The drowning pool

Johann Hari's story about his trip on a National Review cruise, Ship of Fools, is a must read. Alternately frightening and hilarious, Hari's tale offers a glimpse into the environment that sees the likes of morons like Norman Podhoretz as its intellectual stewards. Hari must have felt like he was on some Victorian ocean voyage with a bunch of imperial patricians off to visit the "savages" in India.

"The liberals don't believe in the constitution. They don't believe in what the founders wanted – a strong executive," he announces, to nods. A Filipino waiter offers him a top-up of his wine, and he mock-whispers to me, "They all look the same! Can you tell them apart?" I stare out to sea. How long would it take me to drown?