Decision ‘08

Hitchens On Galloway: Well, That Says It All, Really

You know it’s going to be good. Responding to the recent interview where Galloway stated that the murder of Tony Blair would be morally justifiable, our man Hitch hits all the right high notes:

Much of the commentary that I read about this amazing statement seemed to conclude that Galloway had provided himself with enough “wiggle room” to avoid the charge of incitement or advocacy. And it is true that suicide-murderers do not require his warrant in advance to go about their work. (They tend to get his approval, or his defense, only after they have blown themselves up.) But if you examine his statement, and the statements that he has made subsequently, you will have an idea of the complete mental chaos that has overtaken a whole section of the “left” who regard Galloway as an anti-war champion.

If the killing of Blair would be “morally equivalent” to the deaths of thousands of Iraqis, then obviously it would be equivalent to something of which Galloway presumably strongly disapproves. In other words, it could not be “morally justified” at all, except by an utter moral cretin. And this is to say nothing of the unmentioned question: How right can it be to remove a thrice-elected head of government by any means other than an election? Galloway is a member of Parliament by the grace of an electorate in the East End of London but is widely regarded as a corrupt scumbag, an egomaniac, an apologist for tyranny, and a supporter of jihad. How would he phrase his complaint if someone were now to propose overruling his voters and offing him as the insult to humanity that he has become? I think I can hear the squeals of self-pity already.

The fascinated GQ interviewer then asked Galloway what he would do if he actually came to know about such a plot against Blair. Once again, Galloway appeared to have an evasion ready to go along with his endorsement. Would he alert the forces of law and order? “Yes. Such an operation would be counter-productive because it would just generate a new wave of anti-Arab sentiment [and] … new draconian anti-terror laws.” I have to say I admire his cool use of the term “operation,” which is the word that he and his admired “insurgents” in Iraq have long used for their beheadings, car bombs, mosque detonations, and school burnings. And I further note the firm way in which he condemns the possible murder of an elected prime minister—lest it increase “anti-Arab sentiment.” I thought Galloway objected to the association of Arabs with terrorism. Who said anything about an Arab doing this hypothetical deed?

Apparently not much liking the publicity he got for this (and apparently being unable to claim that he hadn’t said any of it), Galloway made another shift on the night of May 26 and invoked a remark made by Cherie Blair, the prime minister’s wife, in 2002. Like her, he grandly announced, “I understand why such desperate acts take place and why those involved might believe such actions to be morally justifiable.” Cherie Blair had not said anything of the sort. What she said was, “As long as young people feel they have got no hope but to blow themselves up you are never going to make progress.”

So, here is what it comes down to. George Galloway says that the murder of an elected prime minister would be “morally justifiable.” He is not brave enough to call for it, but he does preapprove it. He finds room for criticism of the murder only because it might occasion a backlash. And he then tries to hide behind the skirts of a woman who he has just told us ought in all justice to be a widow! That he does this by deliberately misquoting her is a mere coda to an almost incredible catalog of indecency.

It is often said of Hitchens that he is rather too fond of the drink; I say that if it results in writing like this, perhaps the rest of us are not fond enough…

2 Responses to “Hitchens On Galloway: Well, That Says It All, Really”

1 fatman Says:
May 31st, 2006 at 12:53 am
With all due respect to Hitchens, I sometimes wonder if he doesn’t get tired of (verbally) beating the snot out of Galloway. I mean, it must be like taking a baseball bat to a crash test dummy; since the dummy can’t hit back it gets boring after a while.
2 Sister Toldjah Says:
May 31st, 2006 at 8:37 am
Chris Hitchens on Galloway’s justification of a potential murdering of PM Blair

Said as only Hitchens could say it:
Galloway himself is not so averse to a rush to judgment. Asked by GQ if he would justify the suicide-murder of Tony Blair (with the tender GQ proviso that only the prime minister would be killed in this putative assa…