I am scandalized that an avowed Leftist would ever think of drinking champagne. Isn’t that the preferred beverage of the wealthy capitalist exploiters? One would think that Mr. Daniel Davies could barely justify swallowing cheap beer. Where’s Karl Marx when you need him? It’s obvious that everyone is equal, but some people are obviously more equal than others.

“When you're going under the anaesthetic for some complicated operation, I would say that about the last thing you'd want to hear the doctor mumbling would be "I wasn't descended from no monkey"”

I can think of something far worse for the doctor to be mumbling: “There is no God and life is meaningless. It’s fine if this patient makes it, but who really gives a crap? What’s one less human being in the world?”

>>I am scandalized that an avowed Leftist would ever think of drinking champagne. Isn’t that the preferred beverage of the wealthy capitalist exploiters? <<

Arrant nonsense as usual, Thomson. Champagne is in general produced by small agrarian co-operatives who farm organically and use sustainable methods. Grande-Marque champagne does include a certain amount of alienated labour on the part of the negociant-merchant and the involvment, in general, of a multinational company (LVMH). But so does everything else in a capitalist economy.

wrong on Krugman. As James Carville, explained, The reason they dislike him is that he disrupts the cherished Washington CW that "Say what you want about Bush, the guy is honest and straight-forward. A Truly Decent Man. A Good Man. Perhaps the Son of Man. Someone whose unobtrusive compassion and kindness inspires me so deeply, that I am not ashamed to say I wept myself to sleep while contemplating the Goodness of our Dear President. Remember when he put his arm around that fireman? Remeber how proud you felt to be an American at that point? etc. etc."

BTW I am only exaggerating a little. Among people who identify themselves as Republicans, Bush's approval ratings for a long time were damned near 100%. Among this rather large group of Americans, serious dissent was basically forbidden.

Krugman says no to all that: on economic issues, Bush is either completely clueless or an utter fraud. And that's why they hate him so.

David,

YOu have no sense of humour do you? I thought you were starting off jokingly but you weren't.

How weird.

James

On the internet it's generally best to assume that *everyone* has a sophisticated, wry sense of humor...

Until they demonstrate that they don't , Brad.

What DT should remember is that Champagne is quintessential French. If it is not from France's Champagne region, it is not Champagne. Now we have very good Cava here in Catalonia, but I fear that we tend to lean a little too much on France side to his taste.

DSW

Does anyone syndicate D-squared?

I'm in China and the F'ing commies blocked blogspot again. I need my D-squared fix...

The correct form is "I ain't descended from no monkey". Not only is he innumerate, DD also can't write incorrect English correctly.

>>Now we have very good Cava here in Catalonia<<

And they bloody do, to. Sadly all I can get over here is Freixenet and Cordoniu; the real stuff produced once more under a semblance of anarcho-syndicalism, doesn't get exported in material quantities.

At some point I must investigate the connection between good wine and alienated labour ...

>>Does anyone syndicate D-squared? I'm in China and the F'ing commies blocked blogspot again. I need my D-squared fix...<<

I've just created one:

http://myrss.com/f/b/l/blogspotAo67dg0.rss

>>There is no God and life is meaningless<<

And so, the idea that life is precious is can only come from belief in (the judeo-christian) God?

Hard to reconcile with all religious wars... Gott mit uns!

There are three kinds of economists: those who can count, and those who can't.

>>There is no God and life is meaningless<<

There is, however, champagne, which you can't afford to drink if you kill too many patients.

They might let you sit with Laura Bush at the next State of the Union, though, in silent protest against your oppression by the trial lawyers (although I'm not sure they sue athiests - there might be a godless flame-eyed gibbering evil creatures from the stygian depths of the inner circles of hell professional courtesy thing going on there).

Or, you know, maybe the surgeon is a nice religious boy or girl who figures that a book that's been inaccurately translated a few times, the last time into poetry, doesn't make optimal scientific reference material.

yrs in misguided thrall to the enlightenment, I remain, as ever,

Leftists don't drink champagne? Arrant nonsense. Karl Marx had a good head for wine and one of Thomson's favorite leftist whipping boys, John Maynard Keynes, was a champagne aficionado. Too many Republicans and other trolls seems to have the idea that leftists and liberals are vegetarian, sprout-eating, water-restricted ascetics. If that were the case, there would really be no point in favoring redistribution, would there?

"Karl Marx had a good head for wine and one of Thomson's favorite leftist whipping boys, John Maynard Keynes."

Karl Marx was a idiot who caused much suffering. John Maynard Keynes, on the other hand, was one of the greatest minds of all time. I find great value in the work of the latter gentleman.

"Karl Marx was a idiot who caused much suffering."

Good gawd.

David Thomson is "a idiot" who is causing much suffering.

I want a client-side killfile feature in Moveable Type too!