SHALLOW CULTURE, BAD COFFEE LEAD TO CONFLICT WITH ISLAM

If Americans will buy chardonnay saturated with oak chips to the point of resembling turpentine, burnt coffee disguised by sweet hot milk, chain-restaurant parodies of Italian food, and hand-me-down literary classics, what will they not buy?
-SPENGLER

The Asia Times can criticize Starbucks as much as it wants, but slagging Twain is uncalled for.

I wanted to provide a computer translation of Lazarillo de Tormes for cheap yucks, but couldn't get the link to work. Suggest you Google it up and hit the "translate this page" link.