Like Carrie Prejean’s critics, who are blind to their own shortcomings, Joe Klein has decided to inform the world that Charles Krauthammer’s work
“would have a lot more nuance if he were able to see the situations he’s writing about.”
Let’s take a look at that statement:
Dr. Krauthammer, a medical doctor, is quadraplegic.
Klein feels (oh, yes, feelings) that Krauthammer’s work is lacking because of a physical disability since Krauthammer’s confinement to a wheelchair precludes Krauthammer going out and “seeing the situations he’s writing about”. After all, Klein purportedly has personally “seen the situations” Klein talks about, or so he would have us believe, ergo, Klein feels (again, feels) himself superior enough to Krauthammer to disparage Krauthammer’s work.
I guess Klein didn’t get the memo on diversity. Maybe he did, and decided to ignore it. Either way, Klein has revealed more about his own character than about Dr. Krauthammer. As John Podhoretz points out,
“Klein” means small in German. Trollope could not have come up with a more apt name for a character.
A vile character, at that.
But let’s also ask, why should Krauthammer’s writing strive for nuance? Dr. Krauthammer’s work is distinguished by complete and unequivocal clarity. That is what bothers idiots like Klein: that Klein and their ilk can not bifurcate or obscure any meaning other than what Dr. Krauthammer has made totally clear. When you hear Dr. Krauthammer speak, or you read what he writes, the point comes across clear as the proverbial bell. No matter how many times you try to parse, slice or dice anything Krauthammer says, his intended meaning is clear.
Klein values the ever-elusive virtue liberals (in their breathtakingly panoramic views) most love in their politicians and ideologues: nuance. Dr. Krauthammer hits them on the noggin’ hard by driving the point across directly and with clarity.
Joe Klein doesn’t need to stand up so we can kick his a**; Dr. Krauthammer already is.
Update:
Even smaller Klein:
Starting with a malapropos
The usual neoconservative malingerers
Malinger: to pretend illness, esp. in order to shirk one’s duty, avoid work, etc. Maybe Klein means maligners?
Anyway, Klein goes on to say that Krauthammer
And while Krauthammer’s skills are impressive, his commentary has been dangerously bellicose, arrogant and wrong. Given his influence with the Bush Administration, his unflinching support for American unilateralism–his invention of the notion of a unipolar world–did extensive damage to our nation’s security and reputation overseas, and caused the unnecessary loss of life.
Nice going, Joe. Insult the guy the first time around, AND call him a mass murder on the follow-up.
Nuanced!
UPDATE 2
American Power and Outside the Beltway point out that Krauthammer invented the “unipolary moment” two decades ago.
