Christopher Hitchens, 1949-2011

[red states rule]

While I did not support his politics in most cases, he was a skiiled writer and debater.

May he RIP and God bless his soul






Christopher Hitchens—the incomparable critic, masterful rhetorician, fiery wit, and fearless bon vivant—died today at the age of 62. Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the spring of 2010, just after the publication of his memoir, Hitch-22 (http://www.amazon.com/Hitch-22-Memoir-Christopher-Hitchens/dp/0446540331), and began chemotherapy soon after. His matchless prose has appeared in Vanity Fair since 1992, when he was named contributing editor.

“Cancer victimhood contains a permanent temptation to be self-centered and even solipsistic,” Hitchens wrote (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/12/hitchens-201012) nearly a year ago in Vanity Fair, but his own final labors were anything but: in the last 12 months, he produced for this magazine a piece (http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/07/osama-bin-laden-201107) on U.S.-Pakistani relations in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, a portrait (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/10/joan-didion-201110) of Joan Didion, an essay (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/09/private-eye-201109) on the Private Eye retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a prediction (http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/04/hitchens-201104) about the future of democracy in Egypt, a meditation (http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/02/dont-mess-with-wisconsin) on the legacy of progressivism in Wisconsin, and a series of frank (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/06/christopher-hitchens-unspoken-truths-201106), graceful (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/09/hitchens-201009), and exquisitely written essays (http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/10/hitchens-201010) in which he chronicled the physical and spiritual effects of his disease. At the end, Hitchens was more engaged, relentless, hilarious, observant, and intelligent than just about everyone else—just as he had been for the last four decades.


http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/12/In-Memoriam-Christopher-Hitchens-19492011

[Noir]

Just got a text from my mum with the news. A truly unique mind, and one I'll greatly miss.

Not many people can both make damning claims and then back them up with damning logic.

Iirc there was a quote once by Richard Dawkins along the lines of 'if you are invited to debate against Christopher Hitchens...decline. His wit, his minds store of historical quotes, and the effortless flow with which they are delivered would threaten your arguments even if you had good ones to deploy' sums him up wonderfully imo

[red states rule]

Just got a text from my mum with the news. A truly unique mind, and one I'll greatly miss.

Not many people can both make damning claims and then back them up with damning logic.

Iirc there was a quote once by Richard Dawkins along the lines of 'if you are invited to debate against Christopher Hitchens...decline. His wit, his minds store of historical quotes, and the effortless flow with which they are delivered would threaten your arguments even if you had good ones to deploy' sums him up wonderfully imo

Over the last few years, he defedned his opinions without the usual over the top crap the left is famous for

I only hope he found God before he was taken from this world

[red states rule]

Just got a text from my mum with the news. A truly unique mind, and one I'll greatly miss.

Not many people can both make damning claims and then back them up with damning logic.

Iirc there was a quote once by Richard Dawkins along the lines of 'if you are invited to debate against Christopher Hitchens...decline. His wit, his minds store of historical quotes, and the effortless flow with which they are delivered would threaten your arguments even if you had good ones to deploy' sums him up wonderfully imo

Over the last few years, he defended his opinions without the usual over the top crap the left is famous for

I only hope he found God before he was taken from this world

[Noir]

Over the last few years, he defedned his opinions without the usual over the top crap the left is famous for

I only hope he found God before he was taken from this world

He often joked that he wanted his death to be videoed, so no one could claim that his final words were about 'finding god' etc. but no doubt some people will say such things for their own purposes.

[red states rule]

He often joked that he wanted his death to be videoed, so no one could claim that his final words were about 'finding god' etc. but no doubt some people will say such things for their own purposes.

I hope he did change his views

If he did not, he has know learned a horrible lesson that the joke was always on him

[Noir]

I hope he did change his views

If he did not, he has know learned a horrible lesson that the joke was always on him

The joke was always on him, and you, and me, we're all just jokes by any scale, though our own comceits try and convince us otherwise. Anyways I must be off again, but had to come on today knowing a Hitchens post would be made.

[red states rule]

The joke was always on him, and you, and me, we're all just jokes by any scale, though our own comceits try and convince us otherwise. Anyways I must be off again, but had to come on today knowing a Hitchens post would be made.

Then I will also ask for God to show mercy toward you, as well as Mr Hitchens

[red states rule]

One of Mr Hitchens better moments. He repsonded to the idiots in studio audience of Bill Maher's show pretty much as I would have

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[Noir]

A few of my fav videos of the late great Hitchens.

Hitchslap One; Al Sharpton, the whole debate is quite amazing, Al never got off his feet while hitch walked all over him, a short clip...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ufmUi41PLjw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Hitchslap two; Tony Blair, in a debate on whether or not religion was a force for good, Tony claimed that he attend meetings were religion was being used to qwell Northern Irish religious divides, hitch replied...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/geaSw8QQvNI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Hitchslap three; my favourite hitch slap ever, putting a terrorist apologist in his place, a place of ignorance and stupidity.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pYiCizcm9wA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

[red states rule]

Chris with a bunch of rabid libs

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