NP Left responses "disgraceful" says Hitchens

[jbor]

on 14/10/01 2:53 PM, Phil Wise at philwise at paradise.net.nz wrote:

> If you are right it makes PP Mc's piece particularly lazy - I would assume
> he must be so confident in his readership's views that they can share an
> understanding that a large and heterogenious "group" such as the "modern
> left" have these failings, as  a whole.  To be honest, not being part of
> such a conservative readership, I'm not sure what it is he's referring to at
> all.

I don't want to labour the point, and I certainly don't categorise myself as
part of some "conservative readership", whatever that might mean, but it's
the hard-line stance against globalisation and military intervention in
Afghanistan, and the vituperative "if you don't agree you're a fascist"
rhetoric of the Left bloc, that he is referring to. The example he provides
is that of Hitchens, who still considers himself to be "on the Left" while
supporting both globalisation and the military strikes. Hitchens has come to
realise that there is no substance to all the anti-this, anti-that bluster
of the militant Left, no practical alternatives, no willingness to engage in
a dialogue with other points of view, just spitefulness and sour grapes.
And, on present evidence, that seems to be a pretty accurate criticism.

best