John Derbyshire is too easy to ridicule. Ordinarily, I believe that someone as foolish as Derbyshire should be ignored, but people like he and Ann Coulter speak with such force and on such a large stage that they must be confronted.
Today, Derbyshire wrote: "Al Franken is a hysterical, delusional, America-hating, buck-toothed lefty dork. OK?"
Right now, Franken's book is the #1 bestseller on Amazon.com and it hasn't even been released yet. It's an easy prediction to make to say that, after its publication, it'll be a bestseller, if not, for a while, America's #1 best selling book.
What does that mean? That means a lot of people in American want to hear what Franken has to say. They agree with him.
I wonder if Derbyshire believes that these millions of Americans -- you know, the Franken agreers -- are also hysterical, delusional, America-hating, lefty dorks?
You'd have to assume that, in Derbyshire's world, the answer is yes. Also, you'd have to assume that, in Derbyshire's world, the only people who love America are those who agree with everything he and his fellow Corner members write. Anything else is, well, just un-American. (Not just un-American, but also hysterical, delusional, lefty, and dorkish.)
Comments (13)
Franken deserves no better. Remember his "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot"?
Limbaugh's reading audience alone is far larger than Franken's. I wonder what Franken was trying to say about all of those people?
Posted by E. Rey | August 14, 2003 6:45 PM
Posted on August 14, 2003 18:45
There's a big difference.
Calling someone a 'big fat idiot' is, well, calling someone a 'big fat idiot.' At worst, it's stupid.
Calling someone an American hater is impuning their patriotism, their motives, and their integrity. At best, it's a horrendous thing to do.
What was Franken trying to say about all the ditto-heads? He was saying that Rush was a big fat idiot. What was Derbyshire saying? That Derbyshire, himself, was the judge of who is a true American and who's not.
Posted by Partha Mazumdar | August 14, 2003 8:01 PM
Posted on August 14, 2003 20:01
Derbyshire's remark was just as neatly tailored as Franken's. Of course, Derbyshire didn't make his the title of a book.
Repeat, Franken deserves no better.
Posted by E. Rey | August 14, 2003 9:08 PM
Posted on August 14, 2003 21:08
What does that mean? That means a lot of people in American want to hear what Franken has to say. They agree with him.
Uh, no. The second sentence in no way follows from the first.
Posted by David Nieporent | August 14, 2003 9:16 PM
Posted on August 14, 2003 21:16
As for Derbyshire being a judge of who is a true American and who is not: We are, each of us, that judge. Derbshire was just weighing in.
Posted by E. Rey | August 14, 2003 9:19 PM
Posted on August 14, 2003 21:19
Partha, do you always miss the point? Sure he took a cheap shot at Al Franken, but that was not the point of the article.
BUT this lawsuit Fox has launched against Franken's publisher (apparently at O'Reilly's instigation) stinks, and should be laughed out of court, and then laughed at some more in the public forum.
John Derbys was making fun of both Fox News and Bill O'Reilly for their lack of common sense. How could you not see that? Sheesh!
Posted by Richard | August 14, 2003 11:17 PM
Posted on August 14, 2003 23:17
> As for Derbyshire being a judge of who
is a true American and who is not: We
> are, each of us, that judge. Derbshire
> was just weighing in.
This is where we disagree.
We're *all* American. Some of us have different views and opinions than others. That doesn't make any of us or any of you less or more American.
Posted by Partha Mazumdar | August 15, 2003 11:48 AM
Posted on August 15, 2003 11:48
Is that your judgement?
Posted by E. Rey | August 15, 2003 12:32 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 12:32
> Is that your judgement?
Yeah, it is.
After reading that, I've got one question for you E. Rey:
Why do you hate the United States so much?
Posted by Partha Mazumdar | August 15, 2003 5:05 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 17:05
"Why do you hate the United States so much?"
That would make an amusing book title. Best of luck to you.
Posted by E. Rey | August 15, 2003 5:49 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 17:49
Partha wrote:
We're *all* American. Some of us have different views and opinions than others. That doesn't make any of us or any of you less or more American.
What kind of retarded remark is that? So John Walker Lindh is not "less... American" ? His decision to take up arms against America is simply him having "different views and opinions than others?"
Sorry Partha, it doesn't work like that. One is American simply by virtue of being born in America (or by having gone through the process of becoming a citizen). That doesn't mean they believe in the ideals and goals that America stands for. It is precisely American to argue over just what those ideals are.
Posted by JD | August 15, 2003 9:45 PM
Posted on August 15, 2003 21:45
What kind of retarded remark is that? So John Walker Lindh is not "less... American" ? His decision to take up arms against America is simply him having "different views and opinions than others?"
Sorry Partha, it doesn't work like that. One is American simply by virtue of being born in America (or by having gone through the process of becoming a citizen). That doesn't mean they believe in the ideals and goals that America stands for. It is precisely American to argue over just what those ideals are.
Yeah, John Walker Lindh is not less American than you or I. He's a traitorous American, to be sure. Charles Manson is a murderous American. John Kerry is a war hero American. We're all American.
You're either American or not. It's like being pregnant: you're either pregnant or your not. There aren't different shades of Americanness... "I'm 100% American but Joe down the block is only 90% American and that guy I saw on tv, well, he's around 25% American, I think he's from Berkeley."
Posted by Partha Mazumdar | August 16, 2003 10:16 AM
Posted on August 16, 2003 10:16
I'd just like to point out that Derbyshire never wrote that Franken was not American. He said he hates America, which is something different and has little to do (in a definitional sense) with whether you're actually an American or not.
Of course, I don't think that Franken hates America. I just don't understand what you guys are arguing about.
Posted by PoB | August 16, 2003 7:47 PM
Posted on August 16, 2003 19:47