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DON'T TAKE US SERIOUSLY.
The Corner's a bizarre little land. But one of the stranger tics among its writers is the post-hoc pleading to not be taken seriously. Here, for instance, is Mark Steyn, sniggering and tittering over the idea that "sniggering and tittering is not the appropriate response to Bill Richardson's mass transit initiatives." My favorite entry to the genre is, of course, this classic Jonah Goldberg post, in which he angrily demands that his article on federalism in the print edition of The National Review was "an obviously light, un-"long" (1,500 words) impressionistic, travelogue-esque piece and tries to make it into a definitive argument about federalism, rather than a mere meditation on it."
Federalism, mass transit initiatives. If this comedy club is going to get off the ground, it's going to need some better topics. You guys might want to try talking about airplane food. And, no matter how tempting it seems, don't let John Derbyshire take the "differences between black people and white people" schtick. Just trust me on that one.
COMMENTS (11)
Anyone wanting evidence for the intellectually bankrupt and philosophically trivial nature of contemporary movement conservatism need look no further than The Corner.
Posted by: Farinata X | January 6, 2008 4:45 PM
Ezra, this is a classic wingnut tactic. Whenever they say something, or make some argument, that reveals them in an especially unflattering light (e.g., racist, misogynist, violent, or just plain mean and nasty), they just looooove to say "Just kidding! Geeze, you liberals just can't take a joke, can you?"
It's one of the more disgusting ways they reveal their utter moral bankruptcy and bad faith.
Posted by: Kathy G. | January 6, 2008 5:06 PM
Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Posted by: jrman | January 6, 2008 5:15 PM
Ezra - Stop wasting your time reading the National Review and our time when you write about it. I know they are easy to make fun of but it gets very BORING.
Posted by: chman | January 6, 2008 5:46 PM
I've been trying for around five minutes now and I have no idea what you mean by this. I'm guessing that you're recommending that people not get caught up in an argument with Derb on this subject no matter how tempting it may seem? Anyhow, I'd personally say that this is pretty good advice on account of the fact that anyone taking up that argument is likely to lose it. Don't get me wrong (much as most folk here would like to) Derb (and his fans and intellectual colleagues) probably hypothesize about the subject way way way beyond what's probably accurate (not to mention the fact that their "solution" to this claimed cranial inequity is to say "screw the idiots" rather than to offer them christian charity) but they also are almost certainly closer to the truth on this scientific subject than all of you herd-mentality leftys are.
The truth. The TRUTH my friends, shall set you free ;-)
(I know I shouldn't have written the above line as it may give people the false impression that I'm approaching this issue from a visceral, rather than scientific, viewpoint but I have very little impulse control and I thought it too funny not to write. - so I've mitigated it's humor with this quasi-apology! ;-)
mnuez
www.mnuez.blogspot.com
Posted by: mnuez | January 6, 2008 8:05 PM
Too late!
CAN I AX YOU A QUESTION: The ethnic comedy of John Derbyshire
Posted by: digamma | January 6, 2008 8:36 PM
NR was founded by Buckley, Rusher, and a bunch of ex-Marxists, unseated kraut monarchists, etc., who favored segregagtion, Mccarthyism and Falangism. Compared to the crowd now in charge, they're giants. 'Nuff said.
Posted by: Henderstock | January 6, 2008 9:00 PM
What's the deal with airline food?
Posted by: Petey | January 7, 2008 12:41 AM
I never get tired of making fun of the Corner people.
Especially Jonah Goldberg. He's like the perfect clown. Infinitely amusing.
As someone once said on this blog: Jonah's a dog who thinks he's people.
Posted by: Jason C. | January 7, 2008 1:54 AM
Some tangentially relevant XKCD fun.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | January 7, 2008 5:58 AM
And have you heard of this Social Security thing? I mean, have you heard of it? Who are the ad wizards who came up with that one?
Posted by: Doctor Biobrain | January 8, 2008 1:54 AM