"Even if they all put their heads together, it’s doubtful they could beat a carnival chicken at Tic-Tac-Toe."
-- Jonah Goldberg, National Review
OK, for several months, I've been compiling evidence for the prosecution in the continuing case of
Why Rich Lowry Should Have Been Fired No Later Than 2001, arguing that Goldberg should replace him. And this
latest article of Goldberg's is excellent:
British historian Arnold Toynbee argued that civilizations thrive when the lower classes aspire to be like the upper classes, and they decay when the upper classes try to be like the lower classes. Looked at through this prism, it's hard not to see America in a prolonged period of decay. . . .
As part of this transformation, society has embraced what social scientist Charles Murray calls "ecumenical niceness." A core tenet of ecumenical niceness is that harsh judgments of the underclass -- or people with underclass values -- are forbidden. A corollary: People with old-fashioned notions of decency are fair game.
Which is why Lowry has to go. His "old-fashioned notions of decency" make him utterly worthless in any engagement with the progressive Left. What conservatism needs now is brutal, fearless savagery, and Jonah Goldberg's got that red-in-tooth-and-claw thing down cold.
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Jonah also has a drive, a fire WFB had wanted in his successor.
ReplyDeleteThen again, taking Goldberg off the artillery and diverting his time in the HQ...
Agreed. Goldberg has a lot of talent.
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase Paul Tillich's Love, Power, and Justice, love without justice is foppish sentimentality.
ReplyDeleteAlso agreed. The thing about Lowry is that he just doesn't write anything all that unique or insightful. I usually agree with what he says, but he rarely writes anything that has me thinking, "Oh, gotta link to this one right away."
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for “brutal,fearless savagery” it’s refreshing to read such phrases, for “old-fashioned notions of decency” are why the Right is perennially on the defensive, and has been for decades. Even when conservatives are in power we give the socialists their little victories in order to “feel” fair. This must stop. The left has long known that politics is a war not a cricket match. It will take decades to root out this “Liberal infestation”. I think it’s time for “Liberal” to become a dirty word again.
ReplyDeleteWait--Jonah Goldberg? Are we thinking of the same guy? You're really speaking up for him? What the crap am I missing? On a scale from one to "braindead" Goldberg might rate better than Lowry, but he was marching happily into the swamp with the rest of the "conservative movement", until it ran out of Zima wine coolers and the party ended. Liberal Fascism is coherent but not revelatory or worth more than passing attention. Goldberg sucks a big hard one just like all the rest, period, the end.
ReplyDeleteNOT ONE RED CENT FOR NR UNTIL LOWRY IS SENT PACKING!
ReplyDeleteQuoted from and Linked to at:
RICH LOWRY MUST GO, PART 333
I agree with the previous poster regarding Goldberg - he sucks atrociously. Between him, Lowry, VD Hansen and Ledeen, I simply can not read that pile of crap without vomiting. Neo con trash. Buckley was shocked and offended in the direction of NR when he died.
ReplyDelete