Man Bites Dog: The Axis of Evil takes on canines

National Review, Dec 9, 2002 by Jonah Goldberg

In America, where dog-ownership rates can reach 40 percent of all households, we almost expect our leaders to own a dog; historian Stanley Coren estimates that there have been some 230 canine residents of the White House. In Islamic societies, naturally, it's a different story: Islamic radicals in Pakistan have long eyed General Pervez Musharraf with suspicion because he keeps dogs as pets.

But the Westernizing tide continues to rise. In Taiwan last year, lawmakers banned the consumption of dog meat -- in order, some legislators said, to prove that the Taiwanese are more civilized than their neighbors on the mainland, where dogs can be bought skinned and cooked or still alive at food bazaars from salesmen in dog-fur hats. Other lawmakers simply wished to placate the anger of Western animal- welfare groups; but all seemed to agree that dogs and Westernization go hand in hand. Western dog jingoists can certainly find much comfort in the fact that while globalization may sneak up on cats' paws, dogs are the bigger winners. Now, if only those space dogs would arrive soon; Lord knows they'd be more reliable than the French.