Appeal to Pity · 6 September 2002
This is unsettling. James Lileks found himself in a mood to write something moving and once again has the unmitigated fucking gall to repurpose a dead child into content for his site (words only: he had no luck, hold steady now, ‘Googling around for a picture’), flattering himself as one who cares while movingly reminding the audience that it’s okay now to feel good about America and its vague ambitions for war. Shameless.
Playing temporary court jester to the wrong-and-strong; bleating endless shrill, humourless caricatures of everything conveniently ‘liberal’: this is all good and well.
Adding sham gravitas by ladling on someone else’s unspeakable tragedy is a disgrace.
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