November 07, 2003

Sartor Resartus

Posted by Henry

John Holbo cuts David Frum down to size. Go read.

Posted on November 7, 2003 04:41 PM UTC
Comments

What would Barbara Frum think? Does David Frum even remember what life can be like in Canada?

I’ve decided our problems all started in the Garden of Eden. I’m becoming a nudist.

Posted by a canadian · November 7, 2003 08:59 PM

Wow! And I thought Paul Krugman waged intellectual thermonuclear war…

Posted by Brad DeLong · November 7, 2003 09:46 PM

Let’s assume that Frum is right to say that hardship builds rugged individual character, which leads to wealth.

If we’re getting soft now, and this means economic ruin, wouldn’t the hardship induced by economic ruin eventually lead to renewed wealth?

So there shouldn’t be a problem, since there’s a self-corrective mechanism here.

Needless to say, if Holbo’s interpretation of Frum’s argument is correct, it leads to some interesting conundrums.

That’s a nice way of saying that Frum is full of shit.

Posted by praktike · November 7, 2003 10:54 PM

The Donner party! That’s hilarious! That’s the funniest damn thing I’ve ever read!! Bill Bennett is nostalgic for the fucking Donner party!

Maybe he’s confused? Maybe he thinks it was a real party, with like, you know, funny hats, and champagne, and small but good things to eat, and gambling?

John missed a trick though - the Donner party didn’t just eat the dead. When they ran out of the dead, they started on the living - in particular, two Indian guides who had come up from the lowlands of their own free will to help the stranded starving DP - and their reward was to be murdered and eaten. Thank you very much.

And Bill Bennett wonders all dewey-eyed where people like that have gone!?! Aaaaarrrrgggghhh!

Honestly, America is too good to be true sometimes. You couldn’t make this stuff up.

Posted by Ophelia Benson · November 8, 2003 01:27 AM

Perhaps when someone’s arguments for rugged randian conservatism start heading in this direction, you could say they’re “turning donner”.

“Eat the poor. They’re high in fibre and low in fat.”

Posted by Nabakov · November 10, 2003 02:50 AM

Hello. I’m glad to have found your site and will be back.

Posted by Drawings Erotic · December 10, 2003 11:27 PM
Followups

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.