tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post6085609006484981225..comments2023-12-20T04:18:41.617-06:00Comments on The Hunting of the Snark: Public Morality And Private ImmoralitySusan of Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00076915322771385454noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-40634878969889582702011-06-14T15:18:03.181-05:002011-06-14T15:18:03.181-05:00It's in society's interest that married co...It's in society's interest that married couples procreate.<br /><br />We should be encouraging Peter Suderman not to spill his seed in any location outside the immediate vicinity of Megan McArdle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-10340481697840528842011-06-13T16:35:50.148-05:002011-06-13T16:35:50.148-05:00I remember the Craig & Vitter scandals, where ...I remember the Craig & Vitter scandals, where the senator's gave a press conference (uninterrupted by BliteFart) with their Poor Wives standing beside and slightly behind them. The look on Mrs. Craig's face was... pitiful, awful. She was realizing her whole marriage was a sham, that she was just a Beard. Mrs. Vitter actually looked angry- probably she was imagining her fellow Senator's wives, or Bridge Club members, asking her if <i>She</i> diapered her husband too?<br /><br />Did Megan scold these Senators for their lapses of fidelity, tell them they were <i>Injuring Society As A Whole?</i> Did she say anything?<br /><br />I think "Clever pseudonym"<br />says it best: <i>Society has an interest in the very private matter of marital fidelity, but it shouldn't have an interest in caring for the elderly or the impoverished or properly and fairly compensating the people who educate our young...</i>Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03176801494652946278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-86414243795130133212011-06-13T16:04:02.330-05:002011-06-13T16:04:02.330-05:00I could tolerate the moralizing if it weren't ...I could tolerate the moralizing if it weren't so selective. We have to police marriage but not bankers? Which degeneration is harming society more?Susan of Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00076915322771385454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-88242296128291925362011-06-13T15:56:25.560-05:002011-06-13T15:56:25.560-05:00Susan, thanks for the direct links. That really ma...Susan, thanks for the direct links. That really made for some fun reading.<br /><br />People like McCArdle and all the other public scolds have really forgotten, if they ever knew, that public inquisitions are bad things--whether they investigate religious practices or sexual practices. I also am simply agog that people who, generally speaking, imagine that big government work's projects and public schooling are the moral equivalent of the GRU and the KGB torturing poets for crimes against the state are totally on board with a 24/7 salacious expose of one man's private life.<br /><br />I wish Weiner had'nt been such a weird, stupid, asshole but no one deserves to have his private life dissected this way for the delectation of people who get their rocks off on the demise of political opponents. Its just another sexual perversion, really, on their part and now we know that all such perversions should be investigated. We need the revival of a job title like "witch finder."<br /><br />aimaiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-29567465604575860552011-06-13T15:46:14.882-05:002011-06-13T15:46:14.882-05:00Heh.
It's nice to know that mouse is perfectl...Heh.<br /><br />It's nice to know that mouse is perfectly willing to reveal McArdle's friends' open marriage to the public so strangers can judge and deliver a thumbs up or thumbs down. <br /><br />It's amazing how many people would fit right in 17th century Salem.Susan of Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00076915322771385454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-15964081195552708282011-06-13T15:18:14.411-05:002011-06-13T15:18:14.411-05:00Nice job over there in her comments thread, you tw...Nice job over there in her comments thread, you two. McMegan will go to endless contortions to pretend that she isn't wrong or hasn't contradicted herself.Batocchiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02193752396025012825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-87672907570189162992011-06-13T15:10:42.046-05:002011-06-13T15:10:42.046-05:00but that doesn't imply that society has no int...<i>but that doesn't imply that society has no interest in whether people keep their vows. Marriage is a valuable social institution. There are good reasons that society should buttress it.</i><br /><br />Spoken like a true libertarian.fishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01522672049371678717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-30232486200396742202011-06-13T14:53:16.765-05:002011-06-13T14:53:16.765-05:00The most absurd part of the entire conversation is...The most absurd part of the entire conversation is when she accuses Ben of using "terrible statistics and terrible logic." Got a good chuckle out of that.atatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-53447117901217012112011-06-13T14:01:29.966-05:002011-06-13T14:01:29.966-05:00aimai:
Ben's first comment
My first commentaimai:<br /><br />Ben's <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/06/anthony-weiner-sexts-my-head-does-not-explode/240303/#comment-223843378" rel="nofollow">first comment</a><br /><br />My <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/06/anthony-weiner-sexts-my-head-does-not-explode/240303/#comment-224107540" rel="nofollow">first comment</a>Susan of Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00076915322771385454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-56416025802962674572011-06-13T12:44:48.580-05:002011-06-13T12:44:48.580-05:00Ben, you did a good job pointing out the problems ...Ben, you did a good job pointing out the problems with McArdle's reasoning; too bad she doesn't care about anything but enjoying a good round of "what's wrong with everyone else." She can't admit that she's just another witchfinder, however, and has to dress up her prurience in moral clothing.Susan of Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00076915322771385454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-79286250731936519292011-06-12T10:44:04.294-05:002011-06-12T10:44:04.294-05:00Can people link to their comments in Megan's t...Can people link to their comments in Megan's threads? Its too horrifying to go over there and try to scroll and read through everything. I find myself getting distracted with the awfulness, like someone who is heading to the grocery store to get some food and finds themselves sinking into the slough of despond.<br /><br />Also, I don't know if you ever wound up commenting on this one, but a few days ago Megan seems to have been horrified to discover that nursing homes are understaffed and their staff are underpaid. Since, she explained to us without explanation, "state finances are a zero sum game" there is simply no way that we could ever pay people what it is worth to get a better class of nursing home attendant. We are limited to religious nuts who get some kind of sick pleasure from sacrificing in order to help others (not many of those, apparently) and criminals who can't get any other kind of job (lots of those). If we wanted to increase payments to nursing homes to take care of our most vulnerable old people we'd just *have* to be stealing from schools and from other public needs. Because we can never, ever, raise taxes and because we never, ever, cut defense spending.<br /><br />aimaiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-70058608702412586402011-06-12T09:05:00.736-05:002011-06-12T09:05:00.736-05:00Nice to see Zosima still around, taking her apart ...Nice to see Zosima still around, taking her apart efficiently:<br /><br /><i>This is classic McArdle. Say something for a whole post, add a few caveats. Pretend that a disclaimer immunizes her from criticism. If we were to take Megan's disclaimers at face value, she never actually says anything. She just posts 1000+ word rambles that are always thoroughly contradicted by a trailing sentence.</i>Downpuppyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10312490198813632190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-48114760182990908322011-06-12T01:43:19.099-05:002011-06-12T01:43:19.099-05:00@Ben
I was going to write that it would be unlikel...@Ben<br />I was going to write that it would be unlikely that she would respond, since you didn't leave her any wiggle room. Not to mention that "heedless" had already provided the non sequitur that she would have relied on anyway. But then I went back to check and I see that you tried to engage heedless, while Megan chimed in with more gibberish.<br /><br />Now I'm hoping she'll keep going and just start spewing a torrent of more gibberish to distract from your's and Susan's comments. It's always hilarious when she does that.atatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-12784689129092007052011-06-12T01:11:41.627-05:002011-06-12T01:11:41.627-05:00If we're going to go there, I have to say I ha...If we're going to go there, I have to say I have a hard time believing there's much sex in that marriage at all. Maybe Peter's submissive and Megan keeps him in a cage at night, but I don't see her having the courage, or intelligence, required to find and unleash her inner bitch*. If she had that means to vent she'd be a lot less prissy and unnecessarily verbose in general. Or maybe I just don't want to think about them having sex, but I can't help but see faux 50s style neither of us really understands the other's body trapped in an unending adolescence fumbling. <br />As for divorce, it'll all depend on how discretely Peter takes advantage of barely legal interns. If Megan is as asexual as I hope, and the forced attempt at yelling "I'm liberated" in the second post gives me mental relief on that front, then she'll be glad to be rid of the "wifely duty". But insofar as the main purpose of marriage to Megan is as social accessory to help display her superiority and achievements if he gets caught or is too public about his playing around she'll be truly wrathful for the diminishment of standing.<br />The wildcard is if she discovers that women play videogames too, and thus starts to wonder about/become jealous of all the time Peter spends with a headset on.<br />6 years seems a good place for the over/under, depending on how soon Peter gets a wingnut welfare position that gives him power to abuse.<br /><br />*- Used in a context specific and non-hateful of women way.bradhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06907349163323395529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-3049713273632150472011-06-11T16:28:13.161-05:002011-06-11T16:28:13.161-05:00I hate to say it but we've been 100 percent r...I hate to say it but we've been 100 percent right from the get go on Megan's topic-of-the-year choices. So, just as we had to hear ad nauseum about the wedding, and the gifts, and the new house we will start to hear, very soon, grotesquely intimate details of their struggle to get pregnant and then the sad story of how they can't afford all the things that Megan knows are important but can't buy for little Extravaganza like two full time nannies and etc...<br /><br />The only thing worse than hearing about a natural pregnancy and birth is going to hear the wails of disgruntled privilige if she has to go the infertility treatment or adoption route. The ex post rationalizations of every prejudice a very stupid person could have will be either torrential or seismic depending on your metaphor of choice.<br /><br />aimaiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-73259537746834339592011-06-11T12:38:43.490-05:002011-06-11T12:38:43.490-05:00atat,
Thanks! I actually realized what was wrong...atat,<br /><br />Thanks! I actually realized what was wrong about McArdle's logical pretzel twists after I read Susan's post. Let's see if McArdle replies. <br /><br />By the way, Susan, I just found your blog a few weeks ago and I've been meaning to comment how good it is. It's like mainlining snark heroin. And not that Slate snark that's cut with pretension and eiltism; no, it's the good stuff, pure, right off the boat.Benhttp://noompa.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-17888606436945889152011-06-11T11:29:57.728-05:002011-06-11T11:29:57.728-05:00Er, commenter.Er, commenter.atatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-64072884891460786852011-06-11T11:28:59.984-05:002011-06-11T11:28:59.984-05:00More Weiner from McArdle: Now she's defending ...More Weiner from McArdle: Now she's defending herself against Dan Savage, and in the process manages to contradict her earlier position. Shocking, I know. Her commented Ben does a great job of exposing the illogic of her position(s).atatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-7876277394604734682011-06-11T11:00:20.903-05:002011-06-11T11:00:20.903-05:00I Googled Suderman to confirm Susan's statemen...I Googled Suderman to confirm Susan's statement about the disparity in their ages (she's right), and learned that last Sun. was the happy couple's first anniversary. Also, from the NY Times, this fun fact regarding the libertarian groom and his presumed disdain for the public sphere:<br /><br /><i>He is a son of Barbara L. Suderman and James D. Suderman of Niceville, Fla. His father is a professor of English at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville.</i><br /><br />A state college. In NICEVILLE, FLORIDA. You can't beat that.<br /><br />(I also think the age difference will lead to iffiness, marital discord, and mid-life hijinx sooner or later.)Mr. Wonderfulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-37491765402139258972011-06-10T20:18:39.661-05:002011-06-10T20:18:39.661-05:00I'll give it six, with the last two because th...<i>I'll give it six, with the last two because they miserably hung on due to the stigmatism of divorce.</i><br /><br />Yep. Even if Peter sees Megan as his ideological soulmate, six years is a long time to eat McArdle's shitty cooking on a regular basis.Dillonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-31505016739645721812011-06-10T15:42:48.662-05:002011-06-10T15:42:48.662-05:00I think Megan is a beard; there, I said it.I think Megan is a beard; there, I said it.Morbonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-32154052005125808842011-06-10T14:01:37.508-05:002011-06-10T14:01:37.508-05:001. Did McMegan get this exercised about David Vitt...1. Did McMegan get this exercised about David Vitter? Or John Ensign? Or gov. Sanford? Or Mark Foley? Or Helen Chenoweth? Or.....<br /><br />....Or is it only Democratic hards which get Ms. Galt hard-up?<br /><br />2. Judging by Megan's turgid prose, I don't think she gets that much sex in or out of marriage. Five minutes of listening to her ponderous blard would make a man go limp and beg for sleep--or death...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-5862783372679721032011-06-10T13:57:08.332-05:002011-06-10T13:57:08.332-05:00Doesn't Megan get to leave him if she finds an...Doesn't Megan get to leave him if she finds an even more virile Randian hero? Trading Reardon for Galt, so to speak?<br /><br />A is still A, right?Lurking Canadiannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-91582412945642770282011-06-10T13:13:33.228-05:002011-06-10T13:13:33.228-05:00As long as we are concerned for the preservation o...As long as we are concerned for the preservation of our nation's moral standards, there is no line.Susan of Texashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00076915322771385454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2222630007427380394.post-11427338274774823092011-06-10T13:12:38.878-05:002011-06-10T13:12:38.878-05:00More importantly, has Megan ever twittered unsolic...More importantly, has Megan ever twittered unsolicited pictures of her boner to anyone?<br /><br />Did I cross the line yet?atatnoreply@blogger.com