No two ways about it. Dude knows his stuff. But let's all admit one thing about him; he's that guy everyone wants on their side. He's like that kid in gym class who may have tormented you in the locker room, but when you're a captain, you're choosing him first for dodgeball because he's a winner. So it goes with Hitchens; when he writes an article purely critical of Christianity, or purely critical of religion, he's the toast of the lefty blogs. When he writes one critical of Islamic terrorism (am I still allowed to call it that?), and indeed it's worthy of comical notation that he only gets praise from one side of the aisle for being critical of religious zealots chopping off heads and murdering innocents, he is praised by the righty blogs.

And beneath all the kudos and contempt, is the burning desire of "intellectuals" and pundits, to have the sharpshooting hired gun on their side. You can even read it in the criticisms, such as David Corn's on these very pages, where he'll be referred to with endearing nicknames like "Hitch," and his "good old days" of Marxist sympathies lamented, by sycophants who are essentially calling him an idiot but framing it with the deep respect of old pals.

Here I am torn by these same conflicting emotions, as I more often than not agree with him, but sometimes with caveats. I agree that I don't see an Israel existing in another 60 years, but not for the same reasons as him. And unlike the celebratory "told you sos" being tossed around by Palestinian murderer's apologists in the discussion forum right here, I don't see Israel's bleak future as a vindication of the anti-Zionist meme. If Israel won't exist in 60 years, I see it as he result of one reason and one only: Jews don't want it as bad as Muslims do... anymore. There was a time when Israel didn't worry about the opinions of the international hypocrites community when it came to self defense, or god forbid, national interests. There was a time when Yasser Arafat's treacherous, two faced, terrorism diplomacy could be greeted with US supplied Tomahawk missiles. And if the premier of Russia, or the Jew hating prime ministers of Europe, didn't like it, they could blow it out their collective asses. And their was time when the world seemed to kind of agree that Palestinian (and indeed all Arab) hate speech and threatening rhetoric should be taken seriously and treated as what it was is: a constant and evolving casus belli.

Nowadays we have traded Arafat (read: a corrupt impediment to real peace initiatives) for Abbas (read: a mildly less corrupt impediment to real peace initiatives), and the KGB's network of puppet regimes (not to be confused with the CIA's network of puppet regimes) has continued to thrive long after the Soviet demise, like a chicken who lives on after its head is chopped off (totally off topic, but click here to read about one who survived 2 years without a melon).

Where Israel used to strike with ruthless efficiency at the homes and hearths of radical Islam, now it first must check with the international community (mysteriously opposed to just one country's actions in self defense... I wonder what it could be... I mean, there are no other countries with a religious identity... and there's no other countries with a religious identity locked in any current struggles where lives are lost... certainly we know the world has no history of hating Jews... gosh I'm puzzled) to get a hall pass to do even the most basic things to ensure safety of its civilians. Where Jews from the world over used to return to their ancestral homeland to prevent a second Holocaust, now it's even increasingly difficult to raise troops from the citizens already living in the cross-hairs.

Once again Hitchens has constructed a well argued thesis, and backed it with his standard charming wit, acerbic tone, and flawless research. And to be sure, I find myself seeing relatively eye to eye with him: there's trouble afoot for the land of Israel.

Hitchens and I are also pretty much in agreement on the nature of religion, and how it affects society. We just differ on what part it plays in what appears to be Israel's certain demise. I tend to believe that, shocking as this might be to some, Israel's religious identity is strongly tied to its ability to inspire fervor in its own citizens. People are remarkably slow, in a liberal democracy, to see certain peril to themselves. I also one day hope to see an end to Zionism, or rather an end to the need for Zionism. Until that day comes, let me just say; well played Mr. Hitchens, well played, and also, I like you better as an honest man than as a PR guy for thugs and autocrats, so keep up the good work. For the time being I guess I'll stick to the Guardian to get my daily dose of religious murderer whitewash.

And to those who all count Hitchens their friend, or co-anti-religionist, or fellow commie, or fellow liberal, or fellow republican, or fellow neo-con, here's a newsflash: Hitchens is aligned with Hitchens and he won't be checking into the dodgeball game as your hired gun anytime soon. So you might as well just speak plainly. Like he does.