Thursday, October 11, 2007

Introspection Was the Rage

Among the Intellectualoids Introspection Was the Rage
By Christopher Orlet

Liberals are old hands at apologizing for despots and dictators, but they are curiously unable to recognize and take responsibility for their own peccadillos -- such as, say, their constant need to apologize for despots and dictators. These days, however, self-criticism is all the rage. Nick Cohen started off this round of soul-searching with his book What's Left? How the Left Lost its Way. Todd Gitlin followed up with The Intellectuals and the Flag. Now Dissent editor Mitchell Cohen is asking why so many of his comrades insist on apologizing for Islamic extremism.

Cohen, who achieved a sort of Warholian notoriety for his support of the Iraq invasion, recently told the German magazine Jungleworld that he is "struck at how parts of the extreme left apologize for Islamic extremism in ways reminiscent of how an earlier generation found ways to apologize for Stalinism. The objects excused are different, but the patterns of apologetics are sadly similar.

It shows that there really is something I once called 'the left that doesn't learn.'"If only the apologists were confined to the "extreme left" -- they at least would be easier to isolate, like some particularly whiny TB patient. Instead they are to be found across the spectrum, and easily identified by their persistence in blaming the U.S. for forcing al Qaeda to attack America in 2001, and Madrid in 2004, and London in 2005, etc., etc.

more...

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=12148

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've never heard a democrat criticize one of it's own - unless it moved to the right......

8:12 AM  
Blogger The Merry Widow said...

I think it's past time for them to grow up!

tmw

4:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You can't tell me that they are "unable to recognize and take responsibility..." I think that is one of the Dem political talents. Open mouth. Insert foot. No one will notice, and who cares if they do.

9:33 PM  

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