BHL

He’s a twelfth-rate “intellectual,” but he’s certainly a world-class asshole. Note in particular the contrast between these two arguments:

I am troubled by a system of justice modestly termed “accusatory,” [sic] meaning that anyone can come along and accuse another fellow of any crime—and it will be up to the accused to prove that the accusation is false and without basis in fact.

[…]

I hold it against all those who complacently accept the account of this other young woman, this one French, who pretends* [my repulsion-signifying emphasis] to have been the victim of the same kind of attempted rape, who has shut up for eight years but, sensing the golden opportunity, whips out her old dossier and comes to flog it on television.

No matter what the evidence, we must assume that BHL’s wealthy buddies are innocent and anyone who accuses them are guilty of something. It was hard to imagine BHL making as arguments as reprehensible as his Polanski apologias, but he’s damned near pulled it off.

*Jacob Levy writes to point out that this could be an error of translation, as the French “pretendre” means “claim.” The rest of the paragraph is actually consistent with BHL using “pretend” correctly, but I thought it was still worth noting.