"Festering lumps of mediocrity" is musical. I'll file it away for rhetorical inspiration.
When I was young a half century ago I first ran into such people at university. Usually back then they were either feminists or Marxists. I naively would try to explain to the Marxists that I wasn't really evil, but just had a different viewpoint, only to be stunned by the vicious reaction: rage, name calling, etc. But at least one could argue over their ideological premises, because there was a basic logic to them, flawed as it was. Still, discussion usually became a futile shouting match, in which the lefty would prevail because he had a bottomless well of incandescent self-righteous rage and better lungs.
The feminists were all damaged by some kind of abuse or neglect when young, often by progressive parents whose politics they inherited, but whom they deeply resented nonetheless. They were dangerous to young horny males because often they behaved like regular young horny females, only to transform into shrieking harpies once one made a wrong move. Which always happened, because it was impossible to predict what might offend. The first time it happened I was amazed at the obvious pleasure the girl derived from putting me in my place.
Now the Marxists are dead or evolved into Wokeness, which conforms more to the old feminist model: absolute hostility to reason or the notion of truth; feelings being the only reality. At least such people were the rare exception in my youth. Now they're everywhere, because unlike most of the fingerwaggers of my youth, they're indoctrinated from the beginning.
But now that I'm old and don't give a hoot, I've learned finally how to deal with them. Shouting "Get away from me, you demented scum, you stinking spawn of Hell!" can stun the freak long enough to give one time to escape. Raucous, derisive laughter can often confuse them for a short time also. Whatever you do, don't engage with them. That way lies misery.
Jonah Goldberg is another of those self-appointed public intellectuals that have never had an actual job. If he wasn't scribbling the opinions his paymasters tell him to write, what would he be doing? Maybe he would be qualified to supervise toll collectors on the Jersey turnpike.
“David French. It is no surprise that this ridiculous mediocrity is at the New York Times.”
That’s the essence of the problem with nonreligious “preachers” isn’t it. They serve whoever pays them. It all a grift. Sido’s comment is spot on, they’ve never had a real job. They come from both sides of the political spectrum. Today’s darling for the Left is David Hogg—another mediocrity flung into the limelight as a HS shooting “victim” and never looked back.
"Festering lumps of mediocrity" is musical. I'll file it away for rhetorical inspiration.
When I was young a half century ago I first ran into such people at university. Usually back then they were either feminists or Marxists. I naively would try to explain to the Marxists that I wasn't really evil, but just had a different viewpoint, only to be stunned by the vicious reaction: rage, name calling, etc. But at least one could argue over their ideological premises, because there was a basic logic to them, flawed as it was. Still, discussion usually became a futile shouting match, in which the lefty would prevail because he had a bottomless well of incandescent self-righteous rage and better lungs.
The feminists were all damaged by some kind of abuse or neglect when young, often by progressive parents whose politics they inherited, but whom they deeply resented nonetheless. They were dangerous to young horny males because often they behaved like regular young horny females, only to transform into shrieking harpies once one made a wrong move. Which always happened, because it was impossible to predict what might offend. The first time it happened I was amazed at the obvious pleasure the girl derived from putting me in my place.
Now the Marxists are dead or evolved into Wokeness, which conforms more to the old feminist model: absolute hostility to reason or the notion of truth; feelings being the only reality. At least such people were the rare exception in my youth. Now they're everywhere, because unlike most of the fingerwaggers of my youth, they're indoctrinated from the beginning.
But now that I'm old and don't give a hoot, I've learned finally how to deal with them. Shouting "Get away from me, you demented scum, you stinking spawn of Hell!" can stun the freak long enough to give one time to escape. Raucous, derisive laughter can often confuse them for a short time also. Whatever you do, don't engage with them. That way lies misery.
Jonah Goldberg is another of those self-appointed public intellectuals that have never had an actual job. If he wasn't scribbling the opinions his paymasters tell him to write, what would he be doing? Maybe he would be qualified to supervise toll collectors on the Jersey turnpike.
We need to put the preachers back in their churches and then lock the door and set the churches on fire
First thing that came to mind was a song from 1910 my grandfather used to sing.
The Preacher and the Slave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHyGpFncovU
“David French. It is no surprise that this ridiculous mediocrity is at the New York Times.”
That’s the essence of the problem with nonreligious “preachers” isn’t it. They serve whoever pays them. It all a grift. Sido’s comment is spot on, they’ve never had a real job. They come from both sides of the political spectrum. Today’s darling for the Left is David Hogg—another mediocrity flung into the limelight as a HS shooting “victim” and never looked back.