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It has become common in political circles of late to refuse even to talk with one’s enemies. President Bush refuses to talk with Syria’s president Bashir Assad. Tom DeLay, back on the political scene as a blogger, scoffed when asked to explain why he wouldn’t speak with House Democrats: “Why would I speak with the enemy?” In this Manichaean universe, one keeps one’s hands unsullied and avoids contact with one’s vile antagonist.