Black Watch: Today’s Top Stories

Never has the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” been more sorely tested. Among the tsunami of punditing pundits weighing in on the fate of Conrad Black over the past several weeks, two of Black’s fellow tormentors are notable, if only for the degree to which they loathe each other. I’m speaking here of George Galloway and Christopher Hitchens, who disagree on just about everything on earth, save the law of gravity. Galloway, a left of left independent British MP, and Hitchens (who needs no introduction) are each in their way poster boys for the pro- and anti-war movements, respectively. Their public debate last year at Baruch College in New York City was the stuff of legend. So ferocious were they in their mutual scorn that even Michael Vick might have given pause before agreeing to promote the event. On the subject of Iraq, each believes the other is deserving of a life sentence for crimes against humanity. And yet, remarkably, there is one thing these arch-rivals are in agreement on: they’ve both crowed long and loud at the comeuppance of Lord Black. Hitchens was slightly less frontal in his attack, suggesting in his typically subtle way that it was all Barbara’s fault, while Galloway went straight to frothing at the mouth, quoting Ho Chi Mihn’s nutbar bromide that if you stand by the river long enough, the body of your enemy will eventually float by. Call me an old softie, but with enemies like this I suspect even Conrad Black might draw a few friends.