६ नोव्हेंबर, २०१९

"The Republican embrace of 'Real America' talk has hardened from political rhetoric into ideological principle."

Writes Adam Serwer in the Atlantic, putting a phrase in quotes without having quoted any Republican who has used it. I think the term is Serwer's — coined to describe a type of GOP rhetoric he is (supposedly) hearing. The quote marks are confusing! The article is confusing too unless you just accept that what he says he's hearing is really what Republicans are saying. Serwer presents this as the "hardened... political rhetoric" of the GOP:
Those who are not Real Americans cannot legitimately wield power or criticize those who do, and therefore no effort to deprive those who are not Real Americans of power can be illegitimate. Nationalism, by definition, draws lines around who belongs and who does not; the core of Trumpist nationalism is the claim that the minority of voters who support the president are the only ones empowered to shape the direction of the country, and the only ones who can confer legitimacy on the U.S. government. The president’s supporters have begun arguing not only that the constitutional process of impeachment is illegitimate, but that Trump losing reelection would be a “coup.”
I think you could reverse engineer that into a statement of the thought processes that prevail on the anti-Trump Serwer's side:

The anti-Trumpers have a hardened political rhetoric in which they engage in "Elite America"* talk. In this view, those who are not Elite Americans cannot legitimately wield power or criticize those who do, and therefore no effort to deprive those who are not Elite Americans of power can be illegitimate. Elitism, by definition, draws lines around who belongs and who does not; the core of anti-Trumpist elitism is the claim that those who lost in the Electoral College system are nevertheless empowered to shape the direction of the country, and the only ones who can confer legitimacy on the U.S. government. The president’s antagonists regard the Electoral College system as illegitimate and they feel justified in carrying out a coup.

________________

* I'm putting "Elite Americans" in quotes not because it's what the Elite Americans call themselves, but to imitate Serwer.

८९ टिप्पण्या:

chickelit म्हणाले...

Nice analysis, Althouse, because it exposes the real conflict between elites and ordinary Americans. This is not an R .vs. D. struggle.

rhhardin म्हणाले...

There's the elite Americans and the pica Americans. I noticed it in college.

Owen म्हणाले...

Is his surname spelled “Serwer”? Or “Sewer”?

Asking for a friend.

Char Char Binks, Esq. म्हणाले...

Such obvious projecting shouldn't garner a response anymore. The American People (the real ones) see right through it.

Lucid-Ideas म्हणाले...

So the government of the people and by the people is not supposed to serve the 'real' people?

I'm sorry...did I get that right? It's supposed to serve all the people but not the 'real america'. It should be serving the fake America...yes?

I'm American. Real American. So I'll speak real American, fuck you and your elite political rhetoric.

BarrySanders20 म्हणाले...

It's the age-old observation that "Thou do-ist that which thou accusest thine enemies of." I put it in quotes because I'm not sure it is age old or anyone said it like that but it's truthy to me and that's what counts.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

"Elite America" mostly consists of people who scored really, really well on the SAT or LSAT and got into Harvard and Yale. Liz Warren, on the other hand, played the identity politics game and snagged a job at Harvard Law.

I've seen many of these elites in person. The most impressive intellectuals, to me, were Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz.

Hillary is not impressive at all. Samantha Power is not impressive. Tom Steyer is rich, but not impressive. Bernie is deranged. Biden is senile and was always a dope. Mayor Pete is a failure at actual governing but he was a Rhodes Scholar.

For getting things done, fighting, political rhetoric and sheer animal cunning, Trump's the winner.

When I see these elites promoting the Green New Deal I think they are either insane or they know that it is a total scam and they back it so that they can get power and money.

Only a pure idiot believes in this CAGW crap.

rcocean म्हणाले...

Your rewrite to "elite Americans" certainly conforms to the facts. The Elite, the Establishment, both R and D and in the MSM, has refused to accept that Trump is President. He's been sued over everything, and every executive order has been brought to the Courts, most have been overruled. His appointments have been held up or voted down, whatever happened to "The president has the right to have his own people in the cabinet or in the white house"? The house is impeaching him over nothing and the the deep state intelligence operatives are running a soft coup. Meanwhile the MSM run 92% negative coverage, day after day, year after year.

Its insane! Think of how much better the country would be, if they'd just treated Trump like they treated Bush or Obama.

Danno म्हणाले...

Reverse engineering at its finest!

CWJ म्हणाले...

"I think you could reverse engineer that into a statement of the thought processes that prevail on the anti-Trump Serwer's side:"

And Althouse does a fine job of it.

The fact that the "reverse engineer(ed)" version sounds so much more accurate underlines the extent to which Ssrwer's version is projection.

Todd म्हणाले...

The "working definition" used for "Real Americans" is wrong.

Real Americans: Actual legal/natural residents of the United States of America.

All others present in the country are not "Real Americans" despite what lefties desire.

Now that is completely distinct from what the story is really about which is subversion verses the rule of law. On that count, the left / Democrats are on very thin ice. They are still just really upset that MoaJackets didn't win and as a result the "long march" has been temporally halted. At least that is what the last three years are about, to make sure the halt is just temporary.

Ken B म्हणाले...

He ends on a flaming non sequitur, that seeing the impeachment as illegitimate implies one sees the election as illegitimate. Of course that isn’t just wrong it’s backwards.

readering म्हणाले...

Sounds like Sewrer developed his theory by following comments section of this blog.

Since I've never written against Electoral College I guess I'm not a never Trump under AA's definition.

Mark O म्हणाले...

NeverTrump projection.

rightguy म्हणाले...

More democrat projection,here.

Retail Lawyer म्हणाले...

"Those who are not Real Americans cannot legitimately wield power or criticize those who do, and therefore no effort to deprive those who are not Real Americans of power can be illegitimate. "

Reality is reversed in California. Independent truckers protested AB5, passed to harass Uber but sweeping the truckers into the regulatory maw. The signs they were carrying stated, "Immigrant" and or "Minority". They understand the zeitgeist. They have greater moral authority. Imagine me at the protest. "I'm White. I'm 5th generation native Californian and American". See what I mean?

traditionalguy म्हणाले...

Hawkeye Althouse cannot be fooled by the SOP of the DEMs which is to accuse any opponent of doing exactly what they are doing. That tactic paralyses clear thought long enough to make many drop out of the game. As long as that works every time, we will see it continuously used.

But Trump's high level communicating is restoring the background that makes common sense great again. Thomas Paine Trump is stirring up a Revolution like the way the first Thomas Paine did.

Wince म्हणाले...

Contrast a total fabulist like Serwer with a leftist opinion writer Matt Tiabbi, for instance, who at least attempts to grapple with and explain a complex reality.

Kit Carson म्हणाले...

A classic example of 2 movies on one screen a la' scott adams.

but one of those 2 movies more accurately reflects reality.

how do we as a people decide which one does that, and then how do we persuade the errant viewers.

well, we argue then we vote. a big tip off is which movie goers are trying to silence one side and which ones are trying to use illegal or nefarious means of casting or counting the vote.

Psota म्हणाले...

I'd like The Atlantic to identify one GOP/Trumpist who has said anything remotely in support of the claim that Trump supporters consider a mere election loss to be a coup.

I am very worried about Trump's ability to continue to prevail. His enemies are everywhere, both in the government and the media. A simple economic downturn, even if mild and temporary, would be fatal. Any Trump supporter should be worried about his re-election prospects until it actually happens.

The "coup" relates to the endless "finger-on-the-scale" behavior of the permanent bureaucracy and the media, who have been flogging these sinister conspiracies based on half-disclosed, murky inside information. Unsurprisingly, The Atlantic doesn't want to focus on that part of the coup.

Nonapod म्हणाले...

the core of Trumpist nationalism is the claim that the minority of voters who support the president are the only ones empowered to shape the direction of the country,

As you say, this seems to describe Adam Serwer's views on those who disagree with him far more than it would describe people who support Trump. In my experience, people who support Trump are less concerned about personally being "empowered to shape the direction of the country". I mean, sure, they want certain things, certain outcomes, like anyone else. But framing those sorts of things as some sort of search for "power" is a deep misinterpretation of the desires of most typical Trump supporters.

Of course most people will characterize those who disagree with them bad or stupid or some combination of both. Most people don't think of themselves as the baddies or the stupid people. Serwer seems to be characterizing Trump supporters as power hungry (therefore, evil).

“To understand the workings of American politics, you have to understand this fundamental law: Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil.” - Charles Krauthammer

Paddy O म्हणाले...

That reverse engineered statement is a perfect encapsulation, drawing from years of engaging both sides. That needs to be spread widely. That is exactly it.

The "Elite Americans" see themselves as protectors of the underclass so have a self-righteous savior complex along with guilt over their strong sense of superiority. So they convince themselves they're using their elite status for the betterment of those who aren't able to decide what is best for themselves. It's really the same as much of the justification of colonialism and slavery, but without such distinct boundaries.

DarkHelmet म्हणाले...

"Those who are not Real Americans cannot legitimately wield power or criticize those who do, and therefore no effort to deprive those who are not Real Americans of power can be illegitimate."

Which nobody actually said. More lefty fever dreams.


Here's an actual sentiment though: I really wish the lefties would leave me alone. I don't care what they do in California or New York. They can all live in communes and Celebrate Diversity and ban each other from owning rifles. I don't care. Really, really, don't care.

I don't want to tell them what to do. However, they are utterly incapable of returning the favor. They intend to rule every aspect of my existence from before the cradle to after the grave.





Nicholas म्हणाले...

The reverse engineering came first, The Atlantic being one of the house journals of those who sonorously intone "This is not who we are" when Republicans actually dare to take action which might be popular to address problems, such as border security.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

It's either projection or deliberate gaslighting.

DarkHelmet म्हणाले...

Mr. Begley wrote:

"Only a pure idiot believes in this CAGW crap"


I'll have you know we received another three inches of 'global warming' on the lawn last night. Some of my trees still have green leaves and the stuff that's fallen has already been buried in snow twice.

The ice age is back, baby.

Infinite Monkeys म्हणाले...

Are "Real Americans" the ones who wonder why some politicians think it's more important to defend Syria's border than our own?

Michael K म्हणाले...

It helps to remember that the Atlantic, like the WaPoo, is a vanity project of the very rich. In the Atlantic's case, by Steve Jobs' widow. It was sending me free copies for a while.

Rick म्हणाले...

Under Trumpism, only white, conservative Christians can confer legitimacy on a government or a president.

I'm shocked to discover an Atlantic writer insisting his opponents are racists. Shocked. I haven't learned over decades that no left wingers have any understanding of Americans other than that everyone who disagrees with them is racist.

Real Americans is shorthand for Americans who love America. Left wingers accurately understand this excludes them but misunderstand why because racism (and its associate "isms") are the only issues they consider. Naturally people who love America aren't much interested in advice about how to change it from people who hate it.

Jupiter म्हणाले...

The reason each side recognizes the other in Serwer's description is that the country seems to be irreparably divided. We don't see a nation with problems, divided by disagreement about how to solve those problems. The other side IS the problem. Given that analysis, the solution becomes obvious.

buwaya म्हणाले...

From experience, and to a great degree from the "inside", the truest take is that of Althouse. Your educational system, as I have observed, has been pushing that Althousian inverse for decades.

And you Americans aren't, even now, doing anything about it.

Bill Peschel म्हणाले...

"Its insane! Think of how much better the country would be, if they'd just treated Trump like they treated Bush or Obama."

Rcocean, it appears you've forgotten how they treated Bush. Let's let Jane Smiley teach you.

I dropped elites from my vocabulary. It treats them too kindly.

I prefer "comfy class." They're there, they have nothing at stake, no skin in the game, and free to pontificate and do what they like.

The Atlantic writer from yesterday who argued that we should let thieves steal from us is a member of the comfy class. She sure as shit isn't elite.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM म्हणाले...

Joint Statement from DOJ, DOD, DHS, DNI, FBI, NSA, and CISA on Ensuring Security of 2020 Elections

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2009352/joint-statement-from-doj-dod-dhs-dni-fbi-nsa-and-cisa-on-ensuring-security-of-2/

Hubert the Infant म्हणाले...

The best way to improve the lives of African Americans is to improve their economic condition. Under Trump, African American unemployment is at a record low. However, rather than celebrating this remarkable achievement, the elite call Trump racist and promise to reverse all of his policies that have been responsible it.

Could it be that the elite do not actually want to improve the lives of African Americans?

Hubert the Infant म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Caligula म्हणाले...

The Atlantic Magazine's coverage of Pres. Trump has been uniformly rabid and, within that context, Serwer's article mostly falls within the "less rabid" category. Perhaps it's not quite "New Yorker" rabid, but close.

Although The Atlantic does sometimes have interesting articles, I'd expect it's political coverage to skew even further left as the 2020 elections approach, especially as it's now paywalled and I'd expect that few who are less than totally committed truebelievers will be willing to pay for it.

chuck म्हणाले...

Just as popular science magazines have become essentially worthless, so have the popular intellectual magazines like the New Yorker and The Atlantic. It is interesting to compare them to similar magazines 100, or even 50, years ago, magazines aimed at a curious and educated audience. The old publications remind me of reading scientific articles from the 1920's that have a handcrafted feel to them as opposed the mass produced articles of today.

DarkHelmet म्हणाले...

"Naturally people who love America aren't much interested in advice about how to change it from people who hate it. "

Beautiful! And sums up why I did not want Obama to become president. Ditto Sanders and Warren.

Sebastian म्हणाले...

"Nationalism, by definition, draws lines around who belongs and who does no"

Well, any country draws such lines. Is this prog saying that anyone belongs? If so, that we should not have a country?

"the core of Trumpist nationalism is the claim that the minority of voters who support the president are the only ones empowered to shape the direction of the country"

Huh? No Trumpist has argued or does argue that.

"the only ones who can confer legitimacy on the U.S. government"

Huh? No Trumpist thinks that, except in one specific way: apparently, we are the only ones that think the American government should govern on behalf of actual Americans and preserve the United States of America as an actual country.

"The president’s supporters have begun arguing not only that the constitutional process of impeachment is illegitimate"

Well, it is illegitimate in the manner and for the reasons it is now carried out, as a coup by other means.

"but that Trump losing reelection would be a “coup.”"

Huh? Which righty has said anything of the sort?

When I read such prog drivel, I am of two minds: on the one hand, it helps us that they have no clue about us--their ignorance is our strength; on the other hand, it is dangerous that they cultivate and act on such ignorance, Othering us without any accountability--their baseless contempt has no bounds.

DarkHelmet म्हणाले...

From Jupiter:
"We don't see a nation with problems, divided by disagreement about how to solve those problems. The other side IS the problem. Given that analysis, the solution becomes obvious."

Well, one solution is federalism. If the federal government could somehow be forced to return to its constitutionally limited role, the states could respond the preferences of their citizens. California would be free to become a mismanaged, wild-fired plagued, high tax, rent-controlled, identity-group spoils system, ecotopia bankrupted by high speed rail boondoggles.

Other states might want to approach things a little differently.

Californians (and New Yorkers, etc.) could revel in their awesome wokeness and people in flyover land could have lower taxes and separate restrooms for men and women. Win-win.

अनामित म्हणाले...

Both sides consider themselves the "Real Americans". They just use different phrasing to define the boundaries of the in and out groups. E.g., "not who we are" is a popular term on the left side for demarcating who's Real(tm) and who ain't.

The interesting thing about the (left and right) anti-Trumpers' conception of "Real American" is that "who we are" is defined in absolute opposition to "who we were": the less you have any attachment to the actual, existing, concrete America as it was and is - its history, its inherited social and political cultures, its founders and settlers - the greater your claim to being a Real American. (And the greater the attachment...well, we'll just have to see you lot off to the dustbin of history before America can fulfill her promise.)

I think you could reverse engineer that into a statement of the thought processes that prevail on the anti-Trump Serwer's side:

Are there any articles of this type that *aren't* abject projection?

NotWhoIUsedtoBe म्हणाले...

I stopped reading when they fired Kevin Williamson.

narayanan म्हणाले...

is "reverse engineer" === reductio ad absurdum?

Rick म्हणाले...

I'd like The Atlantic to identify one GOP/Trumpist who has said anything remotely in support of the claim that Trump supporters consider a mere election loss to be a coup.

This reminds me of the left's assertions on Katie Hill. They claim she resigned due to a double standard despite the fact that dozens of men have resigned over sex scandals. Since they would know that with the most minimal thought we know they made literally no effort at all to validate their assertion. It was made because it supported their ally and any relationship to fact or reality was simply irrelevant.

hombre म्हणाले...

“The president’s antagonists regard the Electoral College system as illegitimate and they feel justified in carrying out a coup.”

They also feel the rest of the Constitution is illegitimate insofar as it contradicts their personal predilections about how the country should run. It is no exaggeration to assert that these leftist “elites” are seditionists with Stalinist tendencies and/or aims.

Where do journalistic fabulists find fodder for their drivel. I’m not a Republican, but I spent several years involved with the Tea Party, including many rank and file Republicans, and the “ideology” was not complicated: constitutionalism, capitalism, smaller government, lower taxes.

The vast majority of people on the right, conservatives, libertarians and Republicans are by and large law abiding, even when they don’t get what they want. As the evidence now shows clearly, lefties, including Democrats, are not. They are outlaws from top to bottom.

Martin म्हणाले...

Once again, a leftist projects his own fears and desires onto his opponents.

If you are interested in who wants to demonize and de-legitimize those, esp. minorities, who don't agree with him, SURPRISE, it's not Trump or Republicans, its Adam Serwer.

Paddy O म्हणाले...

The trouble with "Elite" too is that people have to keep proving they deserve to be there. There's a lot of "last one to stop clapping is killed" approach, so they make everything into politics. A lot of otherwise really good academic books on history and other topics these days seem to require the obligatory "Trump is awful" aspect in the beginning. They want to stay recognized as Elite, and don't actually care about people at all.

That said, I know some really good people who are true believers in helping others who are convinced that the Elites really do care and are our best last hope.

Fernandinande म्हणाले...

Orange Man Bad, part XMMCCCXLV.

Paddy O म्हणाले...


"Californians (and New Yorkers, etc.) could revel in their awesome wokeness and people in flyover land could have lower taxes and separate restrooms for men and women. Win-win."

If California actually had to be fully in charge of itself, it would become conservative again. Far too much of what has happened over here is the crazy amount of federal money that flows into all sorts of projects and categories like education and transportation, and the way to get a piece of that is to support big government. We certainly wouldn't have the concrete monstrosity of a high speed rail overpass dominating the skyline of Fresno if not for Federal money that got everyone giddy with greed.

Unknown म्हणाले...

the core of Trumpist nationalism is the claim that the minority of voters who support the president are the only ones empowered to shape the direction of the country

Negative. It was the feeling that, of the two choices, one would more closely represent the rule of law and not pretzel the federal government into a personal ATM. You could follow that closely with the fact that, of the two, one more closely opposed the tenets of "PC America" (as opposed to "Real America"?) than the other, who seemed to embrace it.

narciso म्हणाले...

I remember when serwer, was all up at arms, about terrorists at gitmo, the only real America is a prog America,

Greg the class traitor म्हणाले...

They do think of themselves as "elite Americans", although they aren't.

But their magic word is "diverse". If you're not "diverse", then you don't have a right to help decide America's future directions.

And by "diverse" they mean "have 'woke' left wing views". Blacks or gays who are conservative are not "diverse".

And corrupt, abusive, cis het white males, like Biden are still "diverse", so long as they're pushing the Left wing agenda.

Bay Area Guy म्हणाले...

Wow, what a stupid, incoherent article.

But, I do appreciate being called an "Elite American." Thank you!

As for the title, "The Trump Infallibility Doctrine," I strenuously object! He is not infallible. He's just fuckin' A. bitchin', Dude!

As an aside, whenever dumbass leftwing journalists (lotta redundancy there) stray from actually looking at Trump's policies (tax cuts, regulation cuts, secure borders, no foreign military interventions, trade policy) they get lost and confused.

Kevin म्हणाले...

It's really amazing to what lengths some will go to keep from understanding what happened in 2016.

I don't believe an even bigger shellacking in 2020 is going to be any help to them either.

Their movie will have ended, but they will insist the black screen in the unlit room continues to provide all the justification they need.

Kevin म्हणाले...

The truly woke will probably never wake up.

DarkHelmet म्हणाले...

"If California actually had to be fully in charge of itself, it would become conservative again. Far too much of what has happened over here is the crazy amount of federal money that flows into all sorts of projects and categories like education and transportation, and the way to get a piece of that is to support big government. We certainly wouldn't have the concrete monstrosity of a high speed rail overpass dominating the skyline of Fresno if not for Federal money that got everyone giddy with greed."

Ditto higher education, I think. If the federal money hose got shut off the 97% leftwing universities would have to slither back toward reality. Which is why the left will never agree to scaling back the federal cash geyser, and in fact wants to put it on steroids (Free college for everybody!!)

Michael K म्हणाले...

This reminds me of the left's assertions on Katie Hill.

Without the British newspapers, no one would know about that scandal. That's why I read them everyday to find out what is really going on.

Kirk Parker म्हणाले...

Dave Begley,

"Carly Fiorina "

Really? My impression of her, based on both observation from afar, and from what I hear from people who were on board when she did so, is highly colored by her CFIT ("controlled flight into terrain") at HP.

Say more; what would I find impressive about her?

CJinPA म्हणाले...

Those who are not Real Americans cannot legitimately wield power or criticize those who do

Obama liked to say "That's no who we are" regarding ideas he didn't like. Who is "we"? Real Americans. Who are the people with ideas he didn't like? Illegitimate Americans.

ga6 म्हणाले...

This appeared in the Atlantic, therefore I trust the author hats me and mine, so I shall not read it..

Kirk Parker म्हणाले...

The current state of The Atlantic is heartbreaking, because I remember when they were a real magazine, publishing articles from a real centrist perspective. Heck, I remember James Fallows before he went insane.

CJinPA म्हणाले...

*Obama liked to say that's NOT who we are...*

narciso म्हणाले...

Before he missed the japanese property bubble



https://mobile.twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/1192142472572493824

Greg the class traitor म्हणाले...

People who believe in the written US Constitution, the rule of law, and democracy, in that order, believe that President Trump won the 2016 election

That means he gets to execute all the powers of the Office of the President, including the Executive Power of the United States, subject only to the written US Constitution, and laws that follow said Constitution

And subject to whatever desire he has to be re-elected by the voters

The positions, beliefs, and desires of the Civil Service members of the US Executive branch, and the positions, beliefs, and desires of people who believe themselves to be "elite", have no significance, value, or worth, when it comes to the question of "what should President Trump do".

That is what all real Americans believe, regardless of whether they voted for, or support, President Trump.

Any other belief makes you a domestic enemy of the United States Constitution. Many of us swore oths to protect teh US against people like that

Don't be a person like that

Kirk Parker म्हणाले...


Sebastian @ 10:19am,

So much of this lefty talk is just projection.

n.n म्हणाले...

We the People and our Posterity are the parties to the American social contract as defined in our national community's charter, and organizing document subject to amendment.

Sam L. म्हणाले...

I don't trust what's written in The ATLANTIC.

langford peel म्हणाले...

It’s okay to be white.

SGT Ted म्हणाले...

Well, when politicians and candidates act or talk as if they don't like American style principles of individual liberty or openly oppose large parts of the Constitution and seek to empower a European style caste system with them on top so they can dismantle the parts of the Constitution they disdain, they can expect that people who DO like America are free to conclude that these are not real Americans and vote accordingly.

Rabel म्हणाले...

Adam Serwer is a bi-racial Jew and the son of a distinguished diplomat and a noted African American academic. He spent his childhood overseas learning about the world and later earned degrees at Vassar and Columbia School of Journalism. He has written for Buzzfeed, Salon, Mother Jones, MSNBC and the Washington Post.

That's a "Real American." That's the type of elite thought leader who should stand atop our political life and give us the guidance we need to take our country to a better, fairer and more diverse future.

You deplorable hillbillies aren't fit to shine his shoes.

Jupiter म्हणाले...

"Californians (and New Yorkers, etc.) could revel in their awesome wokeness and people in flyover land could have lower taxes and separate restrooms for men and women. Win-win."

Douglas proposed something like that in 1859. Didn't work out. The folks in CA care far too much about women with penises to allow you rednecks to go on tormenting them the way you do.

Jupiter म्हणाले...

"It’s okay to be white."

Actually, it's GREAT to be white. Except I could do without sunburn.

Bilwick म्हणाले...

His cource? Probably Archie Bunker in ALL IN THE FAMILY from back when Meathead made fun of people who were suspicious of Russian infiltration. (Yes, the party line has changed,) This writer probably also uses "Commie preverts."

rcocean म्हणाले...

Just everyone knows - Langford Peel is a MOBY. Sometimes he drops the mask, and posts full-blown bat-shit crazy leftism. Mostly, he just tries to be CLEVER. And fails. But that's a gamma for you.

Jupiter म्हणाले...

buwaya said...
"Your educational system, as I have observed, has been pushing that Althousian inverse for decades.

And you Americans aren't, even now, doing anything about it"

Interesting point. What I have been doing about it is to home school my children. I prefer making sure they receive a good education to trying and failing to reform a school system that is run by Marxists totalitarian idiots. But of course, that amounts to conceding the battle to the MTIs, doesn't it. Perhaps the "Live and let live" idea is past its shelf date.

Jupiter म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Nicholas म्हणाले...

Michael K - I'm touched by your faith in my British newspapers; sadly they are not as vigorous as they once were, when the Leftist Guardian would do serious investigative reports,the Conservative Daily Telegraph was packed with solid straight news reporting, devoting a broadsheet page a day to proceedings in Parliament and the gadfly Private Eye would uncover scandal without fear or favour.

That's pretty much all gone now, with columns filled by trite airheads or pompous blowhards who pontificate on what is best for the Little People. Without having made the effort to research, substantiate and reflect on their opinions, they are mostly just virtue signalling with an eye to a speaking invitation from an Oxford college or, if really lucky, the Brookings Institute (with a carbon offset for the journey, naturally). An op ed the other day in the Financial Times, no longer the in house journal of bankers but of the regulatory class, was devoted entirely to the possible impeachment of President Trump, without once evincing any curiosity at all as to whether there were valid grounds for impeachment, or even what the Democrats might offer. The article was written on the blithe assumption that the reader would share the writer's visceral belief in Orange Man Bad.

narciso म्हणाले...

yes the torygraph is often full of fluff, but the guardian, Shirley, has it's good points, like it's coverage of the cgn back in '16-17 even the times of London, like the recent obit of al Baghdadi,

caplight45 म्हणाले...

I believe Insty quoted Peggy Noonan something along the lines of being criticized by the elites is like being judged by our inferiors.

Rabel म्हणाले...

"Just everyone knows - Langford Peel is a MOBY."

I must object. By his own account here at Althouse, Mr. Peel served our nation as the door gunner on an Apache helicopter.

Thank you for your service, door gunner Peel.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

Teh democrat party and the democrat party media have turned into the machine that propelled all the various communists, totalitarians, and Nazis into power. The leftwing propaganda machine is that bad, that obvious and that odious.

tcrosse म्हणाले...

Not so long ago I subscribed to The Atlantic. In those days, Mark Steyn (!) had a regular column on the back page. The more things change, the less they remain the same.

h म्हणाले...

It's funny how easy is it to see the truth of the description of the group with whom you disagree. Anti-Trumpers will read Serwer and say, "exactly." Pro-trumpers will read the Althouse flip version and say, "exactly".

Michael K म्हणाले...

. An op ed the other day in the Financial Times, no longer the in house journal of bankers but of the regulatory class, was devoted entirely to the possible impeachment of President Trump, without once evincing any curiosity at all as to whether there were valid grounds for impeachment,

The FT is well known as a Trump hater and BREXIT hater. At least the Telegraph and Guardian and Mirror have occasional valid observation of US issues. There are NONE in US newspapers.

JamesB.BKK म्हणाले...

Adam Serwer, mind reader and disappointed never Trumper, could support no voting at the national government level for no less than three generations after receipt of naturalized citizenship papers by great gramps or great grandma to keep things more clear - though permanent guest status of any person with two naturalized ancestors by birth would be better to protect the interests of the actual people of the country. We can be sure he'd rather we all pretend and mouth words he approves of that foreigners with blue passports are just like those that were born and raised and indoctrinated under the national curriculum-approved will of the national government.

Q म्हणाले...

The president’s antagonists regard the Electoral College system as illegitimate and they feel justified in carrying out a coup.


The President's antagonists have themselves stated that what they are about is a "coup". Here is Mark Zaid, the lawyer currently representing the so-called "whistleblower", writing on January 30 2017, just after Trump took office.

#coup has started. First of many steps. #rebellion. #impeachment will follow ultimately. #lawyers

Guildofcannonballs म्हणाले...

“To understand the workings of American politics, you have to understand this fundamental law: Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil.” - Charles Krauthammer


A man paid to draw a paradigming distinction between (the) two party's main political ideologies (distinct from class) as expressed via the limited mode of political party affiliation saying something equally true if applied, to both equally, is worthy of just what?

"Derp I can't jump in a pool right, but understand the workings of American politics: Conservatives think progs are evil. Progs think conservatives are stupid."

Both progs and Conservatives even labeled the GOP, and it grew from there and has remained bigly, the stupid party so now many, if not a majority, of their own members call themselves 'The Stupid Party' with cause. The politician/supporter "distinction." Hint: they aren't as distinct in many cases as the reason they abandon their ideals to vote against erroneously.

But some still get sold by this shit.

The fundamental American law since the 1960's is this: Progs will kill kill kill all they want while garnering power to finalize their power whilst Conservatives will talk about how they might get angry enough to do something effective, they don't know what, someday.

Guildofcannonballs म्हणाले...

What Conservatives think the powers garnered by the academics are stupidly garnered powers?

The powers of the legal Instutions of legal Institutions of LEGAL INSTITUTIONS?

The powers garnered by the media?

"Hollywood" meaning digital content, anybody think these people are stupid and just garnered their power stupidly?

"News" kingmaking kings of kingmasters of the Universe, meaning digital context lying about the reality of it, who thinks they are stupid?

Stupid is the last thing one should think of evil, which is why atheist "I can't jump in a pool right" Kraut tried to popularize that notion, with limited success.

If he weren't so retarded he paralyzed himself jumping into a pool, he might have gotten his ass kicked and wised up. Not fell back on his self-caused disability to be pampered intellectually all his life.


n.n म्हणाले...

take our country to a better, fairer and more diverse future.

Better, fairer, Pro-Choice, selective, opportunistic. Diversity and exclusion, notably racism, sexism, and other color judgments.