Atlas Shrugged: The Mocking

Friday, August 13, 2010

Loyalties

James Fallows responds to the criticism of his support of Jeffrey Goldberg without addressing the central issue: do we continue to listen to, trust and respect people who have lied to us and have ignored their errors? Instead he discusses the feasibility of attacking Iran. As he did with Megan McArdle, Fallows disagrees with his fellow Atlantic bloggers without acknowledging their bad faith. He is using his authority to cover up their dishonest actions, and it will only hurt him in the end. It does not matter at all what he is defending--his friends, his co-workers, or his job. He looked the other way and that's not something that a decent man can easily live with--although repetition might be making it easier.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Short version of argument: if the Chinese come to think that Israel really will attack, they might view the resulting war and turmoil as a dire threat to their national economic interest, and therefore really throw themselves into the effort to head Iran off by other means.

He doesn't even consider that the Chinese might tell the Israelis that there will be serious consequences for the Israelis if them attack Iran.

bliekker

Kathy said...

AIPAC vs. PRC lobby.

Getcher popcorn!

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Goldberg (Jonah or PrisonGuard) stink.

To high heaven!
~

Mr. Wonderful said...

We have a big handsome Rhodesian Ridgeback named Jaxon who weighs, say, 107 pounds. We're fostering a little shrimpy Puggle we're calling Buddy who weighs, what--17 lbs.?

Buddy sniffs and provokes and tempts and badgers Jaxon, who barely registers his existence. Until he does. Then he sneezes, and Buddy scampers for cover.

Jaxon = China.
Buddy = Israel.