Right Wing Nut House

The blogger known as Wretchard from the Belmont Club, whose incisive commentary on war and international politics makes him one of the most widely read sites in the sphere has decided to “out” himself:

The Belmont Club, or Wretchard rather, was cited in the Times of London in connection with “Downed US Seals may have got too close to Bin Laden”. It’s pretty strange since I’ve neither met Bin Laden nor ever been in Afghanistan, and makes me feel something of a fraud at being cited in connection with something I have no direct knowledge of. (Though the analysis is probably correct). It also reopens the question of whether Wretchard should continue to blog anonymously. Anonymous blogging has proved a good buffer against the petty vanities of authorship. The deal is you don’t do radio interviews, signed articles etc. The upside is that you have no ego to protect. The ideas you articulate are separated from your own personality.

This model is only partially functional now. People who knew me in the past, as well as my colleagues at Pajamas Media, know perfectly well “who” I am, although I think that information is totally irrelevant. Since the model of anonymity is failing, I’ll disclose the boring details. My name is Richard Fernandez, of Filipino birth and Australian citizenship. My interest in history probably began at Harvard, from which I graduated with a Masters in Public Policy. Wretchard is the name of an imaginary cat, the symbol of that entire race of stoic, yet somewhat foolish creatures. Belmont is the name of a suburb I roomed in while at Cambridge, Mass.

I know how it feels to lose that cloak of anonymity. It’s like losing a good friend. And it leaves one feeling exposed and vulnerable.

I would give one piece of advice to Mr. Fernandez. Resist the temptation to pull your punches now that your name is associated with your writing. I was surprised at how my attitude toward criticizing others changed drastically once my name was attached to what I was writing. It took me a while to get over the feeling that someone might not think well of me if I castigated them for something they wrote or said.

I also find it interesting that he chose the name of an imaginary cat for his nom de guerre. I would, however, protest his use of the adjective “foolish” to describe them. I’d like to see Mr. Fernandez jump off the kitchen counter 3 times higher than his height, land on his paws, and walk away as if he didn’t do anything wrong. I submit that takes a modicum of quick-wittedness not often seen in the animal kingdom.

Anyway…one more mystery in the sphere is cleared up. Now if we could only get Ace to out himself….