<http://www.juancole.com/2006/05/hitchens-hacker-and-hitchens.html>
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By essay's end, Cole has launched into a full-on assault upon the destructive daydreams of the people Hitchens boot lickingly supports.
It's very stirring.
Prof. Cole's evolution - right before our eyes - from academic, simply trying to provide 'deep background' and sharing what he knows, to an unapologetic and intellectually well-armed foe of the neocon agenda (and bullshit arguments in general) has been fascinating.
I think what 'radicalized' him (if I can use that word as a stand in for a better one I didn't think of) - was the right-wing attack machine's rabid reaction, and the 'well, but, maybe, let's salute anyway' equivocations of the so-called "decent left" in response to his originally quite modest objections.
It was all so much (with all the usual dirty tricks being deployed such as tossing reputation wrecking anti-semite bombs in his path) he realized the people he unsuccessfully tried to debate didn't merely cherish different opinions but delusions.
So he's taken a stand and it's a beautiful thing to witness.
.d.
--------- "It's a simple equation folks. Prostitution, divided by Hotels, equals dead Elves."
Olly