munnki
06 Oct 2009, 12:31 PM
This guy deserves his own thread on here. He's an ex-patriated Britisher who moved to America and also moved (if he wasn't already there) to the right. He published a book on Riemann which is how I became aware of him. Having read decent texts I often write to the authors to discuss the texts with them or simply to thank them for writing them. Little did I know (not knowing anything about him at the time) that he was, essentially, a closet fascist. So when I wrote to him about this text a string of invective against gays came out of the reply. We were talking about mathematical biographies. Anyway... I did a little further research and uncovered the following...
He writes for the national review and I enclose some quotes from him. His fans, or really probably just him, affectionately call him 'Derb'. He represents, perhaps, a sad attempt at putting an intellectual face on the Becks, Limbaughs and Coulters of this world. In truth, he is yet another 'shock equals sales' Republican. It's worth noting the below clip and quotes.
6Qg3J_QtwN4
So there I was in downtown San Francisco, right after a very successful book-signing event at Stacey's on Market Street, making my way between these grand heroic buildings under the bright California sun. It wasn't the afterglow of promotional success, or the magnificence of the buildings, or the sunlight and the wonderful, warm California air that I was noticing, though. What was mostly presenting itself to my eyes, ears, and nose were the street people — platoons, companies, battalions of them. I have never seen so many street people. Here a ragged, emaciated woman mumbling to herself and making complicated hand gestures like a Buddhist priest; there a huge black-bearded Rasputin of a man in a floor-length heavy overcoat, pushing a shopping cart piled high with filthy bundles; across the way a little knot of florid winos arguing loudly and ferociously about something; sitting on the sidewalk where I passed, a youngish black woman, gaunt and nearly bald, with some sort of skin disease all over her face and scalp, croaking something at me I couldn't understand.
Half the lunatics, drunks, and drug addicts in America — in the world, I wouldn't be surprised — are right here in the center of their city.
Why? This is a great puzzle to the city's irredeemably liberal Board of Supervisors and their soul mates in the local press.
A reader tells me that, contrary to my assertion in today's piece, there IS
a work requirement for SFO relief payments. I shll check this and post a
groveling apology if he is right. I sure didn't see much work going on
among the hordes downtown... Unless making a nuisance of yourself is work.
The homeless and poor. They're just lazy shirkers. This is the sort of attitude put out by this guy. It is as if the average person on the street wants to be there....
Anyway... anybody else aware of this moron?
He writes for the national review and I enclose some quotes from him. His fans, or really probably just him, affectionately call him 'Derb'. He represents, perhaps, a sad attempt at putting an intellectual face on the Becks, Limbaughs and Coulters of this world. In truth, he is yet another 'shock equals sales' Republican. It's worth noting the below clip and quotes.
6Qg3J_QtwN4
So there I was in downtown San Francisco, right after a very successful book-signing event at Stacey's on Market Street, making my way between these grand heroic buildings under the bright California sun. It wasn't the afterglow of promotional success, or the magnificence of the buildings, or the sunlight and the wonderful, warm California air that I was noticing, though. What was mostly presenting itself to my eyes, ears, and nose were the street people — platoons, companies, battalions of them. I have never seen so many street people. Here a ragged, emaciated woman mumbling to herself and making complicated hand gestures like a Buddhist priest; there a huge black-bearded Rasputin of a man in a floor-length heavy overcoat, pushing a shopping cart piled high with filthy bundles; across the way a little knot of florid winos arguing loudly and ferociously about something; sitting on the sidewalk where I passed, a youngish black woman, gaunt and nearly bald, with some sort of skin disease all over her face and scalp, croaking something at me I couldn't understand.
Half the lunatics, drunks, and drug addicts in America — in the world, I wouldn't be surprised — are right here in the center of their city.
Why? This is a great puzzle to the city's irredeemably liberal Board of Supervisors and their soul mates in the local press.
A reader tells me that, contrary to my assertion in today's piece, there IS
a work requirement for SFO relief payments. I shll check this and post a
groveling apology if he is right. I sure didn't see much work going on
among the hordes downtown... Unless making a nuisance of yourself is work.
The homeless and poor. They're just lazy shirkers. This is the sort of attitude put out by this guy. It is as if the average person on the street wants to be there....
Anyway... anybody else aware of this moron?