Reason/CATO = "Hipper than Thou"

I've caught some flack in the past for making the observation that Reason Magazine and the CATO Institute are full of douchebags who exist primarily to promote a limited government philosophy that essentially boils down to their need to be perceived as "hipper than thou". "Thou", of course, refers to everyone on the right who doesn't believe that our national motto should be "Coolness and Cannibis Uber Alles".

Why do I sneer at them so derisively? Because in the Reason universe (in which everything would be perfect if you could legally smoke marijuana bought with gold-backed currency from a Columbian drug lord who travelled to your neighborhood through non-existant borders) politics isn't about substance. It is all about style.

And the politics of style is a politics bereft of core values, as style is constantly shifting. It is also a politics which lacks all seriousness of thought. Which, in part, explains how despite the anti-semitic, racist, conspiratorial messages promoted in Ron Paul's newsletters, his cult followers can still hold on. The seriousness of the allegations against Paul can thus be dismissed because political seriousness isn't as important as the signal that you are sending to your peers. It's cool to be anti-establishment, after all, and nobody is more anti-establishment than Ron Paul.

Of course he has to be. He thinks the establishment is chemically tagging his money to follow his every move.

But you don't have to take my word for Reason's/CATO's inner douchiness. Thanks to commenter "someone", I have been handed a perfect example of this "hipper than thou" attitude in action, courtesy of the Washington Post.

It should be required reading for any "conservative" who is tempted to respond to the siren song of "libertarianism" as espoused by these losers.

So, let's delve into Reason's inner douchiness, shall we?

Four minutes into Reason magazine's monthly bash at the Big Hunt lounge, and every Libertarian-as-Bacchus fantasy you've entertained plays out before your widening eyes.

Nick Gillespie, the leather-jacketed, Mama-said-you're-dangerous editor of the political rag peers at you intently. "What do you need?" he asks. "Do you need a drink? A cigarette?"

In the history of the universe, there is only one non-douche who was ever able to pull of the leather jacket thing. His name? Arthur Fonzarelli.

A stranger reaches out to knead your shoulders. Maybe what you need is a relaxing back rub.

My, is that cloying smell in the stairwell . . . marijuana?

Marijuana? At a libertarian party? I'm shocked! Why one would get the impression that their entire political philosophy was solely about getting high! Oh, wait...

"D.C. is a city of young fogies who think the only way to be pious is to wear ill-fitting suits" and obsess over politics, Gillespie, 44, says later. "We're the only people that want to have fun."

The Politics of Fun? Really? I just don't see how that could possibly go wrong as a foundational political principle. By the way, Nick. You're 44. Most people grow out of the "politics of fun" by their teens. I'm jus sayin'...

But you know, maybe I'm being too quick to judge. Maybe these small government types at least have a few nice things to say about small government champion Ronald Reagan, the man who united conservatives across the spectrum.

"It's clear we don't come from a political background," says Gillespie, referring to himself and Welch. "I started out in rock and teen magazines. We're not about [self-pleasuring] to Ronald Reagan." Oh, behave.

Whoops. Guess I spoke to soon. It is nice to know that Reason is led by a man whose formative experiences were gathered at rock and teen magazines. Lief Garrett for President! He's dreamy.

Once a month, culture comes in the form of magazine release parties at assorted Dupont dives and wafts of conversation like "This can't be good for my liver" and "Jeremy has passed out in his own vomit."

Jeremy, several people make sure to tell you, is not a Reason employee.

Does he work for the Cato Institute? Cato refugees have been known to show up at Reason parties, which are announced on the magazine's blog and thus open to anyone who reads it.

Stay Classy, Reason. You too, Cato.

But at the end of the day, despite their faults, aren't they all about adding to the political discussion in DC?

But Reason's goal in Washington is not to agree with everyone, says Welch, but rather this: "We want to add a new bacteria to the culture."

Ahhh. That's a pretty good analogy. Apparently the bacteria they want to add to the culture is a philosophy based on pot-smoking, gold-bugging, conspiracy-theorizing, neo-nazi money accepting, jew-hating, race bating, blimp-flying, militia-joining, confederate-sympathizing, terrorist apologizing, Hannity-accosting, truthers.

In the Reason world, I suppose that's the yeast that leavens the bread.

Now, I didn't excerpt everything. The article contains additional juicy examples of Reason's promotion of this "hipper than thou" meme. Really, read it.

And for those of who who think I'm being unduly harsh, "someone" points out another interesting fact.

I'm not the only one bemoaning Reason's utter lack of seriousness. You know who else is?

Virginia Postrel, the one time editor of Reason (1989-2000) who sees things much like I do.

In her words:

I do fault my friends at Reason, who are much cooler than I'll ever be and who, scornful of the earnestness that takes politics seriously, apparently didn't do their homework before embracing Paul as the latest indicator of libertarian cachet.

The dangers of style over substance, folks. The politics of fun, or of being "hipper than thou", is a one way street to the type of moral bankruptcy associated with the political left.

Is that really the road you want to travel on?

posted by Jack M. at 12:43 PM

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