Christopher Hitchens: The Fifth Annual Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture

Christopher Hitchens speaks on Crucibles: Past and Present followed by a conversation with PEN World Voices Festival Chair, Salman Rushdie.
Hitchens is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a visiting professor of liberal studies at the New School. He is the author of numerous books, including works on Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, George Orwell, Mother Teresa, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, and his No. 1 New York Times and National Book Award nominee , God Is Not Great. His next book,Hitch-22: A Memoir, will be released this June.

[@michellemaria8862]

He gave this talk the evening he found out he had cancer. He refused to cancel this or his Daily Show appearance. True pro. 💔

[@johnioannou7578]

I remember in one of his latest interviews when his condition started to get worse when asked about cancer he stated " I have no doubt that eventually in the future this disease will be forced to yield to science and reason". A man that understood the notion "it's not about you" and faced his mortality with such logical fortitude and dignity like very few on this planet.

[@MeeEee-ge1zg]

​@@johnioannou7578don't see it happening. Population control.

[@jamesdettmann94]

surely that isn't true, they mentioned that the 2010 election was that week, being in May, and he was diagnosed in June.

[@delmecupido3946]

That is quite incredible. You would never guess, watching this.

[@ganderson5104]

Salman Rushdie: "The great gift my parents gave me was to be non-religious." My father was a difficult man who I frequently disagreed with, but one gift he gave me was to question religious beliefs. He gave me the gift of skepticism, and I cherish it.

[@cronistamundano8189]

r

[@hirschowitz1]

Skepticism..... a wonderful thing... why are they wearing those strange white suits...maybe they are not? ..... No matter ...... I miss Hitch so badly.......

[@grahamrogers3345]

If he is to be consistent he should also apply the same skepticism to the Darwinian evolution a dogma so unquestioningly accepted, never held to scrutiny and of which no criticism is allowed in polite pseudo scientific circles. The mantra seems to be , it's a fact, shut up and don't question.

[@geofftisuzu4115]

@@grahamrogers3345 why be skeptical about darwinian evolution when there is empirical evidence for it, i assume you are religious, so where is the empirical evidence for your god ? or do you just have faith? which by definition of believing without proof. i personally believe in the flying spaghetti monster who boiled for my sins, can you prove that my god does exist?

[@grahamrogers3345]

@@geofftisuzu4115 You should not assume anything. Evolution in the Darwinian sense is utterly impossible. Tell me what empirical evidence you mistakenly think there is for it. I can make a totally rational argument against Darwinism without at anytime invoking religion. We know for certain that living organisms change over time but there is zero evidence that less complex forms have evolved into more complex forms. It is widely accepted but false and all dissenting views are silenced. A bit like the covid scam. I challenge you to look again at the empirical evidence but actually I look at and am fully aware of the same evidence. It supports variation not Darwinian evolution. I strongly suggest that you actually start reading what some of the opponents of Darwinism write by going direct to the source instead of reading fallacious so called debunkings by ardent evolutionists.

[@taro7438]

...And 10 years later, your words are more pertinent than ever. What a man.

[@rckli]

? “More pertinent?”

[@TacGKilgore]

@@tracemagace8434 *crickets*

[@jimpalmer2981]

Kinda missed the mark on the Christian Right having a “thin time of it” and the Catholic Church refusing the sacraments to politicians, though. But those can be the mistakes of optimism.

[@aboobakuruibrahim680]

@@rckli L

[@aboobakuruibrahim680]

@@rckli A As P

[@WheelsofSteal]

@ 58:20. Christopher pulls out his crystal ball and nails down exactly the current state of social society is now and has been. Expressed perfectly actually. Gifts from the past. Thank you Christopher.

[@doctornov7]

Exactly what I was thinking, in late 2023.

[@tl6690]

We lost a great man 10 years ago today. You'll never be forgotten. RIP Hitch!

[@2fast2block]

The loser is dead awaiting his unpleasant judgment with God. Hitch who pretends to know the bible as he screws up on it over and over again including what faith means biblically. --"Faith is the surrender of the mind, it's the surrender of reason, it's the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other animals. It's our need to believe and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me. ... Out of all the virtues, all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated”-- Christopher Hitchens Now, look at what biblical faith really means that Hitch the liar didn't even look at: Biblically, faith means trust. It's a trust by evidence seen. God asks that we prove things. To reason. To get knowledge. To study. God has nothing to hide. We develop trust from what is seen, and that which is not seen yet is trusted also because of the trust built up from what is seen. It's much like a human relationship. We don't trust much until a person has gained that trust from what is observed. The difference is though, God is not limited to human powers. He created us. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. crossexamined.org/biblical-faith-vs-blind-faith/ www.truthortradition.com/articles/what-does-the-bible-say-about-faith www.revisedenglishversion.com/Appendix/16/Faith_is_Trust www.truthortradition.com/articles/faith-a-confident-expectation-of-gods-promises-coming-to-pass www.truthortradition.com/articles/hebrews-1-11-and-faith Hitchens always went into evasive word antics to avoid key questions like how we got the creation of the universe. Real science says nothing does nothing. Real science says if there was something there already it must fit with the evidence of what we know. We know the 1LT says there's a conservation of energy. It can change forms and neither can be created or destroyed. Creation cannot happen by natural means. The 2LT has various aspects, one being the universe is winding down, entropy. Usable energy is becoming less usable, so at one point usable energy was at its max. This all points to a supernatural creation, by a supernatural creator at a certain point in which matter, space, and time were created. When I read how it can happen otherwise, ALL the fools resort to science-fiction. Once a supernatural creation is accepted, then the next step is finding proof of what supernatural power did it. We can't even get science without God. The laws of nature only can come from a Lawgiver, God. Life only comes from life. Law of biogenesis. God is the reason for us and all we have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJqwoq2ElL6Gjrc The odds are NOT there. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWLCfHiMlqisl6M kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4icmJStr79_qc0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpXEooarqdlol9k

[@user-bg3bb8kh5h]

@@2fast2block k

[@RightInTheFeels69]

@@2fast2block you are the ultimate troll Salvation Army shipped you your trophy

[@2fast2block]

@@RightInTheFeels69 Here's what happens when you give an empty person common science they can't contend with, they will completely ignore it and since they are inept human beings that don't care, they will think they have something clever to say that makes it look like they are not as shallow as they are, so this is what is considered a good scientific come back to all the science they were provided: Drumroll, please.... their science....."you are the ultimate troll Salvation Army shipped you your trophy" Yes, I'm serious. I'm not making this up. They are really that empty. They are really that STOOOO-PID!

[@RightInTheFeels69]

@@2fast2block you’ve came to us with bible passages. Get the fuck out of here and GET REAL MAN. You should take yourself to a psych ward man

[@reillyobrien4372]

"There is never a good occasion for keeping your mouth shut."-Christopher Hitchens

[@DennisMoore664]

Ah, sweet serendipity! I just heard him say that quote at 7:45 as I was replying to your comment. Well then, it seems I have to disagree with someone who I am almost always in at least general agreement. Any time someone feels the need to start proselytizing on subjects of faith uninvitedly is a pretty good occasion to shut-it - but apparently I'm going to Hell, so there's that. Cheers!

[@BookOnThrough]

@@DennisMoore664 Ha, I hear you. Cheers

[@robertdore9592]

Question everything, people without an agenda generally won't mind answering

[@eileendover3938]

I’m glad to hear him say that. Many times I thought, “I should have kept my mouth shut” when I took a stand which has cost me dearly. Now I will think, “no, I did the right thing. And I will NOT stop opening my mouth.”

[@aoeu256]

Gotta know the "context" for which that statement is true...your girlfriend just left you, your boss has just fired you, can't make asian friends O_o. Lets face it smart, handsome, and successful people have credibility that us at the bottom don't have unless in certain contexts.

[@Mackerdaymia]

"It opens us up to an era of terrible relativism where everyone's opinion is as good as anyone else's; where you don't have to *earn* any credibility. Pretty soon you'd have not just your own opinions, but your own choice of facts; there wouldn't be a common stock of reference." So prescient from Hitch. 10+ years later we live in this exact world.

[@edwardjonez6615]

AND HERE WE ARE TODAY. SEVERAL MILLION LOONS BELIEVE TRUMP IS STILL PRESIDENT.

[@WoofDawgmann]

It's been very interesting to see how much Hitchens' views have become closer and closer to Ayn Rand's over the years, thanks to his open-mindedness and commitment to rationality. This itself is a point she raised many times, including in _The Foutainhead_ and her non-fiction. Hitchens himself, like many others, very much misunderstood her views - partly due to her insistence on using words such as "selfishness", in a very different way from how anyone else uses them, and partly due to her cultist followers.

[@markmacdonald7955]

"If the print media die, and the internet fails to replace them, what then?" - What a prescient goddamn question.

[@MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists]

which we all asked 10 years ago...now after TRUMP we really should re-think that !

[@Fuzz_Face]

I think the answer to that is the current state of political commentary, I’m thinking types like Ben Shapiro and Destiny, are replacing the ‘classically well read’ with a more internet based body of knowledge. I like aesthetically (emotionally) the classically wise, with charm and wit like Hitch. But I don’t think that it’s essential for productive and progressive/enlightened discourse.

[@markmacdonald7955]

@@Fuzz_Face fair enough, but those two examples demonstrate the failure of the internet to functionally replace print media. They do not have the same kind of discourse as is on display with Hitchens here, etc. For them, debating is about winning, and putting down one’s “opponent” not about spreading knowledge and benefiting mankind. As much as Hitchens was a brutal debater, he seemed to be seeking truth through his discourse.

[@Fuzz_Face]

@@markmacdonald7955 Hi Mark, I would urge you to reconsider, although I consider Hitchens a great intellectual, putting him on a pedestal like that gives me the impression of needless heroism, which he himself (I would argue) probably would be against. You’re implying Hitch wasn’t about winning, the Hitch-slap is a perfect example of him defeating his opponents in a grand way (ie winning). There’s so much material on KZbin where he’s just ‘destroying his opponents’ that it would be very silly to say that isn’t what he was good at and about. I’m wondering if you could explain why you think the new ‘internet warriors’ types fail, I’m very curious to your opinion.

[@krn551]

Rushdie talking about the raisins might be one of the only times I've seen Hitch actually laugh with his guard completely down. I always wondered what an informal friendship with him must've been like and that was a glimpse of it - looks delightful!

[@thomasbonnett4800]

I love stumbling upon Hitchens’ stuff I haven’t seen before. Thank you.

[@tubbytuba21]

Yes, it seems I have viewed everything Hitchens multiple times, and then a gift like this appears! These two men are the epitome of courage and integrity.

[@turtferguson4831]

I wish we could hear Christopher's reaction to the recent attack on Rushdie

[@Marcin-pr2sz]

"Attacking people is bad. Mmmm-kay?"

[@rahuldahoob4513]

@@Marcin-pr2sz ok Wordsworth

[@kekkles117]

When It happened before God Is Not Great came about from it. So one can only imagine what kind of force he would've became this time. Since it was agreed upon by his circle that once he set his sights on religion it was as if all his skills were refined.

[@truthaboveall7988]

Horrifying

[@Paine137]

He would have gone on every news channel and articulated with vengeance that the world needs to stand up for free speech while uniting against those who weaponize their wicked religiosity upon society. He would have called out by name every politician who would have predictably wiggled and squirmed to attach blame to Rushdie himself, as others once did in the past. A force, Hitch would have been. And it’s our collective loss not to hear it.

[@grannykiminalaska]

My dad was in the navy during WWII . This was something he made very clear to us. You can stand for something or die for nothing. Its better to stand and face them.

[@exoplanet11]

Long live Salman Rushdie!

[@nicholasmills8021]

You can tell how much he respects Rushdie because he let's him talk and listens to him. All the other people he just rolls over. Miss this man so much.

[@ronaldelliott4373]

A true friend indeed! Respect.

[@adriankristoffersen3121]

58:18 - 58:42 Hitch saw 'fake news' and 'alternate facts' coming.

[@yj9032]

Fuck man!!!

[@jcee6886]

And censorship, and cancel culture, and "book" burning. ....and.....

[@Filioque_]

Fake news has always been

[@alanmacification]

@@Filioque_ Fascism and Corporatism absolutely depend on information control. Just like the Mafia

[@bobobandy9382]

And would have despised Trump, if he had even thought about him. I think he did insult Trump once or twice. But who cares about a casino and boxing promoter?

[@orchidwave2574]

Any other speaker: "I'll have a discussion with Mr. Rushdie, at the end of which we will take questions from the audience." Hitch's version of same thing: "You can be our prisoners for a bit longer, then we will be your hostage." Even rote announcements during a Hitchens presentation are filled with wry humour and clever turns of phrase.

[@Yosef9438]

He was truly a master of the English language

[@burn435353]

this was shot in may 2010, in june 2010 hitchens was diagnosed with stage 4 esophagus cancer, knowing this and hearing him constantly clearing his throat is kind of painful

[@bane1476]

You should watch an interview with him, I forget the name (it's with the CSpan guy whose show he was always on), but there he says that he found out on this day because he'd woken up feeling very ill in the morning and had to call an ambulance. He then went on to do the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and this event with Rushdie on this very day, knowing all the time what was going on. Now, he may have been diagnosed a month later, but whoever treated him this day told him to see an Oncologist, so this must be the day he found out for himself.

[@janusatthegate6201]

And in those last years he had stopped smoking--at least in public.

[@SweetMintPie555]

Bane www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/09/hitchens-201009/amp His initial hospital visit occurred in June, and it was a different appearance with Salman to promote his memoir than the one shown in this video.

[@robertdore9592]

What a loss to us all...what are we left with now, Peterson, Shapiro and Rogan? They're nowhere near this guy.

[@zigababnik8780]

@@robertdore9592 Dawkins is still here, Harris is an outstanding thinker, Maher is good, Gervais maybe. But Hitch is still my favorite.

[@liberte1334]

I had to hear Hitch in this subject again,,,,we need you Hitch!

[@flystix]

I'm so glad Salman Rushdie brought up the term respect and what it really means here. I'm so tired (and have been since I was a teenager) of people telling me that I'm being disrespectful when I challenge them on a statement or what they believe. The idea, especially in a democracy, that this is commonplace disgusts me. It's the death of democracy. People need to be able to respectfully disagree with eachother in this country (America) without crying foul as early as people do.

[@joecurran2811]

This comment was ahead of its time.

[@KiatHuang]

The sheer power of his words and perspective is breathtaking.

[@jamesjon1500]

It’s a great honour and privilege to be able to listen to the beautiful oratory skills of Hitchens

[@kevinthomas4074]

Better without the feedback

[@CyeOutsider]

This is a very good discussion on a very important subject: when to make a personal stand against religious bullying and the murderous impulses that are never far from the surface of religion or any kind of fanaticism.

[@TheSasss1]

Two great men. Thank you for sharing this great video.The late and great Hitch is very much missed.

[@antoniolau8762]

the hitch at his best.. intelligent and provocative with unbelievable depth of conversation. a great orator and thinker.

[@lawt555]

the hitch at his best.. intelligent and provocative with unbelievable depth of conversation. a great orator and thinker.

[@PinkoPapist89]

Some people wish John Lennon were alive to comment on present events. For me it will always be Hitch.

[@corryjookit7818]

@Winston Smith How so ?

[@andrewtoebbe3885]

I'd say hes 3rd most intelligent only above Ringo...however far and away first in social activism

[@willmpet]

I wish they were both alive to describe the current events.

[@Johnconno]

Hitchens was terrified of Scousers.

[@bokononbokomaru8156]

@Jazzkeyboardist1 apparently it escaped you that he was mocking the hypocrisy of the "moral majority" types...not the sexual aspect specifically. He was never an angel and didn't claim it. An acerbic critic more than anything else. Strange that you gravitated here to bash a dead man.

[@user-rm5ww5hx9y]

Would it be too much too ask that PEN America consult an audio engineer to filter out the 60 cycle hum and re-upload? This historical talk deserves that at the very least.

[@robdavidson1876]

Can't help but always find Hitchens a highly intelligent interesting listen!And Arthur Miller a legend of a writer!

[@bauist]

What a prescient man. Gives me goose bumps.

[@donnacorbett5878]

i CANNOT ALWAYS AGREE BUT I DO ADMIRE MR CHRISTOPHER greatly

[@hirschowitz1]

I’m listening to this in midtown manhattan.....knew the man .,... saved me from ignorance too.,,,

[@paulpatton2629]

The epitome of a wordsmith fearless brave humorous Witty engaging will be sadly missed

[@leeturner3750]

Yes most definitely And Alan Watts I believe

[@06mustangCE]

"There's never a good occasion for keeping your mouth shut!" love that

[@eddieheron1939]

. . . . at least when you’re widely regarded as one of the top intellectuals of the modern era, who possessed all the skills and decorum of meaningful debate!

[@GSP-76]

@@eddieheron1939 0ñgii

[@AG-io5wr]

In a media world full of bumptious Children it would be a joy to have Christopher's voice in the public square these days.

[@yomilalgro]

Because of the late great Hitch, so many are finally seeing the light. The awakening is happening. Most of the credit goes to this genius of a man. The world is less without you!

[@anorian7992]

This was a pleasure and a joy to listen to such sanity. Religion is back because it controls the people, breeds fear, hate and is very, very big business.

[@astralcowboy5511]

It isn’t back; it never went away. And it never went away because (most) people are stupid.

[@chipsebastian8657]

Love Hitch. So learned. It was, actually, Patrick Henry who famously said "Give me liberty or give me death."

[@AN-cy7xm]

What a beautiful and powerful way of expressing ideas this man had.

[@2fast2block]

What a loser he was. Hitch who pretends to know the bible as he screws up on it over and over again including what faith means biblically. --"Faith is the surrender of the mind, it's the surrender of reason, it's the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other animals. It's our need to believe and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me. ... Out of all the virtues, all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated”-- Christopher Hitchens Now, look at what biblical faith really means that Hitch the liar didn't even look at: Biblically, faith means trust. It's a trust by evidence seen. God asks that we prove things. To reason. To get knowledge. To study. God has nothing to hide. We develop trust from what is seen, and that which is not seen yet is trusted also because of the trust built up from what is seen. It's much like a human relationship. We don't trust much until a person has gained that trust from what is observed. The difference is though, God is not limited to human powers. He created us. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. crossexamined.org/biblical-faith-vs-blind-faith/ www.truthortradition.com/articles/what-does-the-bible-say-about-faith www.revisedenglishversion.com/Appendix/16/Faith_is_Trust www.truthortradition.com/articles/faith-a-confident-expectation-of-gods-promises-coming-to-pass www.truthortradition.com/articles/hebrews-1-11-and-faith Hitchens always went into evasive word antics to avoid key questions like how we got the creation of the universe. Real science says nothing does nothing. Real science says if there was something there already it must fit with the evidence of what we know. We know the 1LT says there's a conservation of energy. It can change forms and neither can be created or destroyed. Creation cannot happen by natural means. The 2LT has various aspects, one being the universe is winding down, entropy. Usable energy is becoming less usable, so at one point usable energy was at its max. This all points to a supernatural creation, by a supernatural creator at a certain point in which matter, space, and time were created. When I read how it can happen otherwise, ALL the fools resort to science-fiction. Once a supernatural creation is accepted, then the next step is finding proof of what supernatural power did it. We can't even get science without God. The laws of nature only can come from a Lawgiver, God. Life only comes from life. Law of biogenesis. God is the reason for us and all we have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJqwoq2ElL6Gjrc The odds are NOT there. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWLCfHiMlqisl6M kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4icmJStr79_qc0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpXEooarqdlol9k

[@kenny13890]

htchen is amazing

[@karagi101]

@@2fast2block You show your ignorance of science with your every utterance about science.

[@2fast2block]

@@karagi101 and this was your proof of that... (blank) Wow, so you give blank and I give science.

[@karagi101]

@@2fast2block “Life only comes from life. Law of biogenesis”? There is no Law of biogenesis. The “law of biogenesis” is not science. It is attributed to Pasteur, from the 1850s, and it was his attempt to counter evolution and support creationism. It is religious propaganda, and it persists to this day only because creationists continue to parade it in public as part of their defense. There is absolutely no research or science to support it. Furthermore, research and experiments into deriving organic life from chemicals has been ongoing for many decades, and progress has been made. Scientists have created amino acids, the building blocks of protein which are in turn the building blocks of life, from controlled chemical reactions. Creationism is ancient Hebrew mythology that originated in the Stone Age. The “law of biogenesis” is truly nothing but a feeble attempt to update it for what was at the time the 19th century. Lipstick on a pig. Even if there was a god that created life it would mean that it was created from non-life, therefore breaking your so-called “law of biogenis”. LOL

[@paulj6662]

So relevant this week. A lot of good stuff well said, ! hour and 22 minutes well spent. Je suis Charlie.

[@rogerturbines4635]

this relevant one year later

[@nicolaslegrand9379]

... How 'bout "so relevant" now... Such a pity!

[@user-wz8wq8mm6o]

Europe is starting to wake up..

[@AFMMarcelD]

Seems surreal Hitch is no longer around, what a fantastic enlightened humanist, what a teacher and orator, his words carry same wisdom today as they did back then, I would have love to drink and toast with a tumbler of JWB with my hero Christopher Hitchens.

[@2fast2block]

He was a loser. Get over it. Hitch who pretends to know the bible as he screws up on it over and over again including what faith means biblically. --"Faith is the surrender of the mind, it's the surrender of reason, it's the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other animals. It's our need to believe and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me. ... Out of all the virtues, all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated”-- Christopher Hitchens Now, look at what biblical faith really means that Hitch the liar didn't even look at: Biblically, faith means trust. It's a trust by evidence seen. God asks that we prove things. To reason. To get knowledge. To study. God has nothing to hide. We develop trust from what is seen, and that which is not seen yet is trusted also because of the trust built up from what is seen. It's much like a human relationship. We don't trust much until a person has gained that trust from what is observed. The difference is though, God is not limited to human powers. He created us. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. crossexamined.org/biblical-faith-vs-blind-faith/ www.truthortradition.com/articles/what-does-the-bible-say-about-faith www.revisedenglishversion.com/Appendix/16/Faith_is_Trust www.truthortradition.com/articles/faith-a-confident-expectation-of-gods-promises-coming-to-pass www.truthortradition.com/articles/hebrews-1-11-and-faith Hitchens always went into evasive word antics to avoid key questions like how we got the creation of the universe. Real science says nothing does nothing. Real science says if there was something there already it must fit with the evidence of what we know. We know the 1LT says there's a conservation of energy. It can change forms and neither can be created or destroyed. Creation cannot happen by natural means. The 2LT has various aspects, one being the universe is winding down, entropy. Usable energy is becoming less usable, so at one point usable energy was at its max. This all points to a supernatural creation, by a supernatural creator at a certain point in which matter, space, and time were created. When I read how it can happen otherwise, ALL the fools resort to science-fiction. Once a supernatural creation is accepted, then the next step is finding proof of what supernatural power did it. We can't even get science without God. The laws of nature only can come from a Lawgiver, God. Life only comes from life. Law of biogenesis. God is the reason for us and all we have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJqwoq2ElL6Gjrc The odds are NOT there. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWLCfHiMlqisl6M kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4icmJStr79_qc0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpXEooarqdlol9k

[@andreadiamond7115]

Oh Hitch, we really could’ve used your wisdom now in 2020.

[@PeterCollings484]

Well said Andrea. I like your style 😀

[@garystevenson5560]

Use mine. The past is a figment of imagination for neither does the past or the future exist. That is why there is no life before or after death, there is only an eternal life. - The Messiah.

[@mikewilliams4947]

So relevant. Who would you say has filled his position?

[@1pedalsteel374]

@@mikewilliams4947 Jimmy Dore

[@mikewilliams4947]

@@1pedalsteel374 ummmm. I listen to Jimmy but he ain’t no Christopher Hitchens :)

[@andreasstavrinides6980]

If I could go back in history and spend a day with one person, it would be Hitch.

[@petersutton523]

The press were cowardly and complicit back then and now they're far worse, sadly the many warnings given by Hitch and by Salman went unheeded.

[@johnruggiero4205]

Salman was betrayed by the literary community when the Fatwa was on his head.

[@MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists]

bla blabla....focus on the imortant issues Peter and you'll achive a lot

[@markwilliams974]

What a gem of a Hitch speech! Thanks for posting it!

[@benwil6048]

Still too relevant a decade later

[@cab711]

Great video, thanks for sharing. Shame the audio fizzle persists throughout but hey 🤷‍♂️

[@doctorwoohoo1152]

Happy birthday, Hitch. Among the greatest minds to ever live. A thousand pretenders would fail to fill those shoes.

[@katiedotson704]

How I wish that Hitch was here to see the defiance that the world has finally gotten the intestinal fortitude to exhibit. This time we did not cower behind closed doors barely whispering our disgust. This time the cartoons by Charlie Hebdo were printed, posted and viewed world wide. New cartoons were drawn and exhibited. The remaining staff of Charlie Hebdo rose up like the Phoenix from the ashes and flaunted the beauty of free speech in the face of those that would destroy it. I like to think that Hitch would be at least a little bit proud. We miss you, Hitch.

[@douglasmilton2805]

I live in Paris, I lost a friend at Bataclan, and I loved your comment. Thank you.

[@zigababnik8780]

@Alice Eliot Sad, but you're absolutely right.

[@b00gi3]

This was absolutely brilliant. Beautiful philosophy about the values of free expression and harsh criticisms of cultures that would obliterate free thought and expression if they could -- and reasons for why such cultures need to be opposed.

[@matthewlenzmeier9859]

I would love to see Hitchens thoughts on how the religious right has continued and owned the political power of America.

[@gh778jk]

as always Hitch rules!

[@amarug]

i really would walk to the end of the earth and back to have him and his wisdom back. now more than ever, where both sides of the political spectrum lost most of their abilities to track reality :/

[@kaustabhkalita2476]

All you can do is read every book he refers to and never stand injustice

[@deepwaters9300]

good idea! I am reading his Orwell book now. Will check outthe ones he mentions next

[@Creamy6oodness]

58:20 Hitchens predicts the trump era. "soon you will have your own set of facts." He was eerily clairvoyant at times

[@deepwaters9300]

now cnn is lying and biden.

[@sarahnewton2550]

He’s quoting George Orwell. We collectively loved 1984 so much we decided to give it a go.

[@toddcott9510]

The uncomfortable truth, from Hitchens the master.

[@RossHartleyAC]

Stumbled across Hitchens on KZbin about 7 years ago. What a mind.

[@oliverlovesgorts]

Well said!

[@allicee8339]

as always... brilliant. side note. Christopher's increasing throat clearing during his speeches may have been the initial showing of his coming disease. :(

[@allehelgen]

#CharlieHebdo We'll never forget.

[@johnymerano3692]

1h22m of my life spent. Well worth it. Great debate of two great men. Thank you

[@yoramsadot2780]

Amazing 👏 and brilliant author thanks for sharing 👍

[@2fast2block]

He was just a loser. Hitch who pretends to know the bible as he screws up on it over and over again including what faith means biblically. --"Faith is the surrender of the mind, it's the surrender of reason, it's the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other animals. It's our need to believe and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me. ... Out of all the virtues, all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated”-- Christopher Hitchens Now, look at what biblical faith really means that Hitch the liar didn't even look at: Biblically, faith means trust. It's a trust by evidence seen. God asks that we prove things. To reason. To get knowledge. To study. God has nothing to hide. We develop trust from what is seen, and that which is not seen yet is trusted also because of the trust built up from what is seen. It's much like a human relationship. We don't trust much until a person has gained that trust from what is observed. The difference is though, God is not limited to human powers. He created us. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. crossexamined.org/biblical-faith-vs-blind-faith/ www.truthortradition.com/articles/what-does-the-bible-say-about-faith www.revisedenglishversion.com/Appendix/16/Faith_is_Trust www.truthortradition.com/articles/faith-a-confident-expectation-of-gods-promises-coming-to-pass www.truthortradition.com/articles/hebrews-1-11-and-faith Hitchens always went into evasive word antics to avoid key questions like how we got the creation of the universe. Real science says nothing does nothing. Real science says if there was something there already it must fit with the evidence of what we know. We know the 1LT says there's a conservation of energy. It can change forms and neither can be created or destroyed. Creation cannot happen by natural means. The 2LT has various aspects, one being the universe is winding down, entropy. Usable energy is becoming less usable, so at one point usable energy was at its max. This all points to a supernatural creation, by a supernatural creator at a certain point in which matter, space, and time were created. When I read how it can happen otherwise, ALL the fools resort to science-fiction. Once a supernatural creation is accepted, then the next step is finding proof of what supernatural power did it. We can't even get science without God. The laws of nature only can come from a Lawgiver, God. Life only comes from life. Law of biogenesis. God is the reason for us and all we have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJqwoq2ElL6Gjrc The odds are NOT there. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWLCfHiMlqisl6M kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4icmJStr79_qc0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpXEooarqdlol9k

[@antoniolau8762]

"Of what value is the first Amendment?" Why cry before you're hurt? Why obey in advance?

[@remybeleno5816]

We are one whole nation we need bring love and hope . I hope one day we see our nation with peace and wonderful

[@markhatfield8809]

This was quite erudite, but Hitchens did have a charm & humor in his dead-pan delivery, "it`s enough to make a cat laugh" was funny . . .

[@larrygarland3728]

This one discussion between these two superior intellects should be required learning and COMPREHENSION before anyone graduates high school! If it wasn't for the first amendment, there would and could be no others. I'm going to pour cold water on my brain right now...

[@walterscott9512]

BRILLIANT innovation thinking from hich an Salman before our time! unforgettable....

[@oskarfabian5200]

Václav Havel (the "c" in his name sounds like "ts" ...like tsar, "a" is like the "oo" in the word blood, "e" sounds like the second "e" in the word eleven) was a great president. Most people in Czechia miss him, I think.

[@cthoadmin7458]

What a joy. Hitch and Salman Rushdie.

[@habibko]

Well it happened, now will they rise in condemnation and show an appropriate response to the attempted assassination of Rushdie or will they cow in fear as they did when Hitchens called them into action before ?

[@SandyRiverBlue]

The best way to get a freedom loving citizen to give up everything they have is to promise them everything they want.

[@thegroove2000]

Covid jabs. Blackmail. Jabs for freedoms. GET IT?.

[@SandyRiverBlue]

@@thegroove2000 Every freedom comes at a cost. Those freest are willing to pay those costs. Those unwilling to pay them often push the cost onto others. I would caution you to look into what happens to the overflow patients in states that did a poor job at encouraging their citizens to take precautions and, if they are willing, get vaccinated. It's exactly what one would think. Those patients are transferred to hospitals in neighboring states where the COVID surge is not as great. Also, because ERs are so packed during surges, the overflows from ERs in affected states also bleed over to their neighbors. So here we have a question. If those patients cannot or will not pay their bill, who foots that cost? The EMTALA of 1986 means that a lot of the initial cost is paid for by the hospitals and the ER docs since EMTALA has no funding component. Platitudes and saying have their place. They can be used to generalize otherwise complex issues, but you can only take it so far before you need to re-assess.

[@thegroove2000]

@@SandyRiverBlue You asserted I "would caution you to look into what happens to the overflow patients in states that did a poor job at encouraging their citizens to take precautions and, if they are willing, get vaccinated". According to who and what evidence?.

[@SandyRiverBlue]

@@thegroove2000 You are aware that morbidity and mortality statistics are a thing, right? You know what? Forget it. I'll leave it at this. You can continue to vomit nonsense into the void, I'm not biting.

[@thegroove2000]

@@SandyRiverBlue Have you not examined the statistics to see if they are based on actual facts not assumptions? Do you accept anything that you are told on the TV without thinking?.

[@tomhamilton]

…. watching in 2022. The fear IS back and the rot IS spreading. Such great words.

[@goncalodias6402]

Salman rushdie was just stabbed during a speech. Down with theocracy and religious fascism!

[@robertmcclintock8701]

Everytime an artist makes something social and intelligent it has artistic integrity. That only possible in a created universe.

[@Gabfinn1968]

Life is all about Hitching a ride with the greats! The ones who orate the truth, or at least stretch their palms at the unattainable truth and make it fun at the same time! A dog.given performer and master, Christopher Hitchens!

[@traveledra2015]

A MAN OF AND FOR ALL SEASONS

[@asalnn5724]

But the gift my religious parents gave me was “religion doesn’t work at all when it comes to critical matters “ so i always appreciate what i saw in my religious family and it is still preventing me to ever go back to that! I think only a child from religious background would really understand what’s wrong with religious ethics and involving god in every fucking thing. Thanks Hitch. You are my hero, as well as salman which i share birthday with 😍💐

[@c.guydubois8270]

My parents insisted on Catholic indoctrination. Taught by nuns, who unwittingly instilled my doubt during confirmation class. Thanks sister Mary Oliver!

[@sagerider2]

So Christopher here is saying the man thought the title of his book should be "God is NOT!"

[@GoneOffShore2]

HItch was so right on this. #Jesuischarlie #CharlieHebdo

[@peterdollins3610]

Yes. i must agree with Mr Hitchens on this one.

[@emmetfeerick3022]

Maurice chandelier Interesting that you noticed that. Just a few hours earlier, Hitchens had been told he had cancer. I think that would explain it.

[@generitchings9320]

Not true. He learned he had cancer one month later but went on to appear with Rushdie at a 92nd St. Y event that night. Courage.

[@juikm]

@MoscowMaestro The image of you impotently assulting your keyboard is making us all smile.

[@cebaztian]

Miss him

[@UnionKid15]

Awesome stuff, thanks for the post.

[@wonderfulmockingbird4660]

R.I.P Christopher your speeches all deserve to review times and times again.

[@TheSasss1]

Fascinating. Thank you!

[@harryantino]

The exchange between 55:50 - 58:20 is two giants of our time correctly predicting the horrors that were in the future, in as clearer terms as is possible. Not even they would’ve believed how quickly the collapse would come though.

[@Walter10065]

He ad-libbed that entire talk

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

1:15:40 extremely interesting point made by Rushdie here about dictators disliking bad press over jailing a writer, and so freeing them as a result. I wonder if this can be leveraged somehow?

[@rogerturbines4635]

I thought about the Raif Badawi campaign

[@ambassador8524]

We need him back, *BIG TIME*

[@adamhindle9215]

It's Christopher's anniversary tomorrow (15th Dec). As ever, I will raise a toast to him, and miss him, and treasure his vision.

[@MrSigmatico]

I think that southpark episode made it very clear that they were with the Danes on the whole can you draw Muhamed question.

[@ronaldelliott4373]

It’s been a privilege sir. Truly a man for the ages. Legend.

[@kirrausanov]

@exchangeisno Tx for the comment. Well, there was hardly any country in the pre WWII Europe (and beyond) which did not flirt with the ideas of fascism...

[@paulsontag9233]

He is so on point here and if he were alive today wouldn’t be given a moment to speak like this on any major network.Lol Sam Harris is called a “racist” for same.

[@ossiedunstan4419]

Yes and religious belief has no genetic trait so rubbishing religion is not racist , its just another lie from religion because it has no defence against the truth.

[@ossiedunstan4419]

@uncletigger I will bet with tag like that your catholic priest bye the name of cardinal pell.

[@kellicooper7627]

I miss him. We could use him right now. :(

[@afaultytoaster]

46:30 I'm proud of the western leftists who fight for the Kurdish militias in Syria, and I bet Hitch would be too

[@dushy35]

shut up you idiot

[@bokononbokomaru8156]

You left out the part where Pres. Bush promised to help them and then abandoned over 5000 to a torturous death via "Chemical Ali"

[@DennisMoore664]

I'm proud of anyone supports the Kurd's.

[@DennisMoore664]

@@bokononbokomaru8156 and where Trump Abandoned the Kurd's just last year - this being Oct 11, damn near to the day! Happy anniversary!

[@nicolaslegrand9379]

His presence and with a few other committed atheist or nontheist, as he brillantly puts it, would be so relevant today, and so is, with the publishing of this post. I sadly read some other comments here and noted that there were comments of sympathy, five years ago, for the "Je suis Charlie" movement that followed with the massacre of French political cartoonists who chose to publish those Danish caricature. I say "sadly", not out of dispapproval, far from it, but because horror struck again out of sheer barbarian ignorance: a history teacher, Samuel Paty, in Paris was gutted for teaching freedom of publishing caricature and teaching the right to blaspheme. I was really saddened by this, being a teacher, by the sheer barbarious act and the fact that he was simply and essentially endeavouring to push back ignorance and attempting to give these same kids - who eventually turned him in, to what would be, his assaillant - the tools to think by themselves. Dreadful. And Hitchens says earlier in his speech, that the "rot is spreading". At the same time, in Afghanistan, this weekend, 18 people were murdered in an educational center, by Daesh. Frightening times.

[@rockmimosa]

Can I issue a Fatwa on the audio engineer who was somehow unaware of the vicious ground loop ?

[@sharkamov]

No wonder Christopher is one of, if not _the_ intellectual alive during my own lifetime - who has made the most profound impact on my personal grasp on reality - in _particular_ when it comes to what I consider to be the unequivocally _worst_ mental virus to ever enter the human brain; _'religion'_ [plural] - including the topic of 'magic'! . . . His eloquence (and barb) simply has had no contemporary equivalent. - I doubt that Hitch's future equal will _ever_ appear . . . .

[@joannkuhr997]

I love that poem: Conscientious Objector by Edna St. Vincent Millay

[@Company-59]

One of the biggest mishaps, errors, epic failures of my life. I came to his hometown while he was still alive (very alive) and I had the chance to meet him privately and I chose not to (out of reasons I thought valid at that time). There was no second opportunity and I kind of hate myself for that.

[@Stand_By_For_Mind_Control]

It's interesting that this stabbing that just occurred has spurred so many people to chime in with their takes on the matter. The people who probably have the most sober and rational opinion in the world on it? You're looking at them.

[@dr.rickmarshall6697]

Fatwa!