Comments on: The world’s smallest violin playing just for the Senators http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/ Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:44:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Menzies http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1628737 Menzies Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:04:54 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1628737 @<a href="http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1627067" rel="nofollow">Osprey:</a> I third this. @Osprey:

I third this.

]]> By: Sentient Puddle http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1627274 Sentient Puddle Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:44:23 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1627274 I know we've sort of picked up on the idea, but <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/everything_david_brooks_says_a.html" rel="nofollow">Ezra lays it out</a> in condensed form: <blockquote>Brooks isn't wrong in the sense that "I disagree with him." He's wrong in the sense that the column requires a correction. </blockquote> I know we’ve sort of picked up on the idea, but Ezra lays it out in condensed form:

Brooks isn’t wrong in the sense that “I disagree with him.” He’s wrong in the sense that the column requires a correction.

]]> By: Felonious Wench http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1627258 Felonious Wench Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:35:28 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1627258 @<a href="#comment-1627067" rel="nofollow">Osprey</a>: <blockquote>LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE AWARD</blockquote> This. @Osprey:
LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE AWARD

This.

]]> By: Felonious Wench http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1627249 Felonious Wench Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:31:04 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1627249 @<a href="#comment-1626596" rel="nofollow">Jim, Foolish Literalist</a>: <blockquote>Did you just make that up? “swishboating”? That’s brilliant.</blockquote> Lexicon entry, and I intend to whine on every open thread ad nauseum until it's there. @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Did you just make that up? “swishboating”? That’s brilliant.

Lexicon entry, and I intend to whine on every open thread ad nauseum until it’s there.

]]> By: Raje http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1627201 Raje Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:51:36 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1627201 Jon Chait is refering to this column as the <a href="http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/david-brooks-his-david-brooksiest" rel="nofollow">"platonic ideal of a David Brooks column"... </a>in the process of ripping it apart, of course. Jon Chait is refering to this column as the “platonic ideal of a David Brooks column”... in the process of ripping it apart, of course.

]]> By: Osprey http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1627067 Osprey Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:44:23 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1627067 Haven't had time to read all the comments but something along the line of the <strong>LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE AWARD</strong> Sorry if it's been mentioned. Haven’t had time to read all the comments but something along the line of the

LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE AWARD

Sorry if it’s been mentioned.

]]> By: Aaron Baker http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626988 Aaron Baker Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:07:33 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626988 Edmund Burke, what crimes are committed in thy name! Edmund Burke, what crimes are committed in thy name!

]]> By: Barbara http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626986 Barbara Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:07:10 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626986 Actually, as for awards, I don't think it would be useful: this column is in a class by itself, a lifetime achievement of trying to sound reasonable in defense of the indefensible. It's like, "we asked them nicely, we certainly wouldn't have tortured them if only they had told us what we wanted to hear, ergo, it's totally their responsibility that we resorted to torture." Comparisons to excuse making rapists and wife beaters are completely unintended even if totally appropriate. Actually, as for awards, I don’t think it would be useful: this column is in a class by itself, a lifetime achievement of trying to sound reasonable in defense of the indefensible. It’s like, “we asked them nicely, we certainly wouldn’t have tortured them if only they had told us what we wanted to hear, ergo, it’s totally their responsibility that we resorted to torture.” Comparisons to excuse making rapists and wife beaters are completely unintended even if totally appropriate.

]]> By: General Egali Tarian Stuck http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626925 General Egali Tarian Stuck Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:38:37 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626925 @<a href="#comment-1626791" rel="nofollow">tc125231</a>: Our very own Tinkerbell @tc125231: Our very own Tinkerbell

]]> By: slippy http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626917 slippy Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:29:35 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626917 You know what's awesome about this? People are catching on to what a thudding tool Brooks is and letting him know in comments, and it's obvious that neither he nor his toolmasters like it. The column above was accepting comments just minutes ago, but once the blogosphere went to feeding on the sad carcass of Brooks's foursquare against reality thesis, the comments section closed up with a snap. Brooks has a super-thin skin, and cannot handle being criticized. Or his paper can't handle it. Either way, seeing a major NYT column closed to comments after a whopping 20 entries is hysterical. You know what’s awesome about this? People are catching on to what a thudding tool Brooks is and letting him know in comments, and it’s obvious that neither he nor his toolmasters like it. The column above was accepting comments just minutes ago, but once the blogosphere went to feeding on the sad carcass of Brooks’s foursquare against reality thesis, the comments section closed up with a snap.

Brooks has a super-thin skin, and cannot handle being criticized. Or his paper can’t handle it. Either way, seeing a major NYT column closed to comments after a whopping 20 entries is hysterical.

]]> By: superking http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626880 superking Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:38:21 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626880 What I love about Brooks article is that he starts out by trying to connect the institutional design of the House and Senate to overly broad generalizations about human nature. As if the current organization and rules of the House and Senate are NECESSARY due to basic human reactions and psychological limitations. It occurred to me recently that conservatives always seem to be essentializing irrelevant details or at least the wrong details. This is part of the reason they can be so tone deaf about race--they don't yet realize that a person's race is an irrelevant detail, and they are totally willing to decide what people <em>should</em> want based on the individual conservative's perception of the characteristics of the race. Other examples abound from foreign policy to the culture wars. And now we have David Brooks essentializing parliamentary procedure. Classic. What I love about Brooks article is that he starts out by trying to connect the institutional design of the House and Senate to overly broad generalizations about human nature. As if the current organization and rules of the House and Senate are NECESSARY due to basic human reactions and psychological limitations.

It occurred to me recently that conservatives always seem to be essentializing irrelevant details or at least the wrong details. This is part of the reason they can be so tone deaf about race—they don’t yet realize that a person’s race is an irrelevant detail, and they are totally willing to decide what people should want based on the individual conservative’s perception of the characteristics of the race. Other examples abound from foreign policy to the culture wars.

And now we have David Brooks essentializing parliamentary procedure. Classic.

]]> By: chopper http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626878 chopper Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:27:56 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626878 @<a href="#comment-1626606" rel="nofollow">JBerardi</a>: what, you mean instead of 100 guys sitting on their dicks all day arguing about how they don't want to get to work, you want them to actually *accomplish* something? go back to russia, <i>comrade</i>. @JBerardi:

what, you mean instead of 100 guys sitting on their dicks all day arguing about how they don’t want to get to work, you want them to actually accomplish something? go back to russia, comrade.

]]> By: Aimai http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626859 Aimai Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:36:36 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626859 He's getting teary over 41 elderly white guys. He's all fuck thevdems, genteely, whetherbthey see in the minority or the majority. Aimai He’s getting teary over 41 elderly white guys. He’s all fuck thevdems, genteely, whetherbthey see in the minority or the majority.

Aimai

]]> By: RSA http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626851 RSA Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:19:30 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626851 Jeez, and people accuse liberals of being cloyingly sentimental. At least children and puppies are cute. Brooks is getting teary over a hundred white guys in suits (to a first approximation). Jeez, and people accuse liberals of being cloyingly sentimental. At least children and puppies are cute. Brooks is getting teary over a hundred white guys in suits (to a first approximation).

]]> By: asiangrrlMN http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/03/15/the-worlds-smallest-violin-playing-just-for-the-senators-2/#comment-1626828 asiangrrlMN Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:08:46 +0000 http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=36221#comment-1626828 @<a href="#comment-1626569" rel="nofollow">williamc</a>: I read the last sentence as "...full of torturing proud Randian boobs", which perked up my attention for a minute. DougJ, you are on fire. Lindsey Graham's fee-fees. That's excellent. David Brooks/Broder can bite me. Yeah, not elegantly put, but so what? His oh-so-cultivated genteel manner bugs the shit out of me. Then again, pseudo-intelligence has always done that to me. @williamc: I read the last sentence as “...full of torturing proud Randian boobs”, which perked up my attention for a minute.

DougJ, you are on fire. Lindsey Graham’s fee-fees. That’s excellent.

David Brooks/Broder can bite me. Yeah, not elegantly put, but so what? His oh-so-cultivated genteel manner bugs the shit out of me. Then again, pseudo-intelligence has always done that to me.

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