> You write something that changes someone's mind and you hope for some
> credit.
If you want credit, write Alan Greenspan.
> Perhaps that's egotistical or vain. But I still find it very fucking
> annoying, esp when it comes from an asshole like Alterman.
Yeah, and if he was not making the argument which you made, you'd be calling him an asshole for that. Which of these two alternatives is preferable? Either, I suppose, if your main point is to bitch at Alterman.
Face facts: Given that there is no American left, everyone who does anything publicly is in a position of leadership. This sort of public whining on your part isn't calculated to win friends or influence people.
All the best,
John A