Cat Fight!

The funniest thing about the "epistemic closure" baloney is watching the conservatives tell each other what they really think. The bland mutual congratulations for partisan drivel passing for journalism and scholarship and constant praising of what they claim are their mutual values disappear in a pouf! of spite and passive aggressive insults. From The Corner:

In the Levin-Manzi Crossfire [Kevin D. Williamson]

So, over at the New York Times, Ross Douthat had something nice to say about my tax-cuts article:

When I suggested recently that “conservative domestic policy would be in better shape if conservative magazines and conservative columnists were more willing to call out Republican politicians (and, to a lesser extent, conservative entertainers)” for advancing bad ideas and bogus arguments, I didn’t expect to summon up anything quite as controversy-generating Jim Manzi’s evisceration of Mark Levin’s views on global warming. For an example of what I did have in mind, though, read Kevin Williamson’s fine piece on supply-side economics from the last National Review, in which he goes after the panglossian misinterpretation of supply-side theory that’s become dogma among too many Republican politicians and activists — namely, that tax cuts generate so much economic growth (and with it, increased government revenue) that they more than pay for themselves.

I suspect it was the presence of the words "Jim Manzi," rather than the presence of the words "Kevin Williamson," that inspired Mark Levin to take notice of Douthat's post, and to comment:

A small group of hacks repeatedly quoting each other and linking to each other? This is pseudo-intellectual incest. And Douthat relies on it to spread his self-indulgent ramblings. Oh, do we miss William Safire. Instead, we get this crap.

When I first read Manzi's much-remarked-upon remarks re: Mark, I thought them unduly harsh. I am revising that opinion, just a little.

Why yes, they are hacks who repeatedly praise each other for self-indulgent ramblings.

Re: In the Manzi-Levin Crossfire [Mark R. Levin]

Okay, Kevin, I should have said “the hysterical ninnies” writing and linking to each other, but you already used that one. But my opinion of you remains unaltered, despite what these nasty folks think about you. Carry on and link away.

05/05 06:00 PM Share

Consorting with the enemy, that is, anyone not in the group, is a crime in authoritarian societies.

Mark Levin, Hysterical Ninnies, Etc. [Kevin D. Williamson]

Mark, am I to understand that you're upset on behalf of the fine folks at Media Matters over my describing them as "hysterical ninnies"? Or did those words leap to mind because ... because they are the very first thing that comes up when you Google my name, and you didn't have time to dig any deeper?

I'm betting the latter, because you do not seem to know much about me. You describe Douthat and me as composing some part of:

a small group of hacks repeatedly quoting each other and linking to each other ...

But I'll bet one week of what I make vs. one week of what you make that you cannot locate, before my post today, a single instance of my linking to Ross Douthat. I doubt you can find an example of me quoting him. Nothing against Ross Douthat, but those are the facts.

I do hope you will have the courage of your convictions in this matter.

05/05 07:12 PM Share

Oh, now they want to pay attention to facts and acknowledge that you can't just make shit up and expect to be taken seriously. And of course it ends with the obligatory challenge to his opponent's courage and manhood, since that is what frat boys do.

re: ... Etc. [Mark R. Levin]

My comment on Facebook was not about you or your linking behavior. It had nothing to do with you, but with others. You were mentioned by Douthat, not by me. The Manzi post has gone viral, and I was responding to that — the constant linking to it by Douthat and others. So, I have no idea what irks you, whether you've linked to Douthat, or why you chose to come here and post what you did. You could have asked me directly, perhaps for clarification, but you did not. As for my post in response to you, you again take offense when I say, link way. But that's exactly what's been happening, what we're — or at least I am — talking about. As for Media Matters, it's a detestable group. But I assumed they had your quote right. I like the phrase. No need to be defensive about it. As for Googling your name, is that that odd?

05/05 08:09 PM Share

Williamson should have realized that Levin's ire was pointed at Manzi and let the matter drop, but let's face it, they're not very nice people and they have always encouraged and indulged each other in their constant stream of complaints and grievances. In this fight for attention from Fox and donations from the rubes the soul of the Conservative Party, the claws are coming out.