Writes Adam Gopnik, at the end of his New Yorker essay, "Why Trump Tore Down the East Wing/The act of destruction is precisely the point: a kind of performance piece meant to display Trump’s arbitrary power over the Presidency, including its physical seat."
Reverence for the past and reluctance to destroy until the risks of destruction are fully known — but is that your general principle? If it is, you are a committed conservative.
***
As long as we're talking about rules... the traditional rules of punctuation would reject those those commas after "the past" and "fully known." It's easy to see if you put it this way: Reverence and reluctance is not timidity. Not: Reverence, and reluctance, is not timidity. And, obviously, "is" is wrong! I suspect that at one point the sentence was "Reverence for the past — along with reluctance to destroy until the risks of destruction are fully known — is not timidity but wisdom, in architecture as in life."
Punctuation and grammar embody values; they are not merely a receptacle of them. I remember when the great tradition of The New Yorker was scrupulously tending to these matters. Is my grief an overreaction to the loss of a beloved publishing tradition?
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२१९ टिप्पण्या:
«सर्वात जुने ‹थोडे जुने 219 पैकी 201 – 219Honest question: do you think the solution to corruption is equal and opposite corruption in a fighting fire with fire kind if way? 😬🤦🏼♂️
In a way, yes. The theoretically unbiased, neutral and “expert” Civil Service system has become a nightmare. The old “spoils system” would be an improvement.
"Everyone says Trump is building a ballrom but I doubt it. He's using building a ballroom as an excuse to solicitate 'donations' for the new building. Which is a fancy way to say bribes. If he ever completes the building Trump would have to quit soliciting money for the ballroom. Mark my words, Trump is going to continue to pocket money given directly to him the president of the united states, not to be put in escrow but to be put directly into Trump's pocket. There will still be a hole in the ground come 2028 and Trump will be billions of dollars richer. It's a simple and easy way to generate tax free income. An infinite money glitch."
Pure dem projection.
Ann wrote: " Is my grief an overreaction to the loss of a beloved publishing tradition?"
No, you are not. It is sad to see the degradation of institutions that had maintained commitments to certain kinds of excellent for so long.
Everything that politics touches gets worse. And often it's very hard to see how the institution can ever return to its former greatness when the continuities have been broken.
NHPA §106 (36 C.F.R. Part 800) requires consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer and public, often 2-6 months.
Which "State," DD?
Left Bank of the Charles said...
"The “is” is wrong only if you take out the two commas. Parentheticals can also be set off by commas or dashes."
I grudgingly admit, because I am a fan of comma's, that Althouse is right about the grammar.
The phrase in question does not, in my opinion, meet the definition of a parenthetical.
Also, Gopnik meets the definition of a Drama Queen. Heavens!
It’s obvious, Trump is being paid off by big tent and big outhouse. Trump will have an excuse to throw them all away and, magically, a Democrat will be elected president and tear down the ballroom. And then just like that, the government will buy new tents and outhouses.
Also, also, I'm going to be really disappointed it this thing doesn't have ribbon lights and a rocking sound system.
Why isn't there an Endangered Metaphor Act? Why should History and Biology majors get all the cushy bureaucratic jobs killing projects? Surely the English majors deserve an equal opportunity! I dimly recall English teachers talking about Dead Metaphors, but who did anything about it? Think of all the metaphors that died with replacement of horse and buggy with automobile. If only there had been an agency to stop the outrages being perpetrated on our poetic heritage.
I think the bigger question here is, when it is all said and done, will O'Bama Tango at the Ball Room's grand opening. (Hoping to God I did OK with those commas...)
Gopnik wants paralysis through analysis. Trump’s built luxury hotels all over the world; I think he can manage this. And the ballroom is only part of the project. He’s replacing a lot of outdated offices as well. There will not be a “hole in the ground in 2028 - you must be thinking of the California bullet train. Trump gets things done, going back to the Wollman Rink.
"There will still be a hole in the ground come 2028 and Trump will be billions of dollars richer."
Just when you think you've reached peak leftard, someone comes along to show there's still a ways to go.
It’s a metaphor for the destruction of democracy.
By upgrading the building and making it better. That's the destruction of democracy.
That might be the stupidest you've ever written.
Spiros said...
I think the big complaint is that the new ballroom is too big and the White House will no longer be the focal point.
At last, something to respond to that actually has a real raison d'etre! (Although I disagree that this is "the big complaint.")
I point to the Alamo: it's surrounded, quite closely, by other buildings. But it is indubitably the focal point. (San Antonio has a city ordinance that ensures that nothing in its straight-on line of sight can be taller than its famous facade.) The East Wing (like the West Wing) is separated by a pretty long stretch from the central structure - I don't think it'll be a problem.
Onward! Let me see if I've got the talking points straight:
1. Trump is destroying history!
2. But if he'd just followed the well-trodden path of applications and permits and inspections, we would all be on board with this project...
3. ... that looks like something a Russian dictator would love...
4. ... and, just like the Truman balcony and the Obama basketball court, is an indication that he's installing himself as President For Life because nobody build something unless s/he intends to keep it forever...
5. ... but in any case should be paid for with TAXPAYER dollars, not private donations, because those donors are obviously cronies who only want favors from Trump...
6. ... and should have used their millions to pay the furloughed government workers! Selfish beasts!
Mark my words, Trump is going to continue to pocket money given directly to him the president of the united states, not to be put in escrow but to be put directly into Trump's pocket.
Wouldn't it be easier if he simply collected his salary? Or is that all part of the grift, too?
You people get more and more deranged every day. And you've still got more than three years to go.
"You people get more and more deranged every day."
I don't know... I suspect they've been this deranged all along and it's just Trump being president that's exposed their insanity to public view as forcefully as we're now seeing.
"It’s a metaphor for the destruction of democracy."
Then it's a good thing, Inga, that the United States isn't a democracy.
"Then it's a good thing, Inga, that the United States isn't a democracy."
Democrats seem to think so. Except when the voters choose to elect Republicans. Then it's not, or something...
Unless he can provide citations of his same objections to when Obama spent more* tearing down the part of the West Wing to add a tennis court, I will ignore his principles.
*with pre Bidenflation taxpayer dollars.
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