Andrew Sullivan's jihad (Embarrassed by Sullivan, Salon Editor Talbot Throws a HUGE Tantrum!)

Salon ^ | October 20, 2001 | David Talbot

[PeterBarringer]

what's the purple triangle stand for?

[VMI70]

Is David Talbot any relation to Strobe Talbot?

FReegards,

[gcruse]

Couldn't a person be "liberal" and still
view homosexuality as the deviance it is?

Do liberals view homosexuality the way
social conservatives do?   Good question.

[Shermy]

JJ59:

I read the article interviewing Susan Sontag. You and Andrew are right about "texts." But I have another angle. "Texts" may be a polite sidestep that Sontag has written very few books. Just a bunch of articles and "editor" credits.

But she has her good points:

In the piece, which she wrote shortly after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, Sontag dissected the political and media blather that poured out of the television in the hours after the explosions of violence. After subjecting herself to what she calls "an overdose of CNN," Sontag reacted with a coldly furious burst of analysis, savaging political leaders and media mandarins for trying to convince the country that everything was OK, that our attackers were simply cowards, and that our childlike view of the world need not be disturbed.

I share her visceral reaction to CNN. And,

This is one thing I do completely agree with David on: If tomorrow Israel announced a unilateral withdrawal of its forces from the West Bank and the Gaza strip -- which I am absolutely in favor of --- followed by the proclamation of a Palestinian state, I don't believe it would make a dent in the forces that are supporting bin Laden's al-Qaida. I think Israel is a pretext for these people.

I agree with her here too. This is an important statement. I feared that the Identity Left (or whatever) would Palestinianize this crisis, and infantilize our world understanding to their obsessional level. I don't think that's working, although their immediate outbursts seemed to be working in that direction.

[gcruse]

If this is the case, why did we defend Sullivan in such numbers?

Did 'we'?

[clintonh8r]

It's possible to agree with someone's politics without approving of or "accepting" their personal conduct, just as I'm sure that some may disagree with Sullivan's political views while fully approving of his private behavior.

[bootyist-monk]

It's actually pink. Search google for "pink triangle" and it will become apparent immediately.

Of course, the joke (or lack thereof) depends on it.

[PeterBarringer]

oh i see... it's a CANADIAN thing... hehehe

[Timesink]

Did 'we'?

I think so. I seem to recall the posts being about 75-25 pro-Sullivan at the time.

[habs4ever]

I find Sullivan eventually will think with his other head, and that tends to taint his writing.He maybe on the Right, but he is also in one of the identity camps that do seem to flourish on the Left.Instead of being a right leaning writer that is gay, he a GAY man who writes from a moderate conservative perspective.He makes a big deal of his sexuality, and for that even a libertarian can smell an opportunist.He's hit or miss, IMHO.

[corkoman]

Bump for Andrew Sullivan.

[jackbill]

David Talbot is Salon's founder and editor in chief.

I think that it is more likely that Talbot is a closet homophobe.

[conservativesoutherner]

Gay pride and Teletubbies

[steve-b]

Er, you put the triangle upside-down -- or, more precisely, you didn't put the triangle upside-down -- or.. oh, hell, you know what I mean.

[Praxeologue]

and for that even a libertarian can smell an opportunist

... so show me an American writer/commentator that can deck the Left the way Sullivan does

[habs4ever]

Krauthammer, Mugger, Hugh Hewitt, Sowell, Horowitz, Deb Weiss, Mark Steyn, Mike Kelly, John Leo...lots of them...

[PeterBarringer]

gay pride and teletubbies = BAAAARFFFF.... spit.. wipes chin... oh GAHH not AGA..WRRRRRREEEEEEEETCHHHHH

[L`enn]

But somehow it seems much more effective when it comes from one of their "own"

[BillF]

You know Sullivan is dissecting the left when Talbot launches this kind of mean-spirited homophobic attack.