Author: Andrew Sullivan

Peter Berkowitz blames the Harvard president’s refusal to stand up resolutely enough for free speech, including his own. He was cashiered because he was too apologetic. Appeasement never works. They get you in the end.

Not a kind piece on theocon Princeton professor, Robert P. George, by Max Blumenthal. And, judging from his writing, Blumenthal’s ideological and partisan extremism is even more intense than his father’s. But I was struck by this quote from George about the killing of abortionists. It was the first time I’d read it:

"I am personally opposed to killing abortionists. However, inasmuch as my personal opposition to this practice is rooted in a sectarian (Catholic) religious belief in the sanctity of human life, I am unwilling to impose it on others who may, as a matter of conscience, take a different view."

George is being funny, of course. But he sees no moral difference between an abortion and the murder of an abortionist. Both are murders of fully-formed human beings, in his view. Check out this full symposium for a glimpse into the theocon soul about domestic terrorism and murder. Most contributors to the symposium condemn all abortion killers unequivocally. George, in contrast, decides to take a cleverer approach. Hadley Arkes argues that the theocons need to develop a Straussian discourse that allows them to say they are against murder in public, while writing something so subtle and esoteric that real intellectuals will understand the truth. Money quote:

"This is one of those melancholy cases in which we would need the equivalent of a Leo Strauss emergency box: break the glass, pull the lever, and quickly summon to our side a writer schooled in the art of covert teaching or ‘writing between the lines.’ … Would the media, for instance, have been filled as they have in this case with reports of ‘religious zealots’ if a band of Jews had killed guards and executioners on their way to work in Auschwitz? Would we have heard stories of the killing of innocent workers, who were merely carrying out orders, and pursuing a policy that was fully ‘lawful’ under the laws of the Third Reich?"

I.e.: bang, bang, you’re dead. These two people are among the closest advisers of our current president on ethical and moral issues.

If you thought Bill Clinton’s initial response to the Danish cartoon furore was appalling, this story will only make you feel worse. I can’t believe the former president actually urged legal action against Jyllands-Posten. Did he? Or is this wishful thinking on the part of the Pakistani media?

Another ominous development in Iraq. Sadr is calling for calm. We still don’t know who bombed the Samarra mosque.

Reports of our modest solidarity vigil outside the Danish embassy are already showing up in Denmark. My own photos from the event can be found below.

"Iraqi police today found at least 29 bodies scattered in Baghdad. Each corpse was handcuffed and had single gunshots to the head, in the style often attributed to Shiite death squads believed attached to the Ministry of Interior," – from the L.A. Times.

It sounds pretty grim in Baghdad from Zeyad’s blog:

"Fierce streetfighting at my doorstep for the last 3 hours. Rumor in the neighbourhood is that men in black are trying to enter the area. Some armed kids defending the local mosque three blocks away are splattering bullets at everything that moves, and someone in the street was shouting for people to prepare for defending themselves.

There’s supposed to be a curfew, but it doesn’t look like it. My net connection is erratic, so I’ll try to update again if possible. The news from other areas in Baghdad are horrible. I don’t think it’s being reported anywhere.

My father and uncle are agitatedly walking back and forth in the hallway, asking me what we should do if the mob or Interior ministry forces try to attack us in our homes? I have no answer for them."

Pray for them. I’m waiting for Rumsfeld to say "Stuff happens."

It was a beautiful lunchtime and a peaceful cheery crowd gathered outside the Danish Embassy in D.C. to express their solidarity with the free people of Denmark; and to celebrate and defend freedom of speech, which is now under such sustained assault. Here are some pics from the scene. I just got back from a long post-rally lunch with Hitch and others. The best news is that Danish television was there. I hope that some Danes will see that not everyone in the West has abandoned them or forgotten their loyalty to America and long history of standing up to bullies. Just the mainstream media and the administration.

It’s a powerful defense of free speech. Money quote:

"Most Londoners will be surprised to discover that the person they chose to elect by a substantial majority last summer can be removed from office and banned from public life for five years for breaching the subsection of The Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) (England) Order 2001 which says that councillors ‘must treat others with respect’.

It has always been my view that respect has to be earned.

To quote Andrew Alexander writing in the Daily Mail last week, ‘Freedom of speech, if it means what it says, involves the right to irritate, annoy, dismay and shock anyone who listens. The only sensible limitations should be on speech which leads to violence, affray or disorder’."

It’s simply appalling that this 2001 law is on the books. I had no idea. But given Tony Blair’s instinct for squelching individual freedom whenever he sees an opportunity, I guess it’s not surprising.

Rasmussen polls need to be taken with a bucket-full of salt. But this one cannot be good news for the White House. The Democrats now have a slight edge over Republicans on the national security issue. Rove is being hoist on his own petard.