1. An unemployed waitress in Berlin faces the loss of her welfare benefits after refusing a job as a prostitute in a legalized brothel.
2. A British court has ruled that a suspected terrorist from Algeria cannot be detained in custody because jail causes him to suffer a "depressive illness."
3. Seventeen-year-old Jeffrey Eden of Charlestown, R.I., has been awarded an A by his teacher and the "Silver Key" in the Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards for a diorama titled "Bush/Hitler and How History Repeats Itself."

- Mark Steyn

Sometimes conservatives can be such negative people. Mr Steyn has a good set of points in this article. However, let's face it. We know these stories because media types realized they were crazy events. National news sources didn't lead with a story about how this brave seventeen-year-old compared Bush to Hitler. Most people see the insanity of the government financially pressuring a woman into prostitution. And, those activist judges are now on a lot of people's short list of "people needing fired". In America, we (traditional values) are winning the culture war. Good is infecting the world.

It's easy to get caught up in the wave of negative vibe in any country and think things are getting worse. Lest we fall into the negative trap of believing there really were "better times", let's look at things with some historical perspective. For example, the lady who is going to lose her welfare benefits lest she become a prostitute (which means she'll be "employed" therefor will lose them anyway) has the right to exercise her right not to work. Sure, she'll find it tough to live without any income. But, my guess is that there's possibly work out there if she's willing to do real work. If not in Germany, she can leave. It wasn't that long ago that refusing to do as the government instructs would send you off to the gulags. And, let us not forget that her very country had a tyranny so vile that they exterminated people out of pure racism. Liberal, leftist, and out of touch, Germany is by far better today than it has been in recent history, just like much of the world.

Christians and conservatives often claim that the world is becoming more evil. More evil than what? Are things worse than they were during the Dark Ages? Are things worse than they were during the Roman persecution of Christians? Are things worse now than they were sixty years ago in most of the world? What about feudalism or slavery would you like to bring back? Europe is a mess, but people are basically free to come and go as they wish. The Middle East is in turmoil, but elections just took place in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the democratic movement is growing in Iran. There are more people living under freedom today than at any time in history. And, though many bemoan the passing of simpler days in the US, let's not forget that living in America during the nineteen-fifties was truly the pinnacle of prosperity and freedom, unless you were black! Satan is always working in the world through evil people. The good people are better armed today, with religious freedom and quality hardware, than ever before. In my view, we are winning the culture war.