Dec 20, 2006

Good for Laughs

by Cliopatria

John Batchelor,"America's Next Civil War," NY Sun, 19 December, exemplifies how not to do historical analogies. Also, how to get misinformation into print. Brian Dirck at A. Lincoln Blog, who dis-assembles the mess, takes a swing at Sean Wilentz in the process.

Minnesota Congressman-elect Keith Ellison's decision to take the oath of office on a copy of the Koran is a foretaste of the United States being overrun by hoards of Muslims in the 21st century, according to Virginia's Virgil Goode. Alabama's Judge Roy Moore (of Ten Commandments monument fame) has also pronounced on the issue. David Parker at Another History Blog puts Moore in his place. I wish you Democrats would take these Dixiecrats back into your party, where they came from and where they belong.

If you've been racking your brain about what to give Adam Kotsko for Christmas, worry that issue no longer. Nathanael Robinson has found just the right thing. Anthony Giddens and Michel Foucault are on offer. Niall Ferguson rumored to be waiting in the wings. Hey! They're cheaper than an endowed chair!

My Cliopatriarchal self missed our third anniversary on 6 December. Happy belated birthday to us!

More Comments:

Oscar Chamberlain - 12/20/2006

I had not thought about Batchelor in a long time. Back in the 1980s I read two of his novels: The Birth of the People's Republic of Antarctica (1984) and American Falls (1986) .

The first is not nearly as spacey as it sounds, and I remember thinking that the second was a remarkably good Civil War novel when I read it in '86. Looking at the column you linked, I rather wish he was still writing novels. He made his tendency for grand pronouncements and his theatricality assets in that context.

Ed Schmitt - 12/20/2006

Thank you for pointing out such a colorful example of mal-analogizing Ralph.

I got to poking into that author's other interesting contributions and found his offering for campaign 2008 -

John McCain campaign slogan, take 1:
"Senator McCain: Spawn of Mahan"

http://www.nysun.com/article/43444