Quote:
|
Originally Posted by demonrail666
He was wrong about the war in Iraq but his real value (along with Cohen and Henri-Levi) was in questioning the Liberal-Left intelligentsia's all too easy opposition to it, and what the 'Left' might now mean as a consequence of the logic behind that opposition. Admittedly, Hitchens (along with Henri-Levi) could be a bit sensationalist in that critique but certainly a book like Cohen's 'What's Left?' asked some very poignant questions regarding the liberal ideology behind newspapers like the Guardian and broadcasters like the BBC. What's important is that none of them were attacking the Left in an effort to justify the actions and logic of the Right but were instead questioning (from their own Leftist standpoint) what they perceived as a liberal turn within a Left which they feel has betrayed a number of fundamental Leftist ideals in its knee jerk anti-Americanism as well as in its support (or more often refusal to criticise) any group (however reactionary or indeed ultra-Right wing) that also happens to share their anti-Americanism.
|
Spot on. I value Whats Left? as the most definitive book addressing the political climate in which we've been operating for the last 10 years, but a good microcosm of what Cohen was talking about was Hitchens' debate with George Galloway. I used to kinda like Galloway even though i had a funny feeling he might not be all he seemed just because he is a very good debater and knows how to put himself over. As ever, read a little deeper and you discover some pretty disturbing things.
That debate with Hitchens is not the definitive takedown of the Galloway-types by any means, but if it leads you to listen to Iraqi dissidents from the Saddam era and what they say about how disheartening it is to see people theyre supposed to be counting on as allies not supporting them then i think it does its job.
Incidentally, with hindsight i think the most damning thing about Galloway hasnt been his salute to Saddam hussein's "courage, strength and indefatigability", more when he went to Syria as a guest of the Assad regime telling them they were the last true Arab leaders, which given the events of the last year should put him in the doghouse for good.