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“Stand Up for Denmark!”

Hitchens’ essay about the failure of western democracies to stand up and defend Denmark as its people and embassies around the world were being attacked in retribution for the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. A good summary of his position, “And there remains the question of Denmark: a small democracy, which resisted Hitler bravely and protected its Jews as well as itself. Denmark is a fellow member of NATO and a country that sends its soldiers to help in the defense and reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan. And what is its reward from Washington? Not a word of solidarity, but instead some creepy words of apology to those who have attacked its freedom, its trade, its citizens, and its embassies. For shame.”

 Also, Hitchens does a nice job of pointing out the hypocrisy, “The original proscription against any portrayal of the prophet, not that this appears to be absolute, was superficially praiseworthy because it was intended as a safeguard against idolatry and the worship of images. But now see how this principle is negated. A rumor of a cartoon in a faraway country is enough to turn the very name Mohammed into a fetish-object and an excuse for barbaric conduct.” 

I also really like that he calls Karen Hughes (one of GWBs Under Secretaries of State) a “Bush-crony ignoramus.”

Karen Hughes...no comment necessary:

New learning: In the end, he actually calls for people to join him at in a rally at the Danish Embassy on Feb 22, 2006, asking everyone to brings flags and posters saying things “such as ‘Buy Carlsberg/ Havarti/ Lego.’”

Hitch is the guy with his back to the camera on the far right of the photo.

New word: opprobrium = harsh criticism or censure