Iraq's 1979 Fascist Coup, Narrated by Christopher Hitchens

[thegiftedmedia]

Not impressed at all. Most of the stuff thus guy says is known to anybody with the slightest whim for history and he over simplifies a lot of things. Such as the night of long knives meant nothing to Hitler, he had gained absolute power long before. I hope historians are better today.

[fobolsjov]

iraq + 480 = great drawed cartoon

[AxeHomeless]

I miss him so much.

[ThePalilover]

@ArabIraqi ewa,..ana bashokh 3ala imak,..ya akho el sharmota!!

[PolPotPop]

Moron Hitchens surely didn't observe the difference regarding women's rights before and after the invasion of Iraq.

[karangmail15]

@PolPotPop In terms of women's rights, you can read an account of the situation in Mr Kanan Makiya's "Cruelty and Silence". As you know, women's virginity is a matter of "honour" in Arab societies. During Mr Hussein's rule, there was a Department of Rape and members of the secret police would rape scores of women. After being raped, if these women would go back to their families, their own families would kill them out of "shame". Their only other alternative would be to join the Baath party.

[amjadami]

well it was fitting the motherfucker got hung himself and shit his pants when he saw the noose. hahaha burn in hell for eternity you beast

[namehoela]

This guy supported the sanctions on the iraqi people that killed over 500.000 children according to then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. What a hypocrite.

[OnediZZyDrunK]

he promoted pissing on twats like you 914, so enjoy .

[Pibbxtra780]

Saddam Hussein Killed hundreds of thousands of people, we had every right to interfere! Typical idiotic liberal thinking, don't take out a dictator who's a mass murder.

[IronDave100]

Removing Saddam Husseins government from power was, in all fairness, the right thing to do. The way the bush administration went about it however, was totally criminal and has left the country in a far worse condition than it ever was under Saddam.

[914light]

this reminds me of that girl crying on the stand ..saying Saddam had order throwing babies out of their incubators...which turned out to be the biggest load of crap ..

looks like hitchens is lying so bad here can hardly get the words out ! wonder why hitchens does NOT mention Saddam was the baath party ....and the baath party was SECULAR and Saddam rejected islamic extremist and that his gov. was secular and he hated Osama bin Laden ..and his second in command was a christian ...wonder why ?

[neestle]

@914light Did you even watch the video? He repeatedly mentions the Baath Party. It's what the entire video was about. The party's origin and how it ruled. And while he did argue in writing and in other speeches that Saddam was not as secular as many have claimed, he does not make that case here. At all. The entire focus was on the fascist nature of Saddam and the Baath party. This, he believed, was reason enough to remove Saddam. Which it was.

You suck at comments.

[914light]

@neestle ..well... your video SUCKS  ..very slanted and you use a totally unreliable source...better luck on your next video ...:) Take Care

[PolPotPop]

@neestle

And is nowdays Iraq any better than it was under Saddam?

[neestle]

@PolPotPop Yes.

[IronDave100]

@914light You're a retard. Hussein and his party were 10 times worse than any islamic extremists. Islamists are fighting for a cause, yes they hate the west, but they have good reason to. Hussein and his party were just sadistic criminals and murderers. In many ways worse than the nazis. The crimes he commited against his own people and the people of iran and kuwait were far worse than the sum total of all acts of islamic extremism the world over.

[914light]

@IronDave100 ..well, your a damn imbecile .... maybe instead of getting your history off of youtube ..try reading a little ...hitchens sang saddam praises for being a "secular socialist" for yrs !! ..and the rest your talking, your totally clueless to the point I do NOT care to discuss it with you !

[AnHumanOnTheInternet]

@914light You could also bring up his initial comments/opinion on Robert Mugabe, etc. Be sure to link records of his past views and if you believe he's ever been more than honest on changing them, (I'm more than open to you finding some, and it would change my opinion of him).

Like the person you commented below, I believe the justification or morality of A war with Saddam, was there. The execution of one, and the motives of the ones who eventually did, flawed in so many ways.

[914light]

@AnHumanOnTheInternet ...the Iraqi people would have gotten saddam out of there ..had other countries not interfered ....I don't give a damn about saddam ..it is all the innocent people who have died and been displaced now ... it was not a so called "war" to remove saddam .. anyone who believes that is being naive at best !

[athabascka]

@914light: Who cares if Saddam Hussein was secular and rejected Islamic extremism? His regime was a totalitarian regime. Totalitarianism is also an enemy of Western civilization.

[914light]

@athabascka well ..then I wonder why hitchens praised saddam for yrs ?

[athabascka]

@914light: I don't recall Hitchens ever praising Saddam. If he had, it should be obvious that Hitchens' political positions have changed throughout his life.

[914light]

@athabascka ..of course your NOT aware of it ....and that's my point in commenting on this video... hitchens was/is NO better then saddam ...both cowards and reckless individuals....

[athabascka]

@914light: Nonsense. Christopher Hitchens despised totalitarianism.

[914light]

@athabascka ...No he didn't, he promote it !!

[athabascka]

@914light: He advocated abolishing two of the most totalitarian regimes in the world, Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. And in order to do that, you have to kill them. Just like we killed the Nazis and the imperial Japanese. Because that is how you deal with totalitarian ideology. Western civilization may not be perfect, but it can't be consisted totalitarian.

[914light]

@athabascka ...how ridiculous are you ?? your talking about two ragtag bands of people !!

hitchens promoted and was a mouth piece for the neo-con military industrial complex, and by the way ...the world is waking up! his relentless attacks on muslims was shameless and sickening to say the least ! HITCHEN was the terrorist !! he was a loud mouth drunken buffoon who worshiped Marx...

[athabascka]

@914light: The neo cons were right. Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda had to go, and they won't be the last. Terrorism is just a scare word used, but really it's just a tactic, a form of warfare. Every side in a war uses terror. War itself is terror. The point question is who should win? Hitchens never attacked all Muslims, only the Salafist Jihadists and those who believed in Takfir. But he was opposed to all religious belief.

[2210ethan]

@914light

Haha suggest you read up a little.

[914light]

@2210ethan ..I have "read up" on hitchens and from hitchens ...it is why I can draw a sound opinion about this wretch hitchens...Christopher Hitchens, 1976: Saddam a “visionary” and "saw Saddam as an up-and-coming secular socialist" who has sprung from being an underground revolutionary gunman to perhaps the first visionary Arab statesman since Nasser....hitchens was and always will be a blowhard !

[2210ethan]

@914light

No, h was just wrong bout Saddam the first time around. Many people were. He was always open about some of his positions changed over time. Hitchens went to Iraq several times

[914light]

@2210ethan OMG...the 1st time around >>> 26 yrs for hitchens to see he was wrong ???? give me a break ! pls take your war promoting else where ....as I said hitchens was a drunk and totally unreliable ..and I do NOT care to discuss that heathen any longer ! but thank you anyways..take care :)

[2210ethan]

@914light

You're aware that one or two other people also changed their views on Saddam as time went on, right?

[914light]

@2210ethan ...look I,m sure saddam wife probably changed her views on him ...that's what married people do ...but saddam was a puppet and not the one that changed ...hitchens was ! go read what any of his "friends/comrades" <<< as he referred to them had to say about hitchens behavior ... and his relentless war mongering rants ! hitchens was loose and free with other peoples (Americans) lives and I loath him for that !

[2210ethan]

@914light

How was Saddam a puppet? He was a powerful dictator (see above)

[914light]

@2210ethan ....and an unreliable source for information !

[bjl34565]

this guys got no idea, GEORGE GALLOWAY 4 THE WIN!!

[sammyt1111]

RIP Hitch

[AneTix101]

To even imagine what living under a totalitarian regime could be like leaves my mind blank.

[SansChannelingus]

and to think that this is what Stalin did over and over for 20 years and on a much larger scale

[IconsOfTeleplay]

Good riddance to the braying jackass Christ' Hitchens who supported the sanctions and the war of pelf against Iraq. [Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: "We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?"; Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: "I think this is a very hard choice, but the price--we think the price is worth it." — "60 Minutes" (5/12/96)]

[123backinyerface]

Even in the face of facts people would still rather resort to their preconceived conspiracy theories. Ignorance must be warm to cling to, as well as blissful.

[Kickboxing187]

Bullshit! Bush Fascist Coup and Obama!

[rouzbehazshab]

to have to understand this you have to have lived in a country where this is

practiced on a very regular basis.that is why hitchens as he himself confeses

has hard time to convey the extent of it. there is something inhuman about the

way things work in some countries.some call it imperialism...i call it superstition

and the extent of it's dominion.

[UtopiaMinor666]

Im something of an iconoclast, but i find it difficult not to idolize Mr. hitchens. Ive learned SO much from this man its ridiculous, i looke at my life, my families life, and the the lives of others in a complete different way.

[Mishkafofer]

Israel had hard time to explain why it bombed Saddam Nuclear reactor. Countries like Saddam's Iraq and Current Iran shouldn't ever get nuclear weapons.

[Reqrezentin]

@Mishkafofer

It's not for you to decide.

[Mishkafofer]

@Reqrezentin Of course not, why we should worry? Iran already have missiles that can reach Israel. The big question why it develops missiles that can reach London and New-York? May be to spread love and Islam (religion of peace of course) to the uneducated masses of Europe?

[Reqrezentin]

@Mishkafofer I don't care if you worry, it's not your choice to make whether they have them.

[Mishkafofer]

@Reqrezentin I heard about the famous British slogan "Bring Peace in our generation", the most shameful hour of a British nation ever endured, betraying its allies and giving up before dictatorial genocidal state of Nazi Germany. I prefer that the enemy's of the Jews will live in fear, thank you very much.

[Reqrezentin]

@Mishkafofer

What? You still can't decide for them. Wtf, why are you not addressing that?

Also, there are 25000 Jews in Iran, living in peace. Jews are not the problem, Zionists are the problem whether they are Christian, Jews or atheists.

[Mishkafofer]

@Reqrezentin I hear about peaceful living in Iran. Secret prisons, Rape, valet al faqih, fashion police etc. That's why Iranians immigrate away from this wonderful country. and maybe that's the reason why you in UK and in you Muslim country?

[Reqrezentin]

@Mishkafofer

The Jews are living good nonetheless. Stop evading the question at hand you loser.

[Mishkafofer]

@Reqrezentin huh, you claim that a state with official doctrine of Jewish annihilation that lied to international community should get nuclear weapons? oops, Iran denied its desire for Nuclear weapons so whats you rant about? Iran nuclear plan is a peaceful one, but you defend supposedly non existent military nuclear program. I wonder why you defend a non existent thing? Iran nuclear program is peaceful, or i am mistaken. hahaha

[AUTHORITARIAN786]

i suppose hes slightly exxagerating with regards to the coffe paper spiling on the leaders image.. although he does divulge a comprehensive and geuine perspective on the nature of Saddam's arbitrary regime.

[phinny5608]

Thank you very much for posting this. I was reading Hitchens' description of this in Hitch 22, and I decided to see if the video was on Youtube. So, this was perfect.

[TheEsotericDesi]

"Fascist Coup"? Wrong title... Fascism is when corporations take over and start oppressing the people, even in a Democracy, something that we have in the United States today...

[Christian121y]

@TheEsotericDesi No no no no.

A lot of people misunderstand Mussolini's point,on him more accurately describing fascism as corporatism.That does NOT mean rule by corporations but rule LIKE or IN THE MANNER OF corporations.Such as in an organic style of government.In the exact same way that a growing corporation" expands" overseas to meet its growing needs an organic fascist society would too "grow" overseas to meet its further "needs"(usually economic or imperialist).

[Christian121y]

@TheEsotericDesi Fascism is usually also ultra-nationalist,chauvinist,r­acist,and smacking of religious authority.Per these qualifications the Iraqi Baath party(if not the entire one) was undoubtedly fascist.

[TheEsotericDesi]

@Christian121y You pulled the meaning out of "Facisim" out of your ass as it suits you, but it won't turn personal idiotic opinion into a fact... :-\

[Christian121y]

@TheEsotericDesi Talk in general abstractions AND YOU WIN THE DISCUSSION!!!!

[Christian121y]

@TheEsotericDesi Especially when you consider the United States a fascist country too,that really helps you and your foolish definition of fascism.

[TheBigEase]

@pbrlimit Great! Let's bomb them all. 150K civilians killed in the Iraq War II. No bother, it wasn't on the news, let's bomb some more. Anyone up for China?

[bjl34565]

@pbrlimit dude iraq is the bosnia of the middle east. mark my words within a week of Us complete withdrawal there will be sectarian genocide.

[bjl34565]

@bjl34565 well looks like i was right

[bfoaliali]

...but America was his ally during his worst crimes.

[snowkonis]

@bfoaliali I hope you understand the meaning of what you're saying. The fact that America provided funding and resources to Hussein along the way means it was ALL THE MORE America's responsibility to bring Hussein back down. When Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster, it is incumbent upon Dr. Frankenstein to bring that monster back down. The person who litters is the first one who should pick up the trash.

We can't just say "we armed him" as a snide, clever retort; it gives us an extra duty.

[ahmed337799]

@snowkonis

the problem with your logic is that america knew a long time ago that he was a frankenstein and only turned against him when he annexed kuwait

[snowkonis]

@ahmed337799 With respect, sir, following the story it was the U.S. that was Dr. Frankenstein; Hussein was the monster.

In any case, why are you satisfied with finding fault with the U.S. and then quitting thinking? (You actually UNDERSTATE the case against the U.S., which sent Hussein chemical and biological WMDs even after Hussein turned them on the Kurds.)

The delay you cite only INCREASED the U.S.'s duty; closing rape dungeons and ousting sociopathic mass murderers is right at any time.

[ahmed337799]

@snowkonis

"at any time"

not really, most iraqis today would agree life under saddam was way more stable. plus hitchens over dramatizes it. i've had relatives who worked in iraq and some who studied in iraq and they never felt like the angel of death was right around the corner. it was really simple, don't speak against saddam, enjoy the social benefits his policies bring, and never have to worry about the dungeons or the torture chambers.

[snowkonis]

@ahmed337799 We can go toe to toe on personal testimony from Iraqis. The Iraqi nationals who are dear friends of mine are the most voluble supporters of Saddam's ouster that I know. Clearly your relatives were not Kurds, 500,000 of which were massacred by Saddam, or Shia or even Sunni dissidents, 500,000 of whom also met death because subservient silence was not for them.

If your view is that free speech isn't vital, then you're welcome. Live with that world if you can, and leave me out of it.

[ahmed337799]

@snowkonis

lol retard, coming preaching about freedom of speech in a country most can't even spell "freedom of speech"

500 000 kurds hahahahaha that's nice which part of your ass you pull that figure from?

[snowkonis]

@ahmed337799

I relish the moment in an argument when my opponent begins broad, ad hominem insults; it means he has nothing left to say.

Re: genocide against the Kurds in Northern Iraq, I entrust myself to the fair-mindedness of the other readers here, who can easily research the al-Anfal Campaign for themselves and learn, via all the mainstream estimates, of the 6-digit Kurdish death toll (annihilating 90% of Kurdish villages in targeted areas) for which Hussein stood trial in 2006.

[ahmed337799]

@snowkonis

I'm fine with freedom of opinion, it's lies that I don't tolerate. There is no mainstream estimate that reaches 500 000. And even then I never trust anything mainstream. Saddam was executed for killing 148 people after an assassination attempt against and a following crackdown on pro Iranian rebels who were known to take base in the area. I'm not defending Saddam but I'm telling the truth, mainy of his close associates were kurds, it makes no sense why they would kill 500 000 kurds

[snowkonis]

@ahmed337799

-You discredit yourself more than I ever could by saying you're not interested in published research.

-Yes, Hussein was hanged for the DuJail massacre, while he was still simultaneously on trial for al-Anfal (you're free to stop guessing anytime and look up the easily findable figures: approx 500,000 dead Kurds, and you're right, it made no sense)

-Finally, I refer you to your own first point, that Saddam was a monster, and you tell me which version of your story is serious.

[Christian121y]

@ahmed337799 This is akin to fucking holocaust denial.As a matter of fact it IS AKIN TO HOLOCAUST DENIAL.The figures of 500,000 are very easily found anywhere you can throw a book or query at.The Al-Anfal genocide was an act of fascist extermination and yes IT DID NOT make any sense and just like the Holocaust the sheer irrationality of it only compounds the tragedy.Saddam Hussein Al Tikriti was indeed not only batshit insane,an international terrorist,and a thug,but he was an outlaw as well.

[Christian121y]

@ahmed337799 And it was about time the international community honored its own commitments and did something about that Baathist bastard.

[ahmed337799]

@Christian121y

sure

[officechairpotato]

@ahmed337799

Ofcourse it makes no sense.

That doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Ascribing to saddam hussein the properties of a rational actor is a mistake.

[MaskedMarvyl]

ryanlk, uh...... yeah.

Unless he did it to your father.

[MaskedMarvyl]

Do you notice the look of complete dispassionate evil in Saddam's eyes as he watched the phony list of names being read, listing all of his potential rivals as traitors? Then he forces the spared half to murder the other half. This is the man we supported politically when he first came to power in Iraq.

[dogsofwar007]

interesting .. very few views on this video ... excellent analysis

[Rationalific]

Powerful. Yes... Get well soon, Christopher.

[Soundgarden4eva]

Harrowing story. Get well soon, Christopher.

[DieGewerkschaft]

thanks so much for the footage! a "how to do" manual for establishing a dictatorial regime.... could be useful one day ;-)

[simonpjhall]

Well done for tracking this down. I once looked for it myself and couldn't find it. Did the History/Military Channel show the documentary recently?? Good work though.

[neestle]

@simonpjhall It was a Military/History channel documentary, called "Saddam and the Third Reich" that had some clips in it. Most of the clips I used came from an Arabic-language documentary I tracked down on youtube, at: watch?v=VHBF8EKt-zc