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I feel a bit bad calling out Steinberg, because of all the hairshirts being donned, Steinberg’s is unusually sincere and about the only one I’ve read that seems to evince actual guilt feelings. But I think his sneers at the anti-war contingent are a vital part of the history of this fiasco.
It’s not that I don’t understand the logic; anyone who’s been to high school will recognize it. I’m more skeptical of Apple products than I should be because of their missionaries. Certain musical acts and neighborhoods too. I try not to let the perceived coolness of enthusiasts and opponents influence my opinion of political candidates and geopolitical issues, however. As an example, there’s a particularly heinous pro-McCain video circulating on the Web that people seem to find amusing in its incompetence. Andrew Sullivan, who once called war objectors fifth columnists and who is now infatuated with a certain politician with prominent anti-war bona fides, writes “This is almost as painful as a Clinton supporter made video.” Does political-coverage-as-music-criticism bleed over into actual political thought? Yes.
