Comments on: ‘Hat of the Day: Brian Leiter

By: Xrlq

Xrlq — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 23:55:33 +0000

Nah, he won’t. Given the lack of a clear definiton of “pathetically dumb,” anyone who sued over the phrase would have to be “pathetically dumb” indeed, which Cramer isn’t. Leiter? Maybe.

By: John Anderson

John Anderson — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 23:28:50 +0000

HOO boy: I just read the original (with, for starters, an undated update non-Volokh is accused of not reading – when was it there? Well, it follows a first update in which he begins his attack)) and then the second, the actual attack.

Let me add a bit. My goodness. Prof Leiter is not only what we used to call “a piece of work”, but internally inconsistent. He says “Disagreement is a necessary, but not a sufficient occasion for harsh language: the disagreement also has to be stupid or absurd or, in short, intellectually and morally dishonest, and so not worth its time.” All emphasis is in the original. This, after his own “pathetically dumb Clayton Cramer”, and “Mr. Non-Volokh lets Mr. Cramer’s nonsense pass” remarks in the same post? I wonder if Clayton, who is building a house and could use money, will bring slander charges?

By: mikem

mikem — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 22:38:46 +0000

I googled his name and “anonymity” and you are on the money using “obsession” to describe his seeming hatred of non-attributable opinion.

I think that is a natural reaction for one who has an investment in the liberal championed speech codes and ‘verbal harassment’ rules that attempt to control the expression of opinion on college campuses. If you can’t identify someone who disagrees with you, how can you punish them for their opinion?

Thank heavens for groups like F.I.R.E and people like David Horowitz.