Matthew Schultz
JNS, May 7, 2025
“I suppose that you look at people like this in the hope that you might see something in them. What is it? Remorse? Evil? I spent hours in the prison that day, and although I saw people I knew from the atrocity videos, there was nothing to learn from them. They had decided to live their lives with one ambition — to take away life.”
When a new Douglas Murray book comes out, I always opt for the audiobook. His formidable intellect, cutting wit and plummy English accent—tinged with just the right amount of disdain—combine for a singularly enjoyable listening experience.
But in his latest book, “On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization,” Murray sounds different than he used to. His speech is slower and more deliberate—lacking some of the verve and archness of his previous recordings. Something in Murray has changed.
I noticed it again when listening to the viral debate between Murray and anti-Israel comedian Dave Smith on Joe Rogan’s podcast. I wanted Murray to eviscerate Smith, and indeed there were many opportunities for him to do so. Smith displayed obtuseness about the conflict and made bizarre ahistorical comments about Israel’s first prime minister. An energetic debater who knows his stuff—as Murray clearly does—should have been able to win this one handily. ...SOURCE