TIME’s Man Person of the Year

1. This decade-ending cover can be seen to document the final standings in the class war, the asset-owners — particular through big media’s lens — having triumphed over the wage-earners. (Hat tip: Yglesias.)

2. Love how Ben fills the hole where the esteemed President goes. (Seems like a lotta conflict in that cross-hatching, by the way.)

3. According to Kate Harding/Slate, there are probably three women who deserved it — ’86 being the last stand-alone woman winner. (Neda Agha-Soltan was at the top of my list, but then … democracy movement? What democracy movement?)

4. Maybe the real point here is that nobody stood out that much???

5. Finally, there’s the standard refrain of: who cares about TIME, anyway? (I am, though, interested in your take and who’s at the top of your list.)

UPDATE: 6. I might add, I thought TIME was pretty chickenshit for not picking a “Person of the Decade” — first since the ’80’s — and (no brainer) putting bin Ladin on the cover.