Kieran Healy

Hard, Red, Throbbing America

Even the cleverest amongst us can be pandered to, and this column by Michael Barone smacks right into the ideological blindspots of both Eugene Volokh and Glenn Reynolds. Matt is right not to buy it, because there is nothing to Barone’s distinction between Hard and Soft America but vague stereotypes. “A sensible society wants to keep some part of itself Soft” says Barone. On the strength of the evidence, it looks like America has chosen its brain.

True, but what is life without an ideological blindspot? Mine I guess is the exploitation of the masses by the corrupt, until further evidence.

Mine is similar: the ability of the corrupt and powerful to convince the masses to consent to their own exploitation.

Red?

Bears a suspicious resemblance to “Soggy and Crunchy”, a famous Economist editorial …

Red?

As in “red states, blue states”, from a well-known David Brooks article.

HARD AND SOFT AMERICA

Michael Barone reflects on the oddity that One of the peculiar features of our country is that we produce incompetent 18-year-olds and remarkably competent 30-year-olds….