Trifkovic leaving Chronicles

S. Trifkovic is leaving Chronicles, but doesn’t say why. No one seems to know why.

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Gintas writes:

No one knows why, no one says why. The December issue of Chronicles said:

The editors of Chronicles note with regret the departure, effective January 1, of Srdja Trifkovic, our longtime foreign-affairs editor. He has lasted longer than could be expected in a position that required much work for too little remuneration. With his help, Chronicles has gained attention around the world. We wish Srdja continued success in his career annd expect to publish his work when he has the time to contribute to the magazine. Fortunately for us, his work has been ably supported by a competent and brilliant team of regular contributors… We are confident that Chronicles, in the coming years, will continue to broaden and deepen our coverage of foreign affairs.

It doesn’t sound acrimonious, but it’s all very hush-hush. Maybe he has an opportunity with the Serbian government.

Dan R. writes:

I believe Trifkovic is married with children. Sounds to me like he simply needs to earn more money.

LA replies:

If that’s the case, then why not say so, instead of being so mysterious and Soviet-like about it?

At Chronicles, many commenters were regretting Trifkovic’s departure and asking why. Yet Chronicles, in its typical sado-masochistic relationship with its readers, doesn’t condescend to tell them why.

When I speak of Chronicles’ sado-masochistic relationship with its readers, I’m thinking in particular of what made me end my subscription to Chronicles in 1996. The magazine had solicited readers’ comments on how the magazine might be improved. Then a couple of months later the editor, Thomas Fleming, wrote a column contemptuously putting down the readers for their suggestions.

At that point I said, this is a sick magazine, I don’t want anything to do with it, and I wrote to the publisher ending my subscription of nine years. But there are lot of Chronicles readers—and lots of paleocons generally—who like being insulted by their “leaders,” and who make endless excuses for their “leaders’” inexcusable behavior.

Dan R. replies:

I’ll just toss out one possibility: that he wants to make himself available on the job market and felt it wasn’t fair to Chronicles to leave without giving a date, as his way of giving notice. All sorts of speculations are possible, but as Gintas notes, “it doesn’t sound acrimonious.” I’d go further and say it looks as though Chronicles very much wishes he had stayed, as they also printed a photo of him to accompany the Obiter Dicta segment telling of his departure. All quite in contrast to the departure, several years ago, of Theodore Pappas, Chronicles’ second-in-command, who was given the non-person treatment—his name was never mentioned again (talk about “Soviet-like!”)—when he left for the greener pastures of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Bottom line: you’re right. Trifkovic has become the leading writer at Chronicles and one would expect more of an explanation, though I’m sure, given his prolific output, we’ll learn the answer soon enough.

LA replies:

Could it be he’s too anti-Islamic and insufficiently anti-Israel?

Paul T. writes:

I’ve come to the conclusion that Thomas Fleming and Keith Olbermann are one and the same person — since there can’t be room for two men this angry on one continent.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at January 02, 2009 05:27 PM | Send