Mark Steyn

Welcome back Tom Finneran here. You are listening to Finneran forum on AM 680 WRKO and -- right Leah. Somewhat sunny bright so far sunny anyway Monday April 7 2000 and they hate listen. Just before we went to the break interview is going to have the absolute privilege and pleasure. Of getting on the line here and RKO Marc stein he is. Now lives in New Hampshire he writes that I pens and radical the happy warrior Erica every couple weeks in the national review it is a must read regular listeners he would know that I posted up all the time you go right to the back page -- national review. And the happy warrior a column by Marc stein. He is is always the -- for your reading pleasure it absolutely of a thrill. To welcome back to may have succeeded WRK of utterance from the one and only Mark stein Hawaii this Mark Mark.

They graduated from Mac readings command New Hampshire yeah thanks for introducing his New Hampshire right. People cattle which help from the --

That's right when you keep us all puzzle you just dia and you know product post these up all the time market whenever -- Whenever I post them I give the whole Finneran forum audience of nice nice insight into work too -- thanking -- most recent one. Was such states of the mindless about the pop revolution that the Hollywood. -- Like to carry around in the head whether it's with Cuba whether it's with -- Vietnam whether it's with Madonna doing you know oh Q his fourth. -- is for food and hunger and all the rest of that stuff give us a little bit of a little bit of develop that -- a little bit -- a -- well.

Wherever I was I was struck out by this lady music Cuba and it is today the -- she's that's typical left and right right. -- put on the plane in -- you'll that she wanted to show the reality of life in Castro's Cuba essentially of this. And as somebody came up and nice well meaning you'll labeled and the and and I'm Rubin doesn't spoil Cuba fall and you realize that to the left it's not reading about the real Cuba it's not about the real they -- It's not about the real Vietnam it's about as having some kind of mystical Paul revolution in and it's and I think that's the real problem that treaty the -- can match in. In good two thirds of Iraq -- bad habits at the -- and country but that's sort of irrelevant to what people told themselves about it this side and unfortunately the sort psychologically -- And is in the and more simple and real country.

You know you make the point so eloquently and I've had decide human before with so many folks about -- and they get caught up in the mythology -- and they'll tell you vote. They'll tell about in Cuba that is universal literacy. And yet they have no rejoined in a response whatsoever in which you point out to them that they had told what they can and cannot read. -- affect the fact that you can read is great but the fact that you can't read anything you'd choose. Is is not so good and I -- and American should you know people who've gone to Cuba. I EU told the two most important items to bring notices supposedly a nation that is thrived and flourished. Under the benevolent hand of a Fidel Castro as you say for fifty -- she is the two things you rich to bring a soap. And toilet paper.

Right right that's hey I'm -- And that's sort of result fiftieth and you know what's going to happen eventually its Q where is gettin'. Join the -- well the free while Michael the other countries in the Caribbean which have their problems but that -- free functioning democracy one -- Cuba will rejoin them and then all these lefties who mandate a band that. And LC Starbucks and they have treatment Donaldson of feed people drive around in new instead of these in in 1948 buicks a private matter that. And they'll say -- this is terrible capitalism has ruin this beautiful pristine it's always us.

And I think you did in the same article about states of the mindless but just your most recent article for national review he talked about Madonna. With I think -- live aid end the all star gala that they have -- to try to raise money and she's talking about let's have a revolution in Africa. As if they haven't had enough of those already.

Not I'm not that -- enough you know what I pretending to need one of these wealthy pops to actually outsold than music publishing or accountancy two -- All the capitalist chat -- and nobody ever doubt that. Because when you look at these rocks -- they'll they'll have the best lawyers in the past accountants they take care of that money very well they just to give -- money to African dictate. And they give them money to the bad news you'll legal forums there well we which system makes more sense you know he should do -- do as they do know -- they sent.

Not as they say for sure but give us your quick assessment of the presidential race as it stands now you've written a great great deal about the Islam of fascism prevalent across the European continents and and other parts of the world. You're concerned about the western world's indifference to this even you know kind of surrender to what what's your take on the -- presidential primaries as they've unfolded thus --

Well I've I think the big existence and John McCain gets the military side the tribal reasons because. He went through that in Vietnam being betrayed political he's not going to let that happen to today so it is right now I worry sometimes about the bigger picture which is I guess treated one of the things in my book which is the sort of order Islamic stabilization of western -- and -- lack of confidence. And unfortunately the two democratic candidates embodies. I mean that incredibly mean and vicious and brutal -- slicing each other out. The they never reply any of that to to the -- and I wish I was Barack Obama and Hillary you can rely on them being his spacious so calm. Kim Jong Il on the Iranian balances -- each of which it's that would that would certainly -- Eackles.

Well they're just gonna talk tentative we talk if we continue to talk and sing songs around the campfire all will be well. We asked to speak your target we've been talking to Mark stein he's the author of a great book America alone the end of the world as we know what. It speaks about the -- west's loss of confidence in confronting these challenges. And get Marc stein he not only writes for the -- review by the Washington times Philadelphia evening news bulletin. Just an absolutely fabulous book on -- Mark before we let it go we're coming up on the break -- the top of the hour what you thought this is a New York Times best seller by the way. You've thought in terms of writing this what was what was your hope as you put pen to paper on this one.

Well it was really to re frame this struggle again is pan -- and the way I think it's not primarily in military struggle we're good at that. You know -- troops on our equipment planes ships of that but I think it's more profound existential struggle and in some ways it's being waged in Europe -- economists civil war with in the west itself it's kind of hold civil cool. And so armed subject re frame the way we look at this it's it's.

Well well done again what marks down her up and coming up on the break. He is the author of America alone the end of the world as we know what absolutely a fabulous treaties a neighbor reviled seasoned residents of New Hampshire. He writes for the national review and I called him an absolute national treasure. Marc stein thank you so much for joining us here on parents -- AM 680 WRKO