Lileks Knows

Lileks on the "whatever" point:
LILEKS (James) The Bleat: "2. Anyone who writes opinion pieces should consider whether their piece contains a YWP, or �Yeah, Whatever� Point. The YWP is the moment where half your audience automatically stops reading because they know exactly where this is going, and they�ve been there a thousand times before. Sometimes the YWP is triggered by a phrase, but it�s usually a statement of fact that betrays a certain breathless hysteria in the author. In most cases the YWP is triggered by the assertion that we have gone far beyond the standard push-me-pull-you of politics, and have entered a dangerous age in which all we hold dear shall be snatched from our hands, torn to pieces and washed away in a torrent of tears. Sometimes it's the UN and the Contrail pilots who are responsible. Sometimes it's the undead Halliburton Zombie Army. Either side is perfectly capable of generating a YWP, and on any given day either side usually does."