I know that Nicholas Kristof isn’t a simpleton, yet he often writes simplistically, as if there is only one possible right answer to each moral question in the world, and he knows what it is. Anyone who disagrees with his answers is “on the wrong side of history,” a purveyor of "discrimination, racism, sexism and bigotry." Progressives are on the side of progress, i.e., “the right side of history,” meaning, ideologically, the Left side. The rest of us will be left behind, relegated to the scrapheap of history, as “the civilized world” marches inevitably forward. In short, he is a perfect fit as a New York Times columnist — a moralizing prig who condemns all the “unwoke” of the world as moral midgets.
Not only does he share the True Believer’s vision of the future that HISTORY has designed for us, he also carries grudges, like anyone who thinks of HISTORY as keeping score. He claims that Judge Barrett is “working with a gang of Republican senators to steal a seat on the Supreme Court. This grand larceny may well succeed.” That SC seat, of course, RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO MERRICK GARLAND! It’s his, I tell you, and they stole it from him! Almost as if “Golum” Garland continues to mutter under his breath, “It is mine, I tell you. My own. My precious. Yes, my precious!”
Perhaps someday a moderator will facilitate a grudge session for all the Democratic and Republican senators who claim they have been wronged in the Supreme Court Sweepstakes nominating process. The Republicans will bring up how the Democrats “borked” Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh. The Democrats will talk about the Republicans’ shoddy treatment of Merrick Garland and whoever else is on their list. And then maybe, just maybe, both sides can acknowledge their undignified behavior, apologize, and forgive. Then we can leave the battle cries behind and move forward towards a more productive and enlightened approach to nominating and confirming Supreme Court justices.
You may say I’m a dreamer. . .