The end of Hitchens

[ChuckF]

RIP Hitch

[livius drusus]

You were a prick in many ways, Hitch, but damn you had a set of brass ones and you could really write. Pourin' out liquor for ya.

[D. Scarlatti]

"If you gave Falwell an enema he'd be buried in a matchbox."

[SR71]

It was love hate for me and Christopher after he went all sideways on the Iraq II thing. Water under the bridge now. Opened a bottle of Valenzano Shamong Red.

[John Dillinger]

Hitchens has always been one of my heroes for his stance on religion. Going to pull out the whisky bottle just for him.

[Deadlokd]

Indeed. I disagreed with his stance on the Iraq war and his misogyny but I loved his acerbic wit.

In other news, The Three Horsemen are now hiring.

[LadyShea]

I enjoyed the hell out of watching him interviewed, with his drink right there, and his ready cutting words. RIP.

[Gonzo]

I hardly knew him, but what little I've seen of him was always intriguing.

[S.Vashti]

Good riddance. 'nuf said.

[davidm]

Just another silly sod who supported the utterly pointless war in Iraq, in his case because of his hatred of Islam. One of those armchair warriors who didn't care how the war would affect real people, like the countless Iraqi civilians dead or permanently maimed or traumatized, or the dead American soldiers and those who were maimed or who now have post traumatic stress syndrome or who are or will become homeless or commit suicide.

Anti-religion stuff was just as boring as that of P.Z. Myers and his ilk, just another form of shopworn fundamentalism and hate-mongering.

Good riddance, indeed.

[Adam]

In Praise of Hitchens : Lawyers, Guns & Money

I know I’ll take flack for this, but honestly, the reason the left reviled Hitchens as strongly as it did was because it realized that it had a formidable opponent. For the most part, the left argues with the likes of Grover Norquist, whose influence is undeniable but whose skills are very much comparable.

To everybody.

Who argues.

About anything.

Hitchens was different. We can turn a phrase, but he could cant and pirouette it.

...

He was the opposition we should hate, because he makes his case so strongly; but he was also the opposition we should love, because he challenged us to make our argument in its strongest form and changed his mind to fit the facts.

Would that we always had opponents so eloquent and wrong.

Also, is the thrad title supposed to be a play on The End of Faith? B/c that was Harris, not Hitchens.

[SharonDee]

I thought it was a play on that thread about Joe Paterno.

[Adam]

Oh, derp. I originally thought it was a play on the book title, b/c I misremembered it as Hitchens, and it just now hit me that it wasn't.

[SharonDee]

Or maybe Chuck did mean it as a play on Harris's book and I just offered him a way to be all, "Yeah, I was talking about the Paterno thread."

You can't put much past that boy.

[Adam]

It's the way he was raised, really.

[ChuckF]

Yeah it's neither of those.

[Adam]

Then what is it, Chuck? WHAT IS IT?

[ChuckF]

I guess if it HAS TO BE SOMETHING it has to be The End of History and the Last Man. Like from Star Trek VI.

[Adam]

That's the one where Gandalf tells Starbuck that there is no try, right?

[ChuckF]

Starbuck is best pony.

[BrotherMan]

[oolalaa]

Originally Posted by davidm

Just another silly sod who supported the utterly pointless war in Iraq, in his case because of his hatred of Islam. One of those armchair warriors who didn't care how the war would affect real people, like the countless Iraqi civilians dead or permanently maimed or traumatized, or the dead American soldiers and those who were maimed or who now have post traumatic stress syndrome or who are or will become homeless or commit suicide.

Anti-religion stuff was just as boring as that of P.Z. Myers and his ilk, just another form of shopworn fundamentalism and hate-mongering.

Good riddance, indeed.

Yeh, you're right. Let's ignore his thought provoking essays, his engaging debates, his fascinating lectures and his colourful interviews. Let's ignore the fact he was an incredibly intelligent, eloquent, witty, rational and thoughtful man.

Let's judge him by a single opinion he happened to hold. An opinion that, if the atrocities of Saddam Hussein had been properly researched, one couldn't help but have sympathy for.

Your close mindedness, pettiness and intolerance for people whose views differ to yours reeks of a religiously indoctrinated mind. May I recommend a 2007 book entitled - god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. I doubt it will make an impression on you but it's a wonderfully good read and one of Hitchens finest works.


Good riddance? Christopher Hitchens aforementioned public services have entertained and opened the minds of millions of people around the world. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[S.Vashti]

Not ashamed. The man was a debauched bully. One can be incredibly intelligent, write provoking essays, and still be a malicious bully.

[ChuckF]

Originally Posted by oolalaa

You should be ashamed of yourself.

And you should go fuck yourself.

Love the internet.

[D. Scarlatti]

Alex Pareene is excellent.