Earth to the New York Times Book Review

Here's a, how shall we put it ... interesting review of Brian Anderson's South Park Conservatives by Liesl Schillinger at the
New York Times Book Review. Of course it has become a bit cliche to point out the ways in which the Times has lost touch, but here is yet another one.

To him (Anderson), the popularity of the stingingly anti-P.C. cartoon series ''South Park'' signals the advent of a new generation of Americans who refuse to accept public censure for their scornful attitudes toward gay men and lesbians, Native Americans, environmentalism and abortion rights.

For one thing, the lonely libertarian isn't even sure what this comment is supposed to mean. The lonely libertarian also wonders when being critical of the current state of the environmental movement or being pro life became the equivalent of being an anti-Native American racist.

You can find the lonely libertarian's review of South Park Conservatives below. To Schillinger, this book is first and foremost about attacking liberals, under the guise of engaging in debate. Actually the book is about who is attacking liberals (younger conservatives and "anti-liberals), how they are attacking liberals (through the blogosphere, FOX News, talk radio, and television shows like South Park), and why they are attacking liberals (anger over an overly PC culture for starters).

Schillinger ends the review with a Monty Python bit:

First speaker: ''Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.'' Second speaker: ''No it isn't.''

Actually, what Schillinger is attempting to describe is a bit more along these lines:

Conservative: I'm opposed to affirmative action.
Liberal: Racist!
Conservative (in book called South Park Conservatives): I don't appreciate being called a racist, is it possible we could debate this issue?
Liberal (in the New York Times Book Review): Racist!