Soccer Dad

War in a non-war zone

In his column today, Charles Krauthammer deconstructs Scott Beauchamp in the Baghdad Fabulist (or here)

In it Krauthammer points out the central fallacy to Beauchamp's narrative:

Beauchamp follows the terrible tale of his cruelty to the disfigured woman by asking, "Am I a monster?" And answering with satisfaction that the very fact that he could ask this question after (the reader has been led to believe) having been so hardened and brutalized by war shows that there is a kernel of humanity left in him.

But, oh, how much was lost. In the past, you see, he was a sensitive soul with "compassion for those with disabilities." In a particularly treacly passage, he tells us that he once worked in a summer camp with disabled children and in college helped a colleague with cerebral palsy. Then this delicate compassionate youth is transformed into an unfeeling animal by war.

Except that it is now revealed that the mess-hall incident happened before he even got to the war. On which point, the whole story -- and the whole morality tale it was meant to suggest -- collapses.

QandO observes that this puts Beauchamp in the same company with - John Kerry.

Brian Beutler disparages Krauthammer for criticizing the New Republic, where his name is still on the masthead. This is nonsense. Yes Krauthammer once used to contribute rather regularly to TNR, but he hasn't in years. Senior editor is more of an honorific than a position at the magazine or an approval of its contents. (On certain issues even Martin Peretz disagrees with the content!) In no way does this detract from Krauthammer's perceptive criticism.

more at memeorandum.