Brent Nyitray
Fairlington Blade
Let the mutherfuker burn!
jnc4p
Kevin S. Willis
Michigoose
lmsinca
markinaustin
Arcanaut
novahockey
quarterback
ScottC
yellojktChristopher Hitchens is dead. Hitch was a very smart man, a great writer, and a bit of an enigma. He will be missed on all parts of the political spectrum, I suspect.
Back in 2005 I had my own brief “brush with greatness” with him. I was living in England, and had started my own blog, The American Expatriate, which was dedicated largely to critiquing the British media’s coverage of America. I had written a brief post about a debate on Iraq that Hitchens had with George Galloway (a truly loathsome MP who had had his own run-in with the US Congress over the oil-for-food program.) Anyway, unbeknownst to me, a radio personality in the UK named Charlie Wolf had become a bit of a fan of my blog, and when he saw my blog post he contacted me to appear on his radio show to comment on the debate, which I did. Unfortunately, my appearance was cut short when Wolf’s producer managed to get Hitchens himself on the phone in the middle of my comments.
So Hitchens managed to pre-empt my first and only radio appearance. At least he was kind enough not to remark about the bumbling, stuttering clown who preceded him on the show, for which I have forever been grateful.
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QB referenced a New Yorker piece on Hitchens in a more recent thread and while I’m not sure if I found what he was referencing, here are a couple of pieces on Hitchens from The New Yorker:
A 2006 piece on Hitchens’ support for the Iraq War.
A Postscript by Christopher Buckley that I really enjoyed.
–Ashot—
Filed under: Uncategorized |
All Things in Moderation 
The Buckley piece is a pure delight.
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Worth a read:A Death in the Family "Having volunteered for Iraq, Mark Daily was killed in January by an I.E.D. Dismayed to learn that his pro-war articles helped persuade Daily to enlist, the author measures his words against a family's grief and a young man's sacrifice.by Christopher Hitchens"From Abbottabad to Worse"Hating the United States—which funds Islamabad’s army and nuclear program to the humiliating tune of $3 billion a year—Pakistan takes its twisted, cowardly revenge by harboring the likes of the late Osama bin Laden. But the hypocrisy is mutual, and the shame should be shared.By Christopher Hitchens"Why Hitchens Became an American"His friend James Fenton explains Hitchens’ great love of the United States.By James Fenton|Posted Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, at 1:20 AM ET"
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I really liked Hitchens a lot. Obviously, he was difficult to both understand and agree with on occasion but I found his writing and thought process both extremely entertaining and thought provoking always. I especially enjoyed listening to him speak about his religious arguments with his brother. I never would have wanted to be on the receiving end of some of his more acerbic comments……….yikes. What a great thinker though and he will definitely be missed. I really enjoyed the piece by Chris Buckley.Now I'm back to writing up recipes for my baking buddies. I will post some this afternoon and some tomorrow with new pictures of even more favorites.
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I wish Hitchens was available to comment on this:In Iraq, Abandoning Our FriendsIf there was ever an issue that President Obama should show some leadership on, it would be this one.
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jnc, thanx for the link.
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One final note on Hitchens from the NYT Obituary:"He also professed to have no regrets for a lifetime of heavy smoking and drinking. “Writing is what’s important to me, and anything that helps me do that — or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument and conversation — is worth it to me,” he told Charlie Rose in a television interview in 2010, adding that it was “impossible for me to imagine having my life without going to those parties, without having those late nights, without that second bottle.” "If you are drinking tonight, order that second bottle in memory of Christopher Hitchens.
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