The Nation Stats

In this latest in our continuing series of tallying the statistics for The Nation, we're dealing with the February 26, 2007 issue.

Let's start out by noting that we don't tally letters. We will, however, note that Ann Jones replies to the centrist Peter Bergen's sexist attack on her book (and Jones does so quite well, Bergen choose to play stupid -- it is playing, right?). That sexist review (where women just weren't rational was the subtheme) is part of the reason why Ava and C.I. instituted this feature. As they, Mike, Wally, Ruth, Betty, Rebecca, Kat and Elaine noted in real time, there is no need in the world for CNN centrists, for 'terror' warriors to be reviewing books in the magazine, no matter how attractive someone may find Bergen to be. You'll note that in his response to Jones and Derek Davis' letters, Bergen never apologizes for (nor does the magazine recognize) the sexist nature of his review which offered that women aren't too emotional and instinctual to be analytical creatures. (Sounds like someone's going to spend his lifetime getting over many last call shoot downs.)

(How many Daddy figures does one woman need? Good God!)

We'll also note that Derek Davis, like Ava and C.I., took strong offense to Bergen's 'need' to open his review by recounting his trip to a brothel. Bergen replies by ignoring the objection and blathering on in the text equivalent of one long fart but we will note that he's in love with Pakistan's secret service. Pakistan figures in this edition of the magazine in other ways as well.

Editorial & Comment
"Into 2008" -- unsigned (get 'em Alterpunk) and, yes, they can't let go of the November 2008 election. It is the most pressing thing in their empty little heads.
"Molly, In Her Own Words" -- how does a woman get printed in The Nation?
Apparently death helps. They offer up a cutting of Ivins' writings from the magazine, we'll note the most recent was in 2000. We'll note that The Nation was wrongly listed in mainstream obits as the publication Ivins wrote for on the left -- that would be The Nation and, while we're noting, Matthew Rothschild needs to check his dates, Friday on KPFA, he was again two years short on how long Ivins had been writing for The Progressive.
Mark Hertgaard's "Green Times"
Victor Navasky's "Mission To Caracas" (he must have found someone to hit up for money there)
Sunil Dutta's "Kill The Death Penalty"

Score: 1 woman, 3 men

Columns
Calvin Trillin's "The Madness of Nanny Dick"
Eric Alterman's "Dude! Where's My Debate!" -- we actually like that title because Alterpunk is like an ugly, less smart version of many of the characters Ashton Kutchner has portrayed.

Score: 2 men

Articles
Marc Cooper's "Lockdown In Greely"
Amanda Spake's "Dying For A Home"

Score: 1 man, 1 woman


Critics
Jackson Lears' "Williams James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism"
Ali Sethi's "In the Country of Men"
Stuart Klawans' "The Lives of Others . . ."

Score: 2 men.

We're excluding Ali Sethi for two reasons (a) dopes who bought into "It's democracy!" about the show elections are dopes and (b) internships should be for people in need, not spoiled babies.

Total score for this issue: 8 men, 2 women.

Year to date score: 86 males; 19 women.


The four males for every byline a woman gets continues.

We last checked in on February 11, 2007.