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May 19, 2007MailbagDear Subscriber, For a second, when this hit my in-box, I thought it might be a parody. But no, I see I've been served rather a treat (distinguished TNR subscriber that I am), that is to say, advance notice of an imminent "intellectual explosion" (sorry, "incendiary pamphlet"). Yes, before it hits the newstands! Forgive me Marty P, but this read rather more like an unfortunate example of the middlebrow-ization of the New Republic, than uber-titillating fare warranting rushing to the newstand on 52nd and Lex for hard-copy. More Atlantic for me, I guess, going forward! Posted by Gregory at May 19, 2007 02:05 AMComments
I would have thought, in context of current policy in the Middle East, he'd have preferred to avoid the phrase, "we are now, willy-nilly, now unavoidably ensnared." Posted by: K at May 19, 2007 03:09 AM | Permalink to this comment![]() Whoever TNR uses as a junk-mail, er, sorry, direct marketing agency seems to send these to a more or less targeted list. But I wonder how they do their targeting. I happen to be a few clicks to the right of you, yet I get the "Dear Reader" ones (I'm not a subscriber) from Franklin Foer, hawking all the most liberal wares of the TNR in equally nauseating fashion. I have no doubt that both Martin Peretz and Franklin Foer are holding their noses while these go out, because the board has seen a glossy-paper Powerpoint on response rates, new subscribers and retention, but sheesh. Middle-browization is right. When I compare this to the relatively slick and effective things I get from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or pretty much any retail outfit, I wonder if the marketers assign some kind of B-team to this small-money business that is periodical literature. Posted by: Ben at May 19, 2007 01:10 PM | Permalink to this comment![]() There's a *reason* they're not sending that to ex-subscribers like me in hopes of wooing us back. Posted by: Anderson at May 19, 2007 07:20 PM | Permalink to this comment![]() Is Marty's wife gonna cut off the money spigot if his lemonade stand doesn't start to break even? Posted by: sglover at May 20, 2007 12:14 AM | Permalink to this comment![]() An erudite fool is a greater fool than an ignorant fool. — Jean Baptiste Moliere If I quote Moliere to bash Peretz am I more intellectually acceptable than if I called him a silly wanker even while the sentiment is exactly identical? Posted by: joejoejoe at May 20, 2007 11:30 PM | Permalink to this comment![]() Did Terror and Liberalism really begin any kind of debate? I though it was just silly. Posted by: David Tomlin at May 21, 2007 01:16 AM | Permalink to this comment![]() |
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![]() About Belgravia Dispatch
Gregory Djerejian comments intermittently on global politics, finance & diplomacy at this site. The views expressed herein are solely his own and do not represent those of any organization. More About the Author Email the Author Follow @GregDjerejian Recent Entries
Trump’s Foreign Policy: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Realistic Appraisal of Russia's Policy Isn't Tantamount to a Putin Apologia Arming Ukraine Would Be Folly Kissinger's "World Order" What Tom Friedman's Interview Revealed About Obama's Foreign Policy Search
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