False Equivelancy

Jeffrey Sachs has a new book that I love without reading it, because its title communicates a point I believe fervently.  The book is titled The Price of Civilization and it makes the point that government and the taxes that support it are the price we pay for living in a civilized society and it's a price worth paying.  Fundamentally, it is a repudiation of the "no taxes, ever, ever, ever" of the Republican party.

But Paul Thomasch in his article about the book starts in piece this way:

In "The Price of Civilization" he contends that as Democrats and Republicans bicker over how to reignite the faltering U.S. jobs market, both sides have it wrong and that what is needed is greater investment in education, better health care, more civility and fewer Gulfstream jets.

Helloooooo??  What about that indicts "both sides?"  He says both sides get it wrong and then lays out the Democratic prescription.  What is up with that?  It looks to me like the familiar technique by pundits, writers and other commentators whereby they have to declare "both sides" wrong so they can establish themselves above and apart from these bickering politicians.  But when they do that they effective absolve the true perpetrators of any blame, i.e. the Republicans.

I will grant to Mr. Thomasch the possibility that Sachs book is the offender, not he.  But I wish people like him would simply call it like it is and not try to rise above it all.
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