16 Responses to “My Fox column…”

1. #1 |  Andrew Williams |  December 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am

   I’m outraged, radley! How dare you not predict a doom and gloom future with lots and lots of sturm und drang? Next thing you’ll be saying is that temperature fluctuations worldwide are more likely the result of changes in solar cycles driving meterological patterns than human-created global warming? When will it end, folks? When will it end?

   OOH.. my first time being first.

2. #2 |  Brock |  December 30th, 2008 at 11:01 am

   I’m confused by this paragraph of your column.

   Beginning in 1994, juvenile crime dropped dramatically for a decade. By 2004, juvenile crime was at its lowest point in a quarter century. The numbers edged up slightly in 2005 and 2006, but juvenile violent crime is still 40 percent lower than it was in 1994. The juvenile murder rate is a whopping 73 percent below its high in 2003.

   Should that last sentence read, “73 percent below its high in 1993“?

3. #3 |  Radley Balko |  December 30th, 2008 at 11:05 am

   Brock –

   Yep. Thanks for picking up the error.

4. #4 |  Andrew |  December 30th, 2008 at 11:27 am

   When do we get your “Predictions of what’s to come in 2009 that’s really a depressing look back at all the government excesses of 2008″ article? That one’s always good for a downer.

5. #5 |  Frank N |  December 30th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

   You flipping happy go lucky libertarian…don’t you know the world is coming to an end! :)

   Cheers!

6. #6 |  Frank N |  December 30th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

   Wait if its good news, do I still blame Bush? Anyone see my leftwing playbook? Is this were I just chant “hope and change” while looking around clueless wearing an Vote for Obama shirt?

7. #7 |  Radley Balko |  December 30th, 2008 at 1:42 pm

   Wait if its good news, do I still blame Bush? Anyone see my leftwing playbook? Is this were I just chant “hope and change” while looking around clueless wearing an Vote for Obama shirt?

   I don’t know if that’s a swipe at me or not. But my general feeling is that while politicians can cause a lot of harm, when good things happen, it’s general in spite of politicians, not because of them.

8. #8 |  Nick T |  December 30th, 2008 at 3:16 pm

   So what you’re saying Radley is that the drug war is working!? Yaaaaaay! More drug war please!

   /satire

9. #9 |  Rob S |  December 30th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

   Hi Radley,

   Thanks for another fantastic year of blogging goodness! If I may, there were two other worthy items that occurred this year. I thought the Doe v Mukasey verdict was worth cheering as well was the recently signed Chinese-Taiwan free trade agreement. Just my $.02… Anyway, Happy New Year Radily, I look forward to another year of Agitation!

10. #10 |  Frank N |  December 30th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    No Radley, that’s just your 2003 Agity Comments Section Lifetime Achievement Award Winner being a smart ass…been awhile.

    I’m just poking at the all bad things are Bush’s fault…just wondering if all good things will be bestowed upon us by Obama….I mean it couldn’t be the evolving of the US populace…could it!

11. #11 |  Frank |  December 30th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

    #6 & #7

    Just be aware that “Hope and Change” can become “To Serve Man” without prior notice.

12. #12 |  Helmut O' Hooligan |  December 30th, 2008 at 11:43 pm

    “Many conservatives and some leftist feminists often argue that the widespread availability of pornography and the “mainstreaming” of sex may effect an epidemic of sexual violence.”

    Ah yes, that old argument. These folks are opposite sides of the same authoritarian coin. Former Police Chief Anthony Bouza was once asked about the possibility of holding porn mag/film producers liable for sex crimes if offenders were known to view this material. He responded by calling the idea “fascist rubbish” (see his book “Police Unbound”). I concur. I don’t think there is a solid link between porn and sex crimes. It’s a lot more complicated than that, which is why statists of the Left and Right need to look for simple answers. Simple people, after all, require simple explanations.

13. #13 |  Nick T |  December 31st, 2008 at 10:34 am

    #12 I think it’s less simple than that. I think it’s actual devious. I would compare arguments against sexualized popular culture to arguments against “teh gays.” At the core level, opponents just don’t like it. I mean, it REALLY bothers there senses of decency and appropriateness and non-grossness. And so, not being naturally inclined to care about the rights of others, or to pontificate on the complexities of a free society, they lash out at it politically. Then, in the political arena, when met with the obvious retort of “so what? where’s the harm?” They desperately and dishonestly come up with crap about increased incidence of sexual violence and destroying the sanctity of marriage, based purely on conjecture. It’s grasping at straws by people stupid enough to hold the opinion, but not so stupid as to not be able to lie to your face about it.

14. #14 |  Cynical In CA |  January 2nd, 2009 at 1:28 am

    Damn, Helmut. You sure you haven’t turned anarchist on us? Your #12 sounds like something I might have written.

15. #15 |  Cynical In CA |  January 2nd, 2009 at 1:29 am

    Radley wrote: “My Fox column…this week is a year-end roundup of good news.”

    Must be the shortest fucking column in history.

16. #16 |  Jason |  January 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 am

    Great article. Will be sharing a link on my blog
    http://www.rightklik.net/

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