On the homepage today, I have Part II of my notes from the Oslo Freedom Forum. I mention rulers who — well, rule for a long time. Hun Sen has been in power in Cambodia since 1985. Technically speaking, his son, Hun Manet, is the No. 1 now. But you know how these things go . . . Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986. Two Aliyevs have ruled Azerbaijan since 1993.

Let me continue a bit, here on the Corner. Two Assads have ruled Syria since 1970. Three Kims have ruled North Korea since 1948. What is Raúl Castro’s role in Cuba these days? (He is 93.) Anyway, his brother Fidel took power in 1959.

Back to Africa: Biya in Cameroon and Obiang in Equatorial Guinea — each has ruled since 1982.

I will quote a bit from my Freedom Forum notes today:

I recall George Washington — and another George, King George III. The American artist Benjamin West mentioned to the king that Washington was planning on returning to his farm after two terms as president. The king said, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.”

How rare that was, what Washington did. And what a good example he set.

Maybe just one letter today — in response to a note I had on Israel’s rescue of hostages. Bear in mind that Israel carried out its raid on Entebbe on July 4, 1976, the day of America’s bicentennial. One Israeli commando was killed: Jonathan Netanyahu. A reader writes,

I clearly recall the Entebbe raid. I was spending the summer of 1976 in Israel as a student on an archaeological dig and well remember the elation everyone felt when we heard the news on the radio. That evening we celebrated the Fourth in a stadium in Jerusalem with sabras and fellow expats and a showing of Yankee Doodle Dandy on a giant screen, followed by fireworks and all. The festivities were doubly joyful because of Israel’s seemingly miraculous success in Uganda earlier that day. And we saluted a brave hero of 1976 even as we recalled the valiant heroes of 1776.