But what's the point of disagreeing with Naomi Klein? It's like having an argument about economic policy with an eight year old. To have an interesting discussion, you would have to explain too many facts to the eight year old--facts that the child does't have any interest in learning. And the eight-year-old lacks a coherent intellectual framework into which to fit those facts; his reactions are pure instinctive emotion.Oh, wow.
I'm just... overwhelmed. We could talk about who has actual respect in their sort of shared field and the greater world or compare career book reviews and sales to not having been offered a single book contract in her life or even general attractiveness as a person (by which I mean a lot more than merely the physical), but what's the point? Ms. Klein needs neither a defense nor anyone to speak for her. I just wanted to point to this extraordinary moment of catty projection, and laugh.
Naomi Klein has, not surprisingly, taken over the top spot from Hillary Clinton in the "female I hate most for being far more successful than I ever could be" space in Megan's mind. This is yet another reason to wish Ms. Klein continued and ever growing success. Megan rarely has the courage to be this dismissive of someone whose ass she might someday have a chance to kiss, to provoke such an angry (non)response is an achievement.
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Has she even read Naomi Klein and/or Chomsky you think? I think its just plain puffery on her part, which seems par for the course, yet dangerous as she is all but calling Klein out who would wipe the floor with her in a real debate, regardless of economic bonafides. Megan is getting close to 8 on the douche-baggery scale which signals a rather quick recovery from her illness.
Also, I really like the comment that she needs a 'time out'. Amusing.
And she was basically calling Klein a willfully ignorant child. So much for that civility she's always calling for from others.
Well, she didn't say "fuck," so ipso facto it must be civil.
Oh. I assumed it had more to do with her blatant hypocrisy and total lack of self-awareness. I guess Megan considers these things okay as long as she doesn't use potty words in the process.
Klein went to the London School of Economics. Wikipedia says, "Klein ranked 11th in an internet poll [9][10][11] of the top global intellectuals of 2005, a list of the world's top 100 public intellectuals compiled by the Prospect magazine[12] in conjunction with Foreign Policy magazine. She was the highest ranked woman on the list."
Megan's insulting attitude towards Klein is far, far beyond normal disagreement. She embarresses herself with her lack of professionalism. Klein will still be giving lectures and writing books when McArdle is trying to beg a job from any Republican left in DC.
Check out the comments. McArdle likens Chomsky to a Holocaust denier. Godwin'd! Also, several people have pointed out that Klein is more qualified than McArdle to comment on the economy. Maybe her readers are starting to pull away?
And OT: How much does that woman spend on gadgets? I can't imagine that it's very comforting to see Megan come back from hiatus and read, on every page, about how she just dropped $500 on a new TiVo to replace the perfectly good TiVo she already had.
McArdle reminds me of the eight year-old who thinks her towel-cape gives her superpowers and climbs onto the roof.
Posted this over at McMegan's house of retarded waffles:
http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/why_ask_why_1.php#comment-1160417
The gist: If Megan's going to talk about intellectual framework for an article, then, yeah, attained education in a chosen field and interaction with that field's community matters. So, Megan's lack of academic credentials as an "economist"--here, literally, res ipsa loquitur--make for a curious launching point for an attack on Klein's methods and conclusions.
I mean, shit, if I can understand that, then Megs should have no problem at all. Yet, for some reason, she goes there.
And, no, I don't think she's read more than, say, an article about Klein.
Unbelievable.
-Jamey
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