Author Spotlight
Good news: Tkacik’s back; Bad news: We’re fucked, says Tkacik
Moe Tkacik–the Moe who hasn’t joined the Tea Party–takes New Yorker staff writer Peter Boyer to the woodshed over his lying profile of the lunatic monstrosity that is The Family. Boyer’s article, an unlikely piece of hack inside-jobbery, basically exists to quell the rumors you may have heard about The Family–that they’re a secretive sect of influence-dealing theocrats, that they’re genocide-friendly, that they’ve got a kind of perpetual hard-on for dictators and fascists, that they hate women, that they are the force behind the Ugandan gay death penalty legislation, and that for one reason or another are probably actively plotting your death right now–all of which are pretty much true. I remember reading the Boyer piece whenever it came out (a week or two ago?) with a growing sense of cognitive dissonance and a slowly rising gorge. Everything about the piece is inexcusable, beginning with the existence of the organization being profiled. It’s heartening–but also induces further rage–to read such an incisive and thorough response, and Moe Tkacik is not only the best person for the job, she’s pretty much the only person who would bother to do it. Lucky us! Speaking of which, this piece appears on Das Krapital, Moe’s new gig as a daily blogger for the Washington City Paper. You should also check out her piece on “Why the Right Hates Freedom“, and basically be reading this blog every day. Expect to hear about it again. Also, check out Jeff Sharlet’s blog.
Tags: Moe Tkacik
moe tse tung RULES!
The hell with her blog, yours is more interesting! Who is this Moe Person? I need Moe information.
No reason to choose one over the other, Clay.
http://htmlgiant.com/?s=tkacik
Sharlet is talking (again) about his C Street on CSPAN-2 tonight (Sun., Oct. 4) at 10 – according to their sometimes-inaccurate listings. He’s very good – Boyer mostly ignored him in that misleading article.
What I don’t like about Boyer’s article is that, in concentrating on the peccadillo crap, and profiling Coe without much pushback, and going into some detail about the murderous-foreign-dictator support that the Fellowship orchestrated (and continues to orchestrate), and noting the weird anti-gay slant – all ‘news’, in a way, but all easily sensationalized – , Boyer doesn’t emphasize the political-economic angle of the Fellowship: these guys are all accumulation apologists, shills for the API, insurance companies, the Koch garbage, and so on. The religious stuff is important, but it’s important mostly because of what it’s a distraction from, in my view.
Oh, okay!