Christopher Hitchens - Free Speech

Freedom of Speech - Christopher Hitchens
I am sure that all British journalists will agree with the statement issued by Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of Index on Censorship, following the murderous attack on the staff of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo:
“The ability to express ourselves freely is fundamental to a free society. This includes the freedom to publish, to satirise, to joke, to criticise, even when that might cause offence to others. Those who wish to silence free speech must never be allowed to prevail”.
Similarly, we can all agree with Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, who described the attack as “an attempt to assassinate the free press”. She added:
“Supporters of free speech and civil liberties must stand together with governments to condemn this act and defend the right of all journalists to do their job without fear of threats, intimidation and brutal murder”.
Doubtless, there will be people who think the magazine was overly provocative in publishing cartoons of Islam’s prophet Mohammed. If so, they should think again.
Let them ponder this key clause in the United Nations’ universal declaration of human rights:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”
Press freedom and the freedom of speech allow for newspapers and individual citizens to express views that are offensive. Britain, in company with countries across Europe and the continents of America and Australia, long ago repealed - or never enacted - laws condemning heretics (and blasphemers) to death.
Although we know that Voltaire never did write the words ascribed to him about the right to speak freely, they are, or should be, our maxim:
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”.

[@fitzzcarraldo]

The people who most need to see this never will.

[@livefreeanddonttread]

+Forge Thats why i show it to EVERYONE. Its helps me pick out better friends :)

[@Based_Druid]

Forge depressingly true...

[@dnw009]

We who have seen him can talk about it and spread his thoughts.

[@conflictdiamonds]

In another debate, with a Fox news anchor Hitch said "I'm sorry to have to say this but you give me the awful impression of someone who has never read any of the arguments against your viewpoint"

[@armaan1091]

brajamtho757 And on the side of fascism

[@thomaskphillips2582]

"Don't take refuge in the false security of consensus." Words to live by

[@RedLionGenetics]

Argumentum Ad Populum

[@Zaba_the_Dogling]

you know who said that? Margaret Thatcher.

[@katiebear347]

I just heard him say that and was about to comment this quote, only to see your comment right away! 😉

[@roro-mm7cc]

yeh thats why I like watching conspiracies and stuff as it gets me to question things and prove to myself what I initially thought was indeed right.. as he said.

[@crazyjoedevola8648]

How do I know that I know this? This level of metacognition is only possible through atheism.

[@unclemeat1977]

The best defense of free speech that I've ever heard.

[@photolegacy25]

Search Rowen Atkinson free speech. So good! Especially if you're a Mr Bean fan.

[@TheJackaready]

"Don't take security in the false refuge of consensus" Holy shit what a line!

[@AdamSmith-kl1rs]

Instantly joted that down!

[@TheGlobuleReturns]

It was 'refuge in the false security of consensus' haha

[@shadowjohan]

I think Benjamin Franklin said something similar.

[@mrZbozon]

Many philosophers have made this point to lesser or greater extents. Neitzsche, Socrates etc... Although some don't seem to follow their own teachings.

[@boxer12350]

Shadow Johan I believe he said those who will give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither.

[@TheChristnumber1]

The greatest orator of our time. I wish he was still here :- (

[@marianomanto]

He would have a lot to say about Siria...

[@andyknightwarden9746]

@@mikezooper If he's dead, no, he's not here. The dead know nothing. Something else was toying with you.

[@Toxinomist]

Courageous also, let never forget his courage.

[@jdorritie]

Don't let people forget his words die then. There's an old Native American saying that was probably made up that I heard on The X Files again recently. - "They say that nothing ever really dies until there is no one left who remembers it."

[@maryamevermore]

The irony is that he went to meet his maker and instantly gained perfection in the virtue of humility.

[@Fred-uf7bl]

I keep coming back to this every 6 months or so. Do not miss the Hitch, BECOME THE HITCH!

[@jmcsquared18]

Decimates the audience and religion to pieces, then cracks a smile and utters, "stay cool." This man is my idol.

[@davehag5]

I need to re-listen to this on a regular basis

[@lauriecroad3186]

+David Haglund I agree. I had forgotten, but I have seen it again, and it is a must for all clear headed folk of what ever race, creed or belief.

[@livefreeanddonttread]

+David Haglund , I find that i end up seeing this at least every month. Somehow surfing the web, or being in need of motivation, or just to show every person i know the awesomeness, i always return to it, and my inner adult grows a little stronger, with more courage to stand for actual virtues and values.

[@feonor26]

I listen to this speech several times a year. It's brilliant!

[@abossman13]

As someone who revisits this speech on a monthly basis. Yes you do. This speech has literally made me a better more tolerant person.

[@mikeyo1234]

I support people's right to have their say, but it doesn't mean I'm tolerant of their views or actions.

[@bernardohernandez2620]

I think Hitchens would be really disappointed to see how hate speech laws have impacted certain countries. The UK and Canada come to mind.

[@lunasinger2735]

And what's happening in the U.S. right now.

[@bernardohernandez2620]

@@lunasinger2735 sadly yes. Just a couple years ago it wasn’t too bad :(

[@jarrygarry5316]

I am not westerners but I really respect western countries like North America,Western Europe and Australia because of their democracy and freedom of speech.Western civilization is the last hope for our humanity and I hope they do not become like communist or middle eastern countries.Free speech is important for human rights and our progress in civilization

[@KC-jw5yz]

Westeebs everywhere

[@markmacpherson90]

Like what?

[@Al3arabibelad]

And 14 years later from this speech beheading took place for the same reason, what a fogy mentalities. RIP Samuel Paty.

[@divinejacobmathew1503]

Same bro. Wish Hitch was here to destroy people who blame teacher for his death!

[@joemacdonald1011]

When Hitchens died in 2011 I loved a comment made by one of his fans - “The world just got a whole lot dumber”. If only we had Hitchens’ genius to help us now.

[@paulavery5889]

A British guy talking about Free speech in Canada. This guy was an international hero!

[@eddyf4426]

Timeless stunning words by a master orator and never more applicable than in 2022: "You are giving away what is most precious in your own society and you're giving it away without a fight, you're even praising the people that want to deny you the right to resist it. Shame on you while you do this, make use of the time you have got left.. this is really serious."

[@colinbarry9192]

I was born in 92, I first heard this when in was first uploaded to KZbin about 15 years ago. In all those years, this is my favorite speeh dictated in the English language in my lifetime. As the point he makes, there is no one I would trust on Earth to dictate what I could read, not even myself.

[@devkhajuria]

3:15 Rosa Luxemburg ; 4:31 holocaust denier; 5:36 false security of consensus; 6:55 british historian scandal; 11:15 indecent words; 12:20 hatred religion;

[@suchstuff6577]

" the right to listen"

[@robertswitzer990]

I listen to this speech quite often, and every time I finish it, I always wonder to myself how embarrassing it must have been to be in opposition to the motion. Even worse than that, to have Christopher Hitchens get up and absolutely obliterate the opposition with what is arguably his single best speech on any subject, and the singular best speech in defense of freedom of speech OF ALL TIME. I have yet to hear any speech, written or spoken that better states the case for free speech than that spoken in these twenty one minutes and seven seconds of perfection. Stay cool.

[@Averagedrum]

this is one of his most inspired and brutal speeches ever. Is just Wonderfull to behold.

[@fluWmiR]

"Make the best use of the time you've got left." These are the words the western world will regret ignoring above all others.

[@juliusraben3526]

This man had not enough time... i bet the decline of human ethics waited for Hitchens' death to kick in. If it did in his presence, he would have killed it.

[@Ragsc]

Amazing words. This speech is timeless.

[@metalstarj]

I think this is the greatest speech he ever gave.

[@AnkurBorwankar]

Can't decide between this and the one at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. They're both like Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything - I must revisit them every so often.

[@T1tmouse1]

maximum agreeness with both comments. both these speeches are phenomenal but I have to give the impact edge to this one

[@PickledShark]

It’s definitely up there. His speeches at “The Catholic Church is a Force for Good” comes to mind due to shear fire in his eye.

[@ktrigg2]

And more relevant every day in the West.

[@joecahill1994]

Definitely my personal favorite. If I was asked to share one speech of his with everyone I know it would be this one.

[@dennist3hmenace]

Absolutely prophetic. Holy shit. More relevant every day

[@bfeynstein4505]

And evermore ...

[@wolfnexus6621]

Even today

[@nicktrice4921]

Right now...

[@bigbangengineer7686]

At this moment

[@Pwwh0711]

You had no idea...

[@mikaeleriksson1779]

We miss you Hitch.

[@QuicklyMrScott]

This was shown to me at University. It was the only thing that stuck with me.

[@carlosgaspar8447]

if only the cbc, a public broadcaster, would adhere to this.

[@99IronDuke]

The late, great, Christopher Hitchens. Interesting that one of the very few things that Christopher and Peter Hitchens agreed upon was the vital importance of real free speech in a free, democratic society,

[@10subsplease85]

No one comes close to Hitch. One of the great regrets in my life was not to have been lucky enough to see him in a live debate. How we could do with his presence today in the West.Missed but never to be forgotten.

[@paulverma745]

My God this man is incomparable.

[@thekid4779]

“my God” - did you listen to this speech? 😂

[@Anicius_]

Because common sense is lacking?

[@andrewmorton3344]

Christopher Hitchens: Simply the greatest orator who ever uttered a thought.

[@UKCALLING99]

The things we missed out since his passing. What a mind.

[@LeoWhalen1933]

I listen to this every few weeks.

[@AntonAchondoa]

Me too man. After sifting through internet garbage and enduring the toxicity of political discourse, I like to clean my ears, as it were, with some Hitchens.

[@LolFishFail]

Everyone should watch this video and take these words to heart.

[@kylevetter436]

Wrote a college paper last semester about free speech using this speech as my primary source. I wish Hitchens s was still with us

[@mayflowerlash11]

This is a powerful condemnation of religion. Every phrase is justifiable. Every phrase is true. Hitch spoke the truth, he was truly courageous. We must not lose these words, carve them in stone. History will record Hitch as the greatest champion of freedom RIP Christopher Hitchens.

[@lpsoldin3162]

Except that a lot of the "hatred" Hitchens described as coming from religion is also recognized by people who are atheistic.

[@tophatjenkins]

Republican, Democrat, Conservstive, Liberal, and everything inbetween.....PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO PEOPLE! What Big Tech is doing right now is disgraceful and we need to stand up for our freedom of speech. ALL OF US

[@michaelc2037]

Trump yelled "Fire!" when there was none in a crowded theater. Sorry.

[@ingenuity7]

I miss him so much. We need him now more than ever.

[@dalekenworthy4537]

What we need is everyone to study and gain the skills to debate with reason and logic so we have not just one Christopher Hitchens but a thousand contrarianes.

[@EduardoRodriguez-rk8iw]

Full text of the speech Part 3 of 3: Now, I am absolutely convinced that the main source of hatred in the world is religion and organized religion. Absolutely convinced of it. I'm glad that you applaud because it's a very great problem for those who oppose this motion isn't it? How are they going to ban religion? How are they going to stop the expression of religious loathing, hatred and bigotry? I speak as someone who’s a fairly regular target of this, and not just in rhetorical form. I have been the target of many death threats. I know within a short distance of where I'm currently living in Washington I can name two or three people whose names you probably know who can't go anywhere now without a security detail because of the criticisms they've made of one monotheism in particular - this is in the capital city of the United States. So I know what I'm talking about and I also have to notice that the sort of people who ring me up and say they know where my children go to school, and they certainly know what my home number is and where I live, and what they're going to do to them and to my wife and to me and who, I have to take seriously because they have done it to people I know, are just the people who are going to seek the protection of the hate speech law if I say what I think about their religion….which I'm now going to do. Because I don't have any, what you might call, ethnic bias. I’ve no grudge of that sort. I can rub along with pretty much anyone of any, as it were, origin or sexual orientation or language group, except people from Yorkshire of course, who are completely un-takable, and I'm beginning to resent the confusion that's being imposed on us now and there was some of it this evening between religious belief, blasphemy, ethnicity, profanity and what one might call multicultural etiquette. It's quite common now for people to use the expression, for example, anti-Islamic racism as if an attack on a religion was an attack on an Ethnic group. The word Islamophobia, in fact, is beginning to acquire the opprobrium of what was once reserved for racial prejudice. This is a subtle and very nasty insinuation that needs to met head on. Who said what if Falwell said he hates fags? What if people act upon that? The bible says you have to hate fags. If Falwell says, he's saying it because the Bible says it so he's right, yes it might make people go out and use violence. What are you going to do about that? You're up against a group of people who will say "You don’t you put your hands on my Bible or we'll call the hate speech police!" Now what are you going to do when you've dug that trap for yourself? Somebody said that anti-Semitism and Kristallnacht in Germany was the result of ten years of Jew-bating. Ten years? You must be joking, it's the result of 2000 years of Christianity based on one verse of one chapter of St. John's Gospel which led to a pogrom after every Eastern sermon, every year for hundreds of years because it claims that the Jews demanded the blood of Christ be on the heads of themselves and all their children to the remotest generation. That's the warrant and license for and incitement to anti-Jewish pogroms. What are you going to do about that? Where's your piddling sub-section now? Does it say St. John's gospel must be censored? Do I, who've read Freud and know what the future of an illusion really is and know that religious belief is ineradicable as long as we remain a stupid poorly evolved mammalian species, think that some Canadian law is going to solve this problem? Please, no our problem is this: our pre-frontal lobes are too small and our adrenaline glands are too big and our thumb-finger opposition isn't all that it might be and we're afraid of the dark and we're afraid to die and we believe in the truths of holy books that are so stupid and so fabricated that a child can, and all children do, as you can tell by their questions, actually see through them and I think it should be, religion, treated with ridicule and hatred and contempt and I claim that right. Now, let's not dance around - not all monotheisms are exactly the same at the moment. They're all based on the same illusion they're all plagiarisms of each other, but there's one in particular that at the moment is posing a serious menace not just to freedom of speech but freedom of expression but to quite a lot of other freedoms too. This is the religion that exhibits the horrible trio of self-hatred, self-righteousness and self-pity. I'm talking about militant Islam. Globally it's a gigantic power. Globally it's a gigantic power. It controls; an enormous amount of oil wealth; several large countries and states. With an enormous fortune it’s pumping the ideology of Wahhabism and Salafism around the world; poisoning societies everywhere it goes; ruining the minds of children; stultifying the young in it's madrassas; training people in violence, making a cult of death and suicide and murder. That's what it does globally, it’s quite strong. In our societies it poses as a cringing minority whose faith you might offend, which deserves all the protection that a small and vulnerable group might need. Now it makes quite large claims for itself doesn't it? It says it’s the final revelation. It says that God spoke to one illiterate businessman in the Arabian peninsula three times through an archangel and that the resulting material, which as you can see when you read it, is largely plagiarised from the Old and the New Testament. Almost all of it actually plagiarised, ineptly, from the Old and New Testament - is to be accepted as a divine revelation and as the final and unalterable one and that those who don't accept this revelation are fit to be treated as cattle, infidels, potential chattel, slaves and victims. Well I'll tell you what I don't think Muhammad ever heard those voices, I don't believe it and the likelihood that I'm right as opposed to the likelihood that a shepherd, businessman, who couldn't read had bits of the Old and New Testament re-dictated to him by an archangel I think puts me much more near the position of being objectively correct. But who is the one under threat? The person who promulgates this and says "I better listen because if I don't I'm in danger" or me, who says “No, I think this is so silly you can even publish a cartoon about it”. And up go the placards and up go the yells and the howls and the screams, "Behead those!" This is in London... this is in Toronto.... this is in New York.... It's right in our midst now, "Behead those!" "Behead those who cartoon Islam!" Do they get arrested for hate speech? No.. Might I get in trouble for saying what I've just said about the prophet Muhammad? Yes I might. Where are your priorities ladies and gentlemen? You're giving away what's most precious in your own society and you're giving it away without a fight and you're even praising the people who want to deny you the right to resist it. Shame on you while you do this. Make the best use of the time you've got left. This is really serious. Now, if you look anywhere you like because we've had invocations of a rather drivelling and sickly kind tonight of our sympathy, "What about the poor fags... what about the poor Jews... the wretched women who can't take the abuse...?" And the slaves and their descendants and the tribes who didn't make it and were told that their land was forfeit. Look anywhere you like for the warrant for slavery, for the subjection of women as chattel, for the burning and flogging of homosexuals, for ethnic cleansing for anti semitism for all of this you look no further than a famous book that's on every pulpit in this city, and in every synagogue, and in every mosque. and then just see whether you can square the fact that THE FORCE THAT IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF HATRED IS ALSO THE MAIN CALLER FOR CENSORSHIP and when you realize that you're therefore this evening faced with a gigantic false antithesis, I hope that still won't stop you from giving the motion before you the resounding endorsement that it deserves. Thanks awfully. Night night………….Stay cool.

[@tomassund5394]

Thank you! You're awesome!

[@lareinadiondra6027]

What's the difference between religion and organized religion?

[@sammead776]

I'm Christian and if you have a problem with religion. Then it's your problem isn't it. How tragic for you who has the logical truth of reality yet can't muster up a sophisticated argument powerful enough to break through the religious masses and progress man. Since you have it cracked then go get them tiger. Use truth and win because if the truth can destroy a lie then shouldn't the lie be destroyed. With truth. Then what are you waiting for. Can't you use that squishy matter to uncondition the thought pattern. Are the religious so far beyond. No they are not. The truth is you have failed because your premise is to win the religious over and with all the truth and reality of existence and your superior intelligence it hasn't happened and do you know why. I do. Do you. Its not because God exists. I wouldn't be so droll to simply stamp God as my A+ answer.

[@biswajitsahoo9368]

@@lareinadiondra6027 Hinduism and Chinese religions r non organised religion...not a single person or a organisation started it...it various views and philosophy exist in a particular area

[@feonor26]

@@sammead776 I wouldn't have a problem with religion if religious people could just keep it to themselves instead of trying to impose laws on our societies and try to change the curriculum in our class rooms. But the religious are compelled to do it, they can't help themselves and that's my problem with it.

[@carolanngale4934]

I love Christopher Hitchen......you are greatly missed Sir

[@martinmedved1076]

He warned us about people killing others for cartoons. #freespeech

[@roby.3428]

If we surrender our free speech, all other rights are soon to fallow. So many people think that limiting people speech means it will just be illegal to be mean. This is far from the truth. As soon as one law limiting speech is implemented, more will fallow. How do you protest, or voice your political opinion as a citizen, when it has been made unlawful to do so? Christopher was, is, and always will be, 100% right here. This IS very serious, and should not be taken lightly.

[@mitchellhinkley4896]

If you’re coming across this video and my comment... PLEASE SHARE. It’s more relevant than ever! We need this voice and this speech out there now!

[@42Mrgreenman]

I'm with you, the same sentiment occurred to me, it's really frightening to me how the religious dogmatism that once infected all of the US (and still afflicts around 70%) when removed by the internet and the propagation of people like Christopher, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, ect. has only caused us to come up with a new dogmatism around politics, whether it be free market libertarianism or identity politics and cancel culture...missing the entire point Christopher is making on how speech is defined and morally quantified by those in power...What's the first thing authoritarians do when they take that power? They seize the means by which information is transferred...the discourse, media, and language itself...No more welfare, that's communism...No more firebrands, those are hate speakers...

[@Lario]

"Every time you violate or propose to violate the free speech of someone else, you in potentia are making a rod for your own back." To whom do you award the right to decide which speech is harmful, and who is the harmful speaker? "To whom would you delegate the task of deciding FOR YOU what you could read? To whom you would give the job of deciding FOR YOU , relieve you of the responsibility of hearing what you might have to hear? Do you know anyone to whom you would give this law? Does anyone have a nominee? "...

[@paulzapodeanu9407]

I must confess that I do feel tempted to violate the right to free speech of anti vaxers. I however feel that this right should not be taken away from them even though they are indirectly killing people as the damage that would be done to our culture, should this right be taken away from even the lowest of us far outweighs the benefits of doing this. No, we must opise the antivaxers through compelling arguments and if we can not do that then we deserve our faith.

[@defunct1373]

​@@paulzapodeanu9407 So if you were unable to convince an anti-vaxer to vaccinate his/her child and that child ends up dead, should it be your fault? Did the child deserve to die? No, I don't think so. What's to blame here?

[@peterwatkins671]

In Canada, this speech would probably land him in jail today.

[@miranda8598]

😢

[@kevinwinoto1831]

College sophomore here. So very glad I found this gem back when I was in middle school. The thought of censoring speech never crossed my mind since.

[@serialced]

If i am not mistaken, this is the best quality upload of this speech on youtube. Thanks for the wonderful upload, please continue bringing out more (HD) material

[@ibanezbuyer]

did you know of a link to more of this debate?

[@dnw009]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpDSmamZlL-ksKM

[@serialced]

and here I am again, 9 years later watching the same brilliant speech

[@Locateson]

I'm thankful to him that he left to us this speech.

[@TheAtheist22]

What a magical, mesmerising, captivating mind.

[@zayanwatchel8780]

Those 100k views are me watching over, and over, and over.

[@MattSingh1]

The Yorkshire comment by Hitchens is priceless, in addition to his general comments which prove for the umpteenth time what a staggering public intellectual Hitchens was.

[@42Mrgreenman]

Hitchens really did blur the line between an academic, comedian, and motivational speaker with his eloquence...

[@embisonmichalis8694]

I only got to know this man after his death, but I miss him like a family member. I wish I had met him. The most influential person in my life.

[@mogznwaz]

I saw him live in London at the debate on the Catholic Church with Stephen Fry - one of the great honours of my life

[@jstantoni]

This is absolutely the best discourse on Freedom Of Speech I’ve ever heard. It is well worth the twenty-one minutes or so to give it a listen.

[@Vereid]

Excellent speech by Hitchens. And how right he was about that absurd word “Islamophobia”. I’ve been called that several times, because as a gay man, I rather loathe the religion - but then those people get upset if I dare to suggest they’re homophobic. A word I think is almost as silly, but I use it prove a point to the people who hide behind “that is islamophobic!” when their inane fairy tale is mocked.

[@1984isnotamanual]

Do you despise Christianity and Judaism equally then? I ask because they equally despise male gayness.

[@EduardoRodriguez-rk8iw]

Full text of speech Part 1 Of 3: Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Now you've heard it, not shouted in a crowded theatre admittedly as I realise I seem now to have shouted it in the Hogwarts’ dining room but the point is made. Everyone knows the fatuous verdict of the greatly over-praised Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who asked for an actual example of when it would be proper to limit speech or define it as an action, gave that of shouting Fire! in a crowded theatre. It is very often forgotten that what he was doing in that case, was sending to prison a group of Yiddish speaking socialists whose literature was printed in a language most Americans couldn't read, opposing President Wilson's participation in the First World War and the dragging of the United States into this sanguinary conflict which the Yiddish speaking socialists had fled from Russia to escape. In fact it could be just as plausibly argued that the Yiddish speaking socialists, who were jailed by the excellent and over-praised Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes, were the real fire-fighters - were the ones who were shouting fire when there really was fire in a very crowded theatre indeed, and who is to decide? Well, keep that question if you would, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, I hope I may say comrades and friends, before your minds. I exempt myself from the speaker’s kind offer of protection that was so generously proffered at the opening of this evening. Anyone who wants to say anything abusive about or to me is quite free to do so and welcome, in fact, at their own risk…. but before they do that they must have taken, as I'm sure we all should, a short refresher course in the classic texts on this matter, which are: John Milton's "Areopagitica", Areopagitica being the great Hill of Athens, for discussion and free expression; Thomas Paine's introduction to "the Age of Reason"; and I would say John Stuart Mill's essay “On Liberty”, in which it is variously said.... I'll be very daring, and summarise all three of these great gentlemen of the great tradition of especially English liberty in one go: what they say is: Its not just the right of the person who speaks to be heard, it is the right of everyone in the audience to listen and to hear, and every time you silence somebody you make yourself a prisoner of your own action because you deny yourself the right to hear something. In other words your own right to hear and be exposed is as much involved in all these cases as is the right of the other to voice his or her view. Indeed as John Stuart Mill said, if all in society were agreed on the truth and beauty and value of one proposition, all except one person it would be most important in fact it would become even more important that that one heretic be heard because we would still benefit from his perhaps outrageous or appalling view. In more modern times this has been put I think best by a personal heroine of mine Rosa Luxemburg, who said that "the freedom of speech is meaningless unless it means the freedom of the person who thinks …differently". My great friend John O'Sullivan, former editor of the National Review and I think probably my most conservative and reactionary Catholic friend, once said as a tiny thought experiment he said: "If you hear the Pope saying he believes in God you think well the Pope's doing his job again today. If you hear the Pope saying he's really begun to doubt the existence of God you begin to think he might be on to something". Well, if everybody in North America is forced to attend at school, training in sensitivity or in Holocaust awareness and is taught to study the Final Solution, about which nothing was actually done by this country or North America or the United Kingdom while it was going on, but lets say as if in compensation for that, everyone's made to swallow an official and unalterable story of it now and it's taught as the great moral exemplar, the moral equivalent of the morally lacking elements of the Second World War. A way of stilling our uneasy conscience about that combat. If that's the case with everybody as it more or less is and one person gets up and says, "You know what, this Holocaust? I'm not sure it even happened. In fact, I'm pretty certain it didn't. Indeed I begin to wonder if the only thing is that the Jews brought a little bit of violence on themselves". That person doesn't just have a right to speak, that person's right to speak must be given extra protection because what he has to say must have taken him some effort to come up with. Might be, might contain, a grain of historical truth. Might in any case give people to think about why do they know what they already think that they know? How do I know that I know this, except that I've always been taught this and never heard anything else? It's always worth establishing first principles, it’s always worth saying "What would you do if you met a flat Earth society member?" "Come to think of it, how can I prove the Earth is round?" "Am I sure about the theory of evolution? I know it's supposed to be true. Here's someone who says no such thing, it's all intelligent design". "How sure am I of my own views?" Don't take refuge in the false security of consensus and the feeling that whatever you think you're bound to be okay because you're in the safely moral majority.

[@aigerimmassabayeva2112]

thank you! this is great!!

[@MrEddie4679]

thank you, i really had a hard time following sometimes his speech due to the sound quality. although, how much time did making all 3 parts take? your determination is admirable.

[@BrocomEntertainment]

Thanks much sir!

[@randallgraves5289]

Legend for this!

[@fernandoavalos4556]

In Abrams v. United States case, which hitch references, Oliver Wendell Holmes along side justice Louis Brandeis actually took the side of the socialist, and wrote the dissenting view. It was Justice Justice John Hessin Clark who wrote the majorities view in favor of sending them to jail. Still a good speech.

[@matthewbesson5367]

I watch this once a month. Gosh he is missed.

[@danielbrace8838]

A giant intellect and character, who we could all do with on our side these days. No one has comprehensively filled his shoes, unfortunately.

[@euphegenia]

5:35 “don’t take refuge in the false security of consensus”. He very sneakily slid in one of the most profound things he ever said. It’s relevant every single day.

[@EK4B16A2]

Can anyone imagine UofT holding an event like this these days? Imposible. That's how bad things are in 2020.

[@moonlightray8493]

As a UofT student, I can confirm this. It truly is a disappointment the state that our universities have devolved into.

[@B4gle]

I dropped out of U of T after being thoroughly disgusted by what's happening there. I recommend everyone with any sense left to leave the school immediately if you are studying any liberal arts.

[@dingosmith9932]

Everyone should hear this speech!

[@brianmcgee127]

The most eloquent, succinct, and irrefutable defense of free speech ever delivered. Period.

[@jabberwock14]

He might be the finest English speaker of all time

[@KLM1111]

I’m from Yorkshire but I still love you hitch ♥️

[@EzerEben]

I've been curious for a long time. What's the scoop with his Yorkshire comment? Is there some friendly rivalry he's referencing?

[@QuicklyMrScott]

Justin Aeneas stereotyped as being very brash loud and simple. They also have a really thick accent

[@rayjomoses]

"Since this often seems to come up in discussions of the radical style, I'll mention one other gleaning from my voyages. Beware of Identity politics. I'll rephrase that: have nothing to do with identity politics. I remember very well the first time I heard the saying "The Personal Is Political." It began as a sort of reaction to defeats and downturns that followed 1968: a consolation prize, as you might say, for people who had missed that year. I knew in my bones that a truly Bad Idea had entered the discourse. Nor was I wrong. People began to stand up at meetings and orate about how they 'felt', not about what or how they thought, and about who they were rather than what (if anything) they had done or stood for. It became the replication in even less interesting form of the narcissism of the small difference, because each identity group begat its sub-groups and "specificities." This tendency has often been satirised-the overweight caucus of the Cherokee transgender disabled lesbian faction demands a hearing on its needs-but never satirised enough. You have to have seen it really happen. From a way of being radical it very swiftly became a way of being reactionary; the Clarence Thomas hearings demonstrated this to all but the most dense and boring and selfish, but then, it was the dense and boring and selfish who had always seen identity politics as their big chance. Anyway, what you swiftly realise if you peek over the wall of your own immediate neighbourhood or environment, and travel beyond it, is, first, that we have a huge surplus of people who wouldn't change anything about the way they were born, or the group they were born into, but second that "humanity" (and the idea of change) is best represented by those who have the wit not to think, or should I say feel, in this way." -Christopher Hitchens, Letters to a Young Contrarian, 2001.

[@BrianCrouch]

19 years on from this statement, and I fear society is entrenched and in thrall to the narcissistic and censorious impulse of which he warned.

[@defunct1373]

@@BrianCrouch Indeed.

[@EduardoRodriguez-rk8iw]

Full text of the speech Part 2 of 3: One of the proudest moments of my life, that's to say in the recent past, has been defending the British historian David Irving who is now in prison in Austria for nothing more than the potential of uttering an unwelcome thought on Austrian soil. He didn't actually say anything in Austria. He wasn't even accused of saying anything, he was accused of perhaps planning to say something that violated an Austrian law that says only one version of the history of the Second World War may be taught in our brave little Tyrollean republic. The republic that gave us Kurt Waldheim as secretary general of the United Nations, a man wanted in several countries for war crimes. You know the country that has Jörg Haider, the leader of it's own fascist party, in the cabinet that sent David Irving to jail. You know the two things that have made Austria famous, given it it's reputation by any chance? Just while I've got you....? I hope there are some Austrians here to be upset by it. Well, a pity if not but the two greatest achievements of Austria are to convince the world that Hitler was German and that Beethoven was Viennese. Now to this proud record they can add they have the courage finally to face their past and lock up a British historian whose committed no crime except that of thought and writing and that's a scandal and I can't find a seconder when I propose this but I don't care. I don't need a seconder, my own opinion is enough for me and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time, and anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get online and.…kiss my ass. Now, I don't know how many of you don't feel you're grown up enough to decide this for yourselves and think you need to be protected from David Irving's edition of the Goebbels' diaries for example out of which I learned more about the Third Reich than I had from studying Hugh Trevor-Roper and A.J.P. Taylor combined when I was at Oxford. But for those of you who do, I’d recommend another short course of revision. Go again and see not just the film and the play but read the text of Robert Bolt's wonderful play "Man For All Seasons", some of you must have seen it - where Sir Thomas Moore decides that he would rather die than lie or betray his faith and at one moment Moore is arguing with a particularly vicious witch-hunting prosecutor (a servant of the king and a hungry and ambitious man), and Moore says to this man "You'd break the law to punish the Devil, wouldn't you?" And the prosecutor, the witch hunter, says "Break it?" He said "I'd cut down every law in England if I could do that, if I could capture him." And Moore says "Yes you would wouldn't you? And then when you corner the Devil and the Devil turned round to meet you, where would you run for protection? All the laws of England having been cut down and flattened, who would protect you then?" Bear in mind, ladies and gentlemen, that every time you violate or propose to violate the free speech of someone else you, in potentia, you're making a rod for your own back because the other question raised by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes is simply this: "Whose going to decide? To whom do you award the right to decide which speech is harmful? Or who is the harmful speaker? Or to determine in advance what are the harmful consequences going to be that we know enough about in advance to prevent? To whom would you give this job? To whom are you going to award the task of being the censor?" Isn't it a famous old story that the man who has to read all the pornography in order to decide what's fit to be passed and what is fit not to be, is the man most likely to be debauched? Did you hear any speaker in the opposition to this motion, eloquent as… one of them... was, to whom you would delegate the task of deciding, for you, what you could read? To whom you would give the job of deciding, for you, relieve you of the responsibility of hearing what you might have to hear? Do you know anyone, hands up do you know anyone to whom you'd give this job? Does anyone have a nominee? You mean there's no one in Canada good enough to decide what I can read or hear? I had no idea but there's a law that says there must be such a person or there's a sub-section of some piddling law that says it. Well the hell with that law then, it's inviting you to be liars and hypocrites and to deny what you evidently know already. About the censorious instinct, we basically know all that we need to know and we've known it for a long time. It comes from an old story about another great Englishman, sorry to sound so particular about that this evening, Dr. Samuel Johnson the great lexicographer author of the first, compiler I should say - of the first great dictionary of the English language. When it was complete, Dr. Johnson was waited upon by various delegations of people, to congratulate him of the nobility of the quality; of the Commons; the Lords; and also by a delegation of respectable ladies of London, who tended on him in his Fleet Street lodgings and congratulated him: "Dr. Johnson," they said, "We are delighted to find that you have not included any indecent or obscene words in your dictionary." "Ladies," said Dr. Johnson, "I congratulate you on being able to look them up". Anyone who can understand that joke, and I'm pleased to see that 10% of you can, gets the point about censorship especially prior restraint as it's known in the United States where it's banned by the first amendment to the constitution. It may not be determined in advance what words are apt or inapt, no one has the knowledge that would be required to make that call and - more to the point - one has to suspect the motives of those who do so, in particular: the motives of those who are determined to be offended; of those who will go through a treasure house of English, like Dr. Johnson's first lexicon, in search of filthy words to satisfy themselves and some instinct about which I dare not speculate.

[@cronistamundano8189]

I cant find Part 1!! Excelent work!

[@Ruminator]

This is a remarkably important video. Everyone needs to watch it.

[@rebeccaranger1566]

For me, this is a great wake up call. Especially in view of current events. For the past few months, I have been having an internal argument with my own conscience. Thanks once again for helping me to see through a new and different lens Mr. Hitchens.

[@markmacpherson90]

If only we could rid the world of religion

[@eddyf4426]

This needs to be played on the loudspeakers in many cities right now, especially my home town Ottawa, Canada!

[@markmacpherson90]

Bizarre you missed his whole point

[@hlysnan6418]

Forward this to everyone.

[@Zoe-yc7og]

2023 Mr Hitchens is very much needed.

[@MadBrainBox]

Listening this after the Count Dankula verdict.

[@bradleyfinney4756]

word, man's an actual nazi

[@deplorabled1695]

@IamBrix You are not a fan of Hitchens I take it

[@deplorabled1695]

@@bradleyfinney4756 Hello Bradley. And fuck off you liar.

[@deplorabled1695]

@IamBrix Probably not, I doubt he would have been interested in meme wars - but for sure he would have supported Count Dankula's right to post that clip without interference and prosecution by the state.

[@evilpandakillabzonattkoccu4879]

....closes a mindblowing, intellectually stimulating, engaging and witty speech with "night, night. stay cool.".... like the goddamn rockstar He will forever be!

[@42Mrgreenman]

Couldn't have put it better...but I find the line from Abraham Simpson coming to mind often in these days, "I used to be with it, but then they changed what IT was. Now what I'm with isn't IT, and what's IT seems weird and scary to me."

[@iaindennis230]

I miss Christopher Hitchens - what a great man

[@TheWontonsoop]

Here July 2020 . Hitchens has never been more relevant in

[@jdorritie]

This video should have 18 billion views.

[@king_of_queens]

If this wonderful human being was still alive this speech would’ve been forbidden by the people who needed to hear it the most. Hitchens or someone close to his caliber (Douglas Murray comes to mind) is sorely needed today and in the days ahead...

[@H.L.S.98]

More appropriate than ever. What I would give to hear his opinions on the current world.

[@contingency7232]

"ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends"

[@Owl90]

Absolutely brilliant. It makes me really, really sad that only so few have watched or heard these words/ideas.

[@ph8077]

Agreed - this speech should have 1bn views.

[@jestermoon]

Take A Moment Free speech is vital. I have yet to hear or think of anything I have been offered by. If someone takes offense, from my experience they are welcome to play with it, and i laugh as I walk away, try it today, it's so much fun, no gods or violence. Thank you Mr. H Stay Safe Stay Free 🌐

[@Spongebob0911]

Get in line, pick a number, and kiss my ass.........that's just brilliant hahahaha

[@hayleyanna2625]

Superb. We miss you Sir. Such a brilliant thinker and speaker. ❤️We have his excellent books and these sublime videos. Thank you for uploading this.

[@Hollis_has_questions]

Hitch is where I come when anxiety overtakes me. He soothes my reasoning soul in a maniacal world.

[@ResponsibleGunOwner]

I'm as heterosexual as a man could ever be, but Mr. Hitchens is absolutely my singular man crush!

[@DaMeatGrinda]

Probably the most important video to watch on KZbin now.

[@moebadderman227]

The world is a much less-entertaining, and less-educational place without Hitchens.

[@stonehouseguitars3869]

I must have listened to almost every spoken word this man ever uttered in front of a microphone or a camera, and this to me is still the greatest speech and some of the best words he ever spoke.

[@joshuagrubbs5207]

Same I tear up listening to not today in this crazy time

[@eternalsunshine313]

Hitchens should have lived long enough to see how things got even worse.

[@hughjarce9742]

I can only imagine how Hitch would respond to the long trail of Islamic terrorism since his death. He would have remained forthright but would have been deplatformed by many University campuses. His words here are so prophetic in light of the snowflake generation who are triggered when hearing something they won't agree with. A very sad situation.

[@franktranks9445]

Please don't call all of Gen Z the snowflake generation. I can't help how old I am.

[@anthonyhudson3136]

and what about the long trail of western terrorism that cunts like the bbc,fox etc wont report on.

[@bigbossignition]

Too bad Canada didn't listen to this. I am thankful I no longer live there, but when I recently visited family I had to be careful of what I said because free speech does not exist there.

[@MrJohnybirchall]

This video showed me the light of free expression and the tyranny of consensus . We miss you Hitch… more then ever!

[@TheJeffMiller]

"Bear in mind ladies and gentlemen that every time you violate or propose to violate the free speech of someone else, in potentia you're making a rod for your own back."

[@stanleystriker7065]

Twitter and Facebook need to watch this....

[@ditowout816]

This man is an intellectual heavyweight, a third degree black belt in reason. What a force he was

[@iraqired]

I never had someone in my life that I look at and think, wow, this is someone who is inspiring. Until I watched Hitchens.

[@Uppernorwood976]

I wish everyone in the western world listened to this speech. I don’t say they must agree with it. I don’t say they cannot argue against it. But at the very least they should think about it and say exactly what parts they disagree with. I think the world would be a better place.

[@briangilton782]

“And I can’t find a seconder usually when I propose this. But I don’t care. I don’t need a seconder. My opinion is enough for me. And I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line, and kiss my ass.” This, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who thinks for himself, and who courageously advocates for the right for anyone with the balls to speak for themselves, to be protected under the law to do so.

[@maximusgarahan2066]

Is your claim that it's coherent to tolerate those who would use their speech to negate the values that free-speech is thought to encourage?

[@briangilton782]

Maximus Garahan nope, I’m saying I think Hitchens’ argument for the absolutistism of free speech is deeply compelling, and I agree with it.

[@cricketjam]

As LGBTQ, I endorse, appreciate, and love every single word of this speech.

[@wellingtonbeef1348]

"Up goes the yells, the howls and the screams"

[@chrislyne377]

I watch this speech every few months and I've just got to say, I laugh every time he says "...at their own risk" 😆 God I miss Hitch

[@barrymanulow4896]

My favourite saying "I have never been wrong, once I thought I was but I was mistaken"

[@terrymccannminder748]

As Brian clough once said, “well once I had a descusion with a player, he told me how he thought it should be, so we sat down an talked about it for 20 minutes an in the end we agreed?……. I WAS RIGHT!😂😂😂

[@wReckkkkk]

When was this speach given? Holy shit, i feel like it could have been given yesterday and it would still be completely relevant in the world we live now.

[@zayan6284]

More relevant today, more so tomorrow.

[@geidiprimeproductions]

I find this recurrent statement about relevancy of things that aren't old at all to be most obnoxious and i think i see this trend from millenials the most. Ugh. Shut up.

[@EzerEben]

@@geidiprimeproductions , I think Hitchens' speech is even more relevant today than it was even in his time when he made the speech!!

[@JonValtandtheEvilRobots]

The speech was at a university I believe. Most of the debaters looked young. Not getting political, but the overall show was great. There were lots of logical and nerdy "we haz rights just because God gave them to us" vs. naive, emotional and probably well-meaning "we need to make the world safe for everyone" debaters. Then ole Hitch comes up and obliterates what America would call the lefties by saying you're actually hurting lefties with what you're doing. Right wingers are like hell yeah. Then he starts in on how religions would use the laws to get protection for the very types of speech they're trying to get banned. Right wingers are like *guuuulp* he's onto us. Lefties are thinking shoot, now Christian Schools can teach about XYZ, and get protected by the law? And then he makes a full right turn and says, "Hey religious right-wingers: Your support of religion is letting in this sneaky, dominating one that's gonna wipe you out," and also "Hey, lefties, this religion you want to have protected by hate speech laws is worse than the christians you are trying to protect yourself from, and with your own laws, you won't be able to stop them." Now 90% of the people are mad at him about something. The TL;DR is Hitch basically comes in, bludgeons one side, then the other, then BOTH at the same time. Like Andre The Giant bopping two people's heads together in Princess Bride. The guy was a freaking genius.

[@amjadanwarbaig1979]

What a great speech!! Bravo. I'm a Muslim and still can understand what he is saying.

[@DreamTerrorist]

2021 - with the way things are going, this video will be removed from KZbin one day.

[@42Mrgreenman]

Perhaps...perhaps...but the censors fail to notice a quality of the internet that in itself fights against censorship...the ability to copy and reproduce information...then send it around the world within moments...Even when they took down Trump's tweets 20 minutes after posting, the text still got out...and as long as we have something like the wayback machine and broadband communication, I don't see that changing...

[@hoeraufist]

This guy never ceases to inspire.