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Then the big white whale, Clinton. What about someone who is a war criminal, a taker of bribes from foreign dictatorships, almost certainly a rapist (plausibly accused, anyway, by three believable women, of rape), executed a black man (Ricky Ray Rector) who was so mentally retarded that he was unable to plead or to understand the charges - You're against all that, right? But you're for it when it's someone who you think is a 'New Democrat'.

Christopher Hitchens#5

PoliticsHypocrisyMorality

About this quote

What does it mean?
Hitchens criticizes selective moral outrage by comparing Clinton to other controversial figures.
In plain terms
People should be consistent in judging political leaders for bad actions.
What can you take from it?
Avoid hypocrisy when criticizing politicians.

Where it applies

  • evaluating political opponents
  • debating leadership ethics

Putting it to work

  • apply same standards to all leaders

Questions to consider

  • Should all leaders face the same ethical scrutiny?

Another view

The quote mixes verified facts with unproven accusations.

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