Can’t Get Fooled Again

Atrios is tired of being expected to take bad faith merchants like Chait seriously when they’ve always lied and helped lurch America and the world from disaster to disaster:

Chait lies and some of his lies are along the lines of, “MY CRITICS ARE NOT ENGAGING WITH THE ARGUMENTS SERIOUSLY,” a neat little debate trick which puts honest people (unlike Chait) on the defensive and encourages them to say, “yes, yes, I am, here’s an example of it,” but by then Chait, laughing, has moved onto the next bit of bullshit. It’s projection and a little trick that helps obscure the fact that he is the one not engaging honestly. No you’re not engaging with my very serious argument!!! Why won’t you stop punching yourself!!!

Tired of being expected to pretend their motivations are pure.

It’s just a game to these monsters. Chait cares about trans kids as much as he cared about Iraqis, which is, at best, not at all. “At best” is a generous interpretation given the number of deaths he encouraged.

I’m with him. Next month will be the twentyfirst anniversary of this blog and on every important subject people like Chait and Singal and Yglesias have gotten it wrong while knowing they were wrong. The only function of these centrists and pretend liberals is to lend cover to the rightwing, to drain the energy of well meaning but naive opponents of whatever disaster they’re cheerleading this time. Afghanistan, Iraq, Lybia, Syria, the Great Recession, Brexit, austerity, Roe v Wade, trans rights: for each and every one of those their eloquent and nuances arguments served evil. How many times must they get it wrong before you’re allowed to dismiss them out of hand?

On each of these subjects, any random protestor against them would’ve been a better guide than the people paid very well indeed to explain to us that we shouldn’t believe our lying eyes.

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