Bernard-Henri Lévy

Public Enemies: Dueling Writers Take on Each Other and the World is a series of letters by Bernard-Henri Lévy and Michel Houellebecq. From the former's Q & A at the Observer:

Did you learn things about yourself from writing this book?

First of all I learned that the great egomaniac I'm supposed to be had never spoken about himself, until now. My main compulsion is secrecy. I do not regret anything that is in this book, but I would not write these things again. The right to secrecy is a human right as important as freedom of speech or habeas corpus.

Do you consider phone-hacking to be particularly egregious?

Phone-hacking is one of the most disgusting things to happen to your country for a long time. It's the very highest level of attack on human integrity. Murdoch has lost the right to be part of the democratic contract that is the basis of this country.

In France, public figures have been afforded greater levels of privacy by the press, but in the wake of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair, some journalists have said they should have delved more.

They are wrong. Not speaking of the private life of a politician until he commits a crime is a good position. Which, by the way, includes...[read on]

--Marshal Zeringue