Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
One of the things I’ve always tried to do at the Dish is to be up-front with readers. This sometimes means grotesque over-sharing; sometimes it means I write imprudent arguments I have to withdraw; sometimes it just means a monthly update on our revenues and subscriptions; and sometimes I stumble onto something actually interesting. But…
There is a need these days for a strong liberal argument against the tendency of some on the left to lean on silencing and censorship instead of vigorous argumentation. Sadly, Jonathan Chait’s recent piece for New York, titled “Not A Very P.C. Thing To Say,” was not it. While the article purports to be a…
The fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons is inevitably (and frequently) linked to J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings. It’s no mystery why: Frodo and his fellowship are the most famous fantasy characters in the world, thanks to a series of massively popular films. But the truth is that Tolkien may have had less of an influence…
So, here is sad white man Jonathan Chait’s essay about the difficulty of being a white man in the second age of “political correctness.” In a neat bit of editorial trolling, New York teased the column with following question: “Can a white, liberal man critique a culture of political correctness?” The answer, as anyone with…
God forbid no one care that your feelings were hurt by a woman calling you a sexist after you called her a bitch. Photograph: Bill Varie/Corbis When a writer like New York Magazine’s Jonathan Chait feels it necessary to whine in print about his and other (mostly well-remunerated) writers’ inability to write offensive tripe without…
To say I stood up and cheered as I finished reading Jon Chait’s new essay on the resurgence of a toxic political correctness on the left would be an understatement. There’s some great reporting in it that really helps put into context what the new guardians of the identity politics left are up to. Here’s…
As intended, Jonathan Chait’s denunciation of the “PC language police” – a trite note of self-victimization he’s been sounding for decades – provoked intense reaction: much criticism from liberals and praise from conservatives (with plenty of exceptions both ways). I have all sorts of points I could make about his argument – beginning with how he tellingly focuses on the…
Part of the Parenting For Success series In 2014, when my interview with Dr. Tim Elmore of Growing Leaders on 7 Crippling Parenting Behaviors That Keep Children From Growing Into Leaders went viral on Forbes (6.8 million views to date), I knew we’d hit a huge nerve. Both Tim and I are not only consultants…
Reasons You Were Not Promoted That are Totally Unrelated to Gender. You don’t smile enough. People don’t like you. You smile too much. People don’t take you seriously. You’re abrasive, for example that time when you asked for a raise. It was awkward and you made the men on the senior leadership team uncomfortable. You…
(Bloomberg) — The business of bundling riskier U.S. mortgages into bonds without government backing is gearing up for a comeback. Just don’t call it subprime. Hedge fund Seer Capital Management, money manager Angel Oak Capital and Sydney-based bank Macquarie Group Ltd. are among firms buying up loans to borrowers who can’t qualify for conventional mortgages…