A reader writes:
The reader's letter you posted regarding the bad company of Christopher Hitchens nails my sentiments. But while I think Hitch is as aware of this administration's incompetence and moral bankruptcy as any of us, we are unlikely to hear him speak forcefully against Bush's execution of the Iraq war anytime soon. As he wrote in the Weekly Standard (Sept. 5th, 2005, "A War to be Proud Of"):
"If the great effort to remake Iraq as a demilitarized federal and secular democracy should fail or be defeated, I shall lose sleep for the rest of my life in reproaching myself for doing too little. But at least I shall have the comfort of not having offered, so far as I can recall, any word or deed that contributed to a defeat."
I have to say that Hitch is a friend and his motives, as far as I am concerned, are unimpeachable. As is his commitment to freedom and secularism everywhere. For my part, I don't believe criticizing this administration's conduct of the war is contributing to our defeat. Democracies do better in wars precisely because we have more internal criticism and therefore more flexibility and capacity to correct error. Sadly, this administration seems to specialize in sticking its fingers in its ears.