Mark Bauerlein’s piece today on Jonah Goldberg is must-reading. He points out that the Don Quixotes of “intellectual conservatism” like Goldberg are all about credentials just like the Left. As Bauerlein shows, Goldberg answers Emerald Robinson’s recent piece taking NeverTrumpers to task mostly by pompously asking who she is and where she came from. How dare this mere peasant question the Crown! This favorite tactic of the credentialed Right (John Podhoretz is a master of the craft) “indicates establishment insecurities at work, a lack of humor, and an unhealthy dose of self-regard. It encourages objective readers to surmise the opposite of what Goldberg wants them to surmise, namely, that Robinson is truly onto something.”
And this isn’t just reserved for people who are unknown. Check out Goldberg’s furious reaction to First Things senior editor Matthew Schmitz, who posted a single sentence tweet praising a critical review of Suicide of the West over at New York Magazine.
It’s a silly bad faith review from a child on the make and that you say this tells me as much as I need to know about you.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) July 6, 2018
I couldn't give a rat's ass whether you liked the book. The argument you're endorsing was in bad faith and poorly argued. You endorse it. So I'm making a judgement about you. I don't want anything from you. I'm just telling you what I think — just like you.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) July 6, 2018
This was the reaction to someone who simply thought the book has been “overpraised.” Doesn’t that seem just a bit out of proportion?
Goldberg’s triggered response is not the sign of a healthy movement. It does not demonstrate any intellectual curiosity or ability to learn. I find it ironic that same crowd who bray endlessly about the miracle of democracy and the importance of reason and persuasion cannot handle even the slightest disagreement.