A number of major liberal bloggers are under assault for aligning with the billionaire Omidyar at First Look, and I suppose there are billions and billions of reasons to be skeptical of those who join ranks with interested billionaires. However, the past histories of the journalists in question are exemplary concerning basic intelligence and Modern Liberalism, whatever you think of that idea. I’m presently & personally an idiot liberal, whether that flows from reality or not.
Driftglass has incessantly condemned Greenwald based on his totally unfounded belief that Greenwald’s stories are “always about Saint Greenwald” (i.e., only self-interested), and not about the manifest Surveillance State that Greenwald actually writes about) I told DG long ago that I thought he was fucking the pooch on that hypothesis, and I’ll stand by that statement until proven wrong.
Nevertheless, other perennial favorites of mine, Arthur Silber and Chris Floyd, both of whom have my tremendous respect, have both also jumped into the debate, and now my challenge stands like a large, public tumescence: If Greenwald, Scahill, & Wheeler prove to be neo-liberal operatives, I will be sucking dicks I did not want to suck. Even La Diggs, has said at one time or another, “Whatever you think of Greenwald…,” which is frankly fucking bullshit until Greenwald produces actual bullshit.
I personally take Silber and Floyd quite seriously, and yet I have no interest in blowing them.
Arthur & Chris, I think my owing you a public rimjob is less than 40%, but let’s wait and see. Point being, warnings are fine, but condemnation is totally premature. Give these journalists, of whom there are fewer than fuck in our world, a friggin’ chance to get rolling before premature condemnation ensues.
K?thnx.bai.
The alternative is to begin killing all billionaires (using machetes!), which is also something to think about, but radical, in many senses of the word.
Arthur, Chris: be human, hold fast. It’s a rollicking ride.