In a word. . .

. . .Hitchens.:

"We know very well what the 'grievances' of the jihadists are.

The grievance of seeing unveiled women. The grievance of the existence, not of the State of Israel, but of the Jewish people. The grievance of the heresy of democracy, which impedes the imposition of sharia law. The grievance of a work of fiction written by an Indian living in London. The grievance of the existence of black African Muslim farmers, who won't abandon lands in Darfur. The grievance of the existence of homosexuals. The grievance of music, and of most representational art. The grievance of the existence of Hinduism. The grievance of East Timor's liberation from Indonesian rule. All of these have been proclaimed as a licence to kill infidels or apostates, or anyone who just gets in the way."

Yes, Christopher Hitchens has his warts. But writing isn't one of them. Even when he offends me, he does it with unmatched clarity. He's one of those rare writers who can put together a sentence that will call you back to read it again because of its elegance rather than incoherence. A hat-tip to Andrew Stuttaford at The Corner.