Christopher Hitchens answers the top questions from reddit.com. See questions: budurl.com/hitchens Subscribe to the reddit's RU-vid channel: goo.gl/iAL9W Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States
I agree that it would have been interesting due to his eloquence and intellect, my only worry is that he is a bit too stubborn for his own good sometimes. He holds his own opinion in extreme regard and that may be to his determent in a podcost format.
MrJonesMV for some reason, I suspect that he would never have hosted a podcast, he liked to live a rather bohemian lifestyle. That being said, I’m sure he would have been a guest on Joe Rogan if he were alive and well. He probably wouldn’t have been the best podcast host, for the same reason he wouldn’t have been the best moderator or interviewer, because he was always quick to take a side, and to do so firmly.
@@diego67hd94 actually that was one of his strongest qualities. It is a part of classical British educational upbringing to take sides especially in serious matters, why because it denotes the strength of principles for one thing. If possible, look up the writings of John Stuart Mill. Also maybe look up young Hitch interviewed a member of white Aryan resistance, it was quite good.
A lot of people have those. They buy books all the time ,mostly well known high brow novels, and they never read them. Its just for their selfies and to impress guests ...
I took a massive break from Hitchens, probably didn't watch anything of his for years, felt bitter about him being gone. But during lock down I started watching again and it was like putting on a comfy old jacket. The man was a wordsmith and his wit, humour and sharp mind would be a massive comfort in these divided and mind numbing times. You went far too soon, Hitch.
It is unlikely that we will see another person with his intellect and communication skills on the freely available web. People with his talent are too busy making a living to allocate the time and effort to this work and it is hard to engage a camera and microphone in a spontaneous and totally unaffected way. If it is, to some extent, a performance he does it very well or, put in a more charitable way, he is able to remain so focused on the subject that the performance becomes of less interest to him. A great loss.
This is special. Just seeing Hitch relaxed talking about life and answering questions. There is this kind of amazing and peaceful presence about him here
BVargas78 A lot of it. I am reading his memoir, its called Hitch 22. I've always watched him in debates, but this is my first time reading his work, and I must say its amazing. I've always had a problem with reading books because I always felt lost in about a few pages in, which is why I dont read much, but this is different and special.
No intelligence service claims that Iran wants and is pursuing a Nuclear weapon, not even the Israelis. Hitchens is demented on this topic. I have read and admired Hitchens since he wrote for The New Statesmen and have zero time for religious governments but he is talking bollocks here.
@@Anhorish he isnt, my government wanted one but not to use it but to have some leverage, now they aren't even thinking of a nuclear plant, nevertheless a bomb
I’m an American living in America and I don’t see the people of Iran as our enemy. I want us to be friends. It’s the theocrats lording over you which I can’t stand. Mostly because of what they are doing the Iranian people. I will never forget about beautiful Persia. I’ll never stop educating other Americans about this issue too. I hope to come visit your great country some day. Peace and Love from Northern California! ✌🏼
@Jazzkeyboardist1 It's "Christopher" not "Chrissy" if you didn't know. If you can manage to construct a proper sentence, I would like to know what you are talking about.
'It is only when you have grazed on the lower slopes of your own ignorance, and begun to understand the great vistas of non knowledge that you have, that you can claim to have been educated at all.' The madman, what a quote to just come up with off the cuff.
If you want to find a question: Question 1 (0:10): What historical figures, events, movements, or books do you feel have been ignored or underemphasised in the public education of young people? Question 2 (3:13): Do you believe the invasion of Iraq has had a positive or negative impact on the growth and exposure of Islamic Extremism? Also, given that the country has been plagued wit many problems many years after the initial invasions, what direction do you think US foreign policy should take now? Question 3 (5:04): Where do you get your news? Question 4 (6:24): How is [President Obama] performing in the area of litmus tests? Question 5 (10:22): What do you and your fellow Horsemen (Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Samuel Harris) think about being sometimes collectively referred to as 'New Atheists', and do you embrace it or do you hold that there is nothing particularly new? Do you agree with the mention of the word 'brights' as a definition of the unbeliever? Question 6 (13:04): If you were the Prime Minister of the UK what would you do to combat religious extremism? Also, can I assure the UK government in order to encourage Atheism and if so, how? Question 7 (15:10): Is there a question in a debate for which you have had no good answer and if so, what is your typical strategy to dealing with those situations? Question 8 (18:17): Could you elaborate on your position on Marxism and Socialism, and why have you been eerily silent on the healthcare debate? Question 9 (22:43): What consensus exists between Socialism and Libertarianism? Question 10 (25:42): What goes into the effect of your speaking style? Are there any other speakers or schools of rhetoric from which you draw? What do you think of the state of public debate in America?
this does help indeed only to those not paying attention which i would hope are none. although it also helps those who want to review the video and take advice from it which i will be doing later thank you
+iPartyHardcore I think it's a special kind of bookshelf. Just a pole with flat metal pieces sticking out, that are adjustable in distance to each other.
Nai Xo i knew a lot about Thomas Paine (Common Sense) etc. but Christopher Hitchens is what made me buy books about Thomas Paine. definitely a smart man.
@Jazzkeyboardist1 so if he was wrong on one war, he's wrong and immoral in all else? He's done his best to call it down the line. I can't say the same for too many other celebrity figures.
Jazzkeyboardist1 And you're an expert on pieces of shit, since there's nothing but them on every branch of your family tree Fuck you and your undeserved sense of entitlement You're the people that deny science...by denyinh the recent scientific study that PROVES men are funnier than women George Carlin alone was funnier than every combined female alive today
@Jazzkeyboardist1 The only *"...mental midget..."* is you, appearing on many of Hitchens' videos, constantly going on about his sex life as though it mattered when most people couldn't care less. Now *fuck off wanker*
Also Winston Churchill and C.S. Lewis before him in England. You should look into CS Lewis, he's the only Christian theologian whom HItchens actually had deep respect for. It takes an intellectual equal to gain Hitchen's respect, and in his time there were few rivals. That is why he had respect for a man who'd gone before him.
10 years later and it breaks my heart knowing that the world has lost this man. Can't think of anyone I would want a chance to speak with more than Hitchens.
His modesty when talking about Dennett, Dawkins and Harris is wonderful. Though he wasn't a scientist, I'd argue he was easily as intelligent and gifted in his own way. Truly a great man, aswell as the most compelling of the 'horsemen'
I know very little about Dennnet, but for the rest of them I can say the most compelling is Sam Harris. Hitchens is the most witty, erudite, literate and charming.
He was an author and a journalist, back when being a journalist wasn’t a disreputable profession. The two people I see picking up his reins are Douglas Murray, and Carl Benjamin.
I'm not sure if this makes me a fanboy, but writing a question and having the late Christopher Hitchens answer it over the span of a few minutes would be such an absolute thrill and honor. To just sit at a table with him, converse current events over a drink would be a memory for the ages. I certainly do not agree with every position Mr. Hitchens took. I'd doubt that there's a person on this planet that could claim the opposite. However that was the telltale mark of his defiance to fit a mold. He followed the truth wherever it led him and didn't slide into convenient stereotypes. He was a man with a ferocious appetite for knowledge, booze and literature. The example on which the Dos Equis man was modeled! I never had the pleasure of meeting him, or hear him speak, but I can say with utter certainty that the world lost an intellectual force and a great human three years ago. This beer is to you Hitch.
Jazzkeyboardist1 It’s juvenile to try give a silly nickname to the person you are trying to diminish. Everyone can tell by the way you write that you’re not a particularly credible source.
I met him and can attest to the fact that he was a friendly gentlemen who was one of the most formidable intellects and debaters of all time. Miss him terribly but feast on his memorable videos.
"its amazing how relaxing it is not to pretend to know more than you do, I am surprised that those who claim to speak in the name of god don’t take more advantage of this. " simply one of the best things said by anyone ever regarding the context and yet it may go by you unnoticed. he was a true legend.
I miss this character so much! He gives me goose bumps listening to him. I don't always agree with everything he says, but he pushes "you" the inquisitor, by being a bit controversial to get you thinking and branch out your brain. To look at things all around and then cut through the B.S. and get to the heart of real thought/thinking=answer for yourself. We are so lacking in intellect/critical thinking like this in this world. Truly missed. :( ( I get nervous posting anything to a Hitch video etc. as I fear he is correcting my grammar from another place-even though he of course would chastise me first for thinking he was a "spirit" somewhere and then he'd attack my grammar. Haha :) Love Hitch.
P.S. Hook me up with your news insider's Hitch....since infotainment and political agenda, distraction pieces are all that we get shoveled upon us. We shouldn't have to search for the "real" news going on in the world.
if you spent ten years studying the great hitch, that would be time well spent. i don't agree with him either but his approach with verifiable data and humor is kind of amazing. You do not have to agree with him.
He’s one of those rare people you wish could’ve lived forever, in a way. I know that’s silly and even something Hitchens would revile. I hope my sentiment is clear though.
Possibly the best thing I’ve ever witnessed by Mr. Hitchens. I felt as if he were talking to me specifically; as if I was in the same room. This seemed so personal and introspective. I could ask him questions for hours. What a great man we have lost.
It is a public holiday and a friday. It is after lunch and while I rest, I cannot think of a better past time than to listen to this brilliant man speak.
MichaelKingsfordGray There’s so many ways to argue against this awful response it’s hard to pick just one. You seem willfully ignorant of how language or metaphorical speech work.
One of my most important and crucial part in my life, was discovering Hitchens debates and reading his book. That not only helped me to take the veil from my eyes but also to break down the long wall of bricks that religion build up on your mind. Blinding and distorting facts. He leaven us way too soon. His eloquent and very witty and fun take on the cancer that religion is, was brilliant! Thx to RU-vid we still have the pleasure to play his videos over and over again!! And not only mild the pain of his absence but also continuing to learn.
He had a good way of concealing his intoxication. His wife said that Christopher was a functioning alcoholic. Unlike most, in the fact the he made so much sense, and so damned eloquently. Dearly missed, to say the very least. He'll be turning in his grave if he were savvy to the dire state of things today, brought on by the regressive liberals. It is a cliché, but the world is going mad. The west, pitifully, succumbing to middle eastern mental illness and moral(?) practices. Arrests nowadays being made, and prosecutions, on the victims reporting the crime. What is the world's coming to? Hitch, another Hero of mine that passed far too soon. Sure, he smoked too much. But, my cynicism sometimes thinks that he may have been disposed of. Via folk that he majorly upset by exposing them to the general public. Just a thought.
spookybaba, sadly it was more than likely due to a genetic defect passed on by his father (who also died of esophageal cancer); however, his smoking certainly compounded the effects of this defect and shortened his life expectancy rather significantly (compared to his father who lived until he was 78). It all seems rather predictable in hindsight.
He's so right about "debate" in politics. The presidential debates are jokes where the candidates take turns making speeches. They should be Oxford style, give them an issue and let them argue their positions and rebut the other one's points.
Cockoff Gewgle people like you who think they are smarter then they are, are the real trouble. Bet you are huge fun at parties (as if you have any friends).
@@ryant1064 "People who think they are smarter than they are". Couldn't think of a better description for Hitchens devotees. 99% of them have never even read a book of his.
What an amazing guy he was: full of knowledge, hypocritical but with the courage to speak about it, with such impeccable oratory skills, to name a few. "Here was a Caesar, when comes such another"
With no Book to promote, nor obvious Agenda here; Hitch comes across as an Educator of truth. There is a warmth in all of his replies, he appears to genuinely want to explain to the very best of his undoubted ability. R. I. P.
"Grazed on the lower slopes of your own ignorance". I'll have to try to remember that poetic line. Hitchens is the only person I feel I could listen to speak, for a whole day, if not longer. An inspiration and a 'godsend'. (I'm sure Chris would appreciate that tongue-firmly-in-cheek comment).
On the other hand, he would not appreciate being called Chris. I watched in a couple of clips where he insisted on being called Christopher and after his death some of his friends also mentioned this was the case. I never found out the reason why he did not like it.
trstenik100 He explains it in his memoir. It was partly due to his mothers class ambitions in his childhood. Apparently shortened names and nicknames was a lower/working class thing. The other part seems to be personal preference and the desire not to have his name "circumcised" (his words). Of course he is called "Hitch" by his friends.
Hitchens set the bar for demolishing silly superstitions that have kept us in the dark ages. Religion deserves every form of mockery imaginable. The world is more enlightened because of him!
L3zer CHURCHES BUILT ALL YOUR GREAT UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE THAT TAUGHT THEOLOGY, SCIENCE, MATH, ARCHITECTURE, SKILLED TRADES, ETC. IT WAS ALL BASED AND BUILT ON BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS. THE CHURCHES PROGRESSED MAN INTO THE MODERN WORLD YOU SEE TODAY.
Frank289100 Your assumption is that since the Catholic church had all the money and built cathedrals and universities, that this somehow forgives their historical transgressions. By your logic, this country was built on slavery and the subjugation of women so that means slavery was a good thing? All learning can take place without cathedrals and biblical mythology courses forced on students. You failed to make a goog argument in favor of religious teaching institutions. Also, please turn off your cap-locks. ALL CAPS never bolsters a weak argument.
He is so incredibly knowledgeable and well spoken that any time I listen to him speak I can't help but feel stupid. Initially it's depressing, but that's just the ego. Immediately after, I think of it in a more positive "There's so much I don't know, and now that I'm aware of it I can pursue that knowledge and become more like him". It's very humbling and inspiring.
It's so sad to think that his cough is probably the onset of the throat cancer that killed him. I find it hard to watch Hitch in past vids now, cos it's so sad we lost him.
@@omarkhan5223 Hitchens was strongly against all religions. He's said himself that should God truly exist, then it must be a terrifying God - one that allows disease, poverty, misery, etc. I don't agree with Hitchen's interpretation towards religion and God. I just wanted to point out that the man was well known for his Athiest beliefs.
I just love this person. He is smug witty , sarcastic and best in what he do. He is Hugh Jackman who rips open his opponents case with such ease that they don't even try.
Sometimes it hits me that Hitch has been gone for so long, and that he left right before everything was getting good! It pains me to have only learned of him long after his death, but I'm grateful to live in a time where all of Christopher Hitchens' work is easily accessible; his work alone was a big factor in influencing my thought processes, or what have you. RIP to a great man with a sharp intellect and an undeniable vigor for life and truth.
This video is such a valuable document. We all loved Hitchens for his feisty irreverance when debating against opponents in front of an audience. The man had charisma and huge stage presence. But this video illustrates how perceptive and captivating he could be without any audience. This is a testament to his intellectual and academic side. Gone but never forgotten my friend.
The thing that truly makes me happy about the comments sections in Hitch videos, is most people say things like... "I agree with him on this, but not on that, I think that..." He is one of my heroes, yet I don't agree with everything he said. If there is one gift he left the world, it was creating a base audience of people who can entertain an argument without accepting it outright. As he said, "try thinking for yourselves, Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way.." And time and time again his fans and critics alike prove they understood this concept in the comments they write. So whether we agree or disagree, well done everyone just for that. :)
Been binge watching all of him for years and just now I discover this... What a mind this man has. I do not agree on his views about Iran ...but when it comes to his debates about religion, I fully agree.
1961Blanchflower To be exact, I think it was (or started as) esophageal cancer. And if you look at videos from when he was over 45 or so, he coughs often. So I suspect he had it for a long time before it was discovered.
Was thinking a few months ago how unfair that a genius like hitch is no longer with us.But he is I thought,with everyone of us who’ve benefited from his wisdom & teachings.He will never really be dead,& his influences will be around for a very very long time!!
wow. this was awesome. 2 things: a) I can listen to him speak for hours - he has such a powerful way of stating things, and b) the last sentence of the clip was the best.
When I look around the world at the heads of state...…...I laugh, and cry to think that none of them can hold a candle to "The Hitch"...……...He was and is the best thinker of our time..
I wish I could have met him, now it's too late, Thank you Christopher, for being the voice of reason and clarity, I wonder what he would being saying about the way things are in the world today...
could listen to hitchens all day long literally would have loved to bounce almost every question off him his opinion is always suprising and backed up by a lot of knowledge in any subject i can think of
A fantastic human being, the world has lost a genius and intellect that was second to none. If there is a god He will surely be humbled by one of his greatest creations.
Just wonderful. A reminder to keep a little bit of the libertarian and of the anarchist in our makeup. Greatly missed, but Hitchens’ work and glorious words will live forever.
He was such an brilliant linguist. It's great to see him speak anytime I want. Even though he's dead Christopher Hitchen's voice still echos elegantly in the corridors of RU-vid.
Nice to see he had the same method of organising his books as I do. The only thing more pleasurable than managing to stack thirty books is reading them all.