You may be able to take the Ezra Klein out of Vox, but you’ll never be able to take the Vox out of Ezra Klein.
Ezra’s a New York Times opinion columnist now, and he’s still explaining the big issues to the rest of us:
“Nothing in our near future looks so horrible that it turns reproduction into an immoral act,” @ezraklein writes. https://t.co/cVAqtD8r8Y
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) June 7, 2022
“Don’t let climate change stop you from having kids” is actually a fine message to put out there. But you might be wondering why Ezra feels like he needs to put the message out there in the first place.
According to Ezra, it’s because people can’t stop asking him if it’s OK for them to procreate while the earth is melting and the oceans are turning to blood:
Living on the coasts must be insufferable. pic.twitter.com/HzIUr0QCLW
— Andy Grewal (@AndyGrewal) June 7, 2022
We have questions. Chief among them is: “Why would anyone go to Ezra Klein for his blessing to have kids?”
over the past few years, I've been asked one question more than any other: AYFKMhttps://t.co/cdiNEkiTGf
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) June 7, 2022
We have a hard time believing that people are lining up to get Ezra Klein’s opinion on this or any subject.
Call me a callous cynic, but I can't shake this lingering hint of doubt that there is line of young couples outside Ezra Klein's door seeking his counsel on their reproductive decisions
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) June 7, 2022
Call us callous cynics, too, then.
My hunch is that this is less a coastal living thing and more a professional opinion journalist who founded Vox/Wonkblog thing. (Or maybe I'm just out of touch!)
— Ryan Radia (@RyanRadia) June 7, 2022
Our hunch is that you’re correct.
A friend pointed this out to me and how true: The below quote from @ezraklein's column is an illustration of the different worlds some of us occupy. I have literally never had this question asked to me in any setting. Worldview matters. pic.twitter.com/JaGKL6cj6g
— Andrew T. Walker (@andrewtwalk) June 7, 2022
We’re willing to go out on a limb and say that most people have never had that question asked to them in any setting.
As a resident of the east coast, I'm here to say this is extreme elite putz thinking, not real people thinking. https://t.co/WhGuwxE77Y
— *The* Editorial Board (@johnastoehr) June 7, 2022
Real people have better things to do with their time than worry about offending climate activists by having kids.
As a person who has lived on a coast their entire life, this is not how normal non-journos talk. The only time "should I have kids" is mentioned is if the person isn't sure they're personally ready for it. https://t.co/JpZoWzr3tN
— 🌻 Kakya 🌻 (@Kakya_2) June 7, 2022
That’s a really important point, actually: the type of person who would earnestly seek permission to have kids is the type of person who probably isn’t all that keen on having kids to begin with.
You don’t want to have kids but want a virtuous excuse. People had kids in the middle of wars for all of humanity. pic.twitter.com/ktoT4udSVz
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 7, 2022
Don’t want kids? Don’t have kids.
Just don’t try to pretend you’ve made that decision in order to save the world.
"I'm not going to have kids because of climate change" has big "I'm not getting married until gay people can get married" vibes. If you don't want to, you don't have to, stop coming up with crazy reasons for your decision.
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) June 7, 2022
Frankly, this is Darwinism at work. https://t.co/1uW8lPgIL9
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) June 7, 2022
Hey, that’s fine by us.