Commenting On Commentary, With A Denby Cameo Because Of Course
Let's look at Commentary magazine , the famous neocon rag now edited by John Podhoretz, who can be easily analogized to Bill Kristol, I guess, for having a much more intelligent and talented father and then sort of soiling the family legacy in the name of pride and stupidity. Or hey, for a more zeitgeist-y example Ms. Meghan McCain is also a good comparison. So, John "Blogette" Podhoretz is the Meghan McCain in this situation and Commentary is his monthly Twitter. What has Meghan Podhoretz been tweeting about as of late? Foreign policy, the economy, and, what's this, long-time New Yorker intern David Denby, whose first foray into cultural relevance has been an unmitigated disaster.
"Stimulus: A History of Folly": Let's take this metaphor that Obama used this one time, on teevee, in attempts to explain his economic policy to all of America when all of America could think about was why there is a black character on2 1/2 Men tonight. And why is he not as funny as Charlie Sheen? Anyway, so right, jumpstarting the economy, Obama explained, is like "jumpstarting" a "car". Except, hello!, so much more complicated! argues Commentary . At least twice as complicated. For example, Keynes was all about public works projects, except that might not be enough! See: R, FD for evidence. His new deal didn't actually do all that much to "jumpstart" the "Depression." That's just a Political Myth, like the notion that there are paper copies of The Politico . Really, says Commentary guy James K. Glassman, the key to most everything is low interest rates, except even that will take forever and a half, probably. [ Stimulus: A History of Folly ]
"The Coming War on Sovereignty": Okay, here's this gist: Radical Obama is straying way too far from the principles outlined in the—I'm not even kidding— Peace of Westphalia of 1648 , which gives "nation-states", a term meaning "country" in AP European History parlance, the right to protect their borders. This new plan cooked up for Obama called A Plan for Action is nothing like the Peace of Westphalia, and everything like New Europe, where Westphalia is Germany and up is down and sovereignty is being impossibly lame by listening to other countries and rejecting Kaiser George W. Bush of Westphalia's policy of unilateralism, as outlined in the famous treaty Doing Whatevsies Because Why the Hell Not of 1648. Oh and did I mention this piece was written by John Bolton? Did I even have to? [ The Coming War on Sovereignty ]
"Omissions of the Times ": Problem: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. says that theNew York Times is doing a good job preserving the neutrality of its coverage of Gaza. Only Commentary is not so sure Mr. Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. is telling the truth. So, Commentary does a close reading. One staff reporter of Sulzberger's City of New York Paper Newspaper uses verbs like "pummeled" to describe planes flying into buildings. This is loaded language! Another time, this reporter, Taghreed El-Khodary, called the experience of being in Gaza "terrorizing." No, no don't hold back; tell us what you really think, etc. So anyway, this Commentary piece goes on to pick random words out of random articles by El-Khodary in apparent attempts to demonstrate a bias. Except being in Gaza is of course terrorizing, and what is this Commentary fellow, Rick Richman, even talking about? [ Omissions of the Times ]
"The Hunting of Denby": Ha ha. Well, well, well. Hello old friend. Right off the bat,Commentary 's reviewer [One of your editor's favorites, the very funny Mark Steyn -- Ed.] makes a friend in your Wonkette, describing D.D., snarkily , as "not Anthony Lane, the other one." So true. Commentary calls out Denby for being weird and relativistic and prissy. D.D.'s weird tautology can be expressed as such: Basically, everyone that criticizes something Denby likes (mediocre Beatles albums, Al Gore, failing at being a stockbroker, etc.) is snarky. Mock something not favored by your anti-hero, and there is no problem. And, Commentary argues, the worst part about D.D.'s strange diatribe is that it's boring . [ The Hunting of Denby ]
[ Commentary ]