It's
The New Republic's regularly updated collection of "the dumb and outrageous things being said and written about America and the terrorists." It seems readymade for netlore -- expect it at an in-box near you.
Now, sure, IL* has seen its share of venom over the jaw-droppingingly assholic things everybody from Ann Coulter to Robert Altman have offered the public since 9/11. But when dumb quotes are simply presented without context or commentary, apart from the implication that these thoughts for some reason do not meet the approval of the editors of TNR, the whole project gives off the slight stench of chicken shit. The column seeks to cut off debate, and lazily circumscribe the parameters of what's reasonable and unreasonable when we talk about terrorism and the war. Surely though, stupid ideas are often worth examining, if only to show just why they're so stupid, or dangerous, or seductive to those who might not know any better.
― Michael Daddino, Thursday, 18 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Absolutely, I can imagine 150 years ago them talking about the
abolishment of slavery or woman's suffrage saying jeez what idiots
these people are.
― Billy Dods, Thursday, 18 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
The New Republic's owner, Marty Peretz, is an "Israel Right or
Wrong" type. Which means that he's one of the "if you criticize
Israel at all, no matter how justified and/or measured such criticism
might be, you are
ipso facto an anti-Semite" brigade, and
being Jewish and/or Israeli yourself doesn't spare you (in that case,
Mr. Peretz says you're a "self-hating Jew"). The smears the magazine
has perpetrated against, to name just a few, Edward Said, Gore Vidal,
and Noam Chomsky are some of the most sickening, vindictive and
pathological things printed in any magazine in recent memory. Not
that any of the aforementioned, or their specific comments on Israel,
are above criticism, but
TNR's style of smashmouth and
character assassination is out-of-bounds. Look at it like that, and
the "Idiocy Watch" makes perfect sense.
A shame really, because aside from its fawning coverage of Israel and
silliness like "Idiocy Watch," TNR also prints a lot of
excellent and thoughtful articles (although some are a little too
neoconservative for my tastes).
― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Thursday, 18 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
Check out the quote from Charlie Daniels! Bet that devil won't go
anywhere near Georgia now! Also, Chomsky's a one-joke comedian, he
could do with a little less reverence.
― dave q, Thursday, 18 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
The inclusion of the Foner and Jameson quotes is surely the most
egregious, especially given that putting Jameson on an "idiocy watch"
only validates
exactly what he's saying.
― Nitsuh, Thursday, 18 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
I can't figure out what was idiotic about 90% of those comments.
They seem randomly chosen. Why is it idiotic to have a personal
response to 9/11? Why is it idiotic for Charlie Daniels to be
religious?
― Kris, Thursday, 18 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
I just said 'check out' Daniels' comments. No putdown meant. Just
thought it would be of interest to some ILM country-rock fans, is
all.
― dave q, Thursday, 18 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)
nineteen years pass...
The New Republic being good has been very confusing for the last year or two, guess that's no longer an issue.
― Joe Bombin (milo z), Sunday, 28 March 2021 02:05 (four years ago)
real bummer, i bought a subscription to the paper magazine a few months ago.
― JoeStork, Sunday, 28 March 2021 04:04 (four years ago)
five months pass...
Solid Tucker Carlson piece this issue, though!
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 16 September 2021 15:36 (four years ago)