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As the Warring Twenties continues to shove us closer to an apocalypse of our own making, NPR greases the wheels of oblivion by tenderly rubbing the feet of author Vicky Osterweil in an interview about her recently released book, In Defense of Looting: A Riotous History of Uncivil Action.
I have no objections to a major publication shining a spotlight on a woman who justifies violence over peace, even in an era when the smallest spark can lead to a social inferno; being a free speech absolutist means I have to tolerate people being idiots at the top of their lungs.
But it’s troubling when telling the truth is enough to be shamed and have one’s career ruined, while extolling the mass destruction of innocent civilians’ property is given the VIP treatment. Even worse, condemning looting and rioting is liable to attract accusations of racism, because let’s make everything about race, dammit.
In NPR’s article, “One Author’s Argument ‘In Defense Of Looting’”, Natalie Escobar ignores compassion for commoners while affectionately querying Osterweil about her atavistic views. I got the impression that Escobar was brushing Osterweil’s hair in the nude during…
