Russell Baker on Paul Krugman, Joan Didion on George W. Bush: the NYRB is 40

October 28, 2003 5:02 PM

It seems slightly scandalous that Krugman has persisted in noting that the present administration has been moving the lion's share of the money to an array of corporate interests distinguished by the greed of their CEOs, an indifference toward their workers, and boardroom conviction that it is the welfare state that is ruining the country. Krugman has been strident. He has been shrill. He has lowered the dignity of the commentariat. How refreshing. Russell Baker reviews Paul Krugman's The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century. We have now reached a point when even the White House may be forced to sort out how a president who got elected to execute a straightforward business agenda managed to sandbag himself with the coinciding fantasies of the ideologues in the Christian fundamentalist ministries and those in his own administration.... Joan Didion reviews Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages by Tim F. LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The New York Review of Books 40th anniversary edition is an especially good read..
posted by y2karl (10 comments total)

Blah blah, I hate Bush == notnilC etah I ,halb halB.

Crossfirefilterfodder.
posted by kablam at 5:18 PM on October 28, 2003

you know, those books are incredibly popular. this tells me that we are indeed living in a nightmare where the rich will freely loot the nation because most americans are waiting for the rapture. jesus christ!
posted by quonsar at 6:01 PM on October 28, 2003

the "left behind" series, i mean.
posted by quonsar at 6:02 PM on October 28, 2003

Joan Didion reviews Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages by Tim F. LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

I'd like to review this submission by pointing out that as it is accessed mostly with Microsoft Products, clearly, there can be nothing more conducive to the growth of the Antichrist's power than a web monoculture full of digital rights management that will inevitably prepare people for the day when they must wear the Mark of the Beast to buy, sell or trade. Bill Gates is clearly preparing the way for the Antilord, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. Just remember; he recently told a gathering of senior developers that he should still be dumpster diving for garbageware in Seattle. But the Evil One came and rescued him and made him the Richest Man in the World!!

Huh? What's that? That's not much of a submission review? It wasn't much of a book review, either.

posted by pyramid termite at 7:56 PM on October 28, 2003

Too many words, y2karl. But thanks for making the less important text really small. :)
posted by nyukid at 11:11 PM on October 28, 2003

Joan Didion tore it up. Evangelical Babylon fantasies are no joke.
posted by inksyndicate at 11:31 PM on October 28, 2003

Krugman cleanly describes a revolutionary republican plot against the basic existence of the American government. Didion describes how Fundamentalists use a theological pulp novel as an infotainment technique which influences American politics.

Excellent post. I think I'll have that little drink now... make it a double...
posted by zaelic at 2:03 AM on October 29, 2003

Didion clearly uses the opportunity to "review" a book as an excuse to write the article she really wanted to write--that said, the article she wrote rocks. And I suspect the Left Behind books are pretty much review-proof anyway; moreover (and this may be stereotyping: call it what you will) I'd guess that the sets of people that read NYRB, and people that are up to the most recent (eighth? ninth?) volume of the Left Behind books, don't have many elements in common.
posted by Prospero at 7:06 AM on October 29, 2003

This looks like a great post. No time to chat though, gotta run....... *glances at watch*
posted by troutfishing at 8:06 AM on October 29, 2003

Excellent post.

Many months ago (Dec. 18, 2001, to be exact), I pointed out that the very language of the "No Child Left Behind" act was a glaring reference to rapturespeak. Glad to see that the first two articles in the post recognize Bush's use of codewords to openly hide his allegiance. but I'm disappointed that (a) this isn't getting broader coverage, and (b) more people aren't upset by it.

The author of the first link in the post notes that, in the end, it doesn't really matter if Bush truly believes or is just acting as if he does: his behavior will be the same. This is a powerful realization. Either way the raptureseeker's anti-american agenda gets center stage.
posted by yesster at 8:23 AM on October 29, 2003