QUOTE: As part of my ongoing service to prove that not everything Will Baude writes I find objectionable, I offer the following:
"And even if The New Republic were "just an idea depository with no real aim or purpose," what's so bad about that? Are ideas and arguments pointless except when in the service of a greater political vision? Why on earth should that be so?"
Of course, TNR isn't, and it's one of two publications I've subscribed to for a long-ish period of time with which I'm entirely happy (the other being Atlantic Monthly).
As just the sort of person TNR is looking for, I can assure everyone that it really does represent a cause, and even if you believe (as I do) that (ideal case) our portion of the party will be out to sea for a long time or (realistic case) we'll be making the jump to the Republicans within 20 years or so, the support that we offer now (financially by subscribing, and otherwise by blogging about their articles) really will matter at some point down the road. I read evangelical outpost because I mostly agree with what he says about religion, and when I don't, I think carrying on that dialogue is important. The same goes for, well, everyone else in my blogroll. Talking about politics, culture, and other interests we all have is, as my ancient philosophy professor would have said, "choiceworthy for its own sake."
"Thou shalt not extinguish thine anger, but shall master it,
that thy conscience may not be blunted by adjustment
to wrong causes."
-The Dutch Ten Commandments to Foil the Nazis
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