Over the last few months, thenation.com has made an effort to foster a robust and thoughtful comments section befitting the mighty intelligence of our readership. We’re pleased to report that the shoe ads are gone, the name-calling is at a minimum and astute and witty commentary is on the rise.

Here are our favorite comments from the last two weeks. Let us know what you think — in the comments!

Billy Bragg: "Thanks very much for including me in the top ten, but it’s all a bit 20th century isn’t it?  Where are the great contemporary songs like ‘No Banker Left Behind‘ from the brand new album by Ry Cooder?" In response to: "Top Ten Labor Day Songs." September 4, 2011

Dan Rains: "He should urge Congress to approve every single job projection requested by any Republican or Democrat. Let them vote against their own requests. Let their constituents see exactly who these people are. The point is: create jobs! Not promises of jobs! CREATE JOBS for God’s sake!” In response to: "Go Big, Mr. President." September 7, 2011

Rewiredhogdog: "It was in many respects a great editorial, especially how Americans view the policemen and firefighters rushing into the burning Twin Towers now as fat and sassy public workers with bloated pensions, but I really think your verdict about the diminishing influence of Al Qaeda’s political extremism is too soon and more of wish fulfillment than historical fact. Pakistan has been clearly radicalized since 9/11 and  the country seems to be enacting a slow-motion video toward implosion with an arsenal of nuclear weapons. And bin Laden, though dead, has accomplished one of his primary goals with the 9/11 attacks: baiting America into prosecuting inconclusive, bleeding wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which will cost the America taxpayers not the $1.25 trillion quoted in your editorial but closer to $4 trillion with interest payments.” In response to: "The Years Since 9/11: A Lost Decade." August 31, 2011

John L Hodge: "I propose looking at this from another perspective. I’d like to remind everyone of the contrast between mourning and honoring the 3000 or so people killed on US soil on 9/11, and the relative indifference towards the hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis who have died as a direct or indirect consequence of the invasion of Iraq. In the spirit of democracy–namely, that all people are created equal–we must mourn those Iraqis with the same compassion that we mourn those killed on 9/11." In response to: "Democratic Freedom Dreams After September 11." September 14, 2011