[lbo-talk] Hitch does the shores of Tripoli

Brad Mayer Bradley.Mayer at Sun.COM
Wed Jun 30 18:07:19 PDT 2004


In his latest and greatest magazine venue yet, in which the past is prostitute for present purpose: http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040705/tjterror.html

Time gave him the "Muslim beat", given his growing reputation as an Islam-baiter and leading purveyor of hatred of Muslims. Here Hitch has a chance to mix in juicy images of "white slavery", not to mention piracy, to boot. In the guise of "history", Hitch proceeds to demonize an entire region as he willy-nilly mixes and matches "Berbers" and "Barbary terrorism" with the "Turkish, or Ottoman," Empire. He is also at great pains to show how Jefferson played fast and lose with the U.S. constitution, and his willingness to act unilaterally, but only after "he was satisified that European powers would not join his coalition". This statement is immediately followed by the lamest comment of the whole article: "he did not seek to impose a regime change or an occuparion of the Barbary States." Perhaps, Chris, that is because the still relatively puny United States lacked the power to do so? So much for "history". -Brad Mayer



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