I’ve tried, I really have, to give a rat’s ass about the latest controversy surrounding Little Green Footballs, but I just can’t quite bring myself to do it. It’s so much ado over nothing at all. So naturally, I’m going to write about it.
LGF is on my blogroll. I don’t read it much any more, but it’s there. LGF added me to its link list a long time ago, and I’ve gotten a steady amount of traffic from that ever since. If all this makes me a bad person, then so be it. The Rittenhouse Review didn’t link to me before their new policy was instituted anyway.
I link to and regularly read a lot more left-leaning and centrist sites than right-leaning ones. I like what they have to say, and I feel solidarity with kindred spirits. I read a few right-leaning and libertarian blogs (there are only so many hours in the day, after all). If you think I’m cocooning or insulating myself, well, you’re entitled to your opinion. Go write a blog entry about it, maybe some day I’ll read it.
If you do feel the need to write about any of this, try not to be pompous and overbearing, even if you make up for some of it with unintentional comedy:
When I took a look at what sites were actually listed there, most of the ones I recognized are best described as “the usual suspects”, and there was a clear ideological similarity to them. Any site which links approvingly to Warblogger Watch, This Modern World, Ted Barlow, Tapped, Sullywatch, Shadow of the Hegemon, Smirking Chimp, Media Whores, Eschaton, and Counterspin Central is applying a distinct filter to the choices. (Which is RR’s privilege, of course.) I also found links to Brian Linse, Patrick Nielsen Hayden (and Teresa), and Avedon Carol, none of which do I consider extremist voices.
Emphasis mine. I don’t know if Ted’s reading blogs during his hiatus, but if so I hope this gives him a chuckle. Assuming, of course, that an extremist such as he is capable of expressing humor. (Rubbing your hands together while cackling doesn’t count.)
Where was I? Oh, yeah. It’s my blogroll and I’ll link who I want to. Link or link not, there is no “symbolic gesture”. If this discussion is in any way responsible for the Nic Cage-Lisa Marie Presley divorce, then the terrorists have already won.
I thought it was rather odd that he include Ted’s name in there as well. I’m probably going to write something about this on my return. My views are pretty similar to yours (except more right than left for me), though I take more issue with the RR policy and, as a dramatic and comedic writer, it’s my (unpaid) job to make little things into huge things.
I read through assorted commentary on this, even skimming my way through part of the den Beste thing, and you know what? This is why I am glad to be officially retired from Political Blogging.
The Guppyesque levels of fulmination and recrimination over “censorship” because so-and-so won’t link to someone, is boycotting linkers to so-and-so, won’t let assholes have free reign to comment on their website, etc. etc. etc. just bore me to tears. I didn’t care much for high school when I was living it; I’m not interested in duplicating it in my adult life.
And a life is what most of the people in this controversy need to get, or better priorities, or something.
(And if Den Beste thinks Barlow’s an extremist, he really needs to get out more!)
So long as you keep your link to my rantings and still allow me to leave comments, there’s no way you’re “cocooning.” I alone provide any of my permalinks with more than enough exposure to right-wing ideas. 🙂
I’m just trying to wrap my head around the whole idea that Ted Barlow is an extremist and I’m not. Ginger is right.
Well, I had totally missed this “controversy” until now as I’ve cut my own blogroll pretty dramatically recently (if I don’t read it regularly, it’s now gone — just not enough time in the day lately to read original stuff). As was the case when she blogged such things, I tend to agree with Ginger’s take on the whole thing, esp the “high school” comment! In fact, it’s enough to motivate me at this moment to get off the damn ‘puter and leave the blog reading for a trip to Half-Price Books. Later all. 🙂