I need a palate cleanser or two today, and I’m sure you do as well, since the depressing nature of the news has us all feeling, well, not bully. First we’ll turn to my friend Steven Crowder, who follows up on the story of an Australian adolescent who finally got fed up with being bullied and decided to defend himself. For this, as we have written more than once at Hot Air, the bullying victim got suspended for four days because the school didn’t want to send the message that violence solves problems. Of course, the school was well aware of the status of both the bully and the victim, and their non-violence hadn’t solved the problem, either — and arguably made it worse. Steven revisits a classic movie scene to walk us through the real lesson:

On to Reason TV, now, where they suggest that federal officials looking at a new effort to stamp out bullying take a closer look at … themselves. With Americans engaging in a new war, “the international Interwebs recording sensation Remy” offers a decidedly different take on old wartime newsreels with this song, “Why They Fought.” Was it to end up with a government that, if not bullies, then nannies and pushes its citizens and dictates their personal choices? Anyone doing their taxes this week will no doubt appreciate the shots taken at the IRS: