A Liberal Who Is Starting to Get It

No, not Joe Lieberman (though he is another). Christopher Hitchens on The Bill Maher Show:

• Christopher Hitchens: "Who wants a Third Word War? The Iranian President says that one member state of the United Nations should be wiped physically from the map with all its people. He says the United States is a Satanic power. Members of his government, named members of his government have been caught sponsoring deaths squads. He's lied, he's lied to the European Union about his nuclear program-"

  Bill Maher: "But you know that a lot-"

  Hitchens: "He says the Messiah is about to come back. Who's looking for a war here?"

  Maher: "So does George Bush, by the way [audience applause]. That's not facetious [audience applause continues]."

  Hitchens: "That's not facetious. Your audience, which will clap at apparently anything, is frivolous. [oohs and groans from audience, Hitchens gives them the finger] Fuck you, fuck you. [groans continue]"

  Maher: "I was just saying what the President of Iran and the President of America have in common is that they both are a little too comfortable with the idea of the world coming to an end."

  Hitchens: "Cheer yourself up like that. The President has said, quite a great contrast before the podium of the Senate, I think applauded by most present, in his State of the Union address, that we support the democratic movement of the Iranian people to be free of theocracy -- not that we will impose ourselves on them, but that if they fight for it we're on their side. That seems to be the right position to take, jeer all you like."

Courtesy of Newsbusters.org via AceofSpades

Hitchens is starting to see what the Right has seen all along. That this is truly a World War against a new fascism. The Iranian president is a HUGE believer in the return of the 12th Imam and is working actively to bring about his return. He's said as much on numerous occasions. But unless you actively follow the blogosphere, the mainstream media reports none of this and actually sends Mike Wallace to interview this nut and make him seem reasonable.

Hitchens actually calls the Left on it's two facedness for applauding Bush's speech supporting democrat elements in Iran and then doing nothing but undercutting efforts to bring it about. And Maher is out there promoting outright lies by alleging that Bush is looking for war and is comfortable with the end of the world.

The time for the carrot-and-stick with Iran is just about at an end. Barring an internal revolution (the Iranian government continues to slaughter student protesters on an almost weekly basis - bet you haven't seen that in the papers either), there's going to be more upheaval shortly.