The Power of Cool

[ant1999e]

http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...r-davis-hanson

When Barack Obama two years ago joked at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that potential suitors of his two daughters might have to deal with Predator drones (“But boys, don’t get any ideas. Two words for you: Predator drones. You will never see it coming.”), the liberal crowd roared. That failed macabre joke would have earned George W. Bush a week of headline condemnation from the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Obama, in fact, has increased those judge/jury/executioner targeted assassinations tenfold during his tenure. But apparently, the combination of Obama’s postracial “cool” and the video-game nature of such airborne death — no CNN clips of charred torsos and smoldering legs, no prisoners with their ACLU lawyers in Guantanamo, no Seymour Hersh exposé on a Waziristan granny who was vaporized for being too near her terrorist-suspect grandson, no American losses for Code Pink and Moveon.org to demonstrate against — earned general exemption for that new liberal way of war. What bothered us about the Predator strikes in 2006–2008 was not the kills per se but the uncool nature of twangy Texan George Bush, who ordered them.

Last week 28-year-old, $17 billion–rich, jeans-clad Mark Zuckerberg took Wall Street for a multibillion-dollar ride, making his original buddies instant billionaires and his loyal larger circle millionaires. Note that there is no Occupy Wall Street protest at Facebook headquarters. Just as there are none at Oprah’s house or the residence of Leonardo DiCaprio, despite their take each year of between $50 and $100 million.
No one has suggested that Hollywood lower movie-ticket prices by asking Johnny Depp or Jennifer Lopez to walk away with $10 or $20 million less a year. Steve Jobs found ways to dodge taxes comparable to those deployed by any Wall Street fatcat, but he was iPad cool, and so his iPhone billions were exempt from the Occupy nonsense. Cool capitalists are immune from the neo-Marxist critique of capitalism — a racket that $40 billion–rich Warren Buffett learned late in life, but well enough, with the “Buffett Rule.”

We simply don’t mind that Google and Amazon rake in billions, but we despise Exxon and Archer Daniels Midland for doing the same. It is not that we need social networking and Internet searches more than food and fuel, but rather that we have the impression that cool zillionaires in flipflops are good while uncool ones in wingtips are quite bad.

I am sure that the tax lawyers who help Richard Branson and Mick Jagger are no less skilled at shorting the Treasury than those who work for Rush Limbaugh, but the profits of the former are okay while the latter’s are obscene. Limbaugh is a misogynist for using the word “slut” and apologizing for it; Bill Maher is a feminist for using slurs we cannot print and for which he did not apologize. One is uncool, the other very cool — as was a cynical and sarcastic David Letterman, who implied that the 14-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin had snuck into the Yankees’ dugout for quick sex with Alex Rodriquez.

The power of cool is evident also in politics. State quite correctly that you can see Russia from parts of Alaska, and you are ditzy white-trash Sarah from Wasilla; state falsely that Franklin Roosevelt addressed the nation on television in 1929, and you are just “good ol’ Joe Biden.”

John Kerry’s second married-into fortune probably dwarfs the one that Mitt Romney made himself, perhaps by a factor of ten. While we heard in 2012 that Romney wanted a car elevator in one of his many houses, we never heard much in 2004 of presidential candidate Kerry’s various mansions, boats, or assorted playthings, or how he proved to be a keen investor as a senator helping to set U.S. financial policy.

Kerry, you see, was cool. He windsurfed and wore spandex as he cycled, and found his exemption by championing the poor he rarely saw. The same was true of John Edwards of “Two Americas” fame. Do we now recall how he ran to the left of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, despite the $500 haircuts and the self-indulgent mansion, replete with “John’s room,” a hideaway with all sorts of adolescent toys? Edwards, remember, earned those spoils by charming juries in his smarmy style, and nearly destroyed the practice of obstetrics in North Carolina through his flurry of malpractice suits. No matter, Edwards was liberal, Kennedyesque, and cool — and he earned prophylaxis in the manner of JFK himself, of whose White House orgies we did not learn until a half-century later. Likewise we have been taught that there is no “power imbalance” or “insidious asymmetry” when a “mentor” has sexual relations with his young intern — as long as he is a feminist like Bill Clinton.

What, then, exactly, is this cool that allows you to earn whatever you like without censure, and then to spend it as you please without fear of public scorn?

[cutthemdown]

The media is strange though. The people working in it are mostly liberal, but a lot of big corporations own them. I think big business just loves both parties to death. As long as both sides need money to win corporations and big business will always smile.

[mhgaffney]

I have never begrudged Google's financial success because they have made a real contribution with a killer search engine. That took talent.

Ditto for Apple's success.

Amazon is a beast of another color - a commercial monster in process of driving thousands of independent bookstores and small publishers out of business -- while impoverishing authors.

Which is why I urge folks to order books thru your local independent bookstore. Screw Amazon.

MHG

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by mhgaffney

I have never begrudged Google's financial success because they have made a real contribution with a killer search engine. That took talent.

Ditto for Apple's success.

Amazon is a beast of another color - a commercial monster in process of driving thousands of independent bookstores and small publishers out of business -- while impoverishing authors.

Which is why I urge folks to order books thru your local independent bookstore. Screw Amazon.

MHG

You could say same thing about music except musicians can give a live performance. Book readings and signing just not as fun.

[Rohirrim]

The OP sounds like one of Nixon's famous whines.

[ghwk]

I like the thread title though, it sounds like a beat poem from the 60's

[Pony Boy]

Speaking of cool .....Bill did not have sexual relations with these women

0523-bill-clinton-avn-stars-5.jpeg

Bill Clinton just out-Clinton'd himself -- posing with two famous porn stars in Monaco moments ago ... and one of them's a real up-and-comer.

Clinton's in a Monte Carlo casino right now for a special "Nights in Monaco" gala event -- and several celebrities are in attendance ... including Diane Kruger, Joshua Jackson ... and a BUNCH OF PORN STARS.

The two porn stars on Bill's arms are Tasha Reign (left) and Brooklyn Lee -- AVN's "Best New Starlet" in porn.

Brooklyn -- who just posted the pic on her Twitter account -- also just won the award for "Best Sex Scene" in "Mission Asspossible." As for Tasha's film credits ... those include "Baby Got Boobs 8" and "Farm Girls Gone Bad."

Our guess -- Bill did not have sexual relations with these women.

http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/23/bill-clinton-porn-stars/

[barryr]

Originally Posted by Pony Boy

Speaking of cool .....Bill did not have sexual relations with these women

Attachment 30933

Bill Clinton just out-Clinton'd himself -- posing with two famous porn stars in Monaco moments ago ... and one of them's a real up-and-comer.

Clinton's in a Monte Carlo casino right now for a special "Nights in Monaco" gala event -- and several celebrities are in attendance ... including Diane Kruger, Joshua Jackson ... and a BUNCH OF PORN STARS.

The two porn stars on Bill's arms are Tasha Reign (left) and Brooklyn Lee -- AVN's "Best New Starlet" in porn.

Brooklyn -- who just posted the pic on her Twitter account -- also just won the award for "Best Sex Scene" in "Mission Asspossible." As for Tasha's film credits ... those include "Baby Got Boobs 8" and "Farm Girls Gone Bad."

Our guess -- Bill did not have sexual relations with these women.

http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/23/bill-clinton-porn-stars/

Clinton groping women for decades, as well as assaulting them, has been acceptable to women organizations since he supports abortion and other liberal type policies.

[DenverBrit]

Originally Posted by barryr

Clinton groping women for decades, as well as assaulting them, has been acceptable to women organizations since he supports abortion and other liberal type policies.

You're a whiny little sprog.

[barryr]

Originally Posted by DenverBrit

You're a whiny little sprog.

Says a typical effeminate liberal male.

[DenverBrit]

Originally Posted by barryr

Says a typical effeminate liberal male.

.

You're liberal, homo-erotic fixations speak volumes about you and your holier-than-thou persona.

Time for you to kick your closet door open and step out into the sunshine, sprog.

[barryr]

Originally Posted by DenverBrit

.

You're liberal, homo-erotic fixations speak volumes about you and your holier-than-thou persona.

Time for you to kick your closet door open and step out into the sunshine, sprog.

Speaking of language, so "homo" is your way to describe gays? But you worry about protecting their rights though. I bet you were the kind of person who calls people "gay" as a put down, but you will state nothing is abnormal about people being homosexual. Makes sense there.

Oh, and just because you are effeminate does not mean you are a homosexual, so no need to be so defensive about it, much less criticize someone's English when you don't know the meaning of words. But you're not much of a man in my book, especially ones like you who need to drum up help to gang up on others that you liberals do on a daily basis around here. If you don't like being called on about doing that, then stop doing it. It is rather simple. If you can't stop, then that shows and pretty much proves what I have been stating. But oh, somehow that proves you are right? , whatever.

[DenverBrit]

Originally Posted by barryr

Speaking of language, so "homo" is your way to describe gays? But you worry about protecting their rights though. I bet you were the kind of person who calls people "gay" as a put down, but you will state nothing is abnormal about people being homosexual. Makes sense there.

Oh, and just because you are effeminate does not mean you are a homosexual,so no need to be so defensive about it, much less criticize someone's English when you don't know the meaning of words. But you're not much of a man in my book, especially ones like you who need to drum up help to gang up on others that you liberals do on a daily basis around here. If you don't like being called on about doing that, then stop doing it. It is rather simple. If you can't stop, then that shows and pretty much proves what I have been stating. But oh, somehow that proves you are right? , whatever.

Are you drunk, or did you finally lose it??

[ant1999e]

It's sad that we can never have serious and mature conversation on the topic. I think this was an excellently written article and is pretty accurate. Can any of you children stop the name calling and discuss why you agree or disagree.
You know, it's ok for us to disagree. We don't have to hate each other. That's what makes this country so great. We can disagree and have a civil debate. Why must we always resort to the childish name calling?
This place kinda sucks.

[NUB]

Facebook and the oil business do not have comparable places in society. Individual actors and artists do not compare to giant corporations. The article is inane and serves no purpose other than to attack and ostracize. There is no interest in dialogue in the first place, so why would you expect it from the commentary of the readers? The great irony, to me at least, is that the article itself is generic conservative pastiche and it plays to every "cool" chord imaginable when it comes to demonizing the left. Right? Or is there something different about this article that separates it from what one can find from talk radio, Fox News, etc.? Of course not. And isn't bashing liberals 24/7 and marginalizing the label itself the very definition of "cool" in conservative circles?

Spare me the pleas for dialogue. This is intellectual trash.

[Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by NUB

Facebook and the oil business do not have comparable places in society. Individual actors and artists do not compare to giant corporations. The article is inane and serves no purpose other than to attack and ostracize. There is no interest in dialogue in the first place, so why would you expect it from the commentary of the readers? The great irony, to me at least, is that the article itself is generic conservative pastiche and it plays to every "cool" chord imaginable when it comes to demonizing the left. Right? Or is there something different about this article that separates it from what one can find from talk radio, Fox News, etc.? Of course not. And isn't bashing liberals 24/7 and marginalizing the label itself the very definition of "cool" in conservative circles?

Spare me the pleas for dialogue. This is intellectual trash.

Bingo. Not to mention the writer holds up as an exemplar of "cool" Kerry's windsurfing, which of course is one of the reasons he lost the election. The bozo torpedoes his own thesis!

This piece is basically just one more partisan hack job.

[barryr]

Originally Posted by DenverBrit

Are you drunk, or did you finally lose it??

So you supposedly support "gay rights" while going around calling people homos as a put down? Yeah, with friends like that.

[barryr]

Articles attacking conservatives are the cool ones of course.

[DenverBrit]

Originally Posted by barryr

So you supposedly support "gay rights" while going around calling people homos as a put down? Yeah, with friends like that.

Because you don't understand a word, doesn't mean its a put down, it just means your vocabulary is limited.

Adj. 1. homoerotic - of or concerning homosexual love
homosexual - sexually attracted to members of your own sex

[Requiem]

Barry is retarded.

[mosca]

Originally Posted by ant1999e

Limbaugh is a misogynist for using the word “slut” and apologizing for it; Bill Maher is a feminist for using slurs we cannot print and for which he did not apologize. One is uncool, the other very cool — as was a cynical and sarcastic David Letterman, who implied that the 14-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin had snuck into the Yankees’ dugout for quick sex with Alex Rodriquez.

This type of false 'outrage' from the left (or right) always gets to me. When a comedian/talk show host says something and the opposing side get all huffity-puffity and pretend like they can't believe that so-and-so said such a thing, when we're all grown adults and have been used to hearing that type of language for a long, long time. It's fake as ****.

[barryr]

Originally Posted by DenverBrit

Because you don't understand a word, doesn't mean its a put down, it just means your vocabulary is limited.

I know, so hopefully you will understand what effeminate means soon.

[Requiem]

You have many effeminate qualities, Barry: A vagina for a face.

[barryr]

Originally Posted by Requiem

You have many effeminate qualities, Barry: A vagina for a face.

Yes, your usual, daily contribution to these forums. But I'm wrong about you, you are one of the more mature liberals around here. Again, one sees when a mental midget like yourself has nothing and I mean, NOTHING, so this is all you can provide. All those supposed years in college and this is all you can do every day? Pathetic. Find a hobby and who knows, maybe you'll get lucky, (extremely lucky in your case), and you'll even see a nude female in person instead of pictures in your mags under your pillow.

[Requiem]

Originally Posted by barryr

Yes, your usual, daily contribution to these forums. But I'm wrong about you, you are one of the more mature liberals around here. Again, one sees when a mental midget like yourself has nothing and I mean, NOTHING, so this is all you can provide. All those supposed years in college and this is all you can do every day? Pathetic. Find a hobby and who knows, maybe you'll get lucky, (extremely lucky in your case), and you'll even see a nude female in person instead of pictures in your mags under your pillow.

I was smarter than you by the time I was 12. Not all humans are created equal.

And I've never had a porno mag. Not into buying that sort of stuff. Kinda weird.