About a week ago, a friend of mine remarked on the courage and good sense of the Israeli people. They go to bomb shelters, they suspend their businesses, they ship their children elsewhere — not to mention the fact that a great many citizens are eligible to be called up. And Israelis endure the circumstances without complaining, without sniffing, without wringing their hands. They know that their national life is at stake.

And my friend went on to contrast this with the delicacy of Americans (not in any mean way — though not an American himself, he is a big admirer of our country).

I thought of this over the weekend, when I was watching the British Open on ABC. At least twice, the local affiliate here in New York broke in, for a special report on a power outage in Queens. Mayor Bloomberg was speaking about the awful hardship these people were enduring: the heat, the inconvenience. He said that no one who had ever been without power for a few days could realize how difficult it was. For example, people had to do without both air conditioning and fans; all they could do was open their windows.

He promised the citizens of Astoria that the city was doing everything in its power to “mitigate the pain.” He thanked them for their “sacrifice.” And he said that he would not say “Hang in there” — for that would be “too glib,” in the face of such a calamity.

As I see it, you can draw two lessons from this: 1), Gee, we’re lucky to be living in America. 2) What a bunch of candy-a**es.

Now, I would not be eager to do without power for a few days, or for a half-hour. Also, I wouldn’t be eager to experience a paper cut. But . . .

You take my point.

Oh, and I should mention this: Mayor Bloomberg said that it would be possible for people “to seek compensation for spoiled food.”

Seek compensation for spoiled food!

Yes, we are a very, very cosseted nation. Which is better than the alternative, I’m sure.

In late March, I wrote about the alleged horrors at Sujiatun. (For that article, please go here.) The charge, in brief, is that Chinese authorities are killing Falun Gong practitioners so that their organs may be “harvested.” It is a repellent thought, but we should not turn away.

I wish to draw your attention to the Matas-Kilgour report, published earlier this month. (Please go here.) David Matas and David Kilgour are Canadians. The former is a human-rights lawyer and champion; the latter has served in the positions of prosecutor, parliamentarian, and secretary of state. What they have produced is a “Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China.” Here are two key paragraphs:

Based on what we now know, we have come to the regrettable conclusion that the allegations are true. We believe that there has been and continues today to be large scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners.

We have concluded that the government of China and its agencies in numerous parts of the country, in particular hospitals but also detention centres and “people’s courts”, since 1999 have put to death a large but unknown number of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. Their vital organs, including hearts, kidneys, livers and corneas, were virtually simultaneously seized for sale at high prices, sometimes to foreigners, who normally face long waits for voluntary donations of such organs in their home countries.

Friends, I will say what I said in my March piece: Be skeptical if you want to; but I would not be ignorant, burying my head in the sand. People have always been late to recognize atrocities — even widespread ones — much less to condemn them.

Beijing is going all out for the 2008 Olympics, just as we knew they would. In October 2000 — before the selection of the city was made — I wrote about China’s bid, and all that it entailed. You will find that article here.

When I say “going all out,” what do I mean? Well, consider a story from Reuters, published last week: “As if China didn’t have its hands full keeping tabs on its 1.3 billion people, the country will now begin tracking its vegetables. In an attempt to ensure food safety during the 2008 Olympics, Beijing is to give every cabbage, carrot and pea pod its own identity number and file, the Beijing News reported on Wednesday.”

Very thorough, those Communists. I only wish they would do less well in “keeping tabs on” 1.3 billion people than they do in tracking the vegetables.

Is there anything a Communist dictatorship does not feel the need to control? As I mentioned in my 2000 piece, the authorities even manipulated the weather, as the International Olympic Committee was visiting: “The government ordered the air force to disperse the clouds over the capital, lest it rain on the Committee’s grandees.” They were also trying to eliminate the black fly from Beijing.

Wonder how that’s going.

Inconvenient people, inconvenient insects: It seems to me the PRC can eliminate anything.

Speaking of Communist killers, Fidel Castro visited the home of Che Guevara, in Argentina. He did so in the company of his protégé, Hugo Chávez. The AP, in its report, called this a “pilgrimage,” and “an emotional journey.” No doubt. And Castro was in his green fatigues.

Sometimes, in their rhetoric, Western leftists claim to dislike military dictatorship. Funny how they thrill to those fatigues.

But that is a long, old, and frustrating story . . .

Like many of you, I’m sure, I was pleased to see Senator Voinovich come out for John Bolton. This may well mean that Bolton will be confirmed, as he should have been a year and a half ago. In my view, Bolton should be our U.N. ambassador not only until the end of the Bush administration, but until the end of time (or the end of the U.N., whichever comes first).

Voinovich expressed his support in an op-ed for the Washington Post. And, like other Bolton men, I’ll take that support any way I can get it. But, gosh, was Voinovich condescending — nauseatingly so:

“My observations are that while Bolton is not perfect, he has demonstrated his ability, especially in recent months, to work with others and follow the president’s lead by working multilaterally.”

“I believe Bolton has been tempered and focused on speaking for the administration. He has referred regularly to ‘my instructions’ from Washington . . .”

Oh, for crying out loud: Bolton hasn’t “grown”; he has simply been his excellent self. If I’d been Bolton, I’d have accepted the senator’s support through very gritted teeth. But then, Bolton’s less hotheaded than I.

A couple of words about the British Open — and I’m going to focus on language. Ordinarily, Britons refer to the British Open as “the Open,” or “the Open Championship.” Americans refer to the British Open as “the British Open” and to the U.S. Open as “the U.S. Open.” In Britain, it’s “the Open” and “the U.S. Open.”

One can understand that, perfectly. But I was disappointed to hear the American announcers and commentators say “the Open” and “the Open Championship” repeatedly, religiously, following the British model.

Come on, guys — there’s no need to go native.

But, boy, do I love Peter Allis, the veteran British announcer. Given his age and nationality, he pays no obeisance to our PC. Speaking of Tiger Woods’s extraordinary discipline, he said, “Probably his mother’s influence, the Oriental influence.” Oriental, not “Asian”! Doesn’t Allis realize he can be shot for that? Zounds — he must regard himself as a free man.

A little more language? In his press conferences over the weekend, Mayor Bloomberg said “elsewheres,” as in, “The Con Ed guys have to work elsewheres, too.” At first, I thought it was a slip of the tongue, but Bloomie said it several times more. Wonder if it’s a Boston thing. That’s where he’s from, of course (mayor of New York that he is): That’s why, for “area,” he says “airier.”

I like it — as I do all regional speech, of course. I deeply regret its dying off.

Care for a little music? For a review of the pianist Nikolai Demidenko, published in the New York Sun, go here.

I was so taken with a sentence by Victor Davis Hanson, found in his NRO piece Friday, I can’t resist simply reprinting it:

“For their part, the terrorist killers hope to kidnap, ransom, and send off missiles, and then, when caught and hit, play the usual victim card of racism, colonialism, Zionism, and about every other -ism that they think will win a bailout from some guilt-ridden, terrorist-frightened, Jew-hating, or otherwise oil-hungry Western nation.”

Bravo, as usual, VDH.

In my column on Thursday, I discussed President Bush’s appearance before the NAACP — which he had not yet made — and why I regretted it (sort of). I will say now what I thought of what he said.

I thought it was okay — very nice and gracious and all. But I wonder whether it was worth going to the NAACP, after staying away all these years, without standing up to them a little. A little bit more. For example, I would have raised that television ad, from the 2000 campaign — the one in which the NAACP basically called Bush a lyncher.

But then, that’s me.

Let’s wrap up. Many, many readers have sent in notes about bumper stickers — thank you. And this note ought to put a smile on your face, I would think:

“Jay, I remember seeing a bumper sticker in the Nixon years. It said, Member of the Silent Majority. I should tell you I saw it on a hearse.”

Happy Monday, y’all.