1. “Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay.”
2. “Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.”
3. “The governor of Texas, who, when asked if the Bible should also be taught in Spanish, replied that ‘if English was good enough for Jesus, then it’s good enough for me.”
4. “Literature, not scripture, sustains the mind and — since there is no other metaphor — also the soul.”
5. “At the evident risk of seeming ridiculous, I want to begin by saying that I have tried for much of my life to write as if I was composing my sentences to be read posthumously. I hope this isn’t too melodramatic or self-centred a way of saying that I attempt to write as if I did not care what reviewers said, what peers thought, or what prevailing opinions may be.”
Some quotes about the principled and insightful wordsmith.
Reactions to the death of author and pundit Christopher Hitchens:
— "Christopher Hitchens was a complete one-off, an amazing mixture of writer, journalist, polemicist, and unique character.
"He was fearless in the pursuit of truth and any cause in which he believed. And there was no belief he held, that he did not advocate with passion, commitment and brilliance. He was an extraordinary, compelling and colorful human being whom it was a privilege to know." — former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
— "Christopher Hitchens was everything a great essayist should be: infuriating, brilliant, highly provocative and yet intensely serious.
"I worked as an intern for him years ago. My job was to fact check his articles. Since he had a photographic memory and an encyclopedic mind it was the easiest job I've ever done." — Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
— "Goodbye, my beloved friend. A great voice falls silent. A great heart stops. Christopher Hitchens, April 13, 1949-December 15, 2011." — author Salman Rushdie in a post on his Twitter page.
— "I think he was one of the greatest orators of all time. He was a polymath, a wit, immensely knowledgeable, and a valiant fighter against all tyrants including imaginary supernatural ones." — British author and professor Richard Dawkins.
— "Christopher just swam against every tide. He was supporting the Polish and Czech resistance in the 1970s. He supported Mrs. Thatcher because he thought getting rid of the Argentinian fascist junta was a good idea. ... He was a cross between Voltaire and Orwell.
"He would drink a bottle of whisky when I would manage two glasses of wine and then be up in the morning writing 1,000 perfect words. He could throw words up into the sky and they fell down in a marvelous pattern." — British lawmaker Denis Macshane told BBC radio.
— "There will never be another like Christopher. A man of ferocious intellect, who was as vibrant on the page as he was at the bar." — Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter.
— "Right at the very end, when he was at his most feeble as this cancer began to overwhelm him, he insisted on a desk by the window away from his bed at the ICU. It took myself and his son to get him into that chair with a pole and eight lines going into his body, and there he was, a man with only a few days to live, turning out 3,000 words to meet a deadline. And then finishing it and thinking, well maybe I've got an hour or two, I'll write something on Memorial Day in English poetry." — Novelist Ian McEwan told BBC.
The obit in the New York Times began with the comparisons to Thomas Paine and George Orwell. Both resonate with me and I'll add Socrates. He was a fabulous gadfly and the world is a poorer place
The first time I ever saw him speak was on Crossfire back in the 1980s when he looked Ed Meese right in the latter's scowling face and said, "you're a liar, a cheat, and a thief." Pat Buchanan and even the liberal Tom Braden were mortified, and I think they broke early for a commercial.
Originally posted by skipper2666 He was, is still one of the greats from Britain.
Indeed. The man who once called Mother Teresa a fanatic, a fundatmentalist, and a fraud, who helped contribute to the misery of the poor with her strident opposition to contraception and abortion will be missed.
Now to contrast the two lives, Mother Teresa left behind 610 missions in 123 countries while Hitchens received a total of 710 DWI's in 140 countries. In addition, Hitchens did his part by ensuring all the women he slept with over the years were not impregnated by either providing them with abortions or seeing to it they had contraception. In fact, the overwhelming goodness of this man has prompted the Vatican to consider him for sainthood.
And lets not forget his disdain for political figures like "W" for his position on intelligent design and capital punishment while praising his invasion of Iraq and praise for political figures like Lenin and Marx over individuals like Mother Teresa who actually helped the poor. Truly, this man's greatness cannot be stressed enough. 😵
Originally posted by whodey Indeed. The man who once called Mother Teresa a fanatic, a fundatmentalist, and a fraud, who helped contribute to the misery of the poor with her strident opposition to contraception and abortion will be missed.
Now to contrast the two lives, Mother Teresa left behind 610 missions in 123 countries while Hitchens received a total of 710 DWI's in 140 countr ...[text shortened]... , the overwhelming goodness of this man has prompted the Vatican to consider him for sainthood.
Hitchens' personal failings, such as they were, do not alter the pertinence of his political analysis of the ideology that Mother Theresa propagated, whether you agree with that analysis or not.
Originally posted by FMF Hitchens' personal failings, such as they were, do not alter the pertinence of his political analysis of the ideology that Mother Theresa propagated, whether you agree with that analysis or not.
He attacked Mother Teresa for two reasons. He attacked her because of her faith and because she was admired world wide and he knew it would get him some press. Then he turns a blind eye to the failings of people like Marx and Lenin as he elevated them above her for helping the poor? I guess anything for some extra $$$ while praising the Marxist that would just as soon take if from him. We all have failings FMF but Hithchens seems to have won the prize.
Originally posted by whodey He attacked Mother Teresa for two reasons. He attacked her because of her faith and because she was admired world wide and he knew it would get him some press. Then he turns a blind eye to the failings of people like Marx and Lenin as he elevated them above her for helping the poor? I guess anything for some extra $$$ while praising the Marxist that would ...[text shortened]... t as soon take if from him. We all have failings FMF but Hithchens seems to have won the prize.
He attacked the ideology of, for all intents and purposes, telling the poor to accept their fate rather than to question or seek political solutions to their poverty. This made her someone who could socialize and fund raise from dictators, who undoubtedly saw eye to eye with her attitude to the poor. If you think Hitchens made this observation in order to "get him some press" then that is your prerogative. I think it is astute and principled analysis. His personal failings - such as his sexual conduct - I will leave to the tabloid newspapers.
Originally posted by whodey We all have failings FMF but Hithchens seems to have won the prize.
I have an acquaintance, a Czech furniture exporter, who I am sure has lived a life of much greater personal failings than Hitchens. If I'm right, why has Hitchens "won the prize" and not this Czech guy I know?
Originally posted by Kunsoo The first time I ever saw him speak was on Crossfire back in the 1980s when he looked Ed Meese right in the latter's scowling face and said, "you're a liar, a cheat, and a thief." Pat Buchanan and even the liberal Tom Braden were mortified, and I think they broke early for a commercial.
I remember those days back at the beginning of CNN, watching Crossfire with Buchanan and Braden.
As for Hitch, I did not know much about him and didn't always agree with him, but he was persuasive and provocative, and I would listen intently when he was on.
Originally posted by FMF I have an acquaintance, a Czech furniture exporter, who I am sure has lived a life of much greater personal failings than Hitchens. If I'm right, why has Hitchens "won the prize" and not this Czech guy I know?
How would you describe a failed life FMF?
As for self professed Marxists like himself, they are all the same. They preach redistribution but cling to every dollar they earn and live comfortably, and in his case, probably a bacchanalian orgy type existence.
Originally posted by whodey How would you describe a failed life FMF?
I have no need to "describe a failed life", whodey. If you think Hitchens had a "failed life", that is a matter for you - and for people who agree with you. So? What about my Czech furniture exporter acquaintance? You just going to ignore the question or answer it?
Originally posted by FMF He attacked the ideology of, for all intents and purposes, telling the poor to accept their fate rather than to question or seek political solutions to their poverty. This made her someone who could socialize and fund raise from dictators, who undoubtedly saw eye to eye with her attitude to the poor. If you think Hitchens made this observation in order to "get h ...[text shortened]... . His personal failings - such as his sexual conduct - I will leave to the tabloid newspapers.
She was imitating the life of Christ. When did Christ advocate a "political solution" to poverty? The idols of Hitchenson, such as Marx and Lenin, did nothing to help the poor. In fact, their shell game redistribution arguably made more people on average poor than it helped.
As for these dictators, what was she to do? Was she to incite revolution under these dictators? If so, to what end? If that was her reputation she would not be allowed into those countries to help the poor. In addition, those countries where she did incite insurrection would probably end up killing and persecuting them further.
Some Hitch zingers
16 Dec '11 17:27
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