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From: texasmonthly
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  • Fascinating. 

  • So somebody was at last able to manipulate Hitchens just into thinking that Saddam had anything to do with Al CIAda and then Hitch went and made a religion of these unproven and unfounded claims. And to think that a CIA director`s words are prof of anything is worse than believing in a God. Rest in Peace Hitch or turn in your grave over your own contradictions.

  • 3 and a half minutes to get to the interview That must be some sort of record

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  • hitchens starts around 4:00

  • Evan Smith needs to go back to the 50s, he's too hipster if there is such a thing. As for Hitchens, RIP my friend.

  • I love your brain so much Hitch... I really miss you x

  • i thought daniel plainview's adult son wanted to start an oil company not interview hitchens

  • I MISS HIM!!

  • We owe a debt of gratitute to Mr. Hitchens as he was instrumental for most of us in not only having the courage to come out to friends and family as disbelievers of their established superstitions and organised religions but he also lead the charge of New Atheism that we will solmenly continue on into the future; for science, for reason and for secular humanism. For Christopher Hitchens.

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  • yeah.. and skip that guys gay movements lol

  • great interview tho clearly tho

  • and by... what the fuck, get to the interview already

  • I like the interviewer. He lets Hitchens speak.

  • @bogartnumbertwo yep, spot on. really good technique. he challenges Hitchens, asks the right questions, but gives him the rope to explain what he thinks (normally great, but hangs himself on Iraq IMHO)

  • bleeeeep

  • "the sleep of reason brings forth monsters" brilliant

  • That was amazingly gentle of Christopher for once, great interview.

  • It's funny how HItchens can be a Sam Harris when talking about religion - and turn to a d-r WLC when he starts talking about politics and war...

  • 240p, we meet again.

  • @ExpensiveGun Copy and pasted comment, we meet again

  • @luckycharms8282 Comment lambasting overused YouTube comment, we meet again... why do I feel dirty?

  • Religion is not compulsery in English schools

  • @RIGSBYOFSPARTA Absolute lie. Completely mandatory to be taught it AS FACT.

  • @PathToVendetta Nope you don't have to be taught about it at all. You study religion yes but not necessarily Christianity. I myself studied Hinduism and Judaism before i was taught about christianity (at school anyway). Either way whilst i agree being taught tolerance is important forcing people into christianity or any religion by effecting their young mind is a horrific crime.

  • @RIGSBYOFSPARTA Well, not anymore.

  • @RIGSBYOFSPARTA Religion WAS compulsery at the time Christopher Hitchens went to school (christianity), and the uncritical teaching of "religions" is still a subject in british schools.

  • @BLAST14 please try and pay closer attention, my post did not say that religion was not compulsery 50 years ago it said it is not compulsery today. Why would this "great" man send his children to a strict christian school?

  • @RIGSBYOFSPARTA I will do my best not to misunderstand you! The uncritical teaching of religion is still a subject in british schools, and as far as I understood him Hitchins sent his daughter to a christian school because there wasn't an atheist school in the city. Personaly, I am against the teaching of religion and politics, including political history to children before they have reached the age at which they can think for themselves and ask pertinent questions.

  • @BLAST14 As far as can tell you have not misunderstood anything.For a man who is worth millions with duel nationality us/uk who believes religion poisons everything and demands that people keep their religion away from him and his children it just seems odd at best that he sends his child to a school run by Quakers.

  • @BLAST14 Dan Dennet has a video about teaching children 'the facts' about all religions. He makes a good point for doing it:

    They will get to see it for what it is, a man made doctrine, so when they're force fed on Sunday they can have another perspective.

    I think they should be taught early 'the facts' about religion, basically how they started, where they are centralized, and that they should decide whether to believe any of it, none of it, or in between.

  • what a great interview. It's so rare nowadays to see two intelligent people speaking in an intelligent manner. It's a shame there's not more of this in popular media.

  • beeep

  • adverts at end of video not start!

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  • Why is steve merchant interviewing christopher hitchens?

  • @beardedgecko987 he's not googly-eyed or lanky enough to be steve merchant. ;P

  • 3:27 minutes of sponsors. Is that a joke?

  • I like him but hes dead wrong on Iraq

  • "Sleep of reason brings forth monsters." Damn what a wonderfull quote.

  • Why should we humans carry a huge burden of shame? It may be the greatest weight dragging us down to extinction. What flaws we bare with obdurate pride. Too bad aliens can't come to the planet and BITCH SLAP the SHIT out of our so called "Leaders" and money grubbing tyrants.... War is so zero class civilization..

  • The interviewer's face seems to be too small for his head.

  • Not a great interview. Hitchens is much more interesting when he's challenged by an intelligent and capable interviewer; this one was limp. There is much better available on YouTube and on the Internet.

  • Ok before I go on if this is Trolling you have got me hook line and sinker and fair pla to you sir. It was the nuance combined with missing the specifics of my question for the second time and thereby not answering it at all. The third straw man argument regarding the War for Oil and suggesting that I must have assumed this was literal was also a give away.

  • I will deeply miss Christopher as well ...He is a voice of reason in the wilderness.

  • Yes but those facts too need to be put in context. <- Not before they are even raised at all. the fact that they are completely omitted is significant if not quite suspicious.

    Your comment regarding WMDs has no impact on my statement whatsoever. The fact that there was significant and consistent long term and very deliberate non compliance is of specific relevance in itself. This fooled the incompetent intelligence efforts that were made to assess the potential of a WMD threat.

  • "The sleep of reason brings forth monsters." Genius.

  • @baTonkaTruck That's a Goya quote if I'm not mistaken?

  • WOW i would love to see more of these two.

  • The thing is the war in iraq was not a questionable national interest, it was a very blatent and obvious one.:-

    To ensure that the joint largest producer of oil in the world continued to trade oil in dollars.

    What is at question is why was the US and UK public not told that this was what the fight was over.

  • @srspower Yes there is certainly some truth in what you say. It always concerns me, however, when that view is espoused without any mention of the fact that Iraq invaded Kuwait and blatantly misled weapons inspectors for over a decade. I can make these statements without an iota of support for the war or the WMD claim. They are factual, relevant and indeed central to the debate yet they are virtually never even mentioned even as an issue of peripheral importance.

  • @ChrisBrett2K

    Yes but those facts too need to be put in context. Saddam invaded Kuwaitt because they were burrowing under his border and siphoning off his oil. I personally would say in intent his invasion was justified or at least he was right to be pissed off about what Kuwaitt was doing.

    And the WMD's? All the ecidnece available now points to the fact he didn't have any and knew these inspections were politcally motivated. The US/UK were angry france and germany were getting his business.

  • @ChrisBrett2K

    And i do agree these important nuances are rarely mentioned in the media, a good example is the way they speak about the war in afghanistan but never mention the fact the US never made a official extradition request to the taliban and that was why they refused to hand Osama over.

  • @srspower Incompetence is one thing and indeed it is a shameful and shocking admonition to the powers that went to war but it is no proof of a primary motive of avarice for oil. If this were the driving motive then why not choose a more politically acceptable, economically and logistically efficient timescale for the invasion, like the end of the first Iraq war? It makes absolutely no sense to me or anyone not swept up in the War for Oil rhetoric.

  • @ChrisBrett2K

    At the time of gulf war 1 Saddam was still considered an ally of sorts, if pushed back he would comply, or so they hoped. Stability was considered the most important thing here. They saw two profitable US/UK owned countries squablling amongst themselves and made them play ball. It was the easiest option.

    It wasn't until saddam made things unstable in terms of US/UK profits that war was put on the table and 911 made it possible in terms of rhetoric.

  • Is it not equally fair to say that immediately after 9/11 the reasons given at the time were believed to be significant enough to justify the war. Remember that Iraq was already in clear breach of a key existing UN resolution.

    You seem to have made no argument against invading after the 1st Iraq war. Do you feel that it didn't happen at that time for purely US/UK political and economic reasons? If so your argument is not so much against an unjust war in itself but just in the timing of it.

  • @ChrisBrett2K

    I think i already stated my reasoning behind gulf war 1. Its hardly rocket science. Look at libya? Major BP drilling prospection and all our pensions are invested in BP, so you can imagine the UK govs reaction to the 'arab spring'.

    Think a litte further back and remember the release of Megrahi, the same logic as the bombing, keep the oil flowing.

  • @srspower This is what worries me about everyone who raves about the certainty of the War for Oil theory. You are not reading my statements. I didn't ask for your reasoning for Gulf War 1. I think that what I stated was absolutely crystal clear. What do you think the reasons were for not invading Iraq after Gulf War 1 and was it purely for the reasons stated? If you add that to your WMD point you have directly misrepresented me twice already preferring to opt for 2 straw man arguments.

  • @ChrisBrett2K

    I disagree, your reasoning is far from crystal clear. You ask what do i think the reasons were for not invading after gulf war 1? I already answered that.

    If you feel misrepresented i suggest you express yourself more clearly.

  • @srspower My question was more specific and had a specific reason for being asked. It was "Do you feel that it didn't happen at that time for purely US/UK political and economic reasons?". You have twice responded to questions that I didn't answer which is a classic straw man tactic. My questions were crystal clear. In direct response to me you said all evidence pointed to there being no WMDs a fact that is not only obvious but had already been stated by myself.

  • @ChrisBrett2K

    Your not big on nuance are you? Ok let me reiterate. Yes the reason the invasion never happened during/after gulf war 1 was politcally/economically motivated, in my view.

    And you are correct in your assertion if you think the argument 'it was for oil' is taken literally. But it isn't/wasn't literal. It was never about taking his oil it was about control of the international reserve currency, the dollar. At the time keeping Saddam in power was the most 'stable' option.

  • Is it me or does the interviewer look like he is a mafia member? With that slicked back hair and robert de niro style nod.....

  • @srspower More like Penfold out of Mighty Mouse, I'd say.

  • omfg thats alot of sponsors

  • I'm dreading the day that this great man dies... he has been such a great inspiration to me in my life. It'll be like losing a father.

  • @freakystyley4000

    He is just saying there is no god... He isnt trying to be revolutionary or take over as a prophet. Most people dont ACTUALLY need to be told there is no god.

  • @freakystyley4000 He doesn't have to die early. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

  • @shabido1 - the statistics and prognosis isn't good... reality is a harsh mistress.

  • @freakystyley4000 True, and the reality is he is still alive. It isn't because I really appreciate Hitchens actions and individualism more than most humans, it's because I don't like it when people (especially doctors) hand out death sentences before death. You can tell someone they are going to die, no shit, we all are. But, you can't give a 100% as to when unless you plan on killing them.

  • @shabido1 - hey slick, I can dig it. Respect.

  • @freakystyley4000 Word up.

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  • @freakystyley4000 We lost him today,I have read the bible and I the only time Jesus got mad was at capitalists... RIP Hitch

  • @liftwaffe ..Not Capitalist,.. "Moneychangers" big difference. He was angry at their "Usary"

  • @freakystyley4000 It was, indeed. :(

  • 3:27 to skip the introduction

  • @spp41 thank you sir

  • Damn this guy is smart.

  • 0:59 <--- Click it to start the video

  • Too many commercials and too long to get to the interview

  • dont die on me hitch....cant handle bono .

  • religion is the biggest poison of humanity!!

    it is a disease that is passed from parent to child, from generation to generation, like a birth defect!!!

  • I love Hitchens.

  • Can someone American help me here (I'm from Ireland) why does he say it's not an option to send his daughter to a public school in Washington DC?

    Does he mean the public schools are too bad there or that there aren't any? If not why not? Thanks.

  • @dingane There are schools, but a good number of them are known to be of lower quality, partly due to the immense population concentrated there.

  • @FarazR2 Thanks, so he should say, " I could, but I don't want to expose my daughter to the city's social problems so I send her to her to private religious school instead despite maintaining that all religion is evil'.

    A bit harsh maybe but you should stand by your principles I think.

  • @dingane Im from Ireland aswell. In America, "Public" schools are what we would call "private" schools. As in, they're schools that you pay for.

  • @McGreevious Hi, I don't think that's right. In England it's like that but in the US public means state-run.

  • @dingane My bad. Always get them mixed up.

  • @dingane If it's run by the state, then why isn't it funded by the state?

  • @Haseeebo are public schools in the US not state-funded? Real question, as I'm not American, but I think they are.

  • @dingane Apparently in Washington they aren't, but in any case, I was responding to your conversation with McGreevious who stated "In America, "Public" schools are what we would call "private" schools. As in, they're schools that you pay for".

  • Once all religions have deconverted, my life's purpose will be nill

  • Only in religion is the immoral not only made moral, but justified by dictatorial order. It is of the highest importance that the moral, logical, and secular world fight back against the most ignorant, arrogant, and primitive of our kind

  • the interviewer looks like his head has just slimed out of his mother's womb...

  • Skip to 3:27 to get on with the interview.

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  • @thastorlol .nonsense.Christians are evolved?yh go say that to the idiots burning witches in africa.You cant slander an entire religion like that, a LOT of muslis would be over the tp and perhaps violent but some wouldnt.

  • @laudrup90 Christianity is the most prevalent religion in America, which is why it is mentioned so much. Also, alot of the arguments used against Christians can be used equally as effectively against muslims/ witch burners.

  • JPMorganChase: We have a swastica for our logo!

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  • I also beleive this is positively inmoral and absolutely wicked : "you terrify somebody first, givin' you bad dreams and tell you about hell,

    as long as you transfer your money to my church and as long as you agree to do as i say, everything is just fine.."

  • Someone once said about politics, "If you haven't been Red in your heart when you were young, you have no heart. If you don't get more Blue in your adult years, you have no brain. We need both views.

  • @rhov233

    hear hear, very much so. Sounds a bit like the quote of Putin: Who doesn't miss the Soviet Union, has no heart. Who wants it back, has no brain.

  • Bitchy Brit

  • Christopher Hitchens sucks at politics...the Iraq war and the ensuing chaos made it possible for Al-Qaeda to take root and the Taliban have never been destroyed in Afghanistan.

  • I find this very difficult to masturbate to...

  • You are dead. Im comming in my pants mate.

  • @BeyondTheTreeline I disagree. I find this extremely easy to masturbate to, and I'm not even a homosexual.

  • Would someone mind explaining to a non american the discussion at the beginning on Washington's schools, please. Hitch says something about not wanting to send his kids to private school in DC because of something about social experiments?

  • @chrishurle D.C. public schools are gladiator farms. south east d.c. is a demilitarized zone. one wants to support the idea of public education. it's noble. participating in the private school system actually serves to help widen the gap between socioeconomic groups that are already seperated by a chasm. BUT do you send your child to publicschool knowing that it's disfunctional and in many ways dangerous? Not only does it seem like there is no fix for the situation, the politics seem

  • @chrishurle D.C. public schools are gladiator farms. south east d.c. is a demilitarized zone. one wants to support the idea of public education. it's noble. participating in the private school system actually serves to help widen the gap between socioeconomic groups that are already seperated by a chasm. BUT do you send your child to publicschool knowing that it's disfunctional and in a very real way dangerous? The politics of education have become a farce designed to fail. It's heartbreaking.

  • How lovely for Kermit the Frog to introduce the Hitch.

  • must say the interviewer was a very good job, he didn't seem to me he let any personal bias he might have stear the conversation. and hitchens like always did intelligently and witty.

  • The U.S. military's expertise lies with killing mothers, malnourished children & cripples with radioactive bullets, bombs & mortars. Obscurantist/historical revisionist Christ' Hitchens promotes eugenics and the end of U.S. sovereignty. His naturalized citizenship must be reviewed for possible revocation.

  • @LovingKimiKatkar  voiceless oral diarrhea

  • Hehe... can I say it on your show? *beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep: :DDDD

  • Jesus christ... this video has more sponsors at the start of it than a Maxim magazine

  • as usual....The Hitch Pwned the "faith-nutters"...

  • Refreshing to see an interviewer who understands what his job is - to guide the discussion and then shut up and let the interviewee express his views. So many think it's their job to constantly harangue, interrupt, and argue with the interviewee.

  • Actual interview starts at 3:27.

  • Christopher Hitchens is a genius , and he will be remembered as one of the greatest minds of the 21 century.

  • "Damn my Texan stereotypes don't amuse him...I hope his book has pictures...and damn he's smart." (What the gerbil on the wheel in the interviewers brain is saying)

  • Finally. A reasonable, open minded interviewer!

  • how annoying is that announcement at the beginning? ;o

  • I thought I wasn't gonna like the interviewer thanks to the dopey intro... but then he turned out to be great.

  • Christopher Hitchens has my total respect when comes to matter of religion. I find him eloquent and masterful. When comes to Iraq war and that unnecessary atrocity, I find Hitchens in total denial and hypocritical to the point he even lie to himself. 

  • @Aliof Then you've never really listened to his arguments in part or in full regarding Iraq...

  • @Relbl

    I have listened to Hitchens regarding Iraq and I regret that he has stepped on his intellectual integrity by denying his audience the respect and recognition that he demands from them while talking about religion. Iraq war was and still is the ultimate manifestation of evil against our fellow human. Hitchens is very well aware of this fact, ironically he has chosen to condone that atrocity, making himself look like a fool in the process. He has no legitimate argument about Iraq war.

  • @Aliof

    True

  • @Aliof What do you mean with

    "He has no legitimate argument about Iraq war."

  • @Kokainuser

    Read the comment........... that is what I mean.

  • get rid of those stupid adverts, and you'll get millions of viewers!

  • "The U.S. armed forces are getting better and better and better at reducing our casualties and increasing theirs"... love it

  • shoulda took out the first minute of ads

  • my grandma used to get TxMonthly magazine

  • oh, texas? i can just tell this is gonna be bad...

  • Jesus Christ, turn down the volume! You practically blew out my speakers!

    

  • Interview starts @ 3:25

  • This introduction made me sick. Fuck J P Morgan.

  • This introduction made me sick. Fuck J P Morgan.

  • "Can I say that on your show? Bull$#!!" Apparently not!

  • 3:27 to skip the bullshit and listen to the interview

  • @stonewickison omg i love you

  • Excellent interviewer and Hitchens at his most relaxed.

  • Really impressed by this interviewer! Everyone should take note of this.

  • Evan Smith is very handsome, gotta say!

  • "The sleep of reason brings forth monsters"

    Awesome

  • @MrTruthAddict Yes, awesome! This is a free translation of one of the more famous 18th Century Spanish artist Francisco de Goya's etchings, "El sueño de la razón engendra monstruos," You can look for it in Google images. Cheers!

  • "Gravely retarded civilization" - Probably only one of the hundreds of neat phrases in this interview.

  • The interview doesn't actually start until 3:30

  • Christopher Hitchens is a terror to the religious of the world.  Kudos to him.

  • @Hornadayfan And ally of reason.

  • @Hornadayfan

    amen.

  • [“A work that aspires, however humbly, to the condition of art should carry its justification in every line.” — "The Nigger of the Narcissus" (preface 1899) by Joseph Conrad]

  • holy fuck it's lee evans' older uncle

  • Nearly one full minute of advertisements. Holy smokes.

  • [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)]

  • @milekrizman: Hitchens' reasoning for sending his daughter to a faith-based school is twofold. First, it happened, in his opinion, to provide the best educational opportunities available. Second, he wanted to give her the opportunity to lean about religion, which does not imply _becoming_ religious, in order to provide her with the fundamentals that allow her to form her own informed opinions about religion. Religion affects us all and it's important to understand the things that do so.

  • fantastic interview.

  • Very refreshing to see an interviewer ask Christopher Hitchens opinion, and then allow him to respond without interuption A great interview!

  • @daehllaw very true :)

  • I am a great admirer of Mr. Hitchens, but he sent his daughter to faith based school (9:42). Isn't that hypocrisy? I mean he is a leftist, so he is probably for state funded education and equal opportunities for all. He says he doesn't want social experiment. So majority of people who go to state funded schools are one big social experiment.

  • very good interviewer!

  • Roman Catholic narratives run through the heart of the American left. Should we be surprised that since the mid 19th century America has developed an increasingly critical and hostile reading of its own history? The Roman Church has always been an implacable enemy of the Enlightenment. The US constitution was written primarily by English and Scottish Protestants, agnostics and atheists. Look at the sister continent in the south to appreciate how extraordinary the Founding Fathers ideas were.

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