OxBlog

# Posted 8:27 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

EVEN OXBLOG ISN'T THAT SELF-RIGHTEOUS ABOUT ITS CENTRISM. This just arrived in my inbox:

Dear Reader,

You may want clear opinions from The New Republic or from any magazine of political commentary. But you certainly don't want predictable opinions or simple opinions, which, alas, is what you get from The Nation and the National Review, The Weekly Standard or The American Prospect. Why, I bet that you could write their articles in advance. No challenge, no mystery, no surprise, no puzzling through of argument. Not like The New Republic. Subscribe today for as little as $9.97 to read all of our unconventional wisdom...

Oh yeah? How about TNR paying me as little as $9.97 to read all of my unconventional wisdom?

OK. I admit it. I'm just playa hatin'. TNR does what I do and it does it better. But actually, I think I could write one of their articles in advance. Here goes:

This is an article about Subject X. Democrats say Y about X, but that argument is simplistic. Republicans say Z about X, but that argument is simplistic and dishonest.

At this point, the author pulls out a deck of cards and picks one at random. If the card is a ten or lower, the author concludes that the Democrats are right, but not for the reason given by some senator from Massachusetts.

If the author draws a face card, he thinks to himself, "I must agree with the Republicans for no apparent reason in order to show that I'm open-minded."

If the author draws an ace, it means that his thirtieth birthday is approaching and it's time to either go back to grad school or work for McKinsey.

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