Krugman catches on to the Gothic

Paul Krugman finally realizes Gothic language:

for the past 14 years America’s political life has been largely dominated by, well, monsters. Monsters like Tom DeLay, who suggested that the shootings at Columbine happened because schools teach students the theory of evolution. Monsters like Karl Rove, who declared that liberals wanted to offer “therapy and understanding” to terrorists. Monsters like Dick Cheney, who saw 9/11 as an opportunity to start torturing people.

He doesn't do much with the theme, besides slapping it on to people he's criticized for years.  He does seem a little uncomfortable with the language of fantasy, using it to describe, er, um ", well, monsters."  But it's a start, and a sign that Gothic language continues to seep into our season.

Comments

[Executed Today]

I thought this was an interesting post, too. "Banishing to the wilderness" is what huddled, pre-industrial societies do with their Grendels, breathing in relief while silently realizing that the beast will return by the phases of the moon to ravage an outpost or slaughter a flock of sheep until some timeless hero arises to face it.

But all the current discourse of "monster" means -- like the movie of that title -- something sub- rather than superhuman, whom a disgusted civilization simply intends to corral and euthanize.