>
>Nathan Newman wrote:
>
>>There is a strain of intellectual contempt on the Left that acts as if
>>intellectual engagement with rightwing ideas is beneath them-- only
>>parody,
>>cartoon, ridicule are acceptable modes of engagement
Doug: >
>Yup, you're right about that. I'm glad for my (thankfully brief)
>experience as a rightwinger - I know how they think, and it helps in
>arguing with them.
>
>Speaking of dumbshit stuff coming from rightwingers, though, how
>about that Posner book on public intellectuals? Sounds like a real
>piece of stupidity - and Justin keeps telling us how smart the guy
>is. I loved this bit from a NYT piece on the book this past Saturday
><http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/19/arts/19POSN.html>:
>
Posner's new book is an embarassment. But He's written probably 20 good books, has invented or pioneered not one but several major approaches to law (law and economics, law and society, law and literature, etc.) many probably hundreds of excellent law review and other articles, and over 1700 opinions (actually written them himself!), many of them groundbreaking. That makes up for one bad book, no? I mean, I haven't even written one good book, and Doug only has one himself.
I myself have never shied away from enaggement with right wing ideas. The danger is that you might start to see the point, thus my admiration for Hayek and Mises. When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
jks
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