I know I'm late, but why did the NYT give Josh Chafetz "Kansas" to review?

[BurtWorm]

According to his bio:

Josh Chafetz, a graduate student in politics at Merton College, Oxford, is the co-editor of oxblog.com.


Just read a couple of lines of the review of Thomas Frank's "What's the Matter with Kansas?" and you know oxblog.com must be a constipated neo- or paleo-con site:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/13/books/review/13CHAFETS.html?ex=1090728000&en=333ac9d94aa25999&ei=5070

Frank's economics are, of course, debatable -- his view that capitalism is ''borderline criminality'' puts him just a touch outside the mainstream (as does his view that the Democratic Leadership Council is a ''hothouse of the right''). But what is most odd is Frank's refusal to consider the idea that there might be such a thing as legitimate cultural grievances. The only legitimate interests, he believes, are material ones. ''By all rights,'' he tells us, ''the people in Wichita and Shawnee and Garden City should today be flocking to the party of Roosevelt, not deserting it.'' But instead, the poor fools have been led astray.

And, show nuff, yes it is a constipated neo-con site, sponsored by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies ("Support Democracy in Iraq").

So why (dumb question of course) would the NYT give an important book about politics and class in the US to someone with a decided right-wing bias to write a review that would be linked to at NYTimes.com for all time? Put another way, why does the NYT want Chafetz's hatchet job to be the Times' last word on Frank's book? Do they not care? Or do they care too much?

:wtf:

[BurtWorm]

1. kick

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. The New York Times is best SHUT DOWN!

[SoCalDem]

3. Because the repubes would scream...LIBRULLLLLLLMEEEEEDIA

if they dare to provide a balanced review or report news that does not praise the chimp..

They are afraid to be intimidated, and every time they say anything remotely "librulllllll", they have the Jayson Blair thing thrown at them.. They are wallowing in shit, and don't have the sense to take a bath...

[BurtWorm]

4. I think you're right about the effect of Jayson Blair on their confidence.

But then they also have Judith Miller and Wen Ho Lee on their conscience. It's not as though they really need to prove their conservative bona fides.

(I can't wait until Gail Collins becomes executive editor. maybe she'll do for the paper what she's done for the Op-Ed page.)

[scarletwoman]

5. Because to acknowledge class warfare...

is so declasse. The NYT would rather not go there...

sw

[SheilaT]

6. I live in Kansas,

Overland Park, to be precise, and last night a group of us who meet every Thursday to discuss the issues of the day discussed that book.

First of all, I personally take some exception to the idea that everyone in Kansas has become a conservative right-wing Republican. Only about a third of them are actually the extremists, another third are moderate Republicans, and the rest are variously Democrats, Libertarians, Independents, what have you.

One very frustrating thing that artificially inflates the number of registered Republicans, is that a lot of people choose to register as Republicans so they can vote in the Republican primary which is often the only place a real choice exists. I agree with one Kansas Democrat who says it's not up to the Democrats to reform the Republican party.

Anyway, last night, the college professor leading the discussion who grew up in western Kansas himself, pointed out that the big hole in the book is the leaving out of the farmers who get serious money from farm price supports, courtesy of the Federal Government, meaning the Republicans. It's quite common, according to Fred, for a family of five or six to each get $50,000 per year because (on paper at least) each one owns a separate farm and so is entitled to this money.

And of course these are the people who scream about the pittance that is welfare.

[BurtWorm]

7. Frank doesn't make the claim that all Kansans are wingers, does he?

I'm in the middle of the chapter introducing Kansas--chapter two I think. Too bad he doesn't talk about price supports for farmers.

[BurtWorm]

13. Later in the day. I finished that chapter and he does talk about

farm price supports. He talks about how Kansas Senators helped get rid of them, basically cutting the throats of family farms in the state.

PS: but he doesn't talk about the $50,000 paid to families. He gives the impression there are no more price supports because of something called the Freedom to Farm Act.

[Nadienne]

9. Farm subsidies

are a problem in Iowa, too. We have the same situation: the farmers that gripe about welfare are getting it themselves.

I don't know if $50,000 per family member is what they're getting here. I've heard that a land-owner can rent land to someone, put that someone's name on the parcel of land that they're renting out, and collect that money, too. I don't know if that's true.

But I know that family-farmers in Iowa wouldn't be able to make ends meet at all without this help. They are competing against corporate farms, and it is making them desperate.

[Kanary]

10. Thank you for posting that incredible information

I would really like to be able to pass this along.

Is there any chance you would know of a resource where I can find this information you have here? I've talked a lot about corporate welfare, but have no info about the farm subsidies that you mention.

If you can help, that would be great, but if not, thanks for post this!

Kanary

[SoCalDem]

11. I am from Salina..

My aunt owned a pricey little boutique, and I was her only employee.. We had "special customers" (farmers from all over the state)and we would open up by appointment for them on a Sunday.. My uncle would wine and dine the man, while his wife and daughters spent THOUSANDS of $$$$ on clothing, shoes and jewelry..

They would always phone ahead and say.."Our wheat check came in"..

My aunt would order special things in anticipation of the "wheat checks"...

The family would also do the same for a few car dealers in town..

This was in the mid to late 60's.. The subsidies have been around for a long time...

[SheilaT]

12. Frank kind of leaves the impression

that the state is split between right wing Republicans and moderate Republicans, with nary a Democrat to sully the landscape. Johnson County (where I live and where he grew up and which includes Olathe, Mission Hills, and Overland Park, all of which are discussed in some detail in the book) has exactly one Democrat in the state legislature, and that is Representative Sue Storm.

There are several of us, myself included, who hope to at least double the number of Dems in Topeka come January.

The source on the $50,000 per year was Fred Whitehead, who formerly taught at the University of Kansas medical school, until he was fired several years ago for being rather outspoken. I'm not sure if he's teaching anywhere these days, since I know him because of this Thursday night group.

Frank alludes to the price supports, but indicates they mainly go to the large agribusinesses. Fred says the small farmers out in western Kansas are still getting them, and it's basically a huge dirty secret that you're not allowed to talk about.

[BurtWorm]

14. If what he's saying is true, the GOP is basically buying

the love of West Kansans. Right?

[tom_paine]

8. The usual reason. And don't hold your breath for Atrios

to review the next Limba Book.

God, the double-standards!