Really good article I thought I might share

[Exsubmariner]

I find this intensely interesting. I think it's a really good take too. Kind of a "the world is screwed up and we had better accept that and deal with it" piece rather than the typical "life would be so much better if a democrat was in the White House" faire.
Enjoy.
link

[John Cole]

I love Hitchens; he's like Ann Coulter but a better, trickier writer. After declaring that he has already dispatched with ease all debaters, and you'll need to take his word for this, he answers Jon Stewart's question from his appearance on The Daily Show a few nights ago: Why doesn't Bush speak to Americans like they are adults, capable of understanding more than hollow phrases and platitudes. Hitchens then goes on throughout the rest of the article, pausing here and there, to tell us it's the fault of the CIA and the Defense Dept. And ya gotta love this:

[ QUOTE ]
(9) The violent and ignominious death of thousands of bin Ladenist infiltrators into Iraq and Afghanistan, and the real prospect of greatly enlarging this number.

(10) The training and hardening of many thousands of American servicemen and women in a battle against the forces of nihilism and absolutism, which training and hardening will surely be of great use in future combat.







[/ QUOTE ]

Did I say he sounds like Ann Coulter only smarter?

Of course, Hitchens fails to offer any other guesses about the President's unwillingness to offer more to us. He omits any speculation that Bush thinks in hollow phrases and platitudes (while convincing us that he doesn't). Nice job, Chris.

[natedogg]

It's really a shame, too, because until the Iraq war his commentaries were fantastic.

I think the double scotches may have taken effect.

natedogg

[twowords]

You're right, this guy seems quite convincing at first. But here's another tough one to swallow.


[ QUOTE ]
"It is out of the question--plainly and absolutely out of the question--that we should surrender the keystone state of the Middle East to a rotten, murderous alliance between Baathists and bin Ladenists. When they hear the fatuous insinuation that this alliance has only been created by the resistance to it, voters know in their intestines that those who say so are soft on crime and soft on fascism."

[/ QUOTE ]

So he expects this "alliance" to hold if the US left Iraq?

Also, check out here to see him on the daily show.

On the show, he seems to imply that the US should be invading (and presumably occupying) any country where we think known terrorists live (not harbored, not in control, but live). I suppose we should use any pretence necessary (damn CIA).

For Iraq, throw in justification like those really bad things Saddam did decades ago with benfits like experience for our armed forces and you get an "impeachable" case for armed action.

[Cyrus]

[ QUOTE ]
And check out here to see him on the Daily Show.

[/ QUOTE ]

FYL

[Exsubmariner]

I'm sorry, but I think I missed something. Can you explain why the phrases you highlighted invalidate his point? Is it because he is guilty of some kind of thought crime for having that particular opinion, and that invalidates anything else he might have to say? Please explain in simple words and phrases slowly so I can get it.
I was under the impression that Hitchens is fairly liberal. I could be mistaken though, having only recently discovered him?
Thanks.
X

[oreogod]

Ah, Ann Coulter.


"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war."

"Not all Muslims may be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims."

"Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along the lines of 'kill everyone who doesn't smell bad and doesn't answer to the name Mohammed'" ---Ann Coulter