Don’t cross the ‘tolerant’ left

When writer Christopher Hitchens supported toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan the "tolerant" left revealed its true self.

"I learned that very often the most intolerant and narrow-minded people are the ones who congratulate themselves on their tolerance and open-mindedness. Amazing. My conservative friends look at me and say, 'Welcome to the club. What took you so long?' Well that's what it took and I think it's worth recording."

A story on Hitch in The Guardian from which the above quote came is worth a read. And as the leader of all who strive to attain Complete Las Vegan status, I urge that you do. The story continues:

"The hinge events, of course, were the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. He had previously held positions that were unpopular on the left – preferring the British government to the Argentinian fascist junta during the Falklands conflict, and calling for American intervention to stop the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia – but his support for the toppling of the Taliban in Afghanistan proved to be a step too far for his anti-imperialist comrades.

"Hitchens genuinely believes radical or jihadist Islam to be an existential threat to civilisation. First because it is a pronounced enemy of free speech and social liberty and has succeeded in intimidating and silencing civilians across 'an extraordinary number of countries in Europe' and the rest of the world. And second, he says, 'because it has potential access to weapons of mass destruction.' In the end, he argues, there are no pain-free options. You have to choose which future regret you're going to have."

Sound advice the "tolerant" left will never hear.