BECAUSE OF THE HYPOCRISY!
Apparently, this particular beating, in an impresive string of Greenwald(s) beatings, was so severe that it literally dislodged Mona from Glenn’s(’s) rectum long enough to allow her to slither into the comments, and—in typical high dudgeon—inadvertantly queer things up even more for the New York Times best-selling author (whose work, once read by Russ Feingold on the Senate floor, has since been inscribed on the inside of the Capitol Dome using cutting-edge laser technology, and is to be highlighted in perpetuity by a rack of gorgeous, richly-colored lights strategically aimed at a giant disco ball—all while Styx’s “Renegade” echoes through the Great Halls of Power, a reminder that Speaking Truth to Power is what NON-FASCIST AMERICA is all about).
The irony of Mona’s rhetorical blundering is, of course, not lost on anyone. Except maybe Mona. But then, she’s never been the sharpest note in the aria.
Reached for comment, Reason’s David Weigel called this latest series of attacks on Greenwald(s) “further proof that vicious right-wing scalphunters will go to any lengths possible to smear a rigorous thinker like Greenwald—even if that means stooping to quoting him directly and providing the missing contexts to his impassioned pleas for the social ostracizing of ‘extremists’ and ‘sociopaths’ like Glenn Reynolds and Tom Friedman!
“Have the HATERS no shame…?”
Incidentally, here’s the comment I left over at Reason yesterday. No response was forthcoming:
It appears that Mona and Glenn are trapped in a hopeless MENTAL QUAGMIRE.
Evidently the enormity of the HYPOCRISY has stunned people into silence.
I’m going to go work out, then have a bowl of soup.
Take it away!
I’m just standing here on the edge of it, overwhelmed. I mean, it’s sublime. It’s like the Grand Canyon of hypocrisy. I think I’m going to go get a look with a pay telescope. It’s Ansel Adams breathtaking, though.
Jeff, I had the pleasure of meeting, and debating, with a true classical liberal over the weekend. He was reasoned and rational. Never once called me a Fascist.
I hope he marries soon, and starts breeding.
Hater!
Is it just me or is there an extraordinary amount of leftist mental illness on display these days?
Escape velocity, Pablo.
Damn. “Mona” sure stepped on her crank in that comment thread. Well, figuratively, I mean. Are we sure “Mona” isn’t a figment of Greenwald’s imagination, another sock puppet in the mold of Ellersburg, et.al?
You know, the question that’s left unanswered is what do we Bush Kultists do with all these scalps that have been collected?
Speaking from experience, they make lousy Frisbees, but pretty decent coasters.
I howled at Mona’s Gleenesque sign-off, “And with that, I bid you all adieu.” Is there some kind of contest among those folks to top each other in their pretentious tone? Maybe GG has made an Esmay-type rule where all his defenders must exit with a flourish. I think I’d rather be called a godbag.
I hate to remove all doubt as to who’s the dumbest bastard in the room, but…..who the fuck is Mona?
TW: question98
I don’t know that Chicago stayed together long enough to get to that one.
The only disappointment I had with the Q&O piece was that McQ left it to Mona to inadvertently expose how badly GG wrenched those quotes out of context. Anyone who knows GG—and anyone as smart as McQ—should know that one of the easiest ways to refute GG is to simply read what he linked (which almost invariably undermines or contradicts his thesis).
As for Reason, I’ll just note the H&R is increasingly proving the argument about the tendency of Internet communications to facilitate people becoming caricatures of themselves.
Mona has always struck me as someone’s idea of a “false flag” operation since the first day she showed up in the comment sections of many right-of-center blogs. Maybe someone here more familiar with who the actual person is can disavow me of my little conspiracy theory, but her story has always seemed a little too contrived to be 100% believable. Coupled with her involvement with Greenwald(s), Kos, and the “libertarian Democrat” movement, something has just always seemed fishy about that persona.
This whole escapade recalls a comment from a Brit, who I think said it well:
BRD
March 31st, my ass, Jeff. I’m sorry, but you are forthwith being called for a second tour of duty – and ain’t nobody gonna report it to Congress. Chickenfascist.
. . . not that there’s anything wrong with that.
There’s a reason I let my Reason subscription lapse a couple of years ago, and this sort of thing is it.
A new editor might shock some life back in to the place; I’m told it was much better when Virginia Postrel was running the show.
I’d hope that a libertarian rag could do better, but evidence suggests that it, if not can’t, then at least won’t.
David Wiegel is singlehandedly screwing up Hit & Run. His posts have increasingly taken on a myopic anti-Bush, anti-war focus, at the expense of anything involving actual libertarianism—or even anything that’s remotely engaging or interesting.
I used to love the Reason brand of libertarianism. It was in many ways my entry into the world of classical liberalism. But Wiegel, along with certain of the regular commenters, have soured me on the place the past few months. I don’t demand that these folks become pro-war; I just wish the rhetoric was less kneejerk and quasi-Kos.
Radney Balko, Jacob Sullum and Jesse Walker can still deliver solid libertarian commentary, so I haven’t completely given up on Hit & Run yet.
And while we’re having an blog meta discussion, lemme ask: Is the above-referenced Mona—she of HighClearing.com—the same “Mona” who used to post at Hit & Run, in favor of the Iraq invasion, etc.?
In other words, has this Mona undergone a road-to-Damascus conversion, or are these two different people?*
(*There’s nothing wrong with a political conversion, and I’m not looking to call her out on that count. I’m simply curious if they’re one in the same—it would make for interesting context, is all.)
Sorry: “…a
nblog…”….dislodged Mona from his rectum…..Pinching a Mona…dropping a Gleena….laying some Monwald…..Wikipedia updates in order. Wait Gleen does his own – no?
Tomas: She talked to some guy on a plane. The conversion is explained, to the extent it can be explained, in comments here.
Hmmm. Well, all righty.
OK, I already said I wasn’t going to call her out on this, so I’ll bite my tongue.
Everybody else, of course, is free to pile on.
I’ve had a Reason subscription since 1987. It’s been my favorite magazine for nearly 20 years. It’s lapsing this next month and I’m not renewing it. And it’s all due to David Weigel.
Reason is anti-war, which is fine. But Weigel is obsessed about it. I think the final straw was in a post where he referred to pundits who supported the war as dishonest. Not some, not one in particular, he meant all of them.
Which is rich, when he also routinely completely mischararcterizes polls on the issue and cites dishonest left wing commentators such as Greenwald.
Perhaps what galls me most is he doesn’t really make arguments against the war, he makes snark. I don’t think he really gives a shit about the consequences to the US if we pull out. In other words, I frankly don’t think he cares about this country. (Yes, I question his patriotism). And his constant insinuation that you can’t have libertarian leanings if you don’t agree with him about Iraq is bullshit.
Jesse Walker is very anti-war also. But he’s not obsessed about it. Nor does he ever question the good faith of those who disagree with him.
And yes, blame Nick Gillespie also, the current editor. The old Reason under Virginia Postrel would never had made common cause with the likes of Greenwald, DailyKOS or the Huffington Post.
Thank you, huck. It has been a hard road for many who believe that war is the correct path to walk. We may be wrong in our assessments or our choices, but we are not wrong in our hearts.
I love liberty, and democracy, and the Rights of Man*, (and I wish that I was younger without the cardiac problems of my genes or I would try to volunteer again so I could to the front). But advocating fighting an avowed enemy should not drive us apart, if we share the same first premises. That is my concern – do we in the United States of America still share the same first premises?
Maybe we should reiterate those; and next year do the same; and so on, until tyranny over the mind, body, and soul, of Man is done.
And after continue to do so until the end of time. Lest we forget; lest we forget.
*Man=humans. Rhetorical stuff invovled here.
Use at own discretion.
Your pardon, Jeff, for the cut’n’paste:
Recessional, by Rudyard Kipling.
God of our fathers, known of old–
Lord of our far-flung battle line
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!
Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe–
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard–
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard–
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!
So that’s what, two people dropping their subscriptions because of me? Shit. At this rate I’ll never catch Julian Sanchez.
“So that’s what, two people dropping their subscriptions because of me? Shit. At this rate I’ll never catch Julian Sanchez.”
Well, if this is really David Weigel, good job. You pretty much proved my point. Snark all the time. Yeah, I didn’t really mean to imply that Reason is quaking in its boots because it lost a nearly two decade long subscriber. I was just telling my story. Thanks for showing again what an asshole you are.
Oh, and ironically, after I wrote this post, Reason called me tonight to ask me to renew. I just hung up on them. Yes, I know you don’t care David, but there it is.
Well, actually, maybe you do care. Why are you slumming at a pro-war scum-sucking site like this one making comments?
Snark is my first reaction to hearing that my lousy writing and stupid ideas have turned someone off a magazine he loved. I can either joke about it or I curl up in the fetal position and whimper “Why?”
I’d be happy to actually discuss your issues over e-mail (dweigel at reason), as I frankly wince sometimes at what I’ve tossed up on the blog. But your mind seems pretty made up.
You can do introspection without the fetal position, David. Can’t you?
It’s hard to look yourself squarely in the navel without a mirror, Pablo.
Above to be taken for humor value only. I don’t know Dave, haven’t read Dave, and frankly don’t care who likes Dave and who doesn’t.