Serious Pwnage

If you don’t know who Christopher Hitchens is, he’s supposed to be a very eloquent, intellectual, left-wing defender of the War in Iraq. In fact most left pundits have been upset at how trashy he’s gotten as he defends the war and mocks people who think it’s a mistake – enough that he’s a source of controversy (he now has a column at Slate.com , for instance). Much like AndrewSullivan.com

He’s definitely the type of “liberal” I refer to in previous posts that thinks America is a wonderful land of tolerance, open-mindedness, and intellectual advancement – which is why we need to single-mindedly destroy those who would oppose it and use any simplistic propaganda to do so. (Curse you Locke. Liberalism will make a deontic out of me yet!)

Which makes last night’s daily show so much fun. I was just watching it while hanging out online, barely paying attention, and then bam!

Stewart: The people who say we shouldn't fight in Iraq aren't saying it's our fault. . . That is the conflation that is the most disturbing. . .
Hitch: Don't you hear people saying. . .
Stewart: You hear people saying a lot of stupid [bleep]. . . But there are reasonable disagreements in this country about the way this war has been conducted, that has nothing to do with people believing we should cut and run from the terrorists, or we should show weakness in the face of terrorism, or that we believe that we have in some way brought this upon ourselves. . .
Hitch: [Sputter]
Stewart: They believe that this war is being conducted without transparency, without credibility, and without competence...
Hitch: I'm sorry, sunshine... I just watched you ridicule the president for saying he wouldn't give. . .
Stewart: No, you misunderstood why. . . . That's not why I ridiculed the president. He refuses to answer questions from adults as though we were adults and falls back upon platitudes and phrases and talking points that does a disservice to the goals that he himself shares with the very people needs to convince.
[Audience erupts in applause]
Hitch: You want me to believe you're really secretly on the side of the Bush administration. . .
Stewart: I secretly need to believe he's on my side. He's too important and powerful a man not to be.
Hitch: [Sputter, return to talking about his latest book.]

The video is here. It’s even better unexpected though.

JC, I’m not one to fall into line with Stewart flattery, but he keeps delivering some remarkable performances. I’m also surprised to see Hitchens really be that bad. He simply did not respond to the idea that there are loyal opponents of the war who think it is being managed badly. I know it’s a stereotype that all hawks think all doves are appeasers who hate America, but it’s weird to see that this leftist really embodies that stereotype.