There seems to be nothing liberals inside the beltway and on the internet enjoy carping about more than The New Republic, which has certainly earned its share of criticism. It has provided Republicans with liberal cover for some of their most outrageous wrongdoings, the Iraq War being the most obvious. It’s been a haven for an incredibly long list of conservative writers, and it has often taken more joy at being contrary and at slamming liberals than in defending the causes one would expect a liberal magazine to defend. Oh, and its long time owner and top editor who just sold the mag is an Arab-hating neocon who allowed a pro-Israel fever to overtake all else. We’re all familiar with the problem.
Eric Alterman has a solid piece in the American Prospect arguing all of this and more. It’s worth reading, but let me just say that while I get that deconstructing liberalism’s past, and TNR’s place within it, is important because it helps illustrate the present, pieces like Alterman’s often feel like they are done for gossipy reasons, to draw stark lines and remind everyone that one or two influential people stood on the wrong side of divisive issues. We all know Marty Peretz is only ironically called a “liberal” and we all know that TNR has a nasty past. We all know they screwed up on health care in the ’90s and screwed up the Iraq War in a horrible, horrible way. But if we focus on getting our pound of flesh instead of hitting the mutual foe we now share with a much-improved TNR, aren’t we in a way committing the same sin as TNR did for many years?
I never thought I’d defend The New Republic. I guess my point is this. We all know the magazine has gotten better under Frank Foer and we all know the criticisms — so what’s the point in drudging up the old hits and slamming the magazine all over again?
