Chris Hedges of the Nation seems to fancy himself a reincarnation of Henry David Thoreau. Only Thoreau was protesting a war that actually existed. From his latest, “Hands Off Iran“:
That one paragraph gives us much to chew on. Each sentence boasts its own exquisite paranoia. But I couldn’t help but to focus on Hedges’ casual suggestion that military action against Iran would cost us “what is left of our civil liberties.” If I had the resources, I’d sponsor an essay contest challenging “What Civil Liberties Have You Lost Since 9/11?” For all of the Left’s assurances that a vote for a Republican is a vote for the death of democracy, I can’t think of a single right or freedom that I have lost since President Bush took office. And to be honest? I can’t see someone turning “I can’t call my al Qaeda cousin in Pakistan without the NSA listening in” into a convincing argument that the Republic is ready to draw its last breath. Still, I’d love to be enlightened. P.S.: The Corner notes of Hedges, “Not only was he a New York Times reporter for 15 years, he was its Middle East bureau chief in the 1990’s. Yikes.”
