nakoula’s probation status had the video not purportedly caused riots? If so, isn’t this pursuit more about the kind of speech in which Nakoula engaged than in what kind of activity he may have conducted with computers and the Internet? This is dangerous ground for free speech, and the media is making Cerritos into dangerous ground in a much more literal sense.

The media used to call themselves preventers of tyranny. They seem more like enablers, these days.

JOE SCARBOROUGH IS BASHING ME ON TWITTER, but that’s just because he’s afraid I’ll kill his campaign plans. #Reynolds2016

ED DRISCOLL: How To Explain Away Minor Impulse-Control Issues.