As a leftist, should it embarrass me that if I was stuck on a desert island with only one blog to read, I might choose The Volokh Conspiracy? Written by a bunch of conservative/libertarian law professors, I personally don’t find any other blog as consistently interesting and informative.
A couple of times I’ve been told by lefty friends that they don’t read any right-wing blogs* – and my reaction is always the same – “what, not even Volokh?”
Anyhow, as a public service to any of my left-wing readers, here’s a couple of posts that y’all should enjoy even if the only thing you enjoy about blogs is seeing right-wing viewpoints used to wipe the floor. First, a Volokh reader writes in suggesting that Sodomy laws can be justified as ” a backup to the rape law”; Eugene V. responds with a modest proposal.
Second, Eugene Volokh takes on Pat Buchanan’s defense of the slave south. (It’s a bit like watching Jackie Chan fight with some poor shmuck extra – there’s no suspense about who’ll win, but it’s still worth watching for how nice Jackie’s/Volokh’s moves are).
This odd case (which Volokh found on Is That Legal?) in which President Bush, of all people, says something I’ve thought many times:
And so many more… seriously, everyone (or at least every political-junkie-blog-reader) should read Volokh.
By the way, some academic leftists have set up a group blog, which (fairly or not) I’ve already seen referred to a couple of times as a liberal Volokh. It’s called the Crooked Timber blog, if you want to check it out.
(Footnote: *For folks tempted to say that this post proves that many lefties are intellectually limited and refuse to read contrary opinions… please don’t bother. It’s unwarranted to assume that someone who avoids right-wing bloggers doesn’t read right-wingers at all.).
“A Fool can learn nothing from a wise man, but a wise man can learn much from even a fool”
Lefty blogs only confirm my own opinions. It is only on right wing blogs that my own views are strongly challenged. I do get new insights from some brilliant left wing sources, and there is a partisan “Right On!” feeling when reading some lefties that aren’t as creatively insightful. On the other hand, some of the righty blogs are full of so much hate that it is a real effort to find much of use. I do have a select few of both (right and left) that I find genuinely worthwhile.
‘Sfunny, that’s the one “right” web log in my top 10 (it just happens to be #10, right behind Digby who would be higher if he wouldn’t keep disappearing from the face of the planet). As for your statement:
It’s unwarranted to assume that someone who avoids right-wing bloggers doesn’t read right-wingers at all.
Quite true — I do read the mainstream press.
Crooked Timber also is somewhat international with US, Canadian and UK members.
For righties, I find Volokh and Tacitus to be good and though I think he may be a conservative Dem, Portland’s Michael Totten’s not bad, either.
Good and useful post.
Volokh and Tacitus are fine by me, in essence, though “Road to Surfdom” just played with a recent Tacitus post.
I receive US News & World Report, which contains propaganda pieces that amaze me. After their recent piece on evil trial lawyers and stupid juries, they just ran a piece on how the 25 million core Democrats are snobs who think they’re smarter than you. The rest is like Newsweek.
I like Tacitus, mainly for the discussions. Volokh hasn’t grabbed me so far, although I bookmarked it because Matt Y links to him a lot.
Here’s another one that I’ve been trying, fruitlessly, to get the Blogosphere to stop ignoring: Pierre Rinfret http://www.parida.com/
Among his claims to fame: economic spokesman for Nixon in his 1972 campaign, former CEO of America’s second largest financial consulting firm, and a disastrous gubernatorial run against Mario Cuomo. It appears to be entirely hand-coded, but I’d call it a blog, since he posts about twice a week. Anyway, it fascinates me. Check it out.
My other main source for conservative stuff is Arts and Letters.
The first blog I ever read was Andrew’s, which was linked from the Hitchens Web, but I don’t read either of them any more.
don’t forget jim henley…
I’ll have to check out both Volokh Conspiracy and Crooked Timber. If they have good discussions, then I’ll check in on them regularly regardless of their left-right leaning. I’m just tired of blogs whose comments sections are full of little more than shill profanities and crowing (Eschaton is rapidly approaching this point).
Volokh doesn’t have comments, but almost all the contributors are charmingly kind about replying to readers’ emails — even when you’re essentially call them idiots. That alone would put them way above InstaPundit, even if they weren’t good writers and thinkers.
I’d also recommend Prof. Eugene’s post today about same sex unions.
You should all just read my blog and throw rose petals at my feet as pubescent boys feed me grapes and a chorus of eunichs sing of my glory.
Or you could just stay here where you might learn something. :)
But seriously, after a few months subjecting myself every day to Glenn Reynolds rapid-fire, ill-considered headline-mongerings, I found Volokh to be a breath of fresh air. I may disagree with him occasionally, but I wish my own shit were as well written, cogent and deeply thunk as his stuff. And Crooked Timber, which hipped me to, is tres cool.
That’s Martial who hipped me to Crooked Timber. My HTML musta choked. Sorry.