What the Hell Is Michael Kinsley Talking About Watch: Day 1

wonkette: k, tell me something: WHAT THE FUCK IS MICHAEL KINSLEY GOING ON ABOUT HERE operative: ??? wonkette: it’s like he’s writing from an entirely different world wonkette: a wondrous world of his imagination wonkette: “It’s probably true that most billionaires have acquired their wealth in ways that make life better for the rest of us.” wonkette: WHY IS THAT A GIVEN? wonkette: WHY IS THAT PRESENTED AS SOMETHING HE ASSUMES HIS AUDIENCE WILL ALREADY TAKE FOR GRANTED? operative: I enjoy the half-hearted debunking of Social Darwinism wonkette: i can’t even figure out what he’s arguing because the premises all involve parallel universe logic operative: way to be a moderate from the late eighteenth century, Mike wonkette: “Surprisingly, not *all* rich people are morally superior to you.” operative: “Meanwhile, science undermines the notion that people deserve moral credit for their smarts, daring, vision, dedication and similar virtues, even when these are applied in socially beneficial ways.” operative: what does that mean? operative: what the hell is moral credit? operative: can you use it to buy a plenary indulgence? operative: was he just building up to the idea that maybe we should have a special billionaire’s tax? wonkette: HE SAYS HE DOESN’T AGREE WITH THAT IDEA operative: but, but… operative: I DON’T UNDERSTAND Why Be a Billionaire [WP]

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