THIS RATHER CONFUSED AND LAME ATTACK ON JAMES LILEKS will perhaps inspire a thousand Fiskings, meaning that this part, at least, will come true:
The invasion of Iraq has set a course that could well prove dangerous to us and the rest of the world, but happily it has provided fresh meat for the warbloggers to chew in the public square.
The piece is by Dennis Perrin, henceforth also known as “Mr. fresh meat for the warbloggers to chew on.” Or maybe not, as the piece may be too lame even for Fisking. As John Scalzi emails:
As best as I can tell, he’s criticizing James for airing his personal opinions on his personal site. And I’m all, like, yeah? And?
But they’re the wrong opinions! Er, even if it’s not clear from this piece why, exactly, they’re wrong. I guess if you’re a member of the right alt-weekly crowd you don’t have to explain such things.
UPDATE: Reader Luke Pingel is voting for “too lame to Fisk:”
Sheesh, Glenn, there’s nothing to Fisk. That guy’s article read like one of my 6th grade book reports – where I hadn’t actually paid enough attention the reading assignment and resented having to write the book report so much that I took my pre-pubescent anger out in the report while missing the whole point of the book and of the exercise. I mean this guy busts on Lileks for being verbose on his own website, all the while he’s wasting somebody else’s ink and paper with nothing to say.
Yep.
UPDATE: John Scalzi has now posted some comments of his own:
Perrin seems additionally shocked that James’ observations are off-the-cuff sorts of things, without footnote or journalistic kow-tows to impartiality — indeed, it’s almost as if they were written, you know, late at night or something. In short, Perrin’s huge news flash seems to be that James Lileks is writing like a blogger. On his blog, no less!
And I’m thinking, what does this Perrin fellow want? A cookie?
Indeed.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Paul Miller notes some well-worn rhetorical tropes in Perrin’s piece.
And Fraters Libertas is providing context. Hugh Hewitt comments: “Mr. Perrin is so small a force as to not warrant a fisking. But let’s be fair: Let Mr. Perrin start a blog and see if anyone notices. Anyone at all.” Ouch.
Looks like the Northern Alliance has been activated!
MORE: Read this, from Mitch Berg, too.
STILL MORE: And here’s more still.