With Marty Peretz, Love Means Always Having to Say You're Sorry

Nick Gillespie | September 13, 2010

When we last checked in with The New Republic's Marty Peretz, he was apologizing at his blog "The Spine" to Ms. Liza (with a Z!) Minnelli for repurposing somebody else's joke at her expense.

She is one of those paradigmatic entertainers who gives of herself--her ample brain and enchanting personality--in the cause of human rights, a cause not as popular as it once was was.

As it happens, my movie director son, Jesse, cast her in his film of three years ago, "The X." I am biased: the film was very very good and so was Liza in it.

And, by the way, what an exemplary private life she has had.

Now Peretz is back with another apology for a "vociferous" statement about Muslims that, it turns out, he didn't really mean. The clear light of reason came to him after his comment was flagged by The New York Times. Peretz wrote:

"I wonder whether I need honor these people and pretend they are worthy of the privileges of the First Amendment, which I have in my gut the sense that they will abuse." I wrote that, but I do not believe that.

More here.

No word yet if Daisy Khan or Imam Rauf will be getting cast in any family movie projects.

Hat tip: Jack Shafer's Twitter feed. Shafer documents that Peretz has hated Muslims for "20+ years."

Reason needs your support. Please donate today!

Try Reason's award-winning print edition today! Your first issue is FREE if you are not completely satisfied.

Sean Healy|9.13.10 @ 3:49PM|#

Peretz's main point was that Muslim life is evidently cheap to Muslims, not excluding supposedly peace-bringing Muslims like Imam Rauf. Is he wrong? He just said inelegantly what Hitchens said with more elan: every religion ahs had to get a secular beatdown; now it's Islam's turn.

Alan Vanneman|9.13.10 @ 11:28AM|#

The way I heard it, it was Barbra Streisand, not the NYT, who set him straight.

Apologetic California|9.13.10 @ 11:37AM|#

TNR has become a useless full-retard left-wing publication. It's a tranny whore cum rag. Why are they keeping Peretz around?

|9.13.10 @ 11:38AM|#

He owns the fucking New Republic but he fired his readers a long time ago. He gave us Barry Obama and now he's having second thoughts about Barry's light touch support of Israel. How smart was Marty? Not much.

|9.13.10 @ 11:40AM|#

I wrote that, but I do not believe that.

This is some sort of journalistic first, right?

|9.13.10 @ 11:41AM|#

I seriously thought the post was about Perez Hilton at first and was really confused.

"I seriously thought the post was about Perez Hilton at first and was really confused." I wrote that, but I do not believe that.

DADIODADDY|9.13.10 @ 11:47AM|#

I don't think that my first amendment rights are a "privledge" despite what some retard douche bag says...left by bat with the nails in it around here somewhere...

Hugh Akston|9.13.10 @ 12:50PM|#

That's just because you don't know any better. The Bill of Privileges enumerates all of the things that we're allowed to do so long as we conduct ourselves in a respectful manner toward our social betters.

DADIODADDY|9.13.10 @ 2:53PM|#

Thanks you sir, may I have another...

Mo|9.13.10 @ 12:18PM|#

But in yesterday’s The New York Times, he quotes two sentences that I recently wrote—one of them genuinely embarrasses me, and I deeply regret it getting called out for it.

FTFH

Tim Cavanaugh|9.13.10 @ 2:52PM|#

He should be apologizing for believing the First Amendment can be "abused," not for his choice of abuser.

Suprashoesweb|9.15.10 @ 11:18PM|#

Supra Shoes
Supra Footwear

mengcbt21|11.9.10 @ 9:14AM|#

The Bill the closer dvd
of Privileges enumerates all of the things that we're allowed to do so long assupernatural dvd we conduct ourselves in a respectful manner toward our social betters.

Reason.com