To The Commentariat
I don’t have anything even remotely resembling the requisite energy to attempt a response to the various issues arising out of my Palin-Sullivan post (a day of moving offices and then a pretty hard core yoga class will do that to a guy), though I do have the beginnings of a response brewing. However, it remains true that we honestly appreciate the community that has developed around the League, as E.D. recently denoted — even (especially?) when y’all rip us a new one.
To that end, I have some questions for our regular commenters:
- Where are y’all from? (I secretly habour a fantasy about calling an inaugural meeting of the League and its participants, though I recognize tha in practice this idea seems largely impractical)
- What brought you here?
- What keeps you here (reading and commenting)?
- What issues/ideas would you like to see us post on (if we haven’t already) or post more on (if you feel we don’t post enough on the topic)?
Hope everyone is having a pleasent Friday night.
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30 comments
1. Victoria, Canada.
2. I found it through Mark’s blog, which I found via The Confabulum. Mark was one of the first libertarians I’d found who didn’t seem like an asshole, so I was impressed and interested.
3. I started reading it largely as a replacement for the Confabulum – a place where people discussed political ideas intelligently without reflexive partisanship. It’s lived up to both parts of that except for a few posts (*cough* Honduras *cough*). I don’t read all of them, but I enjoy much of what I do read.
4. I can’t think of any at present; I have enough trouble keeping up with what you already write.
I really, really wish there was a site like this for Canadian politics/policy.
1. Colorado Springs, Colorado. I can see Pike’s Peak from my front porch. My name may or may not have been mentioned during a radio broadcast of Focus on the Family’s. (Would I have brought that last part up if it hadn’t been? Come on!)
2. Freddie, believe it or not. I stayed because of E.D., Scott, and Dave, though.
3. I was president of the Philosophy Club way back when. One of my first decisions was to say “everybody who shows up for wine/bread/argument is co-president. Just put “President of the Philosophy Club” on your resume.
This place reminds me of the arguments I had, back when I was 20ish. I had hair. It was down to my shoulders.
4. Deontology. Consequentialism. Wine.
A hardcore yoga class? I admire your honesty Scott. When I get beat up in yoga class I tell my friends I’m tired because I went a couple extra rounds with the heavy bag. Every once in awhile I really do that just in case they’re at the gym watching…
1. I’m in Louisville, KY.
2. I think I found the League through a comment E.D. left on John Schwenkler’s blog. It must have sounded pretty good so I stalked him back here.
3. I keep coming back in hopes you all begin to take on new members like the Justice League. I could be sort of like the B team (Hawkman, Green Arrow) or maybe the C team (Wonder Twins, Plastic Man). Seriously though I think it’s because you all actually interact with your commentors. So few bloggers seem to do that anymore. I realize that the ‘pros’ are busy cranking out 50 posts per day, but to me it’s a bit insulting that Yglesias or Klein never actually jump into the comment sections.
4. I would feel very arrogant suggesting topics for you all. If it ain’t broke and all that. As for what I like to write about myself, I cover education a lot and the intersection between rural and city life. These days I have a minor obsession with political labels/pedigrees.
Scott H. Payne
July 13th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I do a pretty vigorous style of yoga, Mike. I’ve had people cock eyebrows at me and then try a class. If yr going full speed, it’ll wipe you pretty good, no excuses necessary.
Mike at The Big Stick
July 15th, 2009 at 6:12 am
I’ve been supplementing a lot more yoga as part of my core routine lately, primarily for my back. I’ve always been a big believer in yoga but the connection to core strength has really helped. It’s also giving me way more power in my boxing.
1. Madison, Wisconsin
2. Confabulum and Freddie’s
3. Good-faith argument (in the logical sense)
4. Mark’s pocket guide to being a non-asshole libertarian (hehe)
1. San Diego, Calif
2. Dara – Freddie (L’Hôte) – League
3. William Brafford commented on my blog, Chris quoted me, E.D. wished me happy birthday, and kind words from you and Mark. A clean, readable layout. The necessary and classy inclusion of a bowler hat logo. Meaty posts, interesting topics, reasonable discussion, author interaction with readers, links to things I wouldn’t have thought to read or happened upon otherwise, and Jaybird’s comments.
Some of those matter more than others.
4. At the risk of looking/reading like a shill: education and empire. At the risk of looking/reading like a trite idiot: more pop culture things. I get so many interesting ideas and thoughts from you guys on any number of serious topics but Will’s Transformers: Black People In Disguise! made me laugh out loud and genuinely curious what the League and its commenters (commentariat) think of lighter topics.
Scott H. Payne
July 13th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Kyle, could you flesh out “education and empire” for me a bit? Do you mean them in connection, or as spearate items? If separate, any particular take yr looking for? An angle?
Kyle
July 15th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Well separately, though should anyone be more imaginative than I am and see how the two might be linked, by all means.
I actually rather liked some of the fruits of the voucher discussion a few weeks back. So in terms in education I guess there are two branches I was thinking of. Thoughts on the point of education and critiques of our current system. I thought E.D. raised some rather interesting critiques of the inadequacies of contemporary educational offerings last month. I liked the small schools and then corner school posts and would just like to see more in the vein, I guess.
As for empire, I’m thinking more of where relations between states should go. I feel like a lot of the foreign policy/IR discussion here is grounded in a couple of main themes, Is the President doing the right thing or not? (Usually a yes.) Some
crazyneocon hasn’t gotten the memo yet and [insert current event here].Chris is fond of saying that the US lacks grand strategy in the post Cold War world, and I think it’d be interesting to follow up on what that might/should/shouldn’t look like.
1. Savannah, Ga.
2. A link from somewhere.
3. The interaction, civility and intelligent discourse
4. How capitialism fits into the 21st century — ending corporatism/corporate welfare — non-intervention ansd free trade.
and
1. Lake Orion, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit).
2. I’m always searching for (what I find to be) intelligent, thoughtful, non-ideologue conversation or discussion about important and not-so-important topics of the day. I found it here and first saw the link, I think, via Freddie.
3.
3. My RSS reader keeps me here. I have not commented much, but maybe that will change.
4. Hmmmm. It’s difficult to say on the spot. You seem to cover most “stuff” well. I do enjoy from time to time the lighter stuff, e.g., movie reviews and summer book lists etc.
Keep it up and thanks for caring enough to solicit these responses.
What issues/ideas would you like to see us post on (if we haven’t already) or post more on (if you feel we don’t post enough on the topic)?
1. Washington, DC
2. I followed Freddie from L’Hote.
3. The sense that it’s an ongoing conversation. The comments participation is a big part of that; thanks! And the way the posts build off of one another and respond to each other helps in this regard as well.
4. Umm…more public transportation blogging pls. It’s a good fit for E.D.’s localism/sense of community theme.
1 anchorage , ak
2 Mark’s blog
3 I already have plenty of smart, funny, or wonkish liberal type blogs, so i wanted something with more diverse viewpoints w/o dipping into the right wing fever swamps. Also a small enough comments section with bloggers who participate make it interesting.
4 whatever floats your various thingees.
1.Kansas City, KS
2. Fred-eeeee
3. Good Fun
4. Your call, Gents.
Thanks for posting this Scott! It is interesting to see where everyone is from and how they arrived. I hope more people chime in, too – even readers who don’t comment but who silently read and critique and harbor their thoughts safely and discreetly off the intertubes. Never know when someone will suddenly pipe up.
I’ll divulge a little about myself while we’re at it.
1. I’m from Flagstaff, AZ
2. I ran into most of the other OG’s when we all sort of converged at C11; I had also been reading Freddie’s blog and then Publius and Scrabble. I think I ran into the Will/William duo later. What a stroke of good timing it all was though.
3. I think author/commenter interaction is the missing piece from a lot of blogs, too. Especially top-rate blogs (A-listers). My promise is that no matter how big we get if we ever do get “big” in that sense is that I will remain an active commenter on this site. I regard the comments section as much a part of the blog as the posts themselves, which may or may not be sensible. It does seem to create a closer community, though. And I am honestly challenged and intellectually invigorated by the debate that goes on here. It’s fun.
4. As a note we are going to be redesigning some of how we do “series” here, making two tracks – the regular, non-series posts and organic series that spring up, and reader-suggested/article-inspired more “formal” series as well to make better use of the system we have. More on this later. Thanks!
1. Madison, by way of (1) Fargo, (2) Lincoln, (3) Northern California, and (4) New York City.
2. I got in an argument with Freddie once.
3. I like arguing with people who are, for the most part, committed to figuring out what’s true (or at least as close to that as we can get) rather than defending their team. You guys make a good-faith effort at that. I also get the sense that I could have a beer with any or all of you (or lots of beers) and it would be a good time.
E.D. Kain
July 11th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Isn’t that like the number one requirement for running for President?
Moff
July 11th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
It’s such a cliché, right? But it’s cliché because it’s true: Nothing goes better with talking about politics and religion and life and shit, man, than BEERS.
Jaybird
July 11th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
That, and providing a birth certificate.
Scott H. Payne
July 12th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
For the record, drinking beer doesn’t get any better than it does when done with me. The whole crew here, though, would make for a sublimely raucous night, no doubt. Esp Dave, he’s like the secret weapon.
Mike at The Big Stick
July 15th, 2009 at 6:16 am
Maybe a project for the league should be some kind of triangulation of our locales to determine the exact goegraphic center of League members and commentors…and then figure out where the closest bar is. I would make the road trip.
1. Philadelphia, through Boston and Leawood, KS.
2. Sullivan, when I really got into last year’s election and politics/policy in general.
3. The depth of conversation. I am an amatuer in the realms of philosophy and politics, but I read a lot (more than I should, perhaps, if I want to get my PhD quickly) and I appreciate how the conversations in the articles and comments expand my knowledge and challenge me.
4. A couple topics: As an optimist and a cynic, I hold out hope the government can get better without any real evidence it can. I would like to see more conversations about how the institutional problems of our democracy can realistically be changed, or how we’re all boned. Also, as a scientist this question intrigues me: as we learn more about how our thinking, morals, and attitudes are developed or inherent in the brain, what does that mean for ethics and morality? If a person is born with a sociopathic brain, to what extent are they responsible for their actions? To what extent would we be justified in changing someone’s mind (literally!) through drugs or targeted surgery in such a case? To what extent are we justified in changing how our own minds operate (ie Provigil)? Should drugs which affect memory retention really be available to the government?
And yes, this is my first comment.
Scott H. Payne
July 13th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Sorry for the delay here: thanks for the comment and great suggestions.
1. London. By way of DC, by way of Heidelberg, by way of New York City.
2. A link from Memeorandum.
3. Posts on a range of topics from various perspectives – combined with my efforts not to become an unthinking, smug, liberal New Yorker in London expat (I want to be thinking at least). The comments! Consistently avoiding Godwin’s law is a real feat. Also, if ever snarky, comments are snarky-informative rather than snarky-vicious.
4. You pretty much cover the waterfront already.
Wonderful comments, folks. Like E.D., would love to hear from more first time commenters. And let’s not be demure about suggesting topics, we wouldn’t ask if we weren’t interested in your thoughts.
1. Originally from the San Francisco area, I now call the People’s Republic of Moscow home. (Fifth-year senior at the University of Idaho, majoring in journalism and American studies) Also spent a year studying in Fairbanks, Alaska.
2. Links from Freddie, et al. at The American Scene (which I began reading after the demise of Culture11.)
3. Intelligent, thoughtful and challenging discussion of current affairs from a wide variety of political perspectives. Even what I vehemently disagree with, I respect because it’s an honest effort to debate the issues rather than demagogue an opponent.
I’m a liberal Democrat with a three-digit Daily Kos UID and an orange “Iowa Perfect Storm” beanie – but after the Dean debacle, I spent three years working for a multi-millionaire Texan businessman, which gave me the much-needed insight that “the rich” are not caricatures to demonize, but ordinary people with a few extra zeroes on their bank balances.
Similarly, The League refuses to traffic in stereotypes and rejects the echo chamber mentality. It’s a place where reason and sanity prevail, and that’s all too rare on the Intertubes.
1. I’m from Boston but am currently living abroad in Kazakhstan
2. A link somewhere…possibly from the Daily Dish? I don’t remember exactly.
3. I only recently discovered this place, but the pure intellectualism appeals to me in all of its manifestations: the civil debate, the nonpartisan approach, and the unimportant yet natural extensions of it. (I guess it helps that I’m a big soccer fan)
4. I’ve only been here a month so I’m not yet ready to start bitching endlessly at you guys…