or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
November 03, 2011
A Massive Bluggy Failure
Does no one on earth read books anymore? I've been going through Confidence Men by Ron Suskind, and it's full of amazing things that have barely been discussed anywhere—not just in reviews but even on blugs.
For instance, there's this description of Obama's March 27, 2009 meeting with the heads of thirteen major banks:
The discussion moved swiftly across topics, such as the general soundness of the overall system and how to jump-start lending, before it came around to what was on everyone's mind: compensation.The CEOs went into their traditional stance: "It's almost impossible to set caps; it's never worked, and you lose your best people," said one. "We're competing for talent on an international market," said another. Obama cut them off.
"Be careful how you make those statements, gentlemen. The public isn't buying that," he said. "My administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks."
It was an attention grabber, no doubt, especially that carefully chosen last word.
But then Obama's flat tone turned to one of support, even sympathy. "You guys have an acute public relations problem that's turning into a political problem," he said. "And I want to help. But you need to show that you get that this is a crisis and that everyone has to make some sacrifices."
According to one of the participants, he then said, "I'm not out there to go after you. I'm protecting you. But if I'm going to shield you from public and congressional anger, you have to give me something to work with on these issues of compensation."
No suggestions were forthcoming from the bankers on what they might offer, and the president didn't seem to be championing any specific proposals. He had none; neither Geithner nor Summers believed compensation controls had any merit.
After a moment, the tension in the room seemed to lift: the bankers realized he was talking about voluntary limits on compensation until the storm of public anger passed. It would be for show.
This has appeared almost nowhere online, and I'm personally responsible for most of the places where it shows up.
Blugs could actually serve a useful purpose just by reading through books and picking out the things that matter. There's apparently no better place to hide things in 2011 America than in a book.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at November 3, 2011 09:33 PMHave you considered getting those little buttons for Facebook and G+ and suchlike to make it easy for folks to promote and share great posts like this?
I think this story makes the perfect follow-up to Adolph Reed Jr.'s 1996 take on Obama. The man is what he's always been.
Posted by: will shetterly at November 4, 2011 02:34 AMHave you considered getting those little buttons for Facebook and G+ and suchlike to make it easy for folks to promote and share great posts like this?
I think this story makes the perfect follow-up to Adolph Reed Jr.'s 1996 take on Obama. The man is what he's always been.
Posted by: will shetterly at November 4, 2011 02:35 AMThanks for sharing. I have done my part.
Posted by: BuelahMan at November 4, 2011 07:23 AMThat's fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
Johnathan, what do you think of the book generally? Is it worth buying?
Posted by: Nicholas 'Smitty' Stewart at November 4, 2011 07:57 AMobama said that in march 2009 - but time marches on, and situations change - obama may decide that the banksters may be more useful as enemies than as friends - one can hope
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. at November 4, 2011 08:24 AMBlugs could actually serve a useful purpose just by reading through books and picking out the things that matter. There's apparently no better place to hide things in 2011 America than in a book.
Thank you! That is EXACTLY THE REASON I visit ATR everyday to learn what is hiding in SOME books or even articles!
Posted by: Rupa Shah at November 4, 2011 09:29 AMNow in cartoon form.
Posted by: vastleft at November 4, 2011 09:33 AMI wouldn't look for Obama to leave the ones what brung him to the dance just to dance with US any time soon, if ever. WE're on OUR own on this one.
Obama's loyality has been with the money all along. If I may remind (I gave Rupa Shah her 100 days after the inaugeration) everyone he sold out on FISA, then GITMO and everything else up until now. He's a trained CORPORATE LAWYER, its what he does best. Its the Occupation that is the best chance for HOPE&CHANGE, not Obama.
@ Mike Meyer
Yes, I do remember and though I have been disappointed and disillusioned by what Obama has done and not done for quite some time, when I voted for him, it was because I REALLY BELIEVED what he said about change and the way he criticised the Bush Administration and how he would do things differently.
Come Nov 2012, I do know who I am NOT VOTING for!
Third Party, Rupa Shah.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at November 4, 2011 01:20 PMGood point. I am reading a book by Sean Wilentz "Bob Dylan In America". He previously wrote one about Ronald Reagan. Lots of things hidden in books.
Another interesting one is The Control of Oil (New York: Pantheon, 1977, John M. Blair, author), about how BP has had its hand on the spigot of Iraqi oil since the 1920's.
Posted by: Dredd at November 4, 2011 01:57 PM
and you lose your best people...
Isn't that great? These guys run their businesses into the ground and crash the economy but we can't set caps on their pay because if we do, they would quit and then where would we be? Hilarious!
Posted by: cemmcs at November 4, 2011 05:35 PMJon, your frustration is understandable, but bloggers are lazy, and it's not necessary to laboriously re-type a quote from Ron Suskind to demonstrate that Obama wants to protect the banksters from the pitchfork carriers. You can just describe his policy decisions. Hell, you can just post Geithner's and Bernanke's resumes.
Posted by: radish at November 5, 2011 12:55 AMFacebook are evil scum. I'm not sure Google is much better, though, yes, I use Google for search. I hate seeing those wretched Facebook buttons polluting the web. So, please, no FB/Google buttons.
Also, I've no idea what blug means. I did a search, but found nothing. Definition, please?
Posted by: Faheem at November 5, 2011 04:48 AMDamn. Good passage.
FWIW, I've read two of Suskind's books (and blogged on them), but haven't gotten to that one yet - I'm on The Reactionary Mind by Corey Robin at the moment. Alas, my stack of books grows ever higher, but I guess I'll have to add Confidence Men to it. Thanks for the rec. Suskind always uncovers some striking incidents. (And if you haven't read Angler by Barton Gellman yet, it's well worth checking out.)
Posted by: Batocchio at November 5, 2011 05:51 AMUrban dictionary provides 4 definitions of "blug." I'm assuming this post refers to #3.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Blug
Posted by: godoggo at November 5, 2011 09:11 AMJonathan, nobody reads books nowadays. I don't read books, as you can see by looking at my blog; I focus on important stuff, like testing the NFL for HGH. Books just aren't reaching enough people. Besides, who needs to know something that happened like three years ago? That's ancient history. People don't care about stuff like that. They want to know what's happening now, like the link between the Kardashian wedding/divorce and 9/11.
But what the hell, I'll pass it along. Maybe I can find a link to the Iranian nuclear threat. That's what the MiCFiC doesn't want you to know.
Posted by: Duncan at November 5, 2011 12:09 PM"There's apparently no better place to hide things in 2011 America than in a book."
Been true a long time. I do recall that smug prick Allen Dulles was quite sure almost 50 years ago that no one would read the Warren Commission report. And I don't think it was a new development then either.
Posted by: N E at November 5, 2011 04:26 PMgodoggo: on the off chance you aren't joking, our host's distaste for the neologism "blog" leads him to make substitute various other amusing sounds to avoid using it.
Posted by: Save the Oocytes at November 7, 2011 06:14 PMI second the comment about getting a button, Jon. For those with the Firefox browser, there is an app called AddThis which accomplishes much the same thing.
Posted by: Save the Oocytes at November 7, 2011 06:15 PM
