Posted on 02/21/2006 12:03:26 PM PST by ajolympian2004
Stand up for Denmark! Why are we not defending our ally? By Christopher Hitchens Posted Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006, at 12:29 PM ET
Chirstopher is looking for folks to join him at the Danish Embassy
Put the case that we knew of a highly paranoid religious cult organization with a secretive leader. Now put the case that this cult, if criticized in the press, would take immediate revenge by kidnapping a child. Put the case that, if the secretive leader were also to be lampooned, two further children would be killed at random. Would the press be guilty of "self-censorship" if it declined to publish anything that would inflame the said cult? Well, yes it would be guilty, but very few people would insist on the full exertion of the First Amendment right. However, the consequences for the cult and its leader would be severe as well. All civilized people would regard it as hateful and dangerous, and steps would be taken to circumscribe its influence, and to ensure that no precedent was set.
Christopher posts his contact email address in this article
http://www.slate.com/id/2136714/fr/rss/
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
ping
Terrorism works. We've seen that. The EU has capitulated. They couldn't stand up to a cartoon.
ping
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. Surely here is a case that can be taken up by those who worry that America is too casual and arrogant with its allies. I feel terrible that I have taken so long to get around to this, but I wonder if anyone might feel like joining me in gathering outside the Danish Embassy in Washington, in a quiet and composed manner, to affirm some elementary friendship. Those who like the idea might contact me at christopher.hitchens@yahoo.com, and those who live in other cities with Danish consulates might wish to initiate a stand for decency on their own account.
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. Surely here is a case that can be taken up by those who worry that America is too casual and arrogant with its allies. I feel terrible that I have taken so long to get around to this, but I wonder if anyone might feel like joining me in gathering outside the Danish Embassy in Washington, in a quiet and composed manner, to affirm some elementary friendship. Those who like the idea might contact me at christopher.hitchens@yahoo.com, and those who live in other cities with Danish consulates might wish to initiate a stand for decency on their own account.
I'm showing solidarity by increasing my consumption of babyback ribs.
Wow! ... we must have clicked Post within seconds of each other, lol... :)
Send the UN Ambassador General - Koffi and
Danish.
LOL! I had posted the comment on the Burka Burka after action report thread, and when I saw you posted a thread just on Hitchens asking for company, I re-posted my comment. I hope he gets another crowd... Wish I lived closer, we'd be there!
BFLR.
Yes, Christopher Hitchens is in the doghouse for joining the ACLU suit against the NSA program, but this is a good editorial and it's worth a read.
Bought some more Danish fontina and Havarti cheese last week. When the Frïs vodka is empty, we'll buy some more of that, too. :D
I didn't know he was in the doghouse. If some FR folks join him he probably will mention this site in a future article.
He's suing the administration because his sources won't talk to him now that we all know that there's the NSA terrorist surveillance program.
I enjoy reading Hitchens, but he goes off the deep end sometimes and did so with the NSA.
For your information ping!
Best article yet I have read, he really lays it on the line. I like Karen Hughes and regret his gratuitous insults to her (which only serve to weaken the article), but in every other particular, including his quite valid critism of the Administrations action (if not it's personnel), he is 100% correct.
And he really cuts through all the freedom of the press, freedom from insult, freedom of religion hairsplitting that so many on our side (I mean the West, or this side of the Atlantic maybe, not the Right) have been ingaged in.
I actually feel guilty that I have not done more. All I've done is fume and post here and buy a bottle of vodka. (Dansk, pronounced excellent by Hubby who is the epicure of our family).
I suppose I can at least call the Danish embassy to the UN or something. If anyone knows of anything going on in NY I'll do my best to get there.
Thanks for posting this, as an Irish Catholic a good dose of guilt is always welcome.
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