SUBSCRIBE NOW WELCOME BACK. Do you want to continue reading where you left off? New Republic subscribers can pick up where they left off no matter which device they were previously using. SUBSCRIBE NOW

Go Home The Short March Through China

THE SPINE NOVEMBER 20, 2007

The Short March Through China

BY JAMES KIRCHICK

Presumably, not many of you read Commentary.  Sometimes that's a mistake.  In any case, in the December issue, there's a longish article with a sharp eye for the significant detail.  Written by Gary Rosen, it's a report of a sponsored trip for several mainstream journalists and Rosen, the managing editor of Commentary.  Was the official trip boring?  Yes, there were long boring moments; and Rosen is deft at bringing some real meaning out of these experiences.  Many of his observations comport with mine from when I was in China two years ago.  Anyway, you'll learn a lot from someone with a sharp eye.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Show all 7 comments

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

7 comments

"Liming, as his business card informed us, is the deputy director of the Europe, North America, and Oceania division of the information department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Translation's wrong. I believe that was Truth Ministry's dept of Oceania, _Eurasia,  and Eastasia_

- teplukhin2you

November 20, 2007 at 2:43pm

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

Marty,

I read and subscribe to Commentary.  This, unfortunately, is looking like the mistake.  Did you see the November issue?  A "symposium" of 15 pundits on NPod's WWIV concept.  Roughly, 15 identical opinions, +/- a bit of nuance here or there.  (John Bolton's liberty v. democracy concept was admittedly enlightening, but still, agreement with the major there, just like everyone else.)  

I compare this to TNR's symposium about Iraq last year.  That was a true debate.  Commentary, representing the best of neoconservatism, has become intellectually bankrupt.

That said, did you see <a href="www.commentarymagazine.com/.../1356">Gordon Chang's post</a> on Chavez/Achmadinejad, and the dollar?  Very un-Commentary-like and insightful.

- rlgordonma

November 20, 2007 at 5:06pm

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

Sorry, that link was:

www.commentarymagazine.com/.../1356

- rlgordonma

November 20, 2007 at 5:07pm

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

I know this is off topic.  I generally see the same people posting on the Spine, but ever since the change in format the posts beneath the front page articles come from tons of people whose avatars I do not recognize.  Many of these avatars seem to be designed specifically to address the article in question.  Did TNR change its posting policy?  Little help here would be appreciated.

Thanks.

- skidder

November 20, 2007 at 7:22pm

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

I don't subscribe to Commentary but I do read articles published there from time to time. The reason I don't subscribe is that like rlgordonma I find the comments published there a little too predictable. The same is true for The Nation.

- jacksondyer

November 20, 2007 at 8:13pm

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

skidder -

There is a technical glitch which allows non-subscribers to post on articles. There was a TNR post saying they are working on restricting posting to subscribers as was the case in the past.

- ndmackenzie

November 21, 2007 at 2:46am

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

Thanks

- skidder

November 21, 2007 at 7:20pm

You must be a subscriber to post comments. Subscribe today.

SHARE HIGHLIGHT

0 CHARACTERS SELECTED

TWEET THIS

POST TO TUMBLR

SHARE ON FACEBOOK

Close