Nat Hentoff speaks out about Schiavo.

I’ve been reading Kevin Drum for the past couple of weeks, because he’s had some interesting women guest blogging there and because he’s been trying very hard to not dismiss the chicks and their style of blogging. These posts by his guest bloggers were excellent. By far the best line of the series was by Katha Pollitt:

Several people wrote to wonder why we are bothering with fuddyduddy old print when cyberspace is where the action is. So about blogging: I try not to spend all day reading blogs, which I could easily do, but the political ones I follow are mostly by women. Before the election, I read male political blogs obsessively, and still get a lot of useful information from them. But — how can I say this in a nice way? — I find that (present company and all my friends excepted! I am making gross and unfair generalizations here) the voices don’t wear well: the range — of tones, of topics, of approaches to topics — is too narrow, and the mutual admiration society too exclusive: some blogrolls read like those interlocking directorates of railroad companies in the 19th century! There’s too much boasting and crowing, too much scorekeeping, too much self-anointment as instant expert and public executioner. If I look at the blogroll and see only male blogs, I assume, perhaps unfairly, that the blogger is promoting a narrow view of politics and boosting his male network and his own career. What a fine point Boygenius made over on nogirlsallowed.com! Thanks for the plug, NumberOneSon!