great job, really interesting background on Buckley's National Review and that circle of influential conservatives. I've felt the same way about Brooks for a long time, namely that there's a weird disconnect between his understanding of what conservatism should be, and what it in fact is. He still reads people like Charles Murray in the most generous way possible, which is inexcusable, but I hadn't thought of Brooks as a kind of useful idiot for the gargoyle wing of the conservative movement.
He's got a nice gig to be the go-to token moderate Devil's advocate in an increasingly liberal media, but it's even nicer and more lucrative to be the guy everyone agrees with.
great job, really interesting background on Buckley's National Review and that circle of influential conservatives. I've felt the same way about Brooks for a long time, namely that there's a weird disconnect between his understanding of what conservatism should be, and what it in fact is. He still reads people like Charles Murray in the most generous way possible, which is inexcusable, but I hadn't thought of Brooks as a kind of useful idiot for the gargoyle wing of the conservative movement.
He's got a nice gig to be the go-to token moderate Devil's advocate in an increasingly liberal media, but it's even nicer and more lucrative to be the guy everyone agrees with.