WORDS MATTER: This past week, watching events unfold overseas, I've simply been at a loss for words. Under the circumstances, I think the wisest course of action is to shut up and read what all the smarter people in the Blogosphere have to say. Words matter. They have meaning. They have consequences. And I don't want to get into the habit of slinging about words that feel good and sound pretty good tonight, and then have to do cleanup detail tomorrow. (I've already embarrassed myself enough by jumping onto the Arafat Deathwatch bandwagon.)

I'll speak up again when I'm comfortable that I have the words to express myself accurately -- and defensibly. Meanwhile, Norman Podhoretz explains why words matter here.