In a moment of weakness a while back, I made the mistake of subscribing to the print version of Newsweek because it was relatively cheap. Although I typically discard it immediately when it appears in my mailbox, I was leafing through it while waiting to get my packages and was reminded that Our Boy actually writes for the damned thing.
In a seven-paragraph piece (almost as long as some of his books!), Hitch claims that the Iranian regime is doomed and that "we" had better take it down before it acquires nuclear weapons.
[W]e have a very direct interest in having the Iranian people permitted to interfere in their own internal affairs, and a very immediate reason to insist that the regime's thugs not make their next appearance on the historical stage with nuclear weapons with which to undergird their claim of unfailing righteousness and conviction that they alone know what it is to be a victim.
Now, it's all in his typically florid language, so there's plenty of Decent Deniability in it, but I was struck by a couple of comments made in response to the article. The first is by someone who means well, but is a bit confused:
Posted By: olderwiser @ 01/04/2010 12:11:13 PM
As an independent observer, I have noticed that atheists seldom, if ever, recommend either wars or killing to remedy the ill practices of their religious competitors for the minds of humankind. I have also noticed that religious leaders throughout the centuries have recommended wars and killing in order to either acquire new worshippers or to eliminate other religious competitors. I only mention this to compliment Mr. Hitchens and those of his persuasion for their civility. Good going, Christopher...
This as a prelude to telling atheists and the theists to lighten up, which isn't a bad idea. But how could someone claim that the likes of Hitchens have never called for war as a remedy for the abuses of the mullahs? Sam Harris has certainly called for the bulk of the Iranian population to be vaporized preemptively for a collective thoughtcrime that might lead to a nuclear exchange. However, a somewhat less sophisticated political commentator further on is ultimately more in line with The Great Man's philosophy.
“The enemies of intolerance cannot be tolerant." • "If it is an offense to justice to hold people who may have been victims of mistaken identity or of vendettas by other factions, then it is also an offense to justice to release psychopathic killers who believe that they have divine permission to throw acid in the faces of girls who want to attend school." • "Don't be such a lesbian!
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