Christopher Hitchens
Why can't folks on the left be more like Christopher Hitchens. While he may be a marxist, he is intelligent about it. Too many on the left are such utter idiots (like the 99th percenters) who rather than THINKING about what is good and bad, right and wrong, merely take up an automatic opposition to anything, well, American. They have nothing more in their heads than the starting idea that America and anything Western is bad, and that therefore anything that goes against it is good. A perfect example is the question Hitchens is responding to in this clip - on that boils down to "9/11 was justified in response to how horrible we are."
The result is the kind of intellectual bitch-slap Hitchens is deservedly known for.
Oddly, as I've been reading, it's Conservative sites that have been far more respectful than those on the left. It was a lefty blog by some Tennessee City Paper writer whose remarks in the end boiled down to "he was brilliant, except when he was completely wrong, like where he disagreed with me."
Personally, I am a bit confused about hew he meshes his praise for Western Democracy with the ideas of Marxism which are utterly antithetical to them. But I'm sure he has written it down quite eloquently somewhere.
The site that led me to the clip transcribed the last part, so I'm stealing that. To preface this, he began the remark by mentioning the genocide of Christians by Muslims in East Timor, and out unfortunate role in supporting that. But the fact that we turned that around is actually one of our "Crimes" in the eyes of Al Qaeda. Yes, one of the unpardonable crimes of the West is stopping them from committing genocide against us.If you want to avoid upsetting these people, you have to let Indonesia commit genocide in East Timor, otherwise they'll be upset with you. You'll have made an enemy. If you tell them they can't throw acid in the faces of unveiled women in Karachi, they will be annoyed with you. If you say we insist, we think cartoonists in Copenhagen can print satire on the Prophet Mohammad, you've just made an enemy. You've brought it on. You're encouraging it to happen.
So unless you are willing to commit suicide for yourself and for this culture, get used to the compromises you will have to make and the eventual capitulation that will come to you. But bloody well don't do that in my name because I'm not doing it. You surrender in your own name. Leave me out of it.
I am going to fight these people and every other theocrat ALL ... THE ... WAY. All the way. For free expression, for women's rights, for self-determination of small peoples, for the right of Iraqis to federate and have their own show, for the right of the Lebanese to not be bullied by Hezbollah and to have a multi-cultural democracy.
Yes, I'll fight for this and I think the 82nd Airborne is brave to be fighting for it too. I think you should be ashamed for sneering at people who guard you while you sleep. Thanks.
The result is the kind of intellectual bitch-slap Hitchens is deservedly known for.
Click to viewOddly, as I've been reading, it's Conservative sites that have been far more respectful than those on the left. It was a lefty blog by some Tennessee City Paper writer whose remarks in the end boiled down to "he was brilliant, except when he was completely wrong, like where he disagreed with me."
Personally, I am a bit confused about hew he meshes his praise for Western Democracy with the ideas of Marxism which are utterly antithetical to them. But I'm sure he has written it down quite eloquently somewhere.
The site that led me to the clip transcribed the last part, so I'm stealing that. To preface this, he began the remark by mentioning the genocide of Christians by Muslims in East Timor, and out unfortunate role in supporting that. But the fact that we turned that around is actually one of our "Crimes" in the eyes of Al Qaeda. Yes, one of the unpardonable crimes of the West is stopping them from committing genocide against us.If you want to avoid upsetting these people, you have to let Indonesia commit genocide in East Timor, otherwise they'll be upset with you. You'll have made an enemy. If you tell them they can't throw acid in the faces of unveiled women in Karachi, they will be annoyed with you. If you say we insist, we think cartoonists in Copenhagen can print satire on the Prophet Mohammad, you've just made an enemy. You've brought it on. You're encouraging it to happen.
So unless you are willing to commit suicide for yourself and for this culture, get used to the compromises you will have to make and the eventual capitulation that will come to you. But bloody well don't do that in my name because I'm not doing it. You surrender in your own name. Leave me out of it.
I am going to fight these people and every other theocrat ALL ... THE ... WAY. All the way. For free expression, for women's rights, for self-determination of small peoples, for the right of Iraqis to federate and have their own show, for the right of the Lebanese to not be bullied by Hezbollah and to have a multi-cultural democracy.
Yes, I'll fight for this and I think the 82nd Airborne is brave to be fighting for it too. I think you should be ashamed for sneering at people who guard you while you sleep. Thanks.