Some look to the pundit class for guidance on the complex and confusing issues of the day. At the cost of several thousands of dollars, this is what David Brooks offers his readers: Socially liberal knowledge workers naturally want to see people like themselves at the head of society, not people who used to run … Continue reading Head of society
David Brooks lays out the case for Bush's military genius in advocating the "surge," which, by some accounts is having some success, by other measures, not very much. Brooks's argument, however, turns out to hinge on the squirrel and nut principle: every now and then even a blind squirrel finds a nut. He writes: The … Continue reading Blind squirrel
Just as my lawyer friends cannot watch "Law and Order," my doctor friends cannot watch "ER," and my military friends cannot watch "Missing in Action," I find it hard to read things like the following meditation on the philosophy of mind from David Brooks. He writes: In 1996, Tom Wolfe wrote a brilliant essay called … Continue reading Religious experience
David Brooks seeks escape from the campaign in the wonder of the Middle Ages. He writes: Over the past 15 months, I’ve been writing pretty regularly about the presidential campaign, which has meant thinking a lot about attack ads, tracking polls and which campaign is renouncing which over-the-line comment from a surrogate that particular day. … Continue reading Let’s go medieval
Like his colleague David Brooks at the New York Times, William Kristol has been pretty much wrong about everything in the past several years (and probably before). But wrongness, when it happens, just doesn’t happen. There’s always a reason for it. So I believe now, at least. I’m not going to explain the wrongness of … Continue reading Crystal balls
Let’s say someone very well known for his virtue turns out to have some hidden vices–an anti-prostitution crusader himself sees prostitutes. Few could really be surprised by that–such hypocrisy is familiar to all. Well, maybe not to David Brooks. Recent events have led him to ponder the depths of human failings. He comes up with … Continue reading Nerds
The theme this week has been the shallow narrative pundit types construct to account for phenomena too complex for the few lines or the few moments they have. These narratives are amazing both in the staying power (hey–people like stories, especially ones they can remember or those that appeal to their sense of something or … Continue reading Ingenue
If you look at opinion journalism, you'll often find the author complaining of someone's willful dishonesty and/or lack of basic critical thinking skills. This is the "opponent" (yes, I'm looking for a new name) variety of op-ed. That's the op-ed directed at specific opponents (this also includes specific fantasy opponents). This specific type of op-ed … Continue reading Opponents
As general election approaches, David Brooks, the man who called John Kerry a "coward with a manly bearing" (because he failed to see the war on terrorism as the "24"-inspired pornographic film that David Brooks insisted it was) has drawn a bead on Obama and Obama supporters: they're like insane drug-addicted cult freaks. Yes, all … Continue reading Ad fortunam
David Brooks, famous dichotomist, meditates on the health care proposal Hillary Clinton. This is to say that he uses the anecdotes of a political opponent some 15 years ago to describe her as "icy" (three times in 700 some words) and nameless sources to describe her "evil look." The column is an abomination for other … Continue reading Iceman