Unexpectedly sympathetic to "the left", at least its larger an ultimate goals. (This may be an undeservedly sympathetic reading by me, since I disagree -- and,

Unexpectedly sympathetic to "the left", at least its larger an ultimate goals. (This may be an undeservedly sympathetic reading by me, since I disagree -- and, apparently, agree -- with "the left" on the same issues he does.) Unexpected, because while he became known as a leftist intellectual some twentyfive - thirty years ago, I was under the impression that he took a hard turn to the right somewhere between 2005 and '10, or perhaps even earlier (right after 9/11?). Glad to see he seems to have recovered. [EDIT:] After reading a few more current columns: No real recovery, it appears. At best a temporary, transient one, during -- and in reaction to -- the Trump presidency? Sad. [/EDIT] One paragraph feels like a particularly noteworthy reminder to the HN clientele, so I'll just leave it here: > One thing we have learned in this epidemic, for example, is the vital importance of essential workers, the nurses and carers, the trash-collectors and food-preparers, the supermarket cashiers and truck drivers. They are people we should look up to, not down on, as they keep our entire society functioning. Instead, I suspect that many smart people have mistaken their own unearned gift for some kind of moral virtue, which is why they are so reluctant to note that others may not be so smart, and if they do so, think less of them. Remove the elites’ vanity, and self-love, and you can see their irrationality for what it is.