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Christopher Hitchens on Osama bin Laden

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On Monday, Amazon.com unveiled an essay by Christopher Hitchens on Osama bin Laden, ‘The Enemy.’ The essay is available as a Kindle single.

In it, Hitchens reflects on his thoughts on 9/11 through the news of Osama bin Laden’s death in Pakistan. In classic Hitchens form, the essay is both thought-provoking and contradictory.

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I thought then, and I think now, that Osama bin Laden was a near-flawless personification of the mentality of a real force: the force of Islamic jihad. And I also thought, and think now, that this force absolutely deserves to be called evil, and that the recent decaptition of its most notorious demagogue and organizer is to be welcomed without reserve.... I always argued that the threat from bin Ladenism was actually greater than was often alleged, since the mass indoctrination of uneducated young men with such ideas is in itself a lethal danger to society and to international order. However, I also wanted to argue that the menace of bin Ladenism was simultaneously being overrated. This was because, in common with fascism, it was also delusional and self-defeating ....

Although his references -- Friedrich Nietzsche, Susan Sontag, Bertolt Brecht -- may be more refined, Hitchens finds himself agreeing with the crowds who rallied in enthusiastic support after Bin Laden’s death shouting ‘U.S.A.! U.S.A.!’

Amazon’s Kindle singles combine short-form nonfiction and fiction into a single bestseller list. As of this writing, the list is topped by David Baldacci’s short story ‘No Time Left,’ followed by Jon Krakauer’s research-heavy article on Greg Mortenson’s work, ‘Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way.’ Hitchens’ essay ‘The Enemy,’ currently at No. 54, is $1.99.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

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