Now We Get It

For years we have listened to our brethren of The Right rant, rave, froth and bloviate whenever Hollywood types spoke or demonstrated about political issues. Hollywood was denounced as a den of intellectual lightweights who had no business commenting on comic books, to say nothing of public affairs. As the Hollywood hordes were generally on the side of the angels, much was forgiven.

Today we feel the sting of that criticism we have for so long ignored. Nicole Kidman (pictured above in a manner calculated to feature her intellectual attainments) and a group of "Hollywood heavyweights" have boldly stepped forward to take a public stand against terrorism in a full-page LA Times ad.

This, we assume, is to distinquish themselves from the much larger and more influential group that is in favor of terrorism.

The real bell-ringer here, though, is the ad's commitment to defeat terrorism "at all costs". In the present atmosphere and historical moment this can only be construed to include Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary renditions, secret foreign prisons, warrantless and indeterminate detention of American citizens, pointless and ill-executed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and endless support for countless repressive regimes because they are our "allies" in the war on terror.

The defections from this ad should begin soon, as will the backpeddling by Ms. Kidman. In the meantime, keep counting the costs and

Stay Naked
jd