Classifying Myself
Ezra Klein, a celebrated blogger-wonk who needs no introduction, has some very kind words for The American Scene, our own Peter Suderman and James Poulos, and my co-author and TAS alumnus Ross Douthat, not to mention my colleague Megan McArdle and my friend Ramesh Ponnuru. He also writes,
A totally unclassifiable group of political thinkers assembled by Reihan Salam, who’s possibly the world’s least classifiable individual, period.
First, this is massively flattering to me, as I’ve long tried to be as inscrutable as possible. But I have taken a stab at classifying myself. I am a
Rawlsekian neoconservative singulatarian meliorist humanist neoliberal infosocialist Viridian postliberal incrementalist.
I also think Andrew W.K. is the greatest philosopher of our time. But don’t hold me to this. Over the past eighteen months, I have variously advocated aggressive pro-natalism, voluntary human extinction, the creation of an army of Zombie soldiers under my personal command, eliminating the payroll tax, Kalmykian independence, and, in the vein of “Jews for Jesus,” a new movement of “Muslims for Moroni.” So really, I can’t be trusted.
I’m attending a conference where I’m learning a tremendous amount — I also just saw the director of the conference do a tremendously impressive dance. I now dearly regret having missed the 1970s.
If by chance you are soliciting contributions to your inventory of potential denominations of a secular sort; maybe mercurial principled situationist, or perhaps, graceful contrarian wit/wonk.
Much enjoyed your interview with the Yglesias. The moment of breakup in your image suggests your Moronian Muslimhood hides infernal origins, but we are not deceived. All-round nice guy is the fallback pigeonhole.
All hail breaking lucid.
— felix culpa · May 6, 11:44 AM · #
A preview for next week’s “Miss Rap Supreme” indicates that Hollywood Steve guest-stars in a Yacht Rock music video challenge. This fact is not germane to any thought contained in this post so far as I can tell, except that it is as inscrutable and inspired as your writing here and elsewhere.
— Maureen · May 6, 12:59 PM · #
I’m mostly with you on the zombie soldier army thing, but I believe you got one detail wrong — they’re supposed to be under my personal command.
— kenB · May 6, 02:24 PM · #