I know a guy who *loved* him in the 1980s (currently the only Objectivist in my circle of friends!), who thinks that he's lost the plot. He's written one too many of his populist-contrarian-conservatve tracts. These days, in as much as people think about him, they think about him as an advocate for foxhunting, and not a particularly credible one (voice too effeminate).
I think that Scruton's decline can be traced to about 1987, when the Observer started putting out a bunch of pamphlets called "Counterblasts" (all ballsaching stuff about "reforming the City" by Will Hutton, IIRC). Scruton and his cronies got some publishing house to give them a series of "CLaridge Blasts" in defence of High Church Toryism. They sold like three-day-old liver. Scruton never really recovered.
The Objectivist is now trying to recruit me to be head of research for his dot com brokerage start up. He's sane in other ways, and doesn't require oaths of allegiance (I only found out that he was one when I raised the subject of Ayn Rand myself). I trust his judgement on most things. On the one hand, it would be interesting, and stuff. On the other hand, Tess wants us to buy a house. What do people think I should do? (answers along the lines of "check into a reeducation camp" will be politely noted). :-)
cheers and weekend beers (written 25K words of analysis this week, [not counting email] and slightly unhinged because of it. got a thirst that beer won't quench)
dd
Please respond to lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com cc: (bcc: DANIEL DAVIES) bcc: DANIEL DAVIES Subject: Re: Scruton's Latest: The Unhappiness of Men
Do people in Britain take Scruton seriously? He seems like such an 80s relic.
Doug
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