Reason's People of the Year

Screw Time magazine. Here's a list to ponder.

December 22, 2006

(Page 4 of 4)

You. Yes, I'm siding with Time. Someone has to do it, since the magazine is being criticized left and right by people who think it's some sort of copout to honor a genuinely important story -- the rising power of the user-driven Web -- rather than doing the usual year-end celebrity bake-off. YouTube and Wikipedia are making more of a mark on this country than any petty politician, and I see nothing wrong with Time acknowledging that. Besides, one of the few things I hate more than the "Person of the Year" award itself is all the critics who act as though Time's choice is somehow significant. You think you can make a better pick? Start a blog, list your own choices, and ignore Time entirely. You can do that now. That's why you're the Person of the Year.

David Weigel
Reason associate editor.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, although not for the reasons Rod Dreher gives. Iran's president isn't actually that powerful in his own country. What he really represents is the hydra quality of "the enemy." A war in Iraq that was supposed to stabilize the Middle East and rid America of one of its most hated foes (Saddam, remember?) has sent the region teetering and created a brand new villain, complete with nukes. Understanding him is a good way of understanding the mess we're in.