When you invert these paradigms you see how truly ludicrous they are. It’s so ripe for a clap-back, I dunno why more politicians don’t pounce on it: “I’m out here trying to make things better for the people who do the real work and voted me in to do the real work. Why would I ever take the advice of a guy who wants to tax my people more so corporations and the rich can pay less??!?”
It wasn't that long ago when David Brooks was cheering Obama on, especially around health care, every week on PBS. These columns make a bit more sense when you realize that the plutocrats own the Democratic Party too, and are not about to give up control. The job of the Democratic Party in this system is to be "just a little bit less bad" than Republicans. As the GOP moves ever more to the right, mainstream Democrats follow closely. From Nancy Pelosi declaring a single-payer bill "off the table" in the Obamacare debate to refusing to take on the homicidal fossil-fuel industry at any level, "mainstream" Dems carefully read all these columns as helpful in their purpose.
This is a great compilation of the worst kinds of advice. There is such a strong belief that the center is where politics will happen that it paves the way for autocrats. These pundits are so wrong - but the strength they are promoting is not the strength needed to advance civil rights and equity for people who frequently move left to achieve these goals. I can’t take anything David Brooks says seriously because here’s a guy advocating that women just settle for a male partner who isn’t what they really want in order to make men less lonely. Here, also, is a guy who married the woman he cheated on his first wife with. No integrity. The strength these guys are promoting is the one that keeps them in power.
The Atlantic, NYT, WSJ, WaPo. As they approach the home stretch in the race to claim the crown of irrelevant narrative king, who will be captured in the still image of the finish?
The ultimate fish wrap competition. And you nailed the accompanying photo; from right to left, Moe, Larry, and Curly…. Stooges all.
"What we REALLY need is more centrist Democrats willing to forget the crimes of this administration and its enablers and just do business as usual." Yeah... SUUUUUURE!
I don't consume right wing media but I am certain there are not versions of these articles written by democrats for republicans and if there, no one would take them seriously
The versions written by libs try to redirect the reader by redefining all the terms without acknowledging that there ever was another meaning to the term. The honest strategy can be found in, for example, Bertrand Russell's approach to discussing a term that he's about to use in an expanded or newly directed way. The dishonest strategy can be found all over contemporary writing, more recently also calling itself some variation of "unapologetic".
At last -- the final word has been written on all the advice from "moderates" and GOP pundits to gullible Democrats. No one who reads this post will ever again be seduced by Brooks, Stephens et al. into abandoning the principles that once inspired the Democratic Party. Thank you, Mr. Nolan, for a vigorous but necessary verbal rubdown...
The entire goal of these neocons is to make the Democratic Party into the old Republican party. We already have two right wing parties in American, and nearly 100% of our problems trace to that fact.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this long-overdue essay. This genre of article has existed since I can remember, seems to be a uniquely American institution, and I can’t help but think they still get published because they are effective (on the ignorant beltway-addled brain).
It’s as simple as: Squares want what cool people have, but they don’t know how to be cool, so they spend all their time trying to shame cool people into being square. Capitalists don’t see the value in humanity, so they argue against empathy and community and a healthy civic education, and instead advise everyone to transcend their community through becoming a business (or hitching your career to one). It is truly my least favorite genre of op-ed, and so, again, thank you so much.
Exactly, it's more like enemy provided justification for our Dem politicians to lecture to their voters on whats 'electable', hilarious and frustrating bc its the other way around.
But the wins by DSA are built upon a misrepresentation. They walk around calling each other "comrade," while calling themselves socialists, completely disregarding the other half of their title. If you're a socialist, say so. Don't hide behind the DSA. Those of us who don't wish to seize the means of production just yet, would appreciate it.
LOL, the state is currently seizing pieces of companies as we progress into full out fascism, that ship has sunk. The DSA policies are actually to the right of the republican party policy platform in 1956, its hilarious when ppl say they are extreme. Sad how public debate is being constrained by our opponents. And we always had COOPS and red states are currently engaged in establishing more, so many good old American socialism examples that are good things for the ppl and the country.
"Already, wise editors do not commission them, non-hacky writers do not write them, and smart readers do not bother to read them, except for comedy purposes."
Thanks for this timely reminder. All of these pundits have been off my morning reading list for some time now, precisely because their sanctimony and lack of context when compared with the Republicans' nonstop trampling of American rights are never recognized. Great to wake up to common sense.
My god I don't think I've ever seen something as wrong as whatever the hell Kimberley Strassel wrote there. Context would not help. That was some A-grade nonsense.
After decades of reading the NYT and then the WPO, I cancelled both subscriptions. Wise move. My current subscriptions to various Substacks offer much better content with more substance and sharper analysis. Life is too short to waste on David Brooks, Bret Stephens, and their ilk.
When you invert these paradigms you see how truly ludicrous they are. It’s so ripe for a clap-back, I dunno why more politicians don’t pounce on it: “I’m out here trying to make things better for the people who do the real work and voted me in to do the real work. Why would I ever take the advice of a guy who wants to tax my people more so corporations and the rich can pay less??!?”
Pretty simple stuff
It wasn't that long ago when David Brooks was cheering Obama on, especially around health care, every week on PBS. These columns make a bit more sense when you realize that the plutocrats own the Democratic Party too, and are not about to give up control. The job of the Democratic Party in this system is to be "just a little bit less bad" than Republicans. As the GOP moves ever more to the right, mainstream Democrats follow closely. From Nancy Pelosi declaring a single-payer bill "off the table" in the Obamacare debate to refusing to take on the homicidal fossil-fuel industry at any level, "mainstream" Dems carefully read all these columns as helpful in their purpose.
This is a great compilation of the worst kinds of advice. There is such a strong belief that the center is where politics will happen that it paves the way for autocrats. These pundits are so wrong - but the strength they are promoting is not the strength needed to advance civil rights and equity for people who frequently move left to achieve these goals. I can’t take anything David Brooks says seriously because here’s a guy advocating that women just settle for a male partner who isn’t what they really want in order to make men less lonely. Here, also, is a guy who married the woman he cheated on his first wife with. No integrity. The strength these guys are promoting is the one that keeps them in power.
The Atlantic, NYT, WSJ, WaPo. As they approach the home stretch in the race to claim the crown of irrelevant narrative king, who will be captured in the still image of the finish?
The ultimate fish wrap competition. And you nailed the accompanying photo; from right to left, Moe, Larry, and Curly…. Stooges all.
What juicy sentences - nom!
Just look how well these right wing pundits decades of advice has worked out for the Republican party. (Sarcasm emphasized!)
Why not ask, 'Why are you telling me this David?"
Much more fun.
"What we REALLY need is more centrist Democrats willing to forget the crimes of this administration and its enablers and just do business as usual." Yeah... SUUUUUURE!
I don't consume right wing media but I am certain there are not versions of these articles written by democrats for republicans and if there, no one would take them seriously
The versions written by libs try to redirect the reader by redefining all the terms without acknowledging that there ever was another meaning to the term. The honest strategy can be found in, for example, Bertrand Russell's approach to discussing a term that he's about to use in an expanded or newly directed way. The dishonest strategy can be found all over contemporary writing, more recently also calling itself some variation of "unapologetic".
At last -- the final word has been written on all the advice from "moderates" and GOP pundits to gullible Democrats. No one who reads this post will ever again be seduced by Brooks, Stephens et al. into abandoning the principles that once inspired the Democratic Party. Thank you, Mr. Nolan, for a vigorous but necessary verbal rubdown...
The entire goal of these neocons is to make the Democratic Party into the old Republican party. We already have two right wing parties in American, and nearly 100% of our problems trace to that fact.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this long-overdue essay. This genre of article has existed since I can remember, seems to be a uniquely American institution, and I can’t help but think they still get published because they are effective (on the ignorant beltway-addled brain).
It’s as simple as: Squares want what cool people have, but they don’t know how to be cool, so they spend all their time trying to shame cool people into being square. Capitalists don’t see the value in humanity, so they argue against empathy and community and a healthy civic education, and instead advise everyone to transcend their community through becoming a business (or hitching your career to one). It is truly my least favorite genre of op-ed, and so, again, thank you so much.
Exactly, it's more like enemy provided justification for our Dem politicians to lecture to their voters on whats 'electable', hilarious and frustrating bc its the other way around.
But the wins by DSA are built upon a misrepresentation. They walk around calling each other "comrade," while calling themselves socialists, completely disregarding the other half of their title. If you're a socialist, say so. Don't hide behind the DSA. Those of us who don't wish to seize the means of production just yet, would appreciate it.
LOL, the state is currently seizing pieces of companies as we progress into full out fascism, that ship has sunk. The DSA policies are actually to the right of the republican party policy platform in 1956, its hilarious when ppl say they are extreme. Sad how public debate is being constrained by our opponents. And we always had COOPS and red states are currently engaged in establishing more, so many good old American socialism examples that are good things for the ppl and the country.
"Already, wise editors do not commission them, non-hacky writers do not write them, and smart readers do not bother to read them, except for comedy purposes."
Thanks for this timely reminder. All of these pundits have been off my morning reading list for some time now, precisely because their sanctimony and lack of context when compared with the Republicans' nonstop trampling of American rights are never recognized. Great to wake up to common sense.
My god I don't think I've ever seen something as wrong as whatever the hell Kimberley Strassel wrote there. Context would not help. That was some A-grade nonsense.
After decades of reading the NYT and then the WPO, I cancelled both subscriptions. Wise move. My current subscriptions to various Substacks offer much better content with more substance and sharper analysis. Life is too short to waste on David Brooks, Bret Stephens, and their ilk.