by Koreyel
Christopher Hitchens…ah yes… Christopher Hitchens…
The first time I ever heard this fellow speak (pre 9/11) I was astounded at his acidic brilliance. Here was someone that not only wrote a good game, but talked a good game. But, as they say, 9/11 changed everything. Including of course Hitchens.
Suffice it to say: he has certainly remixed his mixed mind since then. One almost expects now to hear a lugubrious apology to Kissinger blubbering off Hitchens’ pen. But then again, Kissinger went after Vietnamese and Cambodians with his evil geopolitical heart. If only Kissinger had instead given the hot kiss of death to “Islamofacists.” Then I am sure…Hitch would probably be the first in line to kneel in apology to Kissinger and slurps up his right-wing jingo-jism.
My main interest in Hitchens these days is to see if his thinking–increasing right wing–has become increasingly illogical. One would expect that. Here is a clip from one of his latest pieces…a word-grenade thrown at Kerry:
In what sense, in other words, does his participation in a shameful war qualify him to be president of the United States? This was a combat of more than 30 years ago, fought with a largely drafted army using indiscriminate tactics and weaponry against a deep-rooted and long-running domestic insurgency. (Agent Orange, for example, was employed to destroy the vegetation in the Mekong Delta and make life easier for the Swift boats.) The experience of having fought in such a war is absolutely useless to any American today and has no bearing on any thinkable fight in which the United States could now become engaged. Thus, only the “character” issues involved are of any weight, and these are extremely difficult and subjective matters.
Dear Mr. Hitchens,
why was the war against communism any more shameful than this present war against terrorism? Didn’t the commies want to destroy our way of life too? And how has yesterday’s “indiscriminate tactics and weaponry” in Vietnam, differed from today’s wanton destruction of Old Najaf?
Here is a snip from the International Herald Tribune’s recent article: In Najaf, the heavy stench of war:
For every shot they took, American soldiers returned scores or hundreds. For every mortar round the guerrillas lobbed, gunners at the marine base responded with a 100-pound artillery shell. The insurgents had donkey carts loaded with rocket-propelled grenades, the soldier’s 70-ton tanks that can survive direct hits from mortars.
…
The American advantage was especially large at night, when night-vision goggles allow soldiers to see in the dark. The two sides have caused uncounted civilian casualties and inflicted massive damage on the Old City. The area stinks of sewage and soot, and its streets are filled with rubble from bombed-out buildings
Your ignorance and rudeness has grown by leaps and bounds since 9/11 Mr. Hitchens. How else can one explain this quote of yours from the above Slate piece:
“The experience of having fought in such a war is absolutely useless to any American today…”
As if… the ordeals and horrors a man might experience in the heat of that war have no bearing on the soul of such a man today.
I mean really Hitch, the only way one can respond to such a global vacuity of understanding is with modern vernacular: “Whatever.” Shame on you Hitchens… when one is blessed with a sharp wit, to grow older and stupider is the most shameful of crimes.
You really do deserve a shit-pie with a whipping cream of offal, aimed dead center into your smug face.