Recommended Reading

I hope to back to blogging speed soon; in the meantime, you might enjoy:

Jim Manzi on poverty, upward mobility, and the anti-Barbara Ehrenreich. (For a fascinating take on these issues, you might try Katherine Newman's Chutes and Ladders; here's Paul Tough's NYTimes review.)

The Economist and Daniel Larison on the Putinista appropriation of Byzantine history.

David Frum - whose "Bookshelf" feature is one of the ornaments of the blogosphere - on George Eliot.

Nick Denton versus Vulture on whether we need a Wire movie.

Reihan on Larry Lessig, pro and (very respectfully) con.

Brad DeLong on Fidelophilia after Fidel, and my colleague, Graeme Wood - with text here, image here - on Havana after Communism.

And five years old but still amazing - Gene Simmons does NPR. (hat tip: James Poulos)

Comments

Oddly, Mr. DeLong's commentators seem to be a lot smarter than he is. Mr. DeLong seems to have an animus against Cuba that would do justice to a neocon.

Posted by Hector | February 20, 2008 4:46 PM

Reihan needs to raise his Atlantic Voice in indie karaoke every week. That Elvis Costello cover was... something.

Posted by anonymous | February 20, 2008 5:11 PM

Reihan needs to raise his Atlantic Voice in indie karaoke every week. That Elvis Costello cover was... something.

Posted by anonymous | February 20, 2008 5:11 PM

Jim Manzi seems like a real bonehead. Sure, if you cumulatively discount education, racism, substance abuse or other medical problems, dependents, and healthy socialization is general you'll see that it's really just a matter of making the right choices! Here's Manzi's conclusion:

"Even if you don’t think that it is fair to demand that other people without his advantages behave this way, it does tell you some important things about contemporary poverty. Human agency matters. Many people have it within their control to improve their economic standing. Policies should recognize that much (not all) poverty in America is created by behavior rather than insurmountable circumstances, and should therefore focus on changing behavior rather than changing external circumstances."

Begs the questions a touch, no? Behavior and agency are not the same thing!

Of course the key to his buddy's "project" is that he had to "quit" when a family member got sick. Pretty easy to follow Alger's path when real life doesn't get in the way.

Posted by berger | February 20, 2008 7:44 PM

There are many things to dislike about conservatism, to my mind, as well as things to admire.

But the attitude that I will always find reprehensible is the stubborn notion that, if they just tried harder, those living in poverty could escape. If only they delayed gratification a little longer. If only they weren't so lazy. If only they weren't so stupid.

No "experiment" can ever replicate being born in poverty. Coming up with the idea-- that's something only the affluent could do, making poverty and hopelessness into some sort of bourgeoisie game, or another crude prop to support your political ideology. That's moral bankruptcy.

Posted by Freddie | February 20, 2008 7:50 PM

Frum's piece on Eliot was a little disappointing because I had hoped, given that I'm about 200 pages into Middlemarch, for a nice snapshot (somehow, without spoilers) of the novel's virtues, or some salient threads, anyway, and instead he focused on another of her works. Ah well, it has inspired me to look elsewhere (The Claremont Review will probably have something). Heaven forbid I have to make do with my own thoughts on the novel... :) At this point, I can safely report that I prefer Wharton's style, perhaps because it is less dense, though I can also see that Eliot's tone is less somber.

Posted by MD | February 20, 2008 10:01 PM

Ok, the Gene Simmons interview is the awesomest thing of all time. Thanks for the link!

Posted by Derannimer | February 21, 2008 1:01 AM

Freddie, I would agree with what you're saying, but I don't think that's a fair reaction to Manzi's comment or the book he discusses. The point, I think, is not that it's easy to work your way out of poverty - it's not, of course, and just closing your ears and muttering "hard work, delayed gratification" doesn't make it any easier. but as I'm sure you would agree, nor is just handing out money. Making smart financial choices, delaying gratification, working together, and working hard really are a way out of poverty, though there are many many reasons why those things are extremely hard for an individual to do - and not all of the reasons, or even most of the reasons, are the individuals fault. Still, I think the point is that as a society we should be focusing on how to make doing those things easier, not assuming, as Ehrenreich seems to, that they are impossible for someone in that situation to do.

Posted by hugo | February 21, 2008 7:57 AM