The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Liberal Ethics’ and Matthew Yglesias

Posted on | August 14, 2010 | 22 Comments

By Any Means Necessary:

Liberal blogger Matt Yglesias likes to call his political opponents “dishonest,” but in a revealing exchange on the website Twitter Friday he advocated lying for political purposes.
“Fighting dishonesty with dishonesty is sometimes the right thing for advocates to do, yes,” said Yglesias.
The exchange, with Washington Examiner writer Mark Hemingway, came on the heels of a debate between the two on transportation policy.
Yglesias pressed his point with another conservative writer, saying, “Do you really think deception is immoral in all circumstances?”

Read the rest. I’m recalling a chapter title in Hayek’s Road to Serfdom: “Why the Worst Get on Top.”

Category: Corruption, Progressivism

Comments

22 Responses to “‘Liberal Ethics’ and Matthew Yglesias”

  1. ECM
    August 14th, 2010 @ 1:27 pm

    When did Yglesias convert to Islam?

  2. ECM
    August 14th, 2010 @ 5:27 pm

    When did Yglesias convert to Islam?

  3. Kojocaro
    August 14th, 2010 @ 5:31 pm

    liberal ethic………….ahaha your funny

    O/T-fearmonger obama says repubs want to kill social security Hat ip goes to weasel zippers

    Rich coming from someone who is transforming us into some 3rd wrld corrupt socialist hellhole like zimbabwe

  4. Kojocaro
    August 14th, 2010 @ 1:31 pm

    liberal ethic………….ahaha your funny

    O/T-fearmonger obama says repubs want to kill social security Hat ip goes to weasel zippers

    Rich coming from someone who is transforming us into some 3rd wrld corrupt socialist hellhole like zimbabwe

  5. Estragon
    August 14th, 2010 @ 7:07 pm

    Excuse me, but how does this qualify as news?

    Is there anyone out there who seriously believed Yglesias was anything but a lying, leftist hack?

    Oh, I know there were some who were mislead by the Short Pants Brigade over at NRO, who also awarded their imprimatur of respectability to Andrew Prissy Sullivan, but I would have thought by now most would recognize those kids are just trying to get invited to the media cocktail parties.

  6. Estragon
    August 14th, 2010 @ 3:07 pm

    Excuse me, but how does this qualify as news?

    Is there anyone out there who seriously believed Yglesias was anything but a lying, leftist hack?

    Oh, I know there were some who were mislead by the Short Pants Brigade over at NRO, who also awarded their imprimatur of respectability to Andrew Prissy Sullivan, but I would have thought by now most would recognize those kids are just trying to get invited to the media cocktail parties.

  7. Adobe Walls
    August 14th, 2010 @ 9:25 pm

    His actually touting dishonesty as a virtue is, I believe what makes this story news.

  8. Adobe Walls
    August 14th, 2010 @ 5:25 pm

    His actually touting dishonesty as a virtue is, I believe what makes this story news.

  9. proof
    August 14th, 2010 @ 9:30 pm

    When a liar admits he’s lying, can you trust him? Someone needs to channel Captain Kirk here!

  10. proof
    August 14th, 2010 @ 5:30 pm

    When a liar admits he’s lying, can you trust him? Someone needs to channel Captain Kirk here!

  11. jefferson101
    August 14th, 2010 @ 9:34 pm

    “Liberal Ethics”

    Oxymoron.

    And yeah. I thought we all knew that already. I believe them when they tell me their name, if I’ve checked their birth certificate first.

  12. jefferson101
    August 14th, 2010 @ 5:34 pm

    “Liberal Ethics”

    Oxymoron.

    And yeah. I thought we all knew that already. I believe them when they tell me their name, if I’ve checked their birth certificate first.

  13. Randy Rager
    August 14th, 2010 @ 11:40 pm

    Little Matty is the finest reason going to raze Harvard, and plant salt in the furrows.

  14. Randy Rager
    August 14th, 2010 @ 7:40 pm

    Little Matty is the finest reason going to raze Harvard, and plant salt in the furrows.

  15. Adobe Walls
    August 14th, 2010 @ 11:55 pm

    @ Randy I like your approach. The razing and salt planting solution works in so many ways.

  16. Adobe Walls
    August 14th, 2010 @ 7:55 pm

    @ Randy I like your approach. The razing and salt planting solution works in so many ways.

  17. Randy Rager
    August 15th, 2010 @ 1:23 am

    I feel that way about most Ivy League “schools”. On really bad days, I wonder if Pol Pot wasn’t on to something with his treatment of the entire “educated” class.

  18. jefferson101
    August 15th, 2010 @ 1:23 am

    @Adobe Walls:

    A bit extreme, I think. Plowing it and salting the Professors into the furrows is all good and well, but that huge endowment fund could be put to good use actually educating someone, don’t you think?

    Or would you have us give it to the .Gov?

    Heh.

  19. Randy Rager
    August 14th, 2010 @ 9:23 pm

    I feel that way about most Ivy League “schools”. On really bad days, I wonder if Pol Pot wasn’t on to something with his treatment of the entire “educated” class.

  20. jefferson101
    August 14th, 2010 @ 9:23 pm

    @Adobe Walls:

    A bit extreme, I think. Plowing it and salting the Professors into the furrows is all good and well, but that huge endowment fund could be put to good use actually educating someone, don’t you think?

    Or would you have us give it to the .Gov?

    Heh.

  21. RES
    August 15th, 2010 @ 6:02 am

    The flaw in Yglesias’ argument is that Social Security is a non-viable program and doomed to self-destruct regardless of what Republicans do. And recent polls indicate 60% of people not already receiving SSI payments expect to never receive any. Hmmm, 60% of voters paying into SSI expect a return on their investment of zip, zero, nada, zilch, bupkis — and Yglesias thinks claiming Republicans are destroying this rapacious monster will HURT the GOP? Sheesh!

  22. RES
    August 15th, 2010 @ 2:02 am

    The flaw in Yglesias’ argument is that Social Security is a non-viable program and doomed to self-destruct regardless of what Republicans do. And recent polls indicate 60% of people not already receiving SSI payments expect to never receive any. Hmmm, 60% of voters paying into SSI expect a return on their investment of zip, zero, nada, zilch, bupkis — and Yglesias thinks claiming Republicans are destroying this rapacious monster will HURT the GOP? Sheesh!