I find myself thinking this morning about the banality of evil. Not that punditry is evil, per se, though sometimes the messages are. But it sure is boring. Like, really, really boring and self-satisfied. And increasingly I'm finding most cultural criticism that I encounter the same. I'm so TIRED of reading takes (or writing takes, honestly) on what other people are actually *doing*. I just want to be doing things. Anything, really, though mostly walking in the woods where there's no punditry or critique or people or politics, only trees.
I realize this is slightly misanthropic on my part, but there we are.
I think an interesting case study of a pundit "doing something" is Nicholas Kristof. He quit his cushy job at the NYT to run for governor of Oregon, despite the fact that he was registered to vote and paid taxes in New York. (He did own property in OR.) Oh, and he'd never held any other political office before. He was ruled ineligible due to not fulfilling the state's residency requirements, and almost immediately went back to his job at the NYT. Real "I alone can fix it" pundit brain there, if you ask me.
Perfect case study. And taught me, a person who sometimes (often) yells at pundits, to be very specific: "Do something, yes! But by that I mean, like, actually meet your neighbors! You don't have to be Governor!"
Prior to DOGE shutting off my government travel card, I used to go to climate conferences full of pundits. I never went to Davos or COP or any of the big ones (those were for my big boss), but I had some of the same reactions as you. It could feel like a lot of people talking in a room to hear themselves talk. It was a big adjustment coming from working in factories where the whole job there was to get things off the line. And this isn’t to say there wasn’t some benefit to conferences — day-to-day factory stuff is rarely strategic — but it could veer into an echo chamber quickly.
I love this column. I think Buttigieg and others are actually auditioning for the NYT op-ed page.
I am really clueless about interactions with people, but I will talk policy, as opposed to politics, with anyone. Also planning to volunteer for a church supper, I’ve donated supermarket cards and food, but I still feel like I’m not doing enough.
As far as “identity politics “, what these pundits don’t seem to understand is that more and more people are falling into marginalized groups. Even white people.
The centrist model is doomed, as well as being morally reprehensible.
Sounds like you're doing pretty darn good with other people (at least from where I sit, as a frequently clueless person myself).
And yes, I do think that centrism assumes a world where most people consider themselves to be doing pretty well, and jeez that's far less people every single day.
“Or put differently, if you consider yourself a Democrat, why are you spending your wild and precious political life shouting and gesticulating about what “Democrats” should do? Just do that thing! And invite others to do it with you!”
So much this!
I’m in my second project of 2025 now that I really wish someone with more experience, know how, time, knowledge, etc, would do (I’ve actually been wishing/hoping someone else would do this particular thing since at least April, and am kicking myself for waiting this long and not just starting earlier).
But both of these projects are important to *me* (and others, as I’ve quickly learned in both cases), and no one else is doing them (to my knowledge), so I am. We learn as we go, we pull others in, we try not to do actual harm, and we do our best. The first project was a raging success, which we’re still reaping rewards for (it wrapped up in May). Hoping this new endeavor goes as well.
Just think how easy it would have been to do neither of those projects, since you weren't the "right" person for either? So much easier, and such a loss.
I read this post last night at sunset and went for a long walk into the darkness. I kept hearing your voice, Garrett, and then envisioning a person waving their hand dismissively in the air, saying “someone should do something about this!” My heart hurt.
One thing I thought about as I walked is how much that feeling of powerlessness you reference, as a possible source of why people are asking other people to make it better, stems from this sense that power is sourced only in individuals, so our job is to find the ‘bad" ones and stop them, and then find the “good" ones who are going to figure it out.
There’s much less fluency in talking about how systems and structures are also sources of violence. It’s absolutely crucial to act as individuals and groups, rather than just talk. But I also long to gather in groups to increase my understanding of these systems and ideologies, so that we can organize to challenge their stories about the world, and the ways they rationalize violence as necessary and unchanging, in order to keep the machine of the dominant culture running.
First off, what an honor to be along for our walk in that way. And to your broader point-- I've been thinking about this so much recently, about all the ways we're trained to think of morality as being about individually good or bad people, and how that absolutely does lend to a real powerlessness. And yes, I think community spaces can be so useful to unpacking those stories and exploring structural ones!
Thanks so much, Garrett. I'm glad this is resonating with you. So much of the conversation about Epstein is also falling into the good and bad people effort to make what is structural instead about individual "choices" . . . it can be difficult to take in the scope and scale of non-individualist violence, but there are ways to do it! :-)
I find myself thinking this morning about the banality of evil. Not that punditry is evil, per se, though sometimes the messages are. But it sure is boring. Like, really, really boring and self-satisfied. And increasingly I'm finding most cultural criticism that I encounter the same. I'm so TIRED of reading takes (or writing takes, honestly) on what other people are actually *doing*. I just want to be doing things. Anything, really, though mostly walking in the woods where there's no punditry or critique or people or politics, only trees.
I realize this is slightly misanthropic on my part, but there we are.
I don't think it's misanthropic! I read it as deeply connective!
I appreciate your faith in me. <3
I think an interesting case study of a pundit "doing something" is Nicholas Kristof. He quit his cushy job at the NYT to run for governor of Oregon, despite the fact that he was registered to vote and paid taxes in New York. (He did own property in OR.) Oh, and he'd never held any other political office before. He was ruled ineligible due to not fulfilling the state's residency requirements, and almost immediately went back to his job at the NYT. Real "I alone can fix it" pundit brain there, if you ask me.
Perfect case study. And taught me, a person who sometimes (often) yells at pundits, to be very specific: "Do something, yes! But by that I mean, like, actually meet your neighbors! You don't have to be Governor!"
Governor is a big first step!
Nick Kristof, you could have just gone to a planning board meeting!
Prior to DOGE shutting off my government travel card, I used to go to climate conferences full of pundits. I never went to Davos or COP or any of the big ones (those were for my big boss), but I had some of the same reactions as you. It could feel like a lot of people talking in a room to hear themselves talk. It was a big adjustment coming from working in factories where the whole job there was to get things off the line. And this isn’t to say there wasn’t some benefit to conferences — day-to-day factory stuff is rarely strategic — but it could veer into an echo chamber quickly.
Oh my god isn't it incredible how much banality can be packed into a single hotel ballroom???
Ahem “important conversations are being held in the room.”
COP30 had Brazilian indigenous activists protesting for actual climate which…good for them: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/1166373
Silver Jews ftw!
I love this column. I think Buttigieg and others are actually auditioning for the NYT op-ed page.
I am really clueless about interactions with people, but I will talk policy, as opposed to politics, with anyone. Also planning to volunteer for a church supper, I’ve donated supermarket cards and food, but I still feel like I’m not doing enough.
As far as “identity politics “, what these pundits don’t seem to understand is that more and more people are falling into marginalized groups. Even white people.
The centrist model is doomed, as well as being morally reprehensible.
Sounds like you're doing pretty darn good with other people (at least from where I sit, as a frequently clueless person myself).
And yes, I do think that centrism assumes a world where most people consider themselves to be doing pretty well, and jeez that's far less people every single day.
“Or put differently, if you consider yourself a Democrat, why are you spending your wild and precious political life shouting and gesticulating about what “Democrats” should do? Just do that thing! And invite others to do it with you!”
So much this!
I’m in my second project of 2025 now that I really wish someone with more experience, know how, time, knowledge, etc, would do (I’ve actually been wishing/hoping someone else would do this particular thing since at least April, and am kicking myself for waiting this long and not just starting earlier).
But both of these projects are important to *me* (and others, as I’ve quickly learned in both cases), and no one else is doing them (to my knowledge), so I am. We learn as we go, we pull others in, we try not to do actual harm, and we do our best. The first project was a raging success, which we’re still reaping rewards for (it wrapped up in May). Hoping this new endeavor goes as well.
If not you? Who? If not now? When?
Just think how easy it would have been to do neither of those projects, since you weren't the "right" person for either? So much easier, and such a loss.
I read this post last night at sunset and went for a long walk into the darkness. I kept hearing your voice, Garrett, and then envisioning a person waving their hand dismissively in the air, saying “someone should do something about this!” My heart hurt.
One thing I thought about as I walked is how much that feeling of powerlessness you reference, as a possible source of why people are asking other people to make it better, stems from this sense that power is sourced only in individuals, so our job is to find the ‘bad" ones and stop them, and then find the “good" ones who are going to figure it out.
There’s much less fluency in talking about how systems and structures are also sources of violence. It’s absolutely crucial to act as individuals and groups, rather than just talk. But I also long to gather in groups to increase my understanding of these systems and ideologies, so that we can organize to challenge their stories about the world, and the ways they rationalize violence as necessary and unchanging, in order to keep the machine of the dominant culture running.
First off, what an honor to be along for our walk in that way. And to your broader point-- I've been thinking about this so much recently, about all the ways we're trained to think of morality as being about individually good or bad people, and how that absolutely does lend to a real powerlessness. And yes, I think community spaces can be so useful to unpacking those stories and exploring structural ones!
Thanks so much, Garrett. I'm glad this is resonating with you. So much of the conversation about Epstein is also falling into the good and bad people effort to make what is structural instead about individual "choices" . . . it can be difficult to take in the scope and scale of non-individualist violence, but there are ways to do it! :-)