christopher hitchens answers retardsquestion with a hitchslap

[holidaysinsweden]

I just can't get my head around that in a free questions session Hitchens simply delivers this argument right off hand! And not only can he think it up, he can make it such a speech, just off the top of his mind. Remarkable!

[MrDarksidematter]

This man should is a legend!

[avalsonline2]

@MrDarksidematter where should he have applied for the title? if judged by his deeds, he is indeed a legend

[Singh13saab]

I love Hitchens, but his stance on this subject is something I don't agree with. He claims that the Jihadis are a threat to us and therefore they must be suppressed. I say, we are partly responsible for those Jihadis being the way they are. Whether you kill people by the way of flying planes into buildings or by the way of pressing a button on the remote controller for your unmanned drone, you are still killing. Two wrongs don't make a right. If you want to help them, give them an education.

[Casshyr]

@Singh13saab i doubt that will help. The moment you try to give them education, they'll probably just go "ahh, you Americans are trying to pollute our culture! You want us to become Americans too! Keep your filth, and stop messing with us!"

It's too bad they sit on an oil-rich land, otherwise we could have just leave them alone to rot.

[sethmarongg]

@Casshyr i agree with what singh13saab said about the killing, but i disagree that the jihad are tyrants because we enforce it, i more agree with your "ahh, you Americans are trying to pollute our culture! You want us to become Americans too! Keep your filth, and stop messing with us!"

and that's just it, they want to live with archaic ways of living, and like you said, if not for the land we wouldn't give a crap...

[RumoAoSul]

once again Hitchens over simplefy the problem. How does the extremist power gorws?

How one can stimulate the moderate muslims power? How does one opens a society?

With hate and sound bytes?

[cfc19900]

Of course America and the Brits did terrible things. During ww2, in Germany they killed innocent people, they bombed cities that were not even a threat.

It may not be right, but that's the fact everyone has to face, war isn't about a good side and a bad side, it's terrible.

[woofalot13]

@bermudaguy1 What has Ron paul got to do with this video ,you make your cause look desperate and silly .

[bermudaguy1]

@woofalot13 Well, America should keep out of the affairs of most if not all these country's ...basically mind it own fuckin business. They (America) are the biggest instigators of terrorism in the world.

The connection is that Ron Paul is a non interventionist, believes in the constitution ( unlike most Americans) and would reduce things like 911 etc. That is the connection...ass hole!!

[jsampras3]

@bermudaguy1 Ron Paul also believes that Israel was behind the first WTC bombing, AIDS is a government conspiracy, and we're going to have a "race war" any day now.

Either that, or he cynically pretended to think those things to increase the readership of his newsletter to get more money.

So which is it? Your hero is a racist xenophobic conspiratorial crackpot or he's just fine getting the support of those people for money because he has no principles?

[bermudaguy1]

@jsampras3 YOU ARE INCORRECT1

[elarrebat]

The mans question is not retarded, nor the basic charge of war crimes. There was no good answer from the part of Hitchens beyond insulting and downgrading the man. It is actually a very poor performance of the part of Hitchens, the best he did was to try an emotional answer, like any other fanatic. Simply put: It was pathetic.

[onebadgs400]

@elarrebat Please move to Muhammad land. You have not one rational bone in your body.

[godfreewoman]

Who wants to bet the man asking the question is probably voting for Ron Paul?

[DuffmanUK92]

R.I.P. Hitchens

[toseeornot2see]

That was a very well asked question and a very good one.

If Western nations really have to stand up to extremists, they only need to stop implementing the very policies that they have for centuries. I mean, the population of middle East, Pakistan, etc. are very much against these extremists. The only thing that empowers these extremists are the people sitting in govt. positions in the US, Britain, France, etc.

Sadly, Hitchens ignored this fact for a good part of his life.

[illuminatiperspectiv]

@toseeornot2see really? so what policies did INDIA have when muslims conquered them? i gotta read ur reply! LOL!

[toseeornot2see]

@illuminatiperspectiv Are you talking about the Medieval times?

Actually, there was no collective entity called India at the time - there wasn't one till the 20th century.

There were mixed reactions - some Indians went along, others resisted.

A better question would have been what tactics Indians used to fight British occupation.

[ThePsychoReturns]

@toseeornot2see If the population was against the extremists, there wouldn't have been a television show about Mickey Mouse teaching children to hate jews.

[toseeornot2see]

@ThePsychoReturns Hmm. Well I can say the same thing about American or Western entertainment industry, too.

If the Americans are not extremists then why are their movies like Rambo, that glorify killing the Vietnamese? Or why is it funny to make movies that promote stereotypical images of bearded Arabs as terrorists?

[ThePsychoReturns]

@toseeornot2see First Blood featured John Rambo against a police department. The next few movies can be explained by the fact that everyone was retarded in the 80s.

As for bearded Arabs as terrorists, the bearded Arab terrorists can be blamed for that one.

[ThePsychoReturns]

@ThePsychoReturns There aren't any western movies that suggest that all Arabs or Vietnamese people should be killed.

[toseeornot2see]

@ThePsychoReturns After reading your response, I can see what sort of people are drawn to Hitchens's work.

I can't be bothered replying to your future comments. Instead I want you to think about what you just wrote. Essentially, your argument for Arab stereotypes being justified is like someone saying it is OK to portray Jews as stingy, money grubbing people.

[ThePsychoReturns]

@toseeornot2see I'm used to people like you having nothing to add to an argument.

It isn't an Arab stereotype. It's a terrorist stereotype.

[toseeornot2see]

@ThePsychoReturns

...yep and Bob's your uncle.

Go to sleep, buddy boy. No place for you in intelligent conversations.

[ThePsychoReturns]

@toseeornot2see Keep patting yourself on the back for being an idiot.

[toseeornot2see]

@ThePsychoReturns This coming from a guy who said, "The next few movies can be explained by the fact that everyone was retarded in the 80s."

I am sure anthropologists and sociologists would love to hear that explanation.

Again, I can see what sort of people are drawn to Hitchens.

[scienceisknolwedge]

@toseeornot2see Hitchens has two audiences, one that comes from Atheism x Theism discussion, and Politics. Usually the god discussion attracts more people and, as he's brilliant over there, they come here thinking he's always right and are always worshiping him (something he was absolutely against).

I didn't read this discussion, I just read the "Again, I can see what sort of people are drawn to Hitchens" - not trying to interfere, but I hope my point helps some of you ;)

[toseeornot2see]

@scienceisknolwedge Yeah, I think you are right. I have read some of Hitchens's political stuff and it's quite insightful - except for what he wrote after he changed his opinion drastically. .

I can understand why he is against religious extremists, but then he uses it to justify American foreign policy - that is what I simply cannot agree with.

[scienceisknolwedge]

@toseeornot2see I think we also must remember he's a very polemic and often controversial person. I agree, I don't see how he can support Iraq war and I have never seen any article or debate that he makes a consistent point about it.

[toseeornot2see]

@scienceisknolwedge Yeah, you are right again.

Thank god. At least there is one reasonable person here.

[ThePsychoReturns]

@toseeornot2see Don't blame me for your lack of a sense of humour.

[zideffil]

@toseeornot2see I just saw your comment and I can easily tell you what kind of people are drawn to Christopher Hitchens - Intelligent ones.

[nateakadino]

"Utterly fatuous"... Love it.

[ikawpipa]

I don't think any atheists will quote Hitchens after 2,000 years from now.

[agentdreyer2]

@ikawpipa At least atheists will likely have proof that he existed 2000 years from now though eh :p

[ikawpipa]

@agentdreyer2 - i'm sure no one will believe, the people will look for an eye witness.

[M0rdH0rst]

@ikawpipa We have reports about him from many eye witnesses. And books he wrote self-inspired by himself. Not only stories made up years after he died.

[ikawpipa]

@M0rdH0rst - the reports by eye witnesses will be challenged by future historians and will be declared fairy tale since there are no living eye witnesses and youtube will be long gone by that time, there are no proofs he existed and people at that time will be busy with robots and flying cars.

[M0rdH0rst]

@ikawpipa If those future historians are christians they will simply ignore all evidence as they do today.

But as we have reports from romans from 2000 years ago about e.g. Arminius by Germanicus (plus evidence from the battlefields), there may be reports left from the church about their enemies plus reports from secular sources which will have matching evidence.

But I am sure in the next years a medium will be found to conserve not only the books but also the vids for centuries.

[illuminatiperspectiv]

an atheist marxist is as dumb as a christian!

[HellRehab]

The amount of information doled out in this impromptu response was remarkable.

[MrSamuelSpade]

I don't think I have seen a better response to seemingly well reasoned question. Hitchens' depth of knowledge is beyond compare.

[BARCACROSSESTHEALPS]

Classic Hitch!

[moety2]

Guard me while I sleep? lol Or guard poppy fields and oil sites? A lot more american's die from peanut alleges then "terrorist" acts. I want them to guard the stores as well. Just looking for some consistency lol

[benthejrporter]

Nobody can smear Hitchens as a warmonger! Vietnam and Iraq are totally different situations. He's right about the need to remove Saddam Hussein. The only part of the equasion he's failed to include is the aftermath that questions the motives of those doing the removing and the consequences for the people of the Middle East as a result.

[benthejrporter]

@huwrj I know he said that. I often wonder why they didn't finish what they started in 1991. I mean, all they'd have needed was the petrol money to drive to Baghdad! It would have saved so much bloodshed.

[Redcarpet01]

@benthejrporter Obviously he wasn't 'right'.He was a major enemy of the Islamists, without CIA officers to 'help' in rounding up and killing them entering his country. Saddam's removal now means they have a Westward highway through to the Levant; they weren't able to do that with Saddam in power.

[sladedavis]

nothing like a hitchslap to keep me safe at night.



[sinedeocodex]

This is a good question but so poorly asked it is indeed retarded. The west has done so much illegal and wrong bullshit it is unbelievable. This doesn't mean that crazy religious zealots shouldn't be faught.

[zackhanscom]

@sinedeocodex faught?

but i guess to your credit, you didn't make the mistake of calling the guy a retard, only the question. in that regard, you are more intelligent.

[illuminatiperspectiv]

@sinedeocodex exactly pointing out evil in others does not excuse your evils! good point..

[ninjavanish84]

@sinedeocodex I thought the questioner was very articulate and framed his question so intelligently that it was mostly rhetorical. I find it amazing that you have 32 thumbs up to a statement calling a man's question "indeed retarded" and then you misspell 'fought'; a word most children are taught to spell correctly in the first years of grade school.

[doza2112]

@sinedeocodex You're right, this is a very good question. Noam Chomsky (someone whom I believe to be more intelligent and more politically educated than Hitchens) uses this point a lot

[avalsonline2]

the west has commited man crimes, but it has never been the west's goal to elliminate a people simply for existing. the west was interested in sgtealing resourses, enriching themselves. all of these are selfish and even criminal motives. but the west has never killed in the name of religion. it has never whiped out a people simply for existing. THATS the difference between the worst western empirialists and the muslim jihadists. terrorists cannot be appeased with anything short of our deaths.

[TomFynn]

Well, the middle east missed out on the industrial revolution. The resulting power difference with the west was what make imperialism possible. Especially in Muslim country this was seen as a humiliation. Even more so when their own rulers sold them out to Big Oil. That bred fanaticism. Understandable.

BUT THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE BLOWING PEOPLE UP.

[MasterRobinHood]

pwned!!



[MrAmericanzombie]

Ppl give my country way to much credit.We have a bunch of MORONS running the country.Their approval rating is like 12%! They're badly hated,but then the same Ppl get on here,and act like are country makes good decisions,and we don't bully the world!! Are country has become a JOKE around the world!! We don't deserve the #1 spot any longer!! Keep on voting in a bunch of SELFISH crooks.Both parties are CROOKS! No such thing as a decent Politician! WAKE UP!!

[Deeredman4]

@MrAmericanzombie I support the war against theocratic bullying but I completely agree with you on our country being a peace of shit and here is why. our country was founded on liberty, uncompromising liberty, but today I have to wear a seat belt while driving my car. I would probably wear a seat belt anyway but the point is I am forced too do it and it is hurting no one other then myself. This is just one example. Our country is now the land of the slaves and home of the cowards. Its depressing

[jjobie]

@Deeredman4 Speak for yourself. I may hate the government and its utter incompetence; I may despise the forces of political correctness and some of the overreaching of the nanny state; but I can assure you, as an American, I am far from being a piece of shit, or any part & parcel of same.

[Deeredman4]

@jjobie I never said the American people are pieces of shit...perhaps I should have clarified that it is the American government in which I was referring to being a "piece of shit" :)

[highlanderdurp]

cigarette and whiskey...thats hitchens for ya lol

[Andrewh313]

It would be foolish not to consider this issue holistically. I would challenge anyone to make the case that this cultural and religious schism has absolutely nothing to do with the behavior of the West. Of course there are lots of factors responsible for the cultural divide, and those Muslim extremists are not the victims, but it would be foolish for us to refuse to consider the things we have done through our foreign policy which have exacerbated the problem.

[highlanderdurp]

@Andrewh313 Dont blame America for the evils propagated by the extremist Islamic. Their moral ideals are extremely skewed . Thats what happens when a ridiculous religious text takes presidence over fact and inhibits the progression of their society. Stoning, sexism, racism, religious intolerance are all very prevalent in these countries whereas in most other countries they have for the most part been abolished.

[CzechTechnik]

ALL THE WAY!!!

[writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, drifter848.

[bizel78]

i agree with the question asker.

[LondonIrishRover]

@bizel78 you must had turned off before you heard the answer...

[writersblock26]

@bizel78 Really? Why?

[Silvertaker]

The guy asking the question is 100% right about Western imperialism, especially the United States. Hitchens is also right in that the religious fanatics have to be taken down. But he is wrong in his full support of imperialism - the only thing which I disagree with him about.

[omegavalerius]

@Silvertaker

Comparing the U.S with former super powers I think the similarities are pretty slim when talking about imperialism. Of course if the only definition of imperialism is sending troops over seas to fight you have a point. The U.S has never been keen on keeping troops abroad for extensive periods of time let alone annexing countries into the U.S. If your argument is economical I have to point out that neither Germany (in ww1 and ww2, nor Kosovo or Afghanistan have oil.

[Silvertaker]

@omegavalerius We have bases in over 36 countries worldwide. We control 6 other small countries without allowing them entrance into the Union or the vote in their own affairs. We are currently fighting in 3 wars, 2 of them completely unjustified and 1 of them one which we could have prevented back when we ran the Russians out of Afghanistan, but couldn't be bothered to spend 1/100th of what we spent on bombing and weapons (and funding Al Qaeda) on building infrastructure and schools.

[omegavalerius]

@Silvertaker

Puerto Rico: has voted several times about statehood/independence and "none of the above" won in the 90s

US Virgin islands: vote of 1993 had a 30+% turn out and the results were in favor of the status quo

American Samoa: Has not had a vote since 1967 when their own constitution was passed

Northern Mariana Islands: Also has its own constitution and government as do the above mentioned

You have to remember the sharp difference between these instances and real colonialism.

[Silvertaker]

@omegavalerius Upon further inspection, you are correct about those instances you mention. However, the rest of my evidence remains sound and is plenty enough evidence of rank imperialism. As for Hitchens, his support of this imperialism is almost entirely because of his disdain for religion - he is fine with us being Iraq, because he sees these wars as part of the broader fight against Islamic fanaticism. 

[papermermaid]

@omegavalerius

good....who wants those crappy places as states?

[adknerr]

@omegavalerius "The U.S has never been keen on keeping troops abroad for extensive periods of time"

Since when? Do you know how many bases we have in Germany and Japan still? Good lord...

[omegavalerius]

@adknerr

You think they would still be in those countries if the Germans decided that they didn't want the americans there? Grow up. The BRD had very good reasons to have as many Americans stationed there as possible during the cold war. And who in their right mind would say to an ally: "Look we really appreciate all the millions you pour in our country and the defense you offered by having a military base here but we would rather not have you here."

Good lord indeed.

[adknerr]

@omegavalerius Where in the hell did you get that I said anything remotely close to what you just attempted to say I had stated. You did circle around a different question, which is closer to my point. Why would the Germans or Japanese EVER want us to leave? They can rely on us to foot their defense bill and continue to pump revenue into their countries via our military's domestic spending. Back to my point, the Cold War has been over how long? Yeah, that's right. WE can no longer afford it.

[papermermaid]

@adknerr

those countries have asked us year after year to stay. Our troops aren't occupiers in those countries. We train their troops and prop up their economies. Shut up. Damn.

[adknerr]

@papermermaid Mind you own damn business. Omega stated that the 'US has never been keen on keeping troops abroad'. You've just proved my point with your stupid commentary. Oh, so because someone asks us to defend their borders for them even tho we can't afford it, we should just continue staying the course. What an absurd line of logic you have.

[papermermaid]

@adknerr

but......you're in a public forum........2. You implied that those other countries didn't want us. 3. I can assure you we being over there serves OUR interests too. You aren't thinking about strategy. 4. It is good that we are posted in allied countries. Allied countries are posted here too. I don't think you understand the military's role int eh 21st century. I think you are still stuck in colonial America. Much like humanity - we have evolved.

[adknerr]

@papermermaid (1) Nonesensicle. I absolutely didnt imply (2) whatsoever. Our bases served a MUCH bigger purpose 50 years ago, very little reason now(3). What allies are posted in our country(4)?

If you believe we can afford to spend the same amount as the next ten countries under us, then that's a nice belief, but it just isn't true. The rest of the world is investing in their on infrastructure more than their defense... and on our police-watch dime. We can no longer afford this position.

[papermermaid]

it is like you guys have no idea how the military works. Go on a base and you'd be surprised how benign it is...and how many foreigners work there.