Collins jumps the pooch: We’ll plan to discuss this topic next week, along with related issues.
That said, Gail Collins’ latest column raises the most obvious question: Is our society sane?
As a general matter, it’s a bad idea to introduce questions of mental illness when we talk about politics. (As a general matter, it’s a very bad idea.) But we have never seen a major writer comment about Collins' ongoing series of columns. And today, she has jumped the pooch.
In our view, this raises a basic question: Are we sane as a people? As a people, were we ever sane? Or were we protected from ourselves by past societal practices?
(During the era of Walter and David, shit like this couldn’t get into print. Crazy folk weren’t allowed through the door in those less democratic days. If you wanted to hear someone talking like this, you had to go down to the bar.)
Our professional writers won’t write about this. But this column is a rolling insult to our failing democracy. And Collins has acted this way before, during the sliming of Gore.
The dog on the roof of the car is earth tones. Many people can’t see that now—and of course, they couldn’t see it then.
Kevin and E.J. won’t write about this. Darlings! Professional courtesy!
Extra credit assignment: Don’t miss what Collins says about "rumors!" How does this get into print?
Aw what the heck! This is what Collins writes in that part of her dream. The Q-and-A format is hers:
COLLINS: I heard a rumor that when the family got to Canada, Seamus ran away.Truly, that’s incredible. Let us translate for you:
Seeking sanctuary? Mitt’s sister, Jane, told Swidey that the dog developed a tendency to wander, and that she took Seamus to her home in California where there was more space. She also gave The Globe an extremely cute picture of Seamus cuddling with some kittens.
Collins is trying to get us to start repeating a rumor! How does this get into print?
So you’ll know, this particular part of today’s mental breakdown dates back to this post in a pet blog at the Albany Times-Union. Collins first cited this post in a column in early February.
You can click on through if you're so inclined, seeing where the rumor got started. But understand: In today’s column, Collins explicitly passes on a rumor! She’s hoping we fools will repeat it.
This makes perfect sense at the Times. The Times jumped the pooch long ago.
Collin's fixation on Romney's dog is truly bizarre. I wish it would stop.
ReplyDeleteI never read Collins anymore but I noticed the column and was stunned even after the continually dag fantasy of these last months. I have no explanation, but I do know that apparently many people find this funny and revealing about Romney.
ReplyDeleteWatch Blow call Romney "Mr. Roboto" opposite Collins today.
(During the era of Walter and David, shit like this couldn’t get into print. Crazy folk weren’t allowed through the door in those less democratic days. If you wanted to hear someone talking like this, you had to go down to the bar.)
ReplyDeleteWow, is this ever true. I find this scary and saddening.
What I know for sure is that I do not want to be associated with these sorts of Democrats, as illustrated by Blow and Collins, and will surely not be supporting any in this election.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Anonymous.
DeleteI'm only supporting Republicans, who slander women and try to take away their ability to access contraception and safe, legal abortions, and restrict the rights of workers to organize, the foundation of our middle class, and attack gays, lesbians and transgender people, denying them equality under the law.
The GOP is wonderful, isn't it? I particularly love its regressive plans to explode the deficit even further open. Democrats aren't pushing to do that, they just have a few people who might not even be Democrats, named Blow and Collins, who say a few stupid things over and over, but that's far, far, far worse than unfunded wars, unfunded tax cuts, plans to destroy the safety net, denying man-made global warming and climate change, destroying public education, making life hell for working people, and sexual hypocrisy!
GOP
you and me
death and destruction
and hypocrisy!
Right, Patriotin, I'm sure that's what Anonymous meant.
Delete"Republicans, who...try to take away their ability to access contraception."
DeleteHuh? Not providing something for free isn't the same as taking away the ability to access it. If it were, one could say that the government has taken away our ability to wear clothing, because they don't give each of us free clothing.
The metaphore doesn't work. They don't want to provide it at all. The cost is not the issue. They want to have the advantages of being deemed a legitimate health care provider, but they want to make up their own rules. How should we decide whether an orginization is giving legally proper care? Should we use our legal system, or the Pope?
DeleteImposing your will upon others is the exact opposite of freedom. If the Republicans were more honest, they would change the slogan from Limited Government to Limited Freedom.
"Imposing your will upon others is the exact opposite of freedom."
ReplyDeleteExactly. That's why Obamacare is the opposite of freedom.
We used to have freedom in the area of employee health insurance. Employers were free to offer or not offer whatever they liked. Employees were free to look for jobs where they liked the type of health insurance offered.
Under Obamacare, the government imposed its will on employers, on employees, and on insurance companies. Government now forces them to have a certain type of health insurance coverage, regardless of their personal preferences.
It seems we have no need for laws against exploitation. Caveat emptor!
Delete"We used to have freedom in the area of employee health insurance. Employers were free to offer or not offer whatever they liked. Employees were free to look for jobs where they liked the type of health insurance offered."
DeleteAnd employers were free to discontinue coverage at a whim, and insurance companies were free to boot you out if you contracted an expensive medical condition, no matter how long you had paid into the system. And we were free to change jobs, as long as we could give up healthcare insurance for six months to forever, if we had a pre-existing condition.
Let's hear it for the free, unregulated, unrestricted enterprise of the good ol' days!
More flashoods from DinC!
DeleteInsurance companies have always been required to provide certain minimum coverages. And there have always been mandates to purchase insurance.
Apparently DinC opposes compulsory auto insurance and has no problem with isnruance companyies issuing policies to consumers which don't, in fact, cover anything (this actually happens).
Our political, legal, and economic systems are based on the premise that citizens make rational, informed decisions.
ReplyDeletePoliticians, cops, and economists all know we don't.
At least Walter, David, and Chet were sane. We had them for a generation. I guess we should be grateful for that.
They've been gone so long it all seems like a dream.
The problem here IMO is not so much the rumor business (ugly as that is) but Collins' trying lamely to joke about, and thus semi-ironically distance herself from, a burgeoning political media/political discourse disaster in which she had been a key player. Her excuse, of course, is her own alleged boredom with the process -- a state of mind that she generously extends to include all of us. It's a widely shared profile among the descendants of Dowd, and as you rightly keep pointing out, the damage it's done is immense.
ReplyDelete