Little League

Washington—The most important news story of recent weeks (important as a symbol; important because revealing) may have been the story of Little League baseball’s retreat to protectionism. Until now the Little Leagues have had the only “world series” worthy of the name. But the knavish foreigners have been doing something mean. They have been winning. Taiwan teams have won the series (played each summer at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the Little Leagues were invented) five of the last six years. So the adults who run the Little Leagues sent a team of investigators to Taiwan to sniff out violations of Little League rules. Finding none, they returned to fortress America and pulled up the drawbridge. Henceforth all teams from the outside world will be banned from the “world series.” Thus does a declining nation deal with the rigors of competition from the lesser breeds without the law. Those breeds are lean and hungry and can hit behind the runner. Time to rally ’round our motto: if you can’t lick ’em, ban ’em.

Now that the Little League adults have pointed the way, perhaps we can figure out how to ban other foreign troubles, especially those concerning oil and Arabs. The proper question concerning the Mideast is not-whether there will be a fifth Arab-Israeli war, but when it will begin and who will participate. Will it begin a year from now, when it will suit Syria’s convenience—after more Soviet arms shipments and training for Syrian troops? Or will it begin much sooner—before spring—when Israel could at least have what she did not have in the October 1973 wa—the advantage of surprise? And will Israel be able to fight Syria alone:—without fighting Egypt on another front? In any case, when the war comes, there will be another oil embargo, perhaps this time directed only at the United States (Japan and our West European allies have made clear their unwillingness to be any sort of impediment to any Arab desire). Then all bets about the economy will be off.

About the Author

George F. Will

George F. Will has been a columnist, beginning with National Review, since 1973.

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Washington—The most important news story of recent weeks (important as a symbol; important because revealing) may have been the story of Little League baseball’s retreat to protectionism. Until now the Little Leagues have had the only “world series” worthy of the name. But the knavish foreigners have been doing something mean. They have been winning. Taiwan teams have won the series (played each summer at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the Little Leagues were invented) five of the last six years. So the adults who run the Little Leagues sent a team of investigators to Taiwan to sniff out violations of Little League rules. Finding none, they returned to fortress America and pulled up the drawbridge. Henceforth all teams from the outside world will be banned from the “world series.” Thus does a declining nation deal with the rigors of competition from the lesser breeds without the law. Those breeds are lean and hungry and can hit behind the runner. Time to rally ’round our motto: if you can’t lick ’em, ban ’em.

Now that the Little League adults have pointed the way, perhaps we can figure out how to ban other foreign troubles, especially those concerning oil and Arabs. The proper question concerning the Mideast is not-whether there will be a fifth Arab-Israeli war, but when it will begin and who will participate. Will it begin a year from now, when it will suit Syria’s convenience—after more Soviet arms shipments and training for Syrian troops? Or will it begin much sooner—before spring—when Israel could at least have what she did not have in the October 1973 wa—the advantage of surprise? And will Israel be able to fight Syria alone:—without fighting Egypt on another front? In any case, when the war comes, there will be another oil embargo, perhaps this time directed only at the United States (Japan and our West European allies have made clear their unwillingness to be any sort of impediment to any Arab desire). Then all bets about the economy will be off.