Nigeria, Oct. 22 -- It seemed an odd thing to begin with. Australia's National Press Club is a rather ordinary, stuffy institution, where enlightened, let alone contentious thought, rarely intrudes. For those guests of unorthodox disposition, questions of establishment swinishness await to douse any fiery rebelliousness. That they had invited war correspondent Chris Hedges, former Middle East Bureau Chief of The New York Times, was itself a surprise. Did they not get the catalogue of his recent writings and addresses, notably on how the Western media have covered the war in Gaza?
With three weeks to go, Hedges received the news that he would not, after all, be allowed to give his address. In its October 4 statement, the slippery NPC obfus...