There’s a genre of public affairs writing I call “Taking out the trash.” It becomes necessary when prominent, respected people say, as they very often do, tendentious and ill-considered stuff. Suddenly there’s garbage that might rot in the ears of people in power. A taking-out-the-trash piece debunks it.

It’s thankless work. Countering bullshit-in-a-fancy-suit is no one's idea of a good time. But it’s God’s work.

and respond to prospect.org/power/2024-08-13-