The two main criticisms of neo-conservatives are (1) that they are too Wilsonian, too naïvely eager to “export” democracy to Arabs and Muslims.

And (2), as Andrew Sullivan says in this Sunday Times column, that they believe Arabs “are tragically not very interested in self-government as the West understands it, and never have been. They are interested in family, tribe, religion and, when all else fails (and often when it doesn’t), brutal violence. If you haven’t watched Lawrence of Arabia recently it’s ravishingly persuasive on this point.”

That these two criticisms directly contradict one another is of no concern to Sullivan and other anti-neo-cons. “Any argument to hand,” as Andrew himself might put it.

Also: Who knew that Lawrence of Arabia was a proto-neo-con? (Andrew also uses that label for Ralph Peters. If he runs into Ralph on a dark street, he’ll be sorry.)

I can recall when Andrew was a better polemicist than this. But then, I can recall red meat was healthy and “flight attendants” were called “stewardesses.”