If you've noticed a change around here, it is primarily due to the elevating influence of two new, prolific and provocative commenters. I have mentioned A. Charles before at least once, and if I haven't then I should reacquaint all of you with his inspired commentary. But then there's this Smrgol character.
Unclesmrgol is, to my knowledge, a former denizen of the Captain's Quarters, a blog of sterling repute and excellent depth that is, if not currently defunct, on its way out due to the 'promotion' of the Captain, Ed Morrisey to a higher plane of media existence. Now he has found it suitable to take up some residence here at Cobb, and we are all the richer for it.
Cobb is, in many ways, like a small liberal arts college. Analytic with a low commenter to author ratio. Which is to say I spend a lot more time in Socratic dialog and deeply arcane points of argument than the average blogger, although hopefully not quite to the ridiculous lengths as the cranks at Crooked Timber. And so the character of this blog is often a great deal more determined by what people choose to debate rather than what I necessarily think is worth pointing out. I am satisfied with that state of affairs and consider myself quite fortunate that I have merited that much attention, and I hope to continue this sort of engagement so long as I remain underemployed in meatspace, which is likely to be as long as I live. So I am particularly indebted to all of you who participate and thank you for your curiosity, your provocations, your logic, your attitudes and everything else you share.
Since this is a grownup joint, it is rare that I feel the need to intervene in the often fractious melees that are bound to take place when serious subjects are debated. So long as the name calling stays below two or three consecutive comments, I pretty much let it go. Egos will be what they are, and I don't pretend to reign in any Darwinianism. Only the argumentative survive. I recognize that a lot of shit gets said online that would never pass for anything but fighting words face to face, but since they are only words, I figure more robust people can handle it. Nevertheless, folks can get carried away to the extent that it becomes a distraction. Such things flow in waves. But in the end we are not making any self-serving statements about being tolerant, get your licks in, lick your wounds and you're all welcome back.
In all that it must be noted that we've recently seen Gray and A. Charles go at it over libertarianism and the role of the Fed as well as Nulan and Smrgol go at it over a point that I seem to have forgotten because I actually did have to intervene. Now when it comes to Darwinian arguments, there are very few people who can meet or match the onslaught of Nulan unleashed. I have seen him over the years in multifarious psueds, from Heysichastic to Xavier Moon. He is an extraordinarily prolific and persistent scourge, and although his intellectual interests are bewilderingly vast, there is a great consistency in him. He can be a devastating wit, and even a bully. I've seen him chase people out of Cobb with their tails between their legs - he suffers no fools, and considers most people to be fools or worse. If I didn't think better of him, I would say he's misanthropic. After all his system of Christianity doesn't put a high priority on forgiveness or decorum. He can be a handful. And yet I've noticed how it has been dished back to him in equal measure by this Smrgol over the past few weeks, and I'm rather struck by that fact.
I have no doubt that CN will be back when he feels it convenient and will be is old crypto-irascible self, but for the moment we are looking at Smrgol as Buster Douglas. WTF!
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