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What would Hitchens do?
September 14, 2021 at 8:49 am
Pure speculation on anyone's part. But from your perspective, do you think Christopher Hitchens would have said stay or go regarding Afghanistan?
My point of view knowing how much he hated Saddam Hussein and how much he railed against theocracy, I'd guess, and only guess that he would have argued that the withdraw from Afghanistan would be a bad thing.
I am torn on the issue myself. On the one hand, as we know now, America could not "nation build" like we did with Japan and Germany after WW2. But, on the other hand, America has strategic bases around the world even today, such as South Korea and Germany.
What say you?
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RE: What would Hitchens do?
September 14, 2021 at 9:12 am
(This post was last modified: September 14, 2021 at 9:15 am by BrianSoddingBoru4.)
Hitchens rarely met a war he didn’t like. He was against Vietnam and the Kuwait intervention, but pretty much every other US military venture met with his approval.
He stopped just short of being a warmonger.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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RE: What would Hitchens do?
September 14, 2021 at 10:02 am
(This post was last modified: September 14, 2021 at 10:02 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Hitchens strongly and very publicly supported afghanistan and iraq, and just nation building in general.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: What would Hitchens do?
September 14, 2021 at 11:04 am
(September 14, 2021 at 9:38 am)Brian37 Wrote: (September 14, 2021 at 9:12 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Hitchens rarely met a war he didn’t like. He was against Vietnam and the Kuwait intervention, but pretty much every other US military venture met with his approval.
He stopped just short of being a warmonger.
Boru
I get that. But I think he'd agree that, in theory, that not having bases in Okinawa or South Korea would be a strategic mistake.
I am not sure what his position was on Bush's invasion of Iraq was. But I do know he hated Saddam and had lectures about his coup.
(Bold mine)
These things are easily lookupable.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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RE: What would Hitchens do?
September 14, 2021 at 8:07 pm
(This post was last modified: September 14, 2021 at 8:10 pm by Cecelia.)
Not sure why we're wondering what a dead guy would think. They're dead. They really don't care what happens now. If our positions were reversed, I have no doubts that Christopher Hitchens would not be wondering what I'd think. This is a weird phenomenon I see far too often. "What would ____ have thought". Fill in the blank with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or whoever. Well, feel free to ask them. They won't answer, because they don't have thoughts on anything anymore on account of being dead.
The whole tone of Church teaching in regard to woman is, to the last degree, contemptuous and degrading. - Elizabeth Cady Stanton
