The New York Philharmonic decided to accept an invitation from the regime of Kim Jong Il to play a concert in Pyongyang.

The New York Philharmonic decided to accept an invitation from the regime of Kim Jong Il to play a concert in Pyongyang. That was controversial: Conscientious people made arguments for and against. But, right before leaving, Lorin Maazel, the orchestra's music director, had to go and make the whole experience stink to high heaven. Here's what he told the press: "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw bricks, should they? Is our standing as a country--the United States--is our reputation all that clean when it comes to prisoners and the way they are treated? Have we set an example that should be emulated all over the world? If we can answer that question honestly, I think we can then stop being judgmental about the errors made by others." That may be the most grotesque instance of moral equivalence since the Cold War. In fact, we don't recall using the term "moral equivalence" much since the Cold War. Maestro Maazel is a brilliant musician, and, for him, the Wagner Rule is in effect: Think of the art. If you think about the rest, you can only shudder, sigh, and despair.