Paul Berman is obviously a very bright guy. I always found leftist intellectuals like him amazing for their use of the English language and their ability at old fashion sophistry. Before I launch into my tirade, I should say that I agree with the contents of Berman's essay. Berman maybe a neo-Marxist or whatever but at least he's not a scumbag. He's also got Noam Chomsky figured out, which is additional proof that Berman's a sharp guy and probably a decent person. Where I disagree with people like Berman is their implicit belief that politics can be reduced to some sort of mathematical proof. Wouldn't it be great if that were true? There would never be any wars and we'd have a world economy with almost no waste. Of course in truth, politics always involves subtle shapes of gray that change color depending on the viewer's vantage point. Nothing is linear in real world politics. There's always action and reaction. Often times going directly from "A" to "B" is the worse tactic possible because "B" can see you coming. You have to quietly walk in a big circle and then sneak up behind "B" while he's napping. None of this has any relevance if you're a progressive thinker like Berman. At least he got it right about Islamic fascism.

Gary