How out there is Eric Alterman? MSNBC, the network of Keith Olbermann, he who has accused Pres. Bush of fascism and called for his impeachment - fired him, presumably for being too extreme.
But not to worry, Alterman's column, 'Altercation,' was promptly picked up by David Brock's Media Matters. For my sins I recently subscribed to the column's email list. Reading through this evening's edition, one thing emerges: Eric Alterman is one angry guy. In the course of one mere column, Alterman vents his bile in these diverse directions:
- "This notion of a leftist alliance with Islamic radicals is often trumpeted by crazy people like [David] Horowitz."
- "Virtually the entire world -- at least the part that's paying attention [hates Pres. Bush]."
- The editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal represent "intellectual contamination" that have made them "a sorry joke."
- "Jeff Greenfield is insane."
- "In smart countries . . . CNN International is not pitched toward idiots, like our CNN is."
- A Michael Kinsley column "is so bad it could have been written by Charles Krauthammer."
I don't know who did what to Alterman. But his anger burns so brightly that it blots out his substance, rendering it a virtual afterthought.
Finkelstein recently returned from Iraq. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
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Mark...
December 12, 2006 - 22:45 ET by Clear thinkerYou make a very good point concerning his hatred and anger, so why does the left love him so?
I thought lefties were all 'happy thoughts', 'good vibes', 'peace lovin', 'mellow' types.
They were, Clear
December 13, 2006 - 12:00 ET by exLibI think they were in the anything goes 70's but somewhere along the way during the 80s studies started coming out showing that there lifestyles and life-choices had negative un-expected consequences.
Also in the 80's started a new generation of people who went after the Amercian dream of wealth building and they didn't like those people getting rich and powerful.
That led to the "Nirvana" sterotype of rich suburban white kids who were mad about everything.
Of course decades of Presidential dominance and then 12 years of Control of Congress really made them bitter.
Well, Castro is reportedly ta
December 12, 2006 - 23:06 ET by SMGalbraithWell, Castro is reportedly tango uniform and with the demise of Altermann, thinks are looking a bit better, elections notwithstanding.
To illustrate how radical Alterman is, in his book on what he claimed is the conservative bias of the press (!) (Sound and Fury), he described Anthony Lewis as a "moderate."
Anthony Lewis. Moderate.
Well, if you think Tony Lewis is a moderate one shouldn't be surprised that he views the rest of the press as tilting heavily to the right.
SMG
Award Alterman an "Olbie
December 12, 2006 - 23:36 ET by GalvanicAward Alterman an "Olbie" and forget him.
He looks like a guy that coul
December 13, 2006 - 01:40 ET by jdhawkHe looks like a guy that could stand on Hollywood and Vine with a $1000 bill taped to his forehead and not get laid. What a loser!
Those quotes sum up the typic
December 13, 2006 - 01:47 ET by mattmThose quotes sum up the typical Leftist argument; all vitriol, arrogance, and ridicule, no substance, no reason, no logic.
There is a very vocal seg
December 13, 2006 - 05:05 ET by MyKindaSpamThere is a very vocal segment of liberals who are very angry and would be very angry even if Bush weren't President, and we weren't in Iraq or Afghanistan. A lot of them were the sullen kids wearing black, drawing the anarchy symbol on the back of their jean jacket in marker and blasting Morrisey from their Jetta or Golf. Now they hate their jobs and worship Jon Stewart, but worry that he is becoming too "conservative."
They often crow about Republicans' hypocrisy, but don't look in the mirror. They live their lives believing American corporations and capitalism are evil, but clammor for 401ks, are addicted to Starbucks, buy iPods and Manolo Blahniks. They say that Wal-Mart is evil and puts the little "family" stores out of business, but they buy John Edwards' latest book from Amazon--without a chuckle at the irony. They think Bush is a dictator and America is a police state where there is no free speech and no one can criticize the President--and they frequently post that on Democratic Underground or Daily Kos or perform slam poetry about it. Most of all they live pedantic lives where they believe that they are smarter than conservatives, more educated and actually better people for those reasons, but call Republicans "elitists." Sure, they're angry. They just don't know enough to realize they are hypocrites too.
Not bad. That I'm going to s
December 13, 2006 - 05:10 ET by PeskyDaneI think....
December 13, 2006 - 07:52 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasI think I need some chocolate and coffee after an excellent meal like that. Great post!
If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal.
Post of the week! Fight Terro
December 13, 2006 - 08:31 ET by The Real TonyPost of the week!
Fight Terrorism at home - defeat a liberal!
MyKindaSpam,You are correct
December 13, 2006 - 09:21 ET by msh1973MyKindaSpam,
You are correct sir!
Ditto on the great post MKS.
December 13, 2006 - 10:30 ET by JPR1Ditto on the great post MKS. Lucid, eloquent and sharp without vitrol.
One thing. Can you help this middle-aged, fly-over guy out with something?
Just what is a Manolo Blanihk? Is this something my teen daughter will soon covet and should I prepare solid arguments against?
Yes, Manolo Blahniks are aw
December 13, 2006 - 16:29 ET by MyKindaSpamThank you. Yes, Manolo Blahniks are awesome shoes, but at anywhere from $500 to $2500, unless your family earns enough to be part of that 1% of the world that angry lefties keep shouting about, or your daughter gets a job with that nefarious Haliburton, she will only covet and simply buy reasonably priced knock offs. Be prepared for much whining and foot-stamping, though; that is the nature of the age. Don't bother preparing arguments, solid or otherwise; nothing you say can compete with Sex and The City reruns and Hollywood A-listers. Just mentally prepare for the onslaught.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manolo_Blahnik
MKS, Thanks for the word on t
December 13, 2006 - 17:48 ET by JPR1MKS, Thanks for the word on the extravagant sneakers. I got close to this when she thought $300 for a COACH slip cover for her Ipod was a good deal. A brief conversation ended that foolishness. She brought whinning and foot-stomping to an art form but has realized it’s limitations and now just punches me in the shoulder; she thinks it hurts. Wish “ I ” had a job with the nerferious Halliburton. We’re definitely not in the 1% group; part of the middle-class that is supposedly taking it in the shorts. I’m sure Alterman and his ilk hate us for the luxuries we have.
No, no, teens don't wear Mano
December 14, 2006 - 09:11 ET by msh1973No, no, teens don't wear Manolo Blanihk's, the heels are like four inches. These shoes are for women in their 30's. You know the "Sex in the City" type women. Saks has them for as little as $450. LOL!
Funny Spam
December 13, 2006 - 11:55 ET by exLibI like the line about poetry. Some friends of my wife's family came over one night and played us a "show tune" filled with every conceivable liberal cliche. I started out really mad and then started laughing, i had a hard time sleeping that night because some of the lines were hillarious.
I think one point too is that they have no problems insulting conservatives right to their faces (or in email). They talk about tolerance but display none. I think the tolerance garbage is all an excuse to try to shut conservatives up and not that they really care about these minotirites.
As far a hypocrisy, it goes to not holding to a standard. They like to look at Conservatives who hold these strict standards as judgemental, yet it is just as judgemental to do the opposite. If you let someone off the hook for doing something wrong you are still unfairly judging them.
The funny part about the police state stuff is that they have no problems with the dictators in other countries who DO operate police states. They look up to them for their socialism!
My in-laws are pretty "happy" people I guess, but other liberals that i have met in my travels do tend to be miserable people. They look at the world as a zero-sum game where one person's gain is another person's loss. Even the Bible says life is neither fair nor easy. We just trust God that in the end things will work out. I don't see that with most libs.
And don't forget about the Birkenstocks!!!
All I can do is echo the reac
December 13, 2006 - 14:04 ET by saw the lightAll I can do is echo the reaction to your post. The most coherent indictment of current liberal thought I've read in a while.
"People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news." - A.J. Liebling
Above, I described a kind o
December 13, 2006 - 15:58 ET by MyKindaSpamAbove, I described a kind of political animal that lurks in coffeehouses and Whole Foods but didn't include links to examples of actual specimen. For examples of the above Liberalia loserus subspecies angricus (not to be confused with the closely-related Liberalia loserus subsp poeuserificus and Liberalia loserus subsp. celebretas. You might know some L. l. celebretas, such as Gwynneth Paltrow and Leonardo DeCaprio. There is some controversy about the exclusion of Michael Moore and Calista Flockhart from the L. l. celebritas category for not existing within the weight requirements.
Male version of the species:
http://jeffcarlson.typepad.com/thought/2006/05/angry_liberal_g.html
Female version of the species, in one of her natural habitats, Suicidegirls, who is kind enough to even supply her own *powerful* (and by powerful, I mean awful) poetry. Somewhere, Sylvia Plath is crying. Really hard.
http://suicidegirls.com/girls/Vivisect/blog/
I consider myself an intellig
December 13, 2006 - 09:18 ET by msh1973I consider myself an intelligent person, college educated with some graduate studies and I don't hate President Bush. As a matter of fact, I don't hate anyone. What he meant to say is that all those who disagree with him are idiots. I just love these "tolerant" liberals. Alterman needs to come out of his bubble and get some fresh air.
Alterman is a dishonest failure
December 13, 2006 - 11:57 ET by SamCharles Krauthammer has more intellectual firepower and class in his pinky toe than this a$$clown has in his whole hate filled body.