Anyone using the internet for reasons other than porn, (a vanishingly tiny minority then), will have been aware of the "sacking"* of John Derbyshire by the National Review for a column he wrote for Takimag. I posted very early on, before the Takimag site was inundated by near-hysterical libtards and would have kept on posting, but it proved impossible keeping up with the comments (over 4,000 to date!).
A few thoughts come to mind: whatever happened to the ideal of free speech, and "I may disagree with you but will defend to the death your right to say it"? It's as if the world has fallen through a rift in the space-time continuum into a parallel Stalinist dimension. But of course it is the Left that sets the terms for acceptable public discourse and they're just being faithful to their ideological roots.
Less acceptable are the actions of the NR in throwing a long-term writer under the bus for an article written for another magazine, while he is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia, and with two college-age kids. JD has set up a donation button on his website and I intend to do so ASAP (really, I just maxed out on tickets for a family holiday and a new laptop so I need to clear my latest bill first), as well as getting his latest book (I already have the last two and recommend them highly). Anyway, please give. John Derbyshire is an honourable man who will not apologise for the crime of pointing out the truth and God knows we need more like him.
The cravenness of the NR is also notable. Of course JD was ditched after some hefty sponsor threatened to pull the plug and these days no-one seems to have the integrity to say: thanks for all your support and we hope for your understanding and continued support, but this is a matter of principle to us.
But there is also the issue of cowardice in caving in to the demands of ones ideological opponents for the head of one of your best writers. I would have stuck by JD if only for this reason. I really, really wish that I had a subscription to the NR if only for the pleasure of canceling it, but screw them, they're not worth it.
A final point is that among the hundreds of negative comments, not a single one gave anything approaching a substantive rebuttal to the points raised in the article. In other words, the points were simply irrefutable based as they were on social and crime statistics, and the advice proffered was simple common-sense that any responsible parent would feel duty bound to impart. The epic convulsions of the liberal, roiboos-sipping, Birkenstock-wearing set represents nothing more than a colossal temper-tantrum at someone for daring to point out the truth and calling out their behaviour (for much of their actual interactions appear to serendipitously conform to the "racist" advice).
Update 8.05.2012: I've just received my copy of "We Are Doomed" from Amazon and donated US$100 to the Derb. It's the least I could do, the man is a legend, a legend for resolutely refusing to apologise for telling the truth.
A few thoughts come to mind: whatever happened to the ideal of free speech, and "I may disagree with you but will defend to the death your right to say it"? It's as if the world has fallen through a rift in the space-time continuum into a parallel Stalinist dimension. But of course it is the Left that sets the terms for acceptable public discourse and they're just being faithful to their ideological roots.
Less acceptable are the actions of the NR in throwing a long-term writer under the bus for an article written for another magazine, while he is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia, and with two college-age kids. JD has set up a donation button on his website and I intend to do so ASAP (really, I just maxed out on tickets for a family holiday and a new laptop so I need to clear my latest bill first), as well as getting his latest book (I already have the last two and recommend them highly). Anyway, please give. John Derbyshire is an honourable man who will not apologise for the crime of pointing out the truth and God knows we need more like him.
The cravenness of the NR is also notable. Of course JD was ditched after some hefty sponsor threatened to pull the plug and these days no-one seems to have the integrity to say: thanks for all your support and we hope for your understanding and continued support, but this is a matter of principle to us.
But there is also the issue of cowardice in caving in to the demands of ones ideological opponents for the head of one of your best writers. I would have stuck by JD if only for this reason. I really, really wish that I had a subscription to the NR if only for the pleasure of canceling it, but screw them, they're not worth it.
A final point is that among the hundreds of negative comments, not a single one gave anything approaching a substantive rebuttal to the points raised in the article. In other words, the points were simply irrefutable based as they were on social and crime statistics, and the advice proffered was simple common-sense that any responsible parent would feel duty bound to impart. The epic convulsions of the liberal, roiboos-sipping, Birkenstock-wearing set represents nothing more than a colossal temper-tantrum at someone for daring to point out the truth and calling out their behaviour (for much of their actual interactions appear to serendipitously conform to the "racist" advice).
Update 8.05.2012: I've just received my copy of "We Are Doomed" from Amazon and donated US$100 to the Derb. It's the least I could do, the man is a legend, a legend for resolutely refusing to apologise for telling the truth.
*inverted commas because as he explains, he was a free-lancer rather than a salaried staff member. This in no way excuses the shabby treatment of a longtime contributor.
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