

The frat boy ships out - kalvin
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12931660&fsrc=nwlgafree&source=most_commented

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anonyreliant
Why did the magazine endorse Bush in 2000 and then again in 2004? What exactly
is obvious in retrospect that wasn't apparent to even marginally informed
observers at the time.

The Economist has been a weathervane since they decided expanding into the US
market required an editorial shift to the right. The International Herald
Tribune is producing much higher quality and politically neutral reporting
these days imho.

~~~
davidw
They did not endorse Bush in 2004. They don't claim to be neutral - they're
very much in favor of things like free trade, for instance.

~~~
alecco
[http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3...](http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3329802)

"Whenever we express a view of that sort, some readers are bound to protest
that we, as a publication based in London, should not be poking our noses in
other people's politics. Translated, this invariably means that protesters
disagree with our choice. It may also, however, reflect a lack of awareness
about our readership."

I don't like The Economist, but you are right, they did the right thing in
2004, Amazingly.

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lpgauth
Why is the word "fraternity boy" often bearing a derogatory connotation?

I'm part of Sigma Chi, and without it my university experience would not be
complete.

Also, Bush was part of "Skull and Bones" which is a secret society, NOT a
fraternity. Basically, an invite only club for rich/powerful people.

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zack
Don't call my country a cunt, and don't call my fraternity a frat. "Frat" is
generally derogatory when used by outsiders. It's analogous to "nigger" being
used by non-blacks.

~~~
likpok
No, it really isn't. Blacks have been (and to some extent still are) oppressed
by the majority. The word "nigger" is an artifact of the oppression. It was
used as a weapon against them.

Fraternities, however, have never been oppressed. Occasionally, they have been
in the position of power (being a white-boys-club), with documented cases of
people hiring brothers preferentially.

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KWD
I will have to say one of the most moving moments for me on Tuesday was
watching the helicopter with GWB departing over Washington DC. I only wish it
could have come sooner. I used to think that one person could not have a
dramatic impact on the world as a whole, I no longer believe that.

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rgrieselhuber
One of those articles (esp. in the Economist) that you never want to have
written about you. Ouch.

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oakmac
The Economist has redefined "scathing" with this article.

~~~
thomasmallen
Yes, incendiary unsourced quotes and all.

 _Karen Hughes, one of his closest advisers, "rarely read books and distrusted
people who did."_

Who knows where that came from. Gotta love billion-dollar words thrown in like
"homunculi" and "ratiocination" instead of the clearer "cronies" and
"reasoning," respectively.

I just can't help but feel that this particular analyst is strongly biased.

