Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
I’ve often complained about the Philadelphia airport. It was designed for air travelers of a different age, and for far fewer of them — maybe a third of the people who use it now. The path that an international traveler must take to get from customs to security, then to the gate, is labyrinthine and poorly ventilated. Lines were long, … >>
There was a time when I could have been a consul or an ambassador. No joke. An American consul in Germany said I had the makings of a diplomat, and he tried hard to convince me to join the foreign service. It was a tempting offer: excellent pay, a high level of responsibility, and an opportunity to see the world. … >>
Well, it’s been ten long years since those towers turned to dust; the memorial is being dedicated on that site on Sunday. The mastermind of the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is rotting away somewhere after being waterboarded 130 times. His boss, Osama bin Laden, is (supposedly) at the bottom of the sea. An attack of the same magnitude has not … >>
That Barack Obama! You never know what he’s going to do next. One night, he’s cracking jokes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The next night, he tells us Osama bin Laden is dead. I have to offer my congratulations. Obama had promised to go after bin Laden, and he got him. I’m happy to see that the president can … >>
Picture this: Last October, a group of American exchange students is walking through a pedestrian plaza in downtown Wiesbaden late at night. Suddenly, they’re approached by a gang of young ethnic Turks who don’t like the fact that one of the students is speaking English. “Hey!” the gang leader barks at him. “You’re American, aren’t you?” “Keep walking, Sam,” I … >>
So far, Barack Obama has been one of our best Republican presidents — which is fine, except that he claims to be a Democrat. Despite his promise of “change”, some things haven’t changed at all since the days of George W. Bush. We’ve seen unrepentant bankers get big bonuses, government advisers be recruited from Wall Street and corporations, and nearly … >>
It seemed like one of those news stories that would come and go quickly — but the media and the politicians aren’t letting it die. Two weeks ago, the city of New York agreed to let a private organization build a $100 million mosque and Islamic community center in Manhattan. This in itself is nothing unusual. People from 190 countries … >>
Haufenwolke, a reader of this column, says I don’t deserve to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. So I’ve decided to step up my efforts. Like most people, I wish for peace on Earth on December 24. But wishing alone won’t stop the inconsiderate behavior of others. Actions must follow. So here are 20 simple suggestions that could be … >>
It’s sobering to realize that eight years have passed since New York and Washington, DC, were attacked on September 11, 2001. Something that happened that long ago, and is already the subject of numerous documentaries, is history. The more time passes, the more the official version of events is accepted, and the less plausible any alternative version becomes. This fact … >>