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November 13, 2010
Hitchens Splendidly Rips Apart the President's "Enemies" Remark
Monique Chartier
... twelve days ago in Slate.
Keep in mind that this dissection is carried out by a supporter of President Barack Obama. Christopher Hitchens voted for the president and, elsewhere in this article, states his readiness to defend the president and his policies during the campaign. (Hitchens points out that he was pre-empted from doing so by ... well, the president's inexplicable unwillingness to do so himself).
Much worse, though, was the president's remark last week, made on a Univision radio show, in which he expressed disappointment with Spanish-speaking voters who proposed to "sit out the election instead of saying, 'We're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us.' " Almost everything is wrong with this statement. The first is its awful tone: a crude appeal to ethnicity and to a spoils system of reward and punishment with which to accompany it. The second is the unspoken but highly dubious assumption that Americans (or future Americans) of Mexican and Cuban and Guatemalan and Salvadoran origin can all be collectivized under the lump headings of Hispanic or Latino. The third is the patronizing supposition that this putative bloc is somehow owned by the Democratic Party. And the fourth—to restate my objection above—is that it legitimizes any politician who couches his or her appeal in ethnic or tribal or confessional terms. Again, and whoever opens it, such an auction will always be won by the sectarians. Why, it could almost be called divisive.
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Obama's 'post racial America"-if only.
Posted by: joe bernstein at November 13, 2010 2:39 PMUnfortunately,it's a crock and he is playing to the lowest common denominator-inter-ethnic mistrust.
He squandered the historical event which he never deserved to exemplify anyway.
Hitchens is a "supporter" of no man. He's just a smart guy who - rather than filter issues through an ideological prism - actually uses his own individual set of values to illuminate a unique perspective. He's a... what's the term... a human being. Revolutionary concept around here.
Posted by: Scott at November 13, 2010 4:21 PMWho cares what this dude thinks. I think he is a miserable failure as a human being. His mind is to small to understand that God is not Religion and Religion is not God. 'God' exists despite Religion. However, he believes they are one and the same. He is a simple minded fool. His ego would not allow the existance of a greater being than himself so God had to go. Scientifically proven flaws in the bible gave him all the amo he needed to shoot God down. Well, God is still there and try as he may, Chris cannot do anything about that.
All his words are therefore worthless because they are built on a false premise. So I ask, who cares what this dude thinks?
Posted by: Dave at November 13, 2010 5:39 PMWhere have you been Dave?Great response.
Posted by: joe bernstein at November 13, 2010 8:02 PMHitchens shredding of Obama is spot on. That commentary would carry much more weight coming from a person of character. Chris Hitchens is a vile human being. Chris Hitchens is also dying of cancer. Will be quite interesting to see if he remains true to his "core beliefs" as his time comes near.
Posted by: Tim at November 14, 2010 9:02 AMAs far as Hitchens being a vile human being,maybe it takes one to know one.
Posted by: joe bernstein at November 14, 2010 9:49 AMHe sure has some insights into Obama.
Hitchens may not change at all.
My father didn't believe in God or anything and he didn't change an iota while dying really hard from cancer.
It's a lousy way to go.