In-House Critic
In my experience, entrepreneurs tend to be contrarians (and by the way, any entrepreneurs who comment about how this is inaccurate will only prove my point – this a beautifully almost-non-falsifiable assertion). I’ve always been more comfortable saying “yes, but” in my writings for right-of-center publications. Recognizing that a willingness to court unpopularity is actually my core competence, The New Republic asked me to be the “from the right” guy in a blog on their site designed to criticize things they publish. How could I refuse?
My first contribution will be familiar to most TAS regulars, and tries to take on Al Gore’s recent TNR piece on global warming. I wasn’t gentle, and it is enormously to TNR‘s credit that they were fine with this.
I expect future posts will be on a wide range of topics.
“Recognizing that a willingness to court unpopularity is actually my core competence,”
This is funny! Congrats on the new gig!
Also this.
— Tony Comstock · Jun 24, 12:35 PM · #
This is inaccurate! Entrepreneurs are not contrarians!
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
This is an awesome gig, Jim. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
— PEG · Jun 24, 12:57 PM · #
this is awesome. i think you’ll make a bigger impact this way.
— razib · Jun 24, 02:54 PM · #
I tried to post a comment over there but couldn’t do it. Maybe you have to be registered or a subscriber. I would urge them, for this particular column, to open it up for comments.
— A · Jun 24, 03:34 PM · #
As one of the few conservative pundits worth reading these days, I look forward to your columns.
— Erik Vanderhoff · Jun 24, 04:22 PM · #
Dunno if you’re contrarian enough to be their right-wing house pet, but I’m glad you’ll be appearing there just the same. The New Republic isn’t completely hopeless.
— The Reticulator · Jun 24, 04:28 PM · #
Congrats Jim!
— Jonathan · Jun 24, 05:17 PM · #
Looking forward!
— Imola · Jun 24, 06:20 PM · #
Oh God, I wish they would have given me that responsibility.
Good deal.
— Mike Farmer · Jun 24, 08:19 PM · #
This calls for a numbered list!
1. Congrats! It’s an awesome idea, and I hope more journals try something like that.
2. That raises a great game, of thinking who the person should be who is “several clicks to the right|left” of a given journal. For example: National Review: Daniel Larison|Rortybomb.
3. I’ve got an EPISTEMIC CLOS-YAH, and the PRESCRIPTION is MORE MANZI!
— J Mann · Jun 24, 09:21 PM · #
“I’ve got an EPISTEMIC CLOS-YAH, and the PRESCRIPTION is MORE MANZI!”
I wish I had been drinking something when I read this so I could have done a proper spit-take!
— Tony Comstock · Jun 24, 11:13 PM · #
I vote for radial expansion. How much farther away from the sun would the Earth have to move to balance out the 3 degree increase we’re expecting this century? With an albedo holding constant at .3? Probably just a few lunar radii, no?
Problem solved.
— Kristoffer V. Sargent · Jun 24, 11:26 PM · #
“Problem solved.”
Great idea. Now we just have to get everyone to equador and tell them to start jumping up and down.
— cw · Jun 26, 12:34 AM · #
“Now we just have to get everyone to equador and tell them to start jumping up and down.”
It could tip over and capsize.
— Mike Farmer · Jun 26, 01:42 AM · #
Jim
Just wanted to say that your commentary is refreshingly brilliant. Your essay Keeping America’s Edge was one of the most powerful contemporary essays I have ever read. The first time I read it, I was moved. It took so many of my own observations and beliefs and connected them in an almost poetic harmony that expressed everything I feel but could not articulate myself. It has inspired me to learn more and shift my energy from problematic to solution based thinking. Hope is a very powerful thing. More than anything, it made me realize that there are people out there who do “get it” and as long as that reality exists, I will never let the political landscape disenfranchise me from believing in my country. Please keep doing what you are doing, because it does make a difference. It does matter that much. Thank you.
— Brian · Jun 27, 04:50 PM · #