The Works of Christopher Hitchens

[Yossarian]

Has written a moving piece for Vanity Fair about his cancer diagnosis.[/color]

[Deleted]

Reading that made me cry. As did the comments.

The compassion, positivity and well meaningness (is this even a word?) of the general public never ceases to amaze me.

[Deleted]

I'm reading his autobiography right now, and will be pissed if there isn't a sequel. Come on Hitchens, you're too much of a rabble-rouser to die . (Please don't die, we need men like you)

[Mutagen]

He drives me sort of insane. He's capable of some really profound, incisive writing (I think his Vanity Fair article on being waterboarded should be mandatory reading) and some stuff that is truly privileged and stupid ("Women Aren't Funny"). I guess I take him with a gigantic grain of salt, and the good stuff is usually worth it.

[Ninja Bunny]

Sept 5, 2010 19:27:40 GMT -4 @snarkriffic said:

I'm reading his autobiography right now, and will be pissed if there isn't a sequel. Come on Hitchens, you're too much of a rabble-rouser to die . (Please don't die, we need men like you)

So much word. He does a brilliant job of holding up a mirror to some of the nonsense in this world. Hang in there, Hitch - we atheists still need you!

[divasahm]

A lot of his opinions make me want to cheerfully strangle him, but he expresses those opinions so beautifully that I just sulk in annoyance (and jealousy of his talent). I'm rooting for him, and looking forward to more of his exquisitely written bullshit.

[Deleted]

I was a big fan of his early stuff with Vanity Fair. He's one of the great stylists and essayists of his times. However, I completely lost my love for him over his post-911 lurch to the right, where he strongly supported the Iraq war and Bush's foreign policy.

I have no sympathy for the intellectual mouthpieces of Empire.

[litzikohanovich]

Sept 9, 2010 22:09:59 GMT -4 @smithy said:

I was a big fan of his early stuff with Vanity Fair. He's one of the great stylists and essayists of his times. However, I completely lost my love for him over his post-911 lurch to the right, where he strongly supported the Iraq war and Bush's foreign policy.

I have no sympathy for the intellectual mouthpieces of Empire.

I agree. He is also a misogynist and wasted his talent and intellect on drink. He seemed to come unglued during the Lewinksy scandal -- he could not crucify Clinton, Hillary, or particularly his old friend, Sidney Blumenthal enough. This is when I began to question him -- in his articles, you could also hear him frothing at the mouth over Blumenthal and he would lapse into nonsensical diatribes. Adults lie, Hitch, get over it. He went the way of many Trots before him and took a turn to the right, but his was a particularly sharp, scary turn. And, when Edward Said was dying, he went after him in print. He does not seem to have much of a moral compass, either publicly or privately. I am sorry, but all of his eloquence does not make up for his wholehearted support of Bush's invasion of Iraq. Last I read, Hitch was still supportive of it. When I have heard his obfuscations, I mean explanations, he sounded exactly like some of the old Marxists who, when presented with evidence of the Purges and the Gulags, still defended Stalin and Communism. He is an armchair counter-revolutionary who betrayed every ideal of the Trots, every ideal he spouted when he was young. He is a wealthy, upper-class writer who advocated an invasion which used poor American men and women as cannon fodder and led to the deaths of how many Iraqis? A million or so? Nice for him that he has access to excellent medical treatment unlike those who serve in the American military (benefits cut under Bush, deplorable conditions in military hospitals, etc.) or the people of Iraq. Public intellectuals need to be held responsible for their bullshit. And, on a shallow note, he is rude and condescending to those he considers his intellectual inferiors -- that aint't the way to win hearts and minds, or the way to further sincere public discourse about controversial issues.

Oooh, I did not realise the depth of my contempt for this former fellow traveller.

[koshergrit]

Sept 10, 2010 6:25:30 GMT -4 @litzikohanovich said:

Sept 9, 2010 22:09:59 GMT -4 @smithy said:

I was a big fan of his early stuff with Vanity Fair. He's one of the great stylists and essayists of his times. However, I completely lost my love for him over his post-911 lurch to the right, where he strongly supported the Iraq war and Bush's foreign policy.

I have no sympathy for the intellectual mouthpieces of Empire.

I agree. He is also a misogynist and wasted his talent and intellect on drink. He seemed to come unglued during the Lewinksy scandal -- he could not crucify Clinton, Hillary, or particularly his old friend, Sidney Blumenthal enough. This is when I began to question him -- in his articles, you could also hear him frothing at the mouth over Blumenthal and he would lapse into nonsensical diatribes. Adults lie, Hitch, get over it. He went the way of many Trots before him and took a turn to the right, but his was a particularly sharp, scary turn. And, when Edward Said was dying, he went after him in print. He does not seem to have much of a moral compass, either publicly or privately. I am sorry, but all of his eloquence does not make up for his wholehearted support of Bush's invasion of Iraq. Last I read, Hitch was still supportive of it. When I have heard his obfuscations, I mean explanations, he sounded exactly like some of the old Marxists who, when presented with evidence of the Purges and the Gulags, still defended Stalin and Communism. He is an armchair counter-revolutionary who betrayed every ideal of the Trots, every ideal he spouted when he was young. He is a wealthy, upper-class writer who advocated an invasion which used poor American men and women as cannon fodder and led to the deaths of how many Iraqis? A million or so? Nice for him that he has access to excellent medical treatment unlike those who serve in the American military (benefits cut under Bush, deplorable conditions in military hospitals, etc.) or the people of Iraq. Public intellectuals need to be held responsible for their bullshit. And, on a shallow note, he is rude and condescending to those he considers his intellectual inferiors -- that aint't the way to win hearts and minds, or the way to further sincere public discourse about controversial issues.

Oooh, I did not realise the depth of my contempt for this former fellow traveller.

So. Much. WORD!



Yet I also find myself praying that he wil lbe able to continue to poke holes when and where needed, what with his books and essays and articles. I love his arguments and their brilliance, yet I loathe him for the exact same reasons litzi gave. Should I be ashamed?

[Deleted]

Sept 10, 2010 6:25:30 GMT -4 @litzikohanovich said:

And, on a shallow note, he is rude and condescending to those he considers his intellectual inferiors -- that aint't the way to win hearts and minds, or the way to further sincere public discourse about controversial issues.

This is my problem with him. Him and Richard Dawkins. I seriously could not care less that you're atheists guys, good for you. Just fucking stop telling me how stupid I am and that I lack the capability of thinking for myself.

I'm Catholic and my best friend in the world is an atheist, and despite the fact that our belief systems are completely at odds we get along really really well. And most atheists I know are lovely people. It's assholes like Hitchens that make them look bad, what with the condescension and the refusal to even consider the possibility that at least a few of us who believe in God aren't drooling morons.