Posted on 11/29/2005 12:49:34 AM PST by dervish
And at the end of the day, that's all anyone can ask of a reportor, writer or another human being.
And today what matters, regardless of any errors or mistakes she may well have been guilty of in the past... on the topic of Islam and middle eastern politics, this woman knows what she's talking about, feels passionately about her love for the United States and for the need to preserve the tolerant western civilization that allows her to be the atheist she is, to have some self respect and self direction as a woman and to play some part in how she is governed.
The rest of the world would do well to pay some attention to the words she writes.
Sorry, but I have to say it again... God Bless Oriana Fallaci
Cheers,
Lloyd
She also confronted the Ayatoilet Khomeini during her interview of him. I don't think the mull-hole saw it coming when he okayed the interview.
And they say there's no such thing as "smoker face."
Good question. R&P is kind of an odd book. It's highly personal. Actually, all of her stuff is very personal. (Letters to an Unborn Child and A Man are really, really personal.) And for the record, she has never claimed to be an impartial journalist.
Probably many conservatives related very strongly to some parts of the book, but disliked others. I can't imagine very many conservatives agree with her that we should have let the Soviets have Afghanistan. So it boils down to a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" kind of logic.
Personally, I think she's great. I don't always agree with her, but ALWAYS walk away from her stuff with lots to think about.
And they say there's no such thing as "smoker face."
That picture is fairly recent. She's in her mid-sixties and terminally ill.
"as well as Afghan assistance during the 1980s'
In hindsight was she wrong? I ask this with an open mind. The Bush Doctrine is that realism is a failed policy of expediency that has not led the US or the world to good places.
Further, I am not sure she has the same views on all fronts as she had then.
My understanding of her interview of Kissinger, which was mentioned by Daniel Pipes in his introduction, was that she got him to open up and he made a bit of a fool of himself. That is her talent, getting under the skin of her interviewees.
Pipes also said she was the only one to make Ayatollah Komeini smile. And at the interview she ripped off her Chaldor (head covering). For this alone I respect her.
Fallaci is a Hitchens style ally.
I think she's more like 75 and not likely to survive the winter.
"She also confronted the Ayatoilet Khomeini during her interview of him."
Right.
ping to #40
The interview with Kissinger is a classic. He planned some pretty interesting mind games with her and she parried. I wouldn't call what he did as making a fool of himself...what he said was something like "Americans like the guy on the white horse. The hero." It's a good interview because you can tell that she respects his intellect -- she viewed him as a "worthy opponent," unlike, say, Arafat. That said, it's still something of a hatchet job. The Komeini interview is just so-so, but I haven't re-read it in 10 years.
Here is the NY Sun's take --
http://www.nysun.com/article/23705
If only she were 45 years younger...
ping for later
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