From Dissent, Eric Reeves on refusing to save Darfur; Benjamin Kunkel on science fiction and end of politics; and Richard Wolin on defending the Enlightenment: A review of Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up Idealists by Susan Neiman and Nobility of Spirit: A Forgotten Ideal by Rob Riemen. From TNR, a review of Hitler's Private Library: The Books That Shaped His Life by Timothy W. Ryback. More on Fighting Words: A Tale of How Liberals Created Neo-Conservatism by Ben J. Wattenberg. The recent glut of obituaries is premature — the neoconservative school of thought still has a lot to teach us. Amazing Race: How post-racial was Obama’s victory? From New York, a special issue on reasons to love New York. From LA City Beat, an essay on seven false starts about the death of Wallace. From Barnes & Noble Review, Brooke Allen, Michael Anderson, Daniel Menaker, James Parker, Katherine A. Powers, and Tess Taylor on the year in reading (and part 2 and part 3). Safety in uniqueness: As consumer culture permeates politics, the man-in-the street has slipped beyond the control of his creators and taken on a life of his own. We, the target audience: When did America become a marketing proposition? El Salvador’s New Left: Once a guerrilla movement, the FMLN has swapped revolutionary rhetoric for pragmatic politics. More on Mark LeVine's Heavy Metal Islam.
