Fraters Libertas

Watch Where You're Swinging That Satire, Eh?

Last week, the frequently flattering masthead quote at the top of this page had a line from Robert Sopuck of a Canadian organization called the Frontier Centre for Public Policy (you can tell they are Canadian types by the outrageous spelling of the word "center"). In a piece about blogs, he wrote that the Fraters crew:

...takes it upon itself to rip to shreds the pretensions of the "progressive" elements of North American society. And it has great fun doing so.

I think we can all agree that a more fair, balanced and factual comment would be nigh onto impossible to find.

The very next line in Sopuck's piece, however, had me shaking my head with incredulity:

These blogs are becoming real players in the policy game. Lynne Cheney, wife of US Vice-President Dick Cheney, follows Fraters Libertas on a daily basis, as do many others in the political and policy world.

While I do not doubt that the brilliance we at Fraters Libertas purvey on a daily basis (semi-weekly, in my case) is followed by many "in the political and policy world", I was stunned to discover that Lynne Cheney had made it a habit to check in daily.

Then I remembered this piece that I wrote late last year. It was written shortly after an installment of Hardball in which guest host Campbell Brown asked Mrs. Cheney what her favorite blogs were. Grandmaster Hewitt proudly boasted on air the next night about the fact that his site was the first one she mentioned, along with fellow Northern Alliance stalwarts Powerline and blog giant Instapundit.

In that post, I impishly decided to have a bit of fun with the story by claiming Hugh had intentionally left out this important exchange:

Cheney: One site I must check on daily, sometimes hourly, is Fraters Libertas. Have you ever heard of them Campbell?
Brown: No. I can't say that I have.
Cheney Well, you really should give them a read. Powerful prose, incredible insight...they're a must read in my book. Except for the one that calls himself Atomizer. He kind of creeps me out.

In retrospect, perhaps I should have been a little clearer in indicating that this bit of back and forth between Cheney and Brown was, in fact, 100% reality free.

Perhaps I should have titled my post:
Atomizer Crudely Channels Scott Ott

Or, maybe I should have prefaced the bit with something like:
***WARNING***Satire Ahead***WARNING***

No...still too subtle. I really think the problem is firmly rooted in the vast cultural divide between us and the denizens of The Great White North.

So, for the benefit of our Canadian friends, I have translated my feeble attempt at humor to read as follows:

Cheney: One site I read daily, sometimes after each Moosehead, is Fraters Libertas. Have you ever heard of them, you hoser?
Brown: Take off, eh? You gonna eat that back bacon?
Cheney: Get your own, hosehead! It's really a beauty of a website. Powerful prose, incredible insight...I've got to tip my toque to them. Except for that Atomizer hoser. Geez...he's a knob. Now quit horkin' all the beer!

Fraters Libertas...bridging the cultural divide one Canadian at a time.