David Brooks Versus The Thought Leaders

David Brooks delivers an hysterical column mocking "thought leaders". One presumes that some of this is autobiographical but I can only picture Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein as the leads. First, what is a thought leader?

Little boys and girls in ancient Athens grew up wanting to be philosophers. In Renaissance Florence they dreamed of becoming Humanists. But now a new phrase and a new intellectual paragon has emerged to command our admiration: The Thought Leader.

The Thought Leader is sort of a highflying, good-doing yacht-to-yacht concept peddler. Each year, he gets to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative, where successful people gather to express compassion for those not invited. Month after month, he gets to be a discussion facilitator at think tank dinners where guests talk about what it’s like to live in poverty while the wait staff glides through the room thinking bitter thoughts.

He doesn’t have students, but he does have clients. He doesn’t have dark nights of the soul, but his eyes blaze at the echo of the words “breakout session.”

And where do they come from?

In fact, the calling usually starts young. As a college student, the future Thought Leader is bathed in attention. His college application essay, “I Went to Panama to Teach the Natives About Math but They Ended Up Teaching Me About Life,” is widely praised by guidance counselors. On campus he finds himself enmeshed in a new social contract: Young people provide their middle-aged professors with optimism and flattery, and the professors provide them with grade inflation. He is widely recognized for his concern for humanity. (He spends spring break unicycling across Thailand while reading to lepers.)

Not armed with fascinating ideas but with the desire to have some, he launches off into the great struggle for attention. At first his prose is upbeat and smarmy, with a peppy faux sincerity associated with professional cheerleading.

Within a few years, though, his mood has shifted from smarm to snark. There is no writer so obscure as a 26-year-old writer. So he is suddenly consumed by ambition anxiety — the desperate need to prove that he is superior in sensibility to people who are superior to him in status. Soon he will be writing blog posts marked by coruscating contempt for extremely anodyne people: “Kelly Clarkson: Satan or Merely His Spawn?”

And away we go.

 

Comments

[MarkO]

Ponder this: "Death approaches. Cruelly, it smells like reverence."

He's been taken over by the ghost of "The Fantasticks.:

"try to see it. not with your eyes, for they are wise, but see it with your ears: the cool green breathing of the leaves. And hear it with the inside of your hand: the soundless sound of shadows flicking light."

[narciso,]

Iowahawk, has his proper commentary to that

http://patterico.com/2013/12/17/david-brooks-goes-crazy/comment-page-1/#comment-1393836

[matt]

MoDo?

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Hysterical? Hysterical like good comedy or hysterical as in a Freudian clinical condition? IMO it's the latter. Brooks apparently knows this NYT thing will be a supermarket handout in short order, as Carlos Slim starts hunting down Sultzberger collateral to be paid back. Basically, Brooks' cracking up accurately reflects the sick culture of the Imperial City, DC. A sick culture where no-nothing punks like Ezra Klein somehow become 'important'. It's a sick culture that's got to be completely cleaned out like the Augean Stables.

[narciso,]

Now the actual tale, is a little more quotidian, he started at Pandagon, right out of UCLA, 'a den of scum and villainy' then migrated over to Soros's paintbrush the American Prospect, where he created the Journolist,

[narciso,]

like the old field of Kremlinology, there are nuggets as with this report;

Two of the Saudi citizens still at Guantanamo are charged as alleged war criminals facing death penalty proceedings: USS Cole case defendant Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, born in Mecca, and 9/11 case defendant Mustafa al Hawsawi. And two other Saudi captives still at the Navy base prison are named Qahtani, both at one point considered for prosecution at the base’s military commissions but neither currently facing charges.

One of those Mohammed Quahtani, the 20th hijacker was the one that fooled Judge Crawford, which Woodward dutifully reported,
as he did his best Vinnie 'the Chin' impression,

[narciso,]

He was the second link on the way to the courier,
Soufan couldn't imagine he was anything but muscle,

Beck paints a tale, about this fellow, being a fighter against the Northern Alliance, and having subsequently been stopped by that sharp Customs
official, being reprimanded by KSM, for failing to join the Teams.

[matt]

Is the whole world melting down? I think I'm going to have to make an aluminum foil helmet and stand out in a thunderstorm like Ben Franklin to understand wtf our thought leaders and our un-thought leaders are thinking.

maybe if I read a few chapters of Joyce's Ulysses and drop some acid I can figure it out.

[matt]

HB, Another Barbara! may you have a joyous day.

[narciso,]

The problem is taking Mr. 'creased pants' seriously, matt if one takes it like a long riff from Candide it's all too clear,

[peter]

nk @ 11:35 too funny for words-supermarket handout

[Ignatz]

David Brooks has irony poor blood.

[narciso,]

It's not even an original note;

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2013/12/8537503/media-pro-how-be-hack

you just end up Fareed Zakaria,

[Comanche Voter]

I didn't bother to read the full Brooks column. [I'm full up on my quota of bullshit for the year.]

But I gather Brooksie has the vapors about something---maybe young lightweight punks stepping on the field with visions of overtaking Brooks's place. Quien Sabe.

But Brooks is the buffoon who recently called for greater authority for the President--at a time when we've had too much of that already. So it's hard to take Brooks seriously about anything.

[Dave (in MA)]

his eyes blaze at the echo of the words “breakout session.”

I can relate. Nothing good has ever come from Powerpoint, a "breakout session", or a "workshop" in which the tools were whiteboard easels and not saws, hammers and screwdrivers.

[Account Deleted]

It's simple, Matt. The prog "Thought Leaders" have devoted their lives to developing Ptolamic epicycles explaining the orbit of a feather around a beer bong. Brooks has joined them.

It's just a data point for reference when contemplating the difference between verbal IQ and practical IQ. One of the two doesn't involve much intelligence at all.

[narciso,]

Well it's like Cohen's dig at the Tea Party, that went all Tupolev last month, because he was dealing with a holier then thou commentariat.

[Falling Up]

I gather someone important asked of Brookes: "Didn't he used to be a thought leader?".

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

I dunno Rick B, this kinda sounds more like Brooks' "get off my lawn" Old Journo rank against young no-nothings like Klein.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Falling Up @12:00-- exactly.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Peter-- thank you very much-- I gotta million of 'em. I'm here all week, try the veal.

[narciso,]

To find a decent column, is worthy of scouring the Augean stables;

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/16/3822485/ecuador-lashes-out-at-internet.html

now Brooks used to be a beat reporter, before the brain slugs struck

[daddy]

Hi A(B), and a very Happy Birthday to you!

I just want everyone here to know what a great hubby and what a wonderful son A(B) has who are also sending her Birthday wishes this morning, and there's a whole bunch of other family relations I am sure who are doing the same thing as well, but since I haven't met them I can only speak for the cool family members that I have met.

Another BuB is a great, great JOM visit and those of you who neglect the opportunity are missing much! hesaidasheshuffledthroughHonolulutheotherdayonhiswaytoSydneywithout calling:(

Another Barbara---What the heck is son Paul doing, young Lady? Has he tossed in the medical practice and decided to become a Cargo Pilot or what?

And the status of Rom's hearing aide, advise us if you please?

Is your great, great Savanah grandson now 'slurring' in Southern-ese?

And is the weather pleasant on your windward side today?

Should one bemoan the lack of snow on such a glorious day?

When "It's minus 14 in New Hampshire"
And when "Global Cooling is a bitch"
should she commiserate with Yankee's
or chuckle "life is rich?"

Should she sweat TM's New York Times
With it's Krugman's and it's Brooks?
As it spouts such flathead, flatulence
from asinine Friedman books?

Should she moan the lack of restaurants?
or the lack of northeast "style"?
or the parochial sneers of provincialism
even tho' it's "Island Style?"

As 57th of our 50 States she's reaped such slurs so long
that we hardly have a moment to announce out loud 'tis wrong!"
Why should she give a damn about what damn East Coasters bellow,
when the act of bellowing shows these shits as such indecent fellows?

So is the Musabi on the counter?
Is the MaiTai in the glass?
Is the gorgeous A(B) waiting patiently
The poke' plate to pass?

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
Edomame's drenched in garlic are the plate that starts out right!
Then comes the poke' and the beef and beers that say Hooray?
And who cannot but cheer this pageant on A(B)'s Birthday?

[narciso,]

Cue up that song from the lead singer from the Eagles;

http://www.nationaljournal.com/white-house/this-is-the-end-of-the-presidency-20131217

[narciso,]

As a general rule, Garvin who is the TV writer, is the best my fishwrap offers, he was one of the few that didn't abide by the glitterati's received notions about the Contras, that ran from Anthony Lewis, spawn of Satan, or Joel Brinkley, aspiring demon,

[Dave (in MA)]

OT:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2013/12/16/norad-tracks-santa-critics-track-norad/sZmuZKi4DWBTke1hkMvvIO/story.html

FFS, grow up, people.

[DrJ]

Not good news:

Russia agreed to lend Ukraine $15 billion and cut prices for natural gas, amid large-scale protests in Kiev over the rejection of a trade deal with the European Union.

[kwanza]

Francis......dood.....just because his Eminence is a vocal anti-choice charlatan is no reason to can his privileged ass.

AP

" Cardinal Raymond Burke, former Archbishop of St. Louis, will no longer serve in the office."

[narciso,]

volodya knows when to close down the debate,

[windansea]

The White House is tapping the private sector for its next point man to fix the troubled Obamacare website.

The administration is set to announce that Kurt DelBene, an executive at Microsoft, will succeed Jeff Zients in leading the overhaul of the embattled HealthCare.gov, according to four sources with knowledge of the decision.

DelBene is currently the president of the Microsoft Office Division and has been with the company since 1992. He is also the husband of freshman Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.).

[narciso,]

Fournier still can't grapple with the elephant;

http://reason.com/blog/2013/12/17/somebodys-got-a-bad-case-of-the-second-t

[Account Deleted]

NK,

'Crease' Brooks may well have noticed the juiceboxer propagandists' lack of future utility due to the abject failure of the program which they were hired to promote but there is little evidence he types any better. He can't reclaim what he never had and he won't drive them from their perch atop their manure piles with this maundering.

You're probably right about him becoming insecure about his mid point perch on an ever diminishing pile.

[narciso,]

One you put in 'the girders made of pure selenium, ' it's not as simple to take them out, although baby steps I'll admit.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

IowaHawk said it well, Brooks' pissy little descent into madness.

[daddy]

From David Brooks: The tragedy of middle-aged fame is that the fullest glare of attention comes just when a person is most acutely aware of his own mediocrity.

I demand a column by 'pant crease' David Brooks, interviewing Michael Beschloss (Obama's) probably the smartest guy ever to become President,"
discussing mediocrity.

[Danube on iPad]

Sounded like he was talking about David Brooks.

Happy day, AB!

[Danube on iPad]

The wheels have come off. Paul Bedard;

"Following on the heels of other political groups, President Obama's liberal base is abandoning him, giving him an even lower level of support from his base than George W. Bush had from conservatives five years into his presidency, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.

"Just 54 percent of liberal Democrats strongly approve of Obama in their new poll. For Bush at this stage of his presidency, 65 percent of conservatives strongly supported the Republican.

"Worse for Obama: Younger liberals have lost their thrill for Obama more than older liberals. Of those aged 18-49, just 46 percent strongly approve of the president, 39 percent 'not so strongly,' said Pew."

[narciso,]

Actually the pattern to thought leader, is a little different;

http://dealbreaker.com/2010/11/steve-rattners-quadrangle-firm-to-shut-down-reinvent-itself-under-a-name-not-associated-fraud-allegations/

you can run the auto task force, pay 10 million in fines, and still be taken seriously as Morning Joke. you can plagiarize like Doris Goodwin, or Fareed Zakaria, who was himself deriving from a particularly maladroit interpretation of a book review,

[narciso,]

The rest of the story;

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/12/two_guantanamo_detai.php

[peter]

oh, Microsoft. They should be able to fix things. All their products work so well.

[narciso,]

So AQAP has got a new division chief,only a matter of time.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Maybe Rattner's Quadrangle Group could become Marriage.
It's a proven flexible word with many different meanings now...so why not use it for a media-focused private equity outfit?

[narciso,]

True, Janet, but since they go for often incomprehensible names, call is Syzgy, it's probably more accurate.

[Porchlight]

Happy birthday, (A)B!

Sorry I can't keep up with JOM these days - this December is a complete crush. I have so many plates spinning I'm surprised I can get my shoes on in the morning...

[Dave (in MA)]

oh, Microsoft. They should be able to fix things. All their products work so well.

[narciso,]

The squirreling seems to have paid off, to a degree;

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/12/17/wapoabc-poll-obama-obamacare-unpopularity-levels-off/

[Porchlight]

Microsoft products work mostly fine for me.

I just wonder if the media will notice that the website they proclaimed "fixed" on Dec 1 apparently needs more fixing.

[Account Deleted]

"Of those aged 18-49, just 46 percent strongly approve of the president, 39 percent 'not so strongly"

That's the specific cohort the juiceboxers were placed atop their manure piles to influence. I won't mind them being fired at all but it won't make any more difference than the switch from Zients Turd Polish to DelBene Turd Polish wrt the BOzocare website.

The failure just keeps grinding on and propaganda/marketing isn't cushioning the repeated blows by the 2X4 of reality.

[Jane]

(He spends spring break unicycling across Thailand while reading to lepers.)

OMG! I want that framed.

[windansea]

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/12/17/wapoabc-poll-obama-obamacare-unpopularity-levels-off/

wapoabc poll....cough cough

RCP average is 37.8 For 52 against

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

$1.5BILLION DOLLARS-- Just political payoffs to unions, GunGrabbers and Blue State cronies. Disgusting-- $1.5BILLION-- the Obamaniacs are not shy about grabbing everything they can with both hands: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-17/u-s-to-provide-funds-for-newtown-shooting-recovery.html

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

My Apologies, $1.5MILLION-- political pAyoffs, on a smaller scale.

[narciso,]

Except for Vista, which was conjured in the heart of Mt. Doom, I have few complaints;

[narciso,]

Surprisingly this wasn't what appeared in my paper;

http://nypost.com/2013/12/16/iran-nuke-deal-quietly-collapses/

[narciso,]

Well this will work out well, why would we have any doubts;

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/12/17/breaking-budget-deal-passes-key-test-vote-in-the-senate-67-33/

[jimmyk on iPad]

"David Brooks has irony poor blood."

Love that.

A sad commentary on Brooks is that I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.

I'm having lots of problems with Win 7 on a new laptop. All the increase in speed and memory negated by freezes almost every time I try to open or close a file. Oddly it's much worse at home than at work. From Googling it seems to be a 'feature', as there are many similar complaints, but none of the fixes have worked.

[jimmyk on iPad]

The other thing about MS, apart from personal experiences, is that every second version of their OS has been an objective failure. I'm not enough of a computer person to comment on the software architecture, but all the security holes and other glitches, the upgrades that seem no better if not worse than what they replace, and the general bloat, all suggest that they will be just what we want for 404care.

[lyle]

as there are many similar complaints, but none of the fixes have worked.

Clearly you need to up your game here, jimmyk. Just have Seeb take a look at it and she'll proclaim it working well most of the time for most users. (Hint: you may not be one of the users. Tough shit, old chap.)

As far as Brooksie's descent into madness, he must feel he's no longer top dog since all the other dogs won't sniff his ass anymore.

[jimmyk on iPad]

Taranto speculates that maybe Brooks is ridiculing Tom Friedman. That gives Brooks far too much benefit of the the doubt.

[2Jack is Back4!]

What if it's Krugman? Will TM claim "firsties"?

[Captain Hate]

Brooks must have been up late reading Finnegan's Wake.

[pagarnow]

The republican sellouts.

http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/jwithrow/see-how-your-senators-voted-on-the-ryanmurray-budg

[peter]

At the LUN, unicycling in Thailand

[pagarnow]

http://thefederalist.com/2013/12/17/wastebook-13-insane-government-programs-funded-money/

"7) Federally Funded Solar Panels Covered at Manchester-Boston Airport Because the Glare Blinds Pilots and Controllers (pg. 51)"

Beyond Insane!
Borrow money from the Chinese to buy the solar panel from ??? and on and on.

[cathyf]

Hey, did everybody wander off? Is it afternoon nap time?

[Old Lurker]

I was wondering the same thing, Cathy.

Heard any good jokes lately?

[Ignatz]

There was a dandy at 11:52. :P

[narciso,]

It's possible since Friedman has been wrong since 1982, having botched the Sabra and Shatila story,
and gone turtles all the way down,

So the front page of Carlos Slim's has the promise of the Obama library, notably the crimethink of that judge re Fluke's reward does not appear anywhere in the paper, nor in Rupert's Gazette.

In other news, Rubio is proud of taking the bribe, I mean subsidy

[Danube on iPad]

Joke:

The commanding general of the Russian Military Academy gave a lecture on Potential Problems and Military Strategy. At the end of the lecture, he asked if there were any questions. An officer stood up and asked, "Will there be a third world war? And will Russia take part in it?" The general answered both questions in the affirmative. Another officer asked, "Who will be the enemy?" The general replied, "All indications point to China." 

Everyone in the audience was shocked.    

A third officer remarked, "General, we are a nation of only 150 million, compared to the 1.5 billion Chinese. Can we win at all, or even survive?" 
   
   The general answered, "Just think about this for a moment: In modern warfare, it is not the quantity of soldiers that matters but the quality of an army's capabilities.  For example, in the Middle East we have had a few wars recently where 5 million Jews fought against 150 million Arabs, and Israel was always victorious."
   
   After a small pause, another officer from the back of the auditorium asked, "Do we have enough Jews to pull that off?"

[narciso,]

Charlie Savage does note the transfer of than misunderstood Quahtani lad, who at least didn't pull an excuse out of 'Casino Royale'

[cathyf]

My dad sent me this one: Engineering That Endured

[S andy Tues daze]

Six Important Take-Aways From Yesterday's Decision Striking Down The Contraception Mandate in New York
by Gabriel Malor

good reading and good analysis.

[narciso,]

They do continue a family tradition;

http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/12/asa-issues-member-talking-points-to-counter-university-pushback-over-israel-boycott/

[S andy Tues daze]

Also, on a separate topic, I think Glenn Reynolds is correct in his observation:

The NSA’s biggest problem is that they don’t exist in a vacuum, but in the context of a massive wave of politicization and abuse of power in numerous other government agencies, from the IRS, to the Department of Justice and FBI, to the EPA. That being the case, their calls for trust fall on much more skeptical ears. Maybe they’re more resistant to politicization than other agencies. But maybe they’re not, and their immense power in the context of, say, a presidential campaign, is worrisome.

in reference to this Daniel Drezner article in Foreign Policy:
Tone-Deaf at the Listening Post

[Jane]

Just got a call from the Cruise Authority and NR has cancelled the May cruise. They only had 40 cabins sign-up so far and they need a minimum of 60. I'm bummed.

[jimmyk]

NR has cancelled the May cruise

Shoot, I was actually thinking of going. Was there some notice that there was a deadline? I hadn't seen it.

[narciso,]

Well Spacey's Underwood is evil, but he's more clearheaded than most of the characters, he doesn't compare to Richardson's Urquart though.

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/12/17/obama-i-wish-washington-was-as-ruthlessly-efficient-as-it-is-in-house-of-cards/

[Dave (in MA)]

Hey, did everybody wander off? Is it afternoon nap time?

I had to go to some "breakout meetings".

[narciso,]

The Times piece on the ASA boycott is quite odious, although not in that link;

[Porchlight]

That's too bad, Jane.

[James D.]

I've seen the BBC "House of Cards" and loved it - is there any reason at all to watch the US version?

[James D.]

(that wasn't sarcasm - it's an honest question. If you've seen the Netflix HoC, is it worth the time to sit down and watch?)

[AliceH]

--NR has cancelled the May cruise--

I'm with jimmyk - I was inching my way to making a decision, while being on the lookout for updates etc. Seems they could at least have alerted those who signed up for email notifications, as I did. (I received one email thanking me for signing up for email notifications.) Poo.

[Porchlight]

The BBC production was fantastic. I would imagine that any attempt at a US version (especially starring Spacey) would be disappointing if not outright sucky.

[Jane]

Jimmy,

I think Jack got nervous. Joanne said she was aware of a lot more people planning to sign up, but Jack didn't want to risk it. I think that was a lesson from Portugal a few years back where they booked 2 back to back cruises and shouldn't have.

The next one will be in November. That's the big one, post election, to the Caribbean. I prefer the smaller ones not in the Caribbean, so I'm bummed.

[Old Lurker]

Good one, DoT. Thanks

[narciso,]

It's less genteel, then the original BBC production, and it's written by a former Dean staffer, with those caveats, it shows the savage menagerie very well.

[Porchlight]

Yeah, sounds like they could have shook the tree a little more before canceling. Seems like if a couple people just here on JOM were thinking seriously about it, others must have been, too.

[AliceH]

They don't indicate a cancellation at the booking site: nrcruise.com

The do seem to have dropped the ad/link on NRO site, though.

[2Jack is Back4!]

cathyf,

There is some fact mixed with fiction in your link on Std. gauge but I won't get into the minutae. Yes, the gauge we use now is relative to Roman roads in Britain but how we got that is interesting. It is because our first major line between Philly and New York in 1831 used an engine we imported from England. Its wheel spacing was based on their standard gauge.

But remember up until the 20th century we had as many as 4 or 5 different gauges for all our different railroads. In fact, we became a net exporter to England and other countries of various gauge built rail engines and cars. Lot of narrow gauge out west and in the mountains but that is another story.

[2Jack is Back4!]

forgot to mention that we built our early railroads with American engineers and not British engineers. That was one of the fictions in that piece. There may have been a scattering of Scots but mainly and by far American.

[narciso,]

Taranto points out the irony, of Brock's Aitkenesque statement;

"Fox News Channel maintained its grip on the cable-news network ratings prize in 2013, drawing more viewers than the combined averages of CNN, MSNBC and HLN."--Variety.com, Dec. 16

[A wide advantage.]

My understanding is that Russia has 5 feet between the rails because an American engineer told them to do it that way.

[sbwaters]

From Rolling Stone -- Remember Brooks + Yale on Humilty

According to New York Magazine, David Brooks, New York Times columnist and notorious diploma-sniffing aristocrat-apologist douchebag, has decided to teach a course on "humility" at Yale.

The magazine ran an item that includes the course description. Students taking the course with their class-obsessed celebrity professor will explore "the premise that human beings are blessed with many talents but are also burdened by sinfulness, ignorance, and weakness," qualities which NYMag.com writer Joe Coscarelli wittily notes may, in the eyes of Brooks, have been demonstrated by "men such as Moses, Homer, and 'others,' like maybe Paul Krugman."

Coscarelli managed to extract an e-quote from Brooks on the crucial question of whether or not he's aware that this move might formalize his status as the biggest windbag in the Western hemisphere:

But yes, he knows how it sounds. "The title of the Humility course is, obviously, intentionally designed to provoke smart ass jibes, but there's actually a serious point behind it," Brooks explained via e-mail last night. "People from Burke to Niebuhr, Augustine to Dorothy Day, Montaigne to MLK and Samuel Johnson to Daniel Kahneman have built philosophies around our cognitive, moral and personal limitations. The course is designed to look at these strategies as a guide for life and politics and everything else.

[Dave (in MA)]

I thought that the Netflix House of Cards was good, but I didn't see the original English version. My wife thought it was boring because it was about politics.

[narciso,]

Well it was, but the intrigue is the point of the tale, if Machiavelli would were alive today 'he's be writing House of Cards.

[maryrose]

Jane:
Sorry about the cruise. I imagine Caro is disappointed as well.
Happy Birthday {another Barbara{Bub} Have a great day!

[Dave (in MA)]

I didn't think it was boring. I suppose one think keeping me from watching the original is it's not in HD. Another good political series was "Boss", but that's been ended or cancelled.

[maryrose]

Remeber POI is on tonight.

[Dave (in MA)]

(thing)