George Will: Objectively Wrong (Or “You’re Gonna Trust a Guy Who Wears the Worst Toupee in DC??)
Regardless of anything else George Will has to say, the following paragraph in today’s column is just silly.
There are expected to be 100 million bloggers worldwide by the middle of 2007, which is why none will be like Franklin or Paine. Both were geniuses; genius is scarce.
Of an estimated 100,000 bloggers, NONE are geniuses? Show me the math, George. What about Asia Carerra, Mensa member, porn star, and blogger? (WARNING: TOTALLY NOT SAFE FOR WORK, AND PROBABLY NOT SAFE WHEN YOUR WIFE AND KIDS ARE AROUND EITHER.)
As for his assertion that “none will be like Franklin or Paine”, I beg to differ. Speaking as someone who’s read a bit of Paine beyond “Common Sense”, Glenn Greenwald’s “How Would a Patriot Act” is clearly in the Paine tradition, not only in the DIY nature of the publishing but in its theme as well: the Bush Adminsitration arogating powers to itself that violate our Constitution, itself written to stop the tyranny of King George. The book topped the carts before it was even published.
While “Patriot” parachuted to 293th place by week’s end after hitting No. 1, the book’s publisher, the San Francisco phone company and liberal benefactor Working Assets, has been encouraged to continue its fledgling program of plucking sharp bloggers to write politically pointed books.
“Patriot” is an offspring of Bay Area political activism and technology culture, and the rush to get it into print has a distinct purpose: To foster national debate about the Bush administration’s approach to post-Sept. 11 civil liberties, in particular the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program.
The book’s rise without any mainstream media coverage has given liberal political leaders hope that they have discovered a way to compete with conservative media outlets that they estimate reach 30 million to 40 million people a week…
While I have not yet read Kos’s “Crashing the Gates”, my understanding is that the book is a treatise on taking back power from entrenched interests in the Democratic party. How is this not in the spirit of Paine, Franklin, and the Revolution?
There is nothing wrong with that, but there is nothing demanding or especially admirable about it, either.
Fuck you, George, and answer me this. Which is more admirable: getting paid wheelbarrows of money to spout platitudes on the pages of the Washington Post, platitudes that have helped send people off to Iraq to die in a pointless war that we’re losing, or writing for the sheer love of writing, which is what most bloggers do? Or is something only valuable when you can put a dollar amount on it? And if that’s the case, why can’t you buy a better toupee?
These are the ramblings of an old mare who should have been put out to pasture long ago, where he could graze with his comrades David Broder, Tom Friedman, Richard Cohen, and the rest of the bloodless, passionless old nags.
Better yet, send the whole damn lot of them to the glue factory, where some use can be found for them.
December 21st, 2006 at 6:37 pm
I’m sure he considers himself a genius, yet can’t believe there would be any in the next 100 million people…
December 21st, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Oh, man, what a doucebag. Seems like somebody’s ‘got a wittle thorn in their paw’ after being nailed by the blogosphere for selective editing a couple weeks back.
“there’s 100 million people, and they’re not serious, and they write about themselves and they can’t be geniuses ’cause they’re not like me, and…and…”
Man, WTF is in the water cooler at the Washington Post now? First CF McGee, now All Bat No Balls Will?
It seems the problem might really be that those 100 Million people no longer take George Will seriously–and for good reason.
December 22nd, 2006 at 4:02 am
There are expected to be 7 billion people worldwide by the middle of 2008, which is why none will have Addison’s disease. Because Addison’s disease is scarce, and so the 7 billion people will be too common to catch it. Also, I have broccoli in my socks.
December 22nd, 2006 at 5:43 pm
GFW doesn’t have the wits to realize citing Paine and Franklin would remind people of writers who opposed a tyrant named George.
As opposed to a certain asshole who shines the boots of a tyrant named George, with his tongue.
P.S. Bonus buffoonery, from Chuckie McWargasm.
December 24th, 2006 at 8:11 pm
I don’t think Chuckie’s had any kind of orgasm in years. perhaps that’s why he’s such a bitter old man.