John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Over at NRO, John O'Sullivan, former editor of National Review and former speechwriter for Margaret Thatcher, has a piece up analyzing the John Derbyshire affair. The piece is long--quite a lot longer, for that matter, than the Derbyshire article that started it all--but full of good sense and close reasoning. I can't say I agree with every conclusion--in my view, John at several points lets Derbyshire off too easily--but every last word is worth reading, and pondering. (That's John O'Sullivan to the right, btw, and John Derbyshire below to the left.)
An excerpt:
I fear that Mark Steyn is right in saying that Derb’s departure will further narrow the already narrow limits of acceptable debate in American intellectual life. The tumbrils are already rolling, with Elspeth Reeve at the Atlantic Wire denouncing Victor Davis Hanson on obscure grounds and calling for a campaign to drive “racist” writers from their jobs. Driving people from their jobs, causing them to lose health insurance, bringing distress to their spouses and children — this seems a curious ambition for a young journalist of (presumably) liberal bent. Fifty years ago liberals denounced McCarthy for driving people from their jobs because, as Communists, they were supporting a state that was genocidal at the time. They raged against “guilt by association.” Are they now anxious to have their own witch-hunts against racists? But who will define “racist”? Will it be Ms. Reeve? Or a committee of public safety? Set up by whom? And will Ms. Reeve herself have to appear before this tribunal, having written several times for Taki’s Magazine and being therefore a colleague of Derb’s at one remove and so guilty by association? To get the nasty and vicious flavor of this enterprise, read the comments from the Internet Left where perhaps the most common theme is that National Review fired John because we are racists attempting to conceal our racism that he made uncomfortably explicit.
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Comments:
Dec '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
That was very good thank you Peter. It follows my reasoning, and the dissembling I made of the peice in the member feed.
If racism is the idea that races are different and can at times be better or worse in a given area, wouldn't that make essentially every HR Director in most of the west a racist given their "diversity" policies?
Edited on April 14, 2012 at 9:25pmMay '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
I don't fault NRO or Rich Lowry for their handling of the situation, but I do agree with Mr. O'Sullivan's points above. This incident unfortunately will be used (along with the Trayvon Martin incident in Florida) by race mongers to sow discord. As an American with ancestors from several different ethnic and racial groups I just wish we could truly move beyond this once and for all to a race-neutral society. Maybe we could be judged not "...by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character."
We are not there yet as a nation, not all of us, but someday I have faith we will be.
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Saw that last night, but it was too late for me to read that much. I'll look at it later.
By the way- Derb himself has added a pseudo-blog on his site discussing the event. It's good to know that he has the energy (and motivation) to keep posting stuff. It seems like Radio Derb will probably continue (obviously with a different website as the sponsor), which is the best news ever. Ever.
Edited on April 14, 2012 at 9:35pmJun '10
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Peter Robinson
...
Just in time for the Obama racialists. They must be very happy with this.
I really blame Rich Lowry for jumping like a frightened rabbit. It's time to stand up on the issue of racism.
Repeat after me. The Democaratic Party:
I am surprised how many people of all ages do not know some or most of the above items.
We must realize that the narrative that we now have of Republicans being racist was done and is still promulgated in order to hide their past. That they have been able to co-opt blacks in America is proof of the sheer raw power they and the left in this country have.
May '10
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
I've met John Derbyshire. On a National Review cruise (hence my snazzy black tie). We were mingling in little groups, and one gentleman opined that at least slavery had one good outcome, in enriching American musical life. Derb stared at him coldly, said "that's no excuse" and turned on his heel.
Leaving me to save the guy's face and redirect the conversation into safer waters (I'm good at cocktail parties; check my profile). I too wouldn't mind living on a plantation. Not for any racial aspect, just for having so many servants. Like Downton Abbey.
But I knew better than to say that in front of Derb.
Haven't read the offending article. Was waiting for the 2-hour (I timed it!) Twitterstorm to blow over, so as to read it with a cool head. That Twitterstorm proved too strong in their own minds for NRO to handle. And that is no way to make a decision.
Edited on April 14, 2012 at 9:52pmMar '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Thanks for posting this, Peter.
Oct '10
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Thank you, Peter. I am glad to see this matter addressed on the Main Feed. In my own two posts about l'affaire Derbyshire over on the Member Feed, I was rather coy about my own take on the matter. In a nutshell, I disagree with what Derbyshire wrote, but I do not think that National Review should have fired him. National Review is a mere shade of what it once was when I opened up my subscription to the magazine 20 years ago, and Rich Lowry's feckless response to this situation underlines that decline.
John Derbyshire was one of my favorite writers at National Review and National Review Online, and the organization is now a much poorer place in his absence. Moreover, I say that as someone who has disagreed with Derbyshire on a wide array of issues, among them: the war in Iraq, Social Security reform, the Terry Schiavo case back in 2005, abortion, euthanasia, and his dismissive view of Ben Stein's intelligent design movie from 2008, Expelled. At no point did I ever think that such unorthodox opinions merited Derbyshire's dismissal. Rather, I enjoyed the give-and-take.
May '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Ethan Safron: It seems like Radio Derb will probably continue (obviously with a different website as the sponsor), which is the best news ever. Ever. · 53 minutes ago
Edited 52 minutes ago
Great news! These are tough times and it would be a shame to see Mandy, Candy, and Brandy out on the streets.
Oct '10
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Thus, I agree with what Mark Steyn and now John O'Sullivan (per the clip above) have said about this matter. The answer to controversial speech is more speech, not less. Healthy and vigorous debate will build a strong and lasting conservatism, not hypersensitivity and kowtowing to the whims and witch-hunts of the leftist elite (and their hangers-on). This is no time for tiptoe-through-the-tulips conservatism. Nor, as Margaret Thatcher once admonished George H.W. Bush, is it time to go wobbly. It is a damned shame that Rich Lowry et al. cannot understand that.
Edited on April 14, 2012 at 10:52pmJul '10
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Ryan Renfro
Ethan Safron: It seems like Radio Derb will probably continue (obviously with a different website as the sponsor), which is the best news ever. Ever. · 53 minutes ago
Edited 52 minutes ago
Great news! These are tough times and it would be a shame to see Mandy, Candy, and Brandy out on the streets. · 6 minutes ago
I must confess, Mandy, Candy, and Brandy were a big part of my concern with regard to l'affaire. The thought of their being silenced forever was horrible to contemplate. [Ducks as the feminazi twitterverse unleashes the heavy artillery.]
Edited on April 14, 2012 at 10:57pmApr '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
This is something I find a little distasteful.
Someone in their right mind opining on matters like this deserves to be debated, but Mr. Derbyshire sounds like he has come unhinged and that is not Mr. Derbyshire's fault. His bosses can fire him for anything as far as I am concerned, but we need to remember that he is not well and it is his family and friends who will have to deal with him. None of this is helping them or him at all.
If he gets better, he can defend himself; he was awfully good at that. Otherwise, I would pray for his family and him, not to come to his senses, but to just live his remaining time comfortably.
Edited on April 14, 2012 at 11:08pmFeb '12
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Wouldn't Derbyshire make a great podcast guest? Enlightened conversation? Check? On a topic of tremendous interest? Check? Wouldn't it be neat if there was a place on Ricochet to nominate and vote for possible podcast guests? I'll bet a lot of people, even on the left, who would never speak in front of conservatives would jump at the chance to engage with Peter and Rob and James for their audience.
Edited on April 14, 2012 at 11:12pmMar '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
D.B. Little: This is something I find a little distasteful.
Someone in their right mind opining on matters like this deserves to be debated, but Mr. Derbyshire sounds like he has come unhinged and that is not Mr. Derbyshire's fault. His bosses can fire him for anything as far as I am concerned, but we need to remember that he is not well and it is his family and friends who will have to deal with him. None of this is helping them or him at all.
If he gets better, he can defend himself; he was awfully good at that. Otherwise, I would pray for his family and him, not to come to his senses, but to just live his remaining time comfortably. · 9 minutes ago
Edited 8 minutes a
This "sickness" meme is what I find distasteful. Derbyshire seems quite capable of defending himself and his opinions, and to attempt to dismiss his views by ascribing them to diminished capacity is positively Soviet in method.
Apr '12
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Unfortunately, the "Internet Left" is right - the best reason to can Derbyshire is to disassociate from a position that suggests racism. Fortunately for the Left, they do never have to make such an attempt no matter how blatant their racism is. Yet in all my years as a Leftist I know they tend to be pervasively racist.
Truth is that racism isn't a result of the lack of multiculturalism, as Micha suggests above, it exists because people want to identify with a specific (racial group) rather than some pretentious multicultural ideal. My own daughter has struggled with this being the offspring of a Jewish father and Black/Indian mother. Despite living in a most multicultural city, she used to complain to me that she didn't fit in anywhere and even tried to pass herself off as Mexican, because that was a clearly defined group.
Do people have a right to be racist? sexist? homophobic? Sure they do, but just as with global warming, the Left is trying to make it illegal in order to criminalize conservatives.
Apr '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Sisyphus
Ryan Renfro
Ethan Safron: It seems like Radio Derb will probably continue (obviously with a different website as the sponsor), which is the best news ever. Ever. · 53 minutes ago
Edited 52 minutes ago
Great news! These are tough times and it would be a shame to see Mandy, Candy, and Brandy out on the streets. · 6 minutes ago
I must confess, Mandy, Candy, and Brandy were a big part of my concern with regard to l'affaire. The thought of their being silenced forever was horrible to contemplate. [Ducks as the feminazi twitterverse unleashes the heavy artillery.] · 37 minutes ago
Edited 36 minutes ago
Hopefully, the new place that hosts Radio Derb (whoever that ends up being) has a grotto.
Feb '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
wmartin
Hopefully, the new place that hosts Radio Derb (whoever that ends up being) has a grotto. · 2 minutes ago
And they'll let him replace Ahmed the sound guy, if he so wishes.
Oct '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
We are not there yet as a nation, not all of us, but someday I have faith we will be. · 3 hours ago
We would not and should not yield to the left because we are afraid of their "discord", they always are ready for discord against conservatives so it is up to us to be US, and not timid. We are different, races are different and that is beautiful (remember variety). Derb is different, he did not speak as a unit but as an individual which I thought that is what it is all about. In his language he was far from perfect.
Oct '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
Israel Pickholtz
wmartin
Hopefully, the new place that hosts Radio Derb (whoever that ends up being) has a grotto. · 2 minutes ago
And they'll let him replace Ahmed the sound guy, if he so wishes. · 42 minutes ago
tell him not to make a list..
Jan '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
I'd pay extra for my coffee if I could download Radio Derb here each Friday.
Mar '11
Re: John O'Sullivan On L'Affaire Derbyshire
I've read the Derbyshire article 4 times now. Like others, I'm familiar with his work from Radio Derb and elsewhere. So, I think I know his schtick fairly well.
I must say: I believe NRO should've fired him. But, it's not so much because the article is or isn't racist. And not so much because it's a bad version of flipping around some kind of black rite-of-passage talk.
But because too many of his points are demonstrably untrue. That . . . is the reason he should've been dismissed. We can have all different kinds of people on our side but we can't have people who lie. Moreover, people who lie while trying to act wise.
The truth is millions and millions--enough to surely form a large majority--of whites and non-blacks have broken quite a few of Derb's "rules" over the last 100 years with no consequences. For example, just on my own I've broken every rule from 10a to 10i multiple times. But, somehow I'm still here. And I'm white as Wonder Bread.
But, I'm sure Derb would say I'm just lucky.