Like the author, I also find it disturbing that "leftists" who claim great values are available for the worst crimes. In Christopher Hitchens' case, it was the

Like the author, I also find it disturbing that "leftists" who claim great values are available for the worst crimes. In Christopher Hitchens' case, it was the cruel US/NATO wars. Trotsky, an early hero of Hitchens, was not Stalin, but his role in the Civil War is also doubtful (in the war against Poland I think he was one of the more reasonable). And I agree with the author: values should not be used too abstractly and unhistorically especially for warfare.