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Nepotism: There's Another Charles Freeman--charles Freeman, Jr.--and He's Defending His Dad. Nice Boy!

I don't know who Steve Clemons is. But he has published on his own blog, thewashingtonnote, for which he raises money right there, a threat from Charles Freeman's son to punch me, Jon Chait, and Jamie Kirchick in the face. He also calls us "low-lives" and "shmucks." Very elevated discourse.  Jon, he says, "scaled new lows." I am "unpleasant." And he makes some incomprehensible gay crack about Jamie, which even Clemons takes pains to disavow.

Alas, Charles Freeman, Jr. does not have much of an independent life. He is the incumbent of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a declining cold war think tank that appointed Zbig Bzrezinski to a professorship of geo-strategy when the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies refused to give him a permanent position. Anyway, Zbig is very old. Why does he need permanency?

But young Charles is very young. I don't know his qualifications for the professorship. And he addresses his "Dad," always, by the way, dad with a capital "D." Very respectful. When my children write me they address me as "Dear dad..." Well, different families, different formalities. Still, to junior's credentials: he was U.S. assistant trade representative to China, something like the post his Dad held decades ago.


Charles Freeman, the Freeman Chair in China Studies, doesn't really make an argument for his father, although he quotes someone else who's smart as saying that senior is "scary smart." 

Otherwise, it's personal commentary. "He jabs at Congressional perfidies and at established wisdoms and has punched the odd scared cow in the face. But he's seriously smart." Dad's smartness seems to have overwhelmed his seed.

And towards the finish line: "My Dad is a royal pain in the butt, but I love him." That is not an argument for his appointment. So the only point left is so crude that by itself it should disqualify Chas Sr. "Why this arfing pack of lapdogs should have chosen him for a target is clear: he's been a long-time thorn in the butt of the Israel first-ers." And that's why Professor Freeman says his pop should get the job.

I do not think this is a qualification in President Obama's eyes.