Lileks Ping!
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Posted on 07/08/2004 12:11:23 PM PDT by quidnunc
Hello! Today will be gruesome for those on the F911 side of the audience, alas. Those disinclined to endure a screed are advised to head over to this week’s addition: Laff mag from 1952, a worthy addition to the dank treasures of Stagworld.
You’ve been warned.
Still here? Okay.
Believing in Bush’s perfidy gives some people the same comfort and emotional nourishment others get from believing in Jesus. It validates them, cements their view of the world — venal, conspiratorial, run by capering chimps who are somehow ten times less intelligent than Usenet posters but somehow able to yank strings on a global scale. A commenter on a Fark thread called Bush “The Unelected Murder Monkey,” for heaven’s sake. Not all the opponents are unhinged, of course. Of course. There are many levels of opposition, from the serene and reasonable to the char-broiled nutburgers who haunt the comments sections of my favorite blogs. Or my favorite talk shows. Today I heard a caller describe how “Fahrenheit 9/11” affected him; now he believed that the Bush administration attacked the Taliban and Iraq because the Saudis wanted it. The host pointed out that the Saudis didn’t want it. The caller said “well, that’s your opinion.” Movies are facts, you see. Facts are just opinions.
Ooooh! You’re really spooked by F911, musta struck a nerve, eh? Scared that Chimpy McDeath is gonna go down? I love that: Moore’s on the cover of Entertainment Weekly and Time and who knows what else; he's the big magilla of the month. But respond to his assertions and you’re acting out of frantic panic. Right. I admit, I don’t like Mr. Moore; I don’t share his contempt for the American people, and I think he’s a dishonest polemicist.
Exhibit A: Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man by David T. Hardy and Jason Clarke
It unpacks the assertions made by his books and movies. It’s not a flame-throwing rant. It’s the brief for the defense — the client in the dock being America. Fans of Mr. Moore would be advised to read it, if only to get a head start on refuting its innumerable refutations. Plus, it has an essay by Tim Blair, who is crueler and funnier than Moore can ever hope to be. If Moore had Blair’s talent, Ralph Nader would not only be elected president but elevated to Global Pope-Emperor by a deafening national voice-vote.
Which brings us to Moore’s 4th of July piece for the LA Times.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at lileks.com ...
"Are you proud that one in six children lives in poverty in America?"
Hold on for a sec. Doesn't the government define the poor as being the bottom 20%? Statistically, 1/5 of all children *should* be living in poverty. If it's only 1/6 of all kids instead, then that means that fewer kids live in poverty than we expect. That's good news, isn't it?
ping for your Lileks list
Thank you. NOW I'll read it.
Dan
Excellent article. Steyn-esque.
I also want to know -- was Moore an eagle scout? That'd be surprising.
Ping for later
WHOA!! I'd heard of this book before, but this is the first time I've noticed that it was written by David T. Hardy.
Years ago, I had the pleasure of debating anti-gun idiots alongside Mr. Hardy for several years on another forum, and we ended up exchanging quite a few emails as well.
David T. Hardy has my great respect -- he was always principled, insightful, thorough, and honest to a fault. If he made a mistake (which happened only rarely), he never got defensive or made excuses, he immediately acknowledged it and corrected himself. He also never overstated his own side's case, and researched and documented each of his points.
He's a successful Constitutional lawyer, and has been cited in numerous federal court rulings (including at least one Supreme Court case).
He also wrote some of the most informed and objective (and damning) pieces ever done on the Waco debacle.
In short, he's no wild-eyed partisan, like so many who write on politics. Quite the opposite, in fact.
I can only imagine how thorough and methodical (and most likely, funny) his book against Moore must be, if it's like his past work. And for what it's worth, I give my personal endorsement of Mr. Hardy's competence and intelligence and integrity: If he writes something, it's not just off-the-cuff opinion or rumor -- it's rock solid and you can take it to the bank.
Now excuse me while I go order his book.
As a long time member of the Steyn ping list, let me say that that's saying a LOT, but I can't disagree. I read this entire (long) piece and thoroughly enjoyed it. First time I've read Lileks. Is he always this good ?
Bump to a really good read that deserves more attention. It's worth going to www.lileks.com to read, with the formatting.
Dan
Thanks, Dan. Bookmarked for later. It looks like it's worth the time.
Looks good
Ditto. First time I've read something by him. Does he have a ping list?
LA Times will be bankrupt by the end of the next Presidential term.
I'll get back to you when I find a downside.
Ping for later
"they had a picture of the eiffel tower in paris". What better city to show than Paris. America has granted their independence TWICE!
Lileks Ping!
If you'd like to be added or removed, just drop me a line...
FMCDH(BITS)
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