Inauguration 2009 Barack Obama Christopher Hitchens RIP

[domnal]

You cannot debate Christopher Hitchens !! You can debate a topic with Christopher Hitchens . You can't debate a person you can have a debate with a person - need I go on !!?

[MasterWooten]

June 2011 ... looking back on these two clowns sucking off Obama, I've got one word... BOLLOCKS!!!

I think there are even in Britain who are missing George W. Bush right about now.

[writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, presidentialvote! By the way, do you have the full segment of this?

[SlayingMinion]

LOL, pause it at zero seconds in the beginning and the guys face is fckin funny

[xn117]

@SlayingMinion hahaha

[drfoxcourt]

Right or wrong, Christopher Hitchens thinks very hard about the consequences of the options presented. He is always worth hearing.

I don't think he has been right in every regard, but hearing him speak is a clarifying moment to anyone who employs sane, rational and honest thinking.

I hope he survives his cancer and goes on to expose the frauds of the world for many more years.

[caviper1]

I hope he gets well.... or I will truly miss this guy.

[SlayingMinion]

@caviper1 You will truly miss the guy.

[Teddybhoy32]

@philster61 ...and before you get picky and say I wasn't wrong - I only said he was oxford educated, you know what I mean. It is a false economy to state someone was oxford educated when it means very little especially given his award. People from certain backgrounds are predominately accepted into oxford, fact.

[AnotherMasterMind]

Wow. Classic articulate Hitchens wearing a badass leather jacket and his hair flowing in the wind. If he was smoking in this clip the world would freeze solid from the coolness.

[Teddybhoy32]

@AnotherMasterMind I take it you are either a woman or a gay man?

[OfLegend]

lol at Adam Boulton trying to shoehorn his hero David Cameron into a conversation about Obama.

[OfLegend]

lol at Adam Boulton trying to shoehorn his hero David Cameron into a conversation about Obama.

[babuwhite2010]

Thank you for uploading but why have you edited it so?

[latinojuan]

Thank you for posting this.

[metrx330]

How can Hitchens be a neo-con agent if he supports Obama? huh?

[OBAMAisHalfCaste]

Obama the first half-caste biracial mixed-race president not black

[Seasass]

@OBAMAisHalfCaste (**yawn**) ... and your point is ... ?

[OBAMAisHalfCaste]

@Seasass My point is that she should not be called black when he clearly is both black and white making him a half-caste man a biracial mixed-race so its not true and a lie to say he is black when infact he is not.

[OBAMAisHalfCaste]

@Seasass Its SICK.

[teufeldritch]

The other two men are bundled up against the cold & Hitch has his top button of his shirt unbuttoned & his jacket open. You can see the cold effects on the interviewer in how he holds his hands but Hitch? He shrugs it off as if it were nothing more than a slight breeze. Must be the Johnnie Walker keeping him warm.

[Vostoek]

A very terrific and beautifully flowing discussion, thank you very much for sharing.

And I've gotta say, Hitchens is one sexy mofo with his hair blowing in the wind as he simultaneously constructs eloquent sentences

[hotchoccolate23]

hitchens is a neo  con agent , fuck him

[TheAntinode]

Agreed

Thanks to the obama administration the so called "special" relationship is pretty much over between both government and now people.

[RightousJew]

This is true English dialogue. Pure unadulterated intellect.

[rudenoodle]

Make stoll on chest?

[blahblahhuh1]

I think this is the first time I've seen Hitchens in an outdoor coat!!!

[aweiss]

I love you Hitch, but lazzeiz faire is not dead!

[MannoMagic]

obama is just a puppet of the wall street like bush was a puppet of the oil industry...

obama said that he would end the war on terror IMMEDIATLY, close guantanamo IMMEDIATLY and save our nature...

nothing has been done.. he sent even more troops to iraq and afgahnistan

viva la revolucion

viva la anarchia

[Clyaton]

Lazzeiz faire means hands off 'let be'....  Spending the amount of money from Washington to Bush combined is not hands off at all man.

[aweiss]

not saying he isnt ruining america and isnt a douche im just saying the arguments for limited government arent dead as the brilliant(not sarcastic) hitchens posits.

[Clyaton]

All of hitchens views are just taken from a common sense stance, based on his opinions, just because he can articulate them in a way that people can relate to is not genius, it's merely persuasive speech 101, you think he doesn't have an idea what he's gonna say whenever he goes on tv? An accent and a chilled attitude after a couple bourbons doesn't make you intelligent.

[aweiss]

have you seen him debate? brilliant.

[philateliceun]

You talk too much

[philateliceun]

I agree with him 100%. Religion doesn't virtue tolerance. So why tolerate it?

[philateliceun]

What about the saying that Christ is the only way to salvation and that you can only enter the kingdom of heaven when you accept Jesus Christ as your savior? That doesn't sound very tolerating to me.

[Clyaton]

I agree, but I personally don't believe that, and many christians don't. My sister asked my grandfather that, converted to protestant after realizing the issues with catholicism.... Anywayz, he quoted some verses that imply that God has a way of approaching everybody, even if it's not through the bible, and it's up to each person to accept or deny God's offer, whatever that may be. I see it this way... If there is a God, and there is, he is perfect, and just, so he's got some way of dealing

[Clyaton]

Because you are just another asshole if you don't. I tolerate atheism, I live with one and we are very good friends. But an ignorant person like you it's hard to talk to. You have YOUR way, and I have MINE. But I'm open to ideas, the bible has been changed time and time again. There would only be one christian religion if it werent the case, so I believe that there is a God, and none of us know him near as well as we think we do. How did life start? I believe it was created basically.

[iSAW7]

Neither does humanity. So, why tolerate that?

[philateliceun]

explain please because humanity is such a vague and broad term. Do you mean people in general? Do you mean people in general don't virtue tolerance and therefor we shouldn't tolerate humanity?

[iSAW7]

Humanity - 4 : the human race : the totality of human beings.

My comment is just a play on your broad generalization.

[philateliceun]

And if you mean that humanity doesn't virtue tolerance, tolerance is not a goal of every human it still doesn't matter because there is no dogma within humanity. There is no text or rules that humanity requiers us to follow, unlike christianity. Humanity is not a dogmatic believe which says that believing it is the only way to avoid eternal torture.

[iSAW7]

Exactly. So, shouldn't we refuse to tolerate it as you stated?

"Religion doesn't virtue tolerance. So why tolerate it?"

Now who's really intolerant here?

[stemcgolf]

@iSAW7 Fine, tolerate intolerence then ;-)

[loftymuses]

@philateliceun I never knew virtue was a verb.

[GnosticAgnostic]

I know, the government keeps giving money to big corporations and giving them tax breaks. Let us strive towards laissez faire capitalism by ceasing governmental support of trickle down economics.

I actually just support a new New Deal. The government should raise taxes like hell and start providing health care and paying for college. Oh and the military budget can get cut in half.

[aweiss]

trickle down economics does not include giving specialized tax breaks or giving money away. That is liberal economics. Trickle down means a fair playing field with low taxes and no special deals and modifications.

Raising taxes would make getting a college degree worthless as you can't keep the money. Secondly, government provides health care for those who don't have it anyway. Third, there isn't a half to cut.

[GnosticAgnostic]

Of course giving tax breaks isn't part of Laissez faire econ. I said we should strive towards laissez faire econ be ceasing that activity.

education isn't about money, it's about learning. we spend more on military than anyone. and thank you for correcting me there are in fact two halves to every whole, making there exactly two halves of the military budget which could cease to exist.

[aweiss]

giving special breaks is not lazzaeiz faire and it is governemnt tweaking. Trickle down is lower rates and less exceptions.

Secondly, what is the purpose of education if not money. I knwo what youa re thinking but people mostly strive to get educated and expirience for money.

Third, what specific parts of the budget would you cut?

[killiney4444]

"Whether its Palestine, Pakistan India Kashmir Afghanistan border, Northern Ireland, Iraqi modern state - Each of these is the creation of British colonial policy. "

[TheLogicalTheist]

Christopher was right here. He called it.

[kksf1979]

i hate punctution/spelling warriors on youtube!

[philster61]

As Dawkins says, Anybody wishing to debate Chrisopher Hitchens,he advises to decline. As he is rarely matched let alone beaten. Hitchens could write the a best seller about debating. People seem to forget that he is Oxford educated and his debating skills are second to none.

[pakarpis]

I loved watching him debate on Fox. He

was still a gentleman but got his points across. Welcome to America Mr. Hitchens!

[mythicronus]

@philster61 Chomsky has debated hitchens. And Chomsky > Hitchens lol.

[Teddybhoy32]

@philster61 I agree he is a first class debater though he does sometimes resort to patronising people and insult rather than sticking to the facts. To state he is oxford educated is actually to his detriment. Even with the so-called best lecturers in oxford, he only achieved a third class degree. To state "people seem to forget" would indicate you know better, when in fact the you know little. A third class degree is nothing to brag about.

[philster61]

@Teddybhoy32 Einstein was a clerk when he wrote the Theory of Relativity. Would you say that he had nothing to brag about either. Hitchens had a 3rd class degree from Oxford. Being accepted into Oxford is something to brag about, even if only a little. Hitchens output since his days at Oxford is something many scholars could indeed brag about. Hitchens is still one of the most respected authors around.

[Teddybhoy32]

@philster61 Einstein??-please be relevant and stick to the point. I did not say anything about his books NOR what he has done since college so again stick to the point. I merely stated it is nothing to brag about gaining a third class degree from a world renowned university. That's it. One point. One issue. Therefore to state that one point is again to his detriment. Simple. It is not a more difficult degree at oxford, in fact with the staff there it should be easier to obtain. You were wrong.

[MrTruthAddict]

@Teddybhoy32 he doesn't resort to anything. He doesnt need to. he wins the debate based on facts. He only ridicules religious people and their beliefs because they are deserving of ridicule. You zealots would have us go back to the stone age if we let you.

[Teddybhoy32]

@MrTruthAddict "he doesn't resort to" then you say "he only ridicules"-make up your mind Einstein. Speaking on which where were the secular establishments when Hitler was persecuting the Jews?Einstein, who was a Jew, was dismayed at the lack of outcry-the Catholic church, whom he wasn't initially a fan was the only one who helped.You lot were too busy shitting yourselves. "Zealots"-rather be that than you cowards.Yet you say we deserve ridicule!Cowards the lot of you. You're also not too bright.

[MrTruthAddict]

Haha, you again huh? I can't figure out if you're not bright enough to get what I'm saying or if youre just playing dumb. I can never tell with you Jesus freaks. I tend to think its the latter. He doesn't need to "resort" to ridiculing you because he only does so after completely obliterating your feeble arguments in favor of the imaginary sky daddy.

[Teddybhoy32]

@MrTruthAddict "you again"- it was YOU who responded to me even though it was someone else I was corresponding with. Forget Jesus for a minute- you are just a freak. I see you haven't taken my point on at all. You know I'm right. If your own daddy gave you a cuddle more maybe you wouldn't be the mess you clearly are today.

[G4LVATRON]

@Teddybhoy32 hi. hitchens was an extremely active socialist, union personality and public speaker in general at oxford. hence his abilities... though his degree suffered in this! just a little bit of info for you. now if we want to slate oxbridge... at these universities you will actually be awarded a degree if you fail entirely! it is an honorary degree for prestige... which can be sneakily referenced on a CV! yours sincerely - bitter english prole

[Teddybhoy32]

@G4LVATRON Great post. the "bitter English prole" made me chuckle.

[Feargface]

@philster61 Who is Dawkins paraphrasing? If this is an original it's a personal best!

[abeeftec]

@philster61

Honestly I would love to debate him on Faith. For the reason that he consistently lumps them all together and they cannot be. Simply lumping them all together is a denial that only one can be correct if any are correct. He also has a very warped veiw of what the Bible means reading it as quotes instead of as it is intended. I have a ton of examples on his error in what scripture says but I do admit I can see where someone like him would get it wrong not looking into it thoroughly

[ZenShroud1]

@abeeftec It's rather obvious that you just...don't...get it.

[moroney1]

@philster61 Although i respect Hitchens, William Lane Craig definetly won the debate in that instance

[Guitarstring187]

spelling is jsut a willing ness to be anal and rememeber

[pakarpis]

Spelling is how you read what people are writing to u, yu, yew, and ewe. lol

[BackStache]

kinda like playing a guitar huh?

[Lingerfoot]

Plumber/Palin - 2012

[Lingerfoot]

Joe the Plumber - 2012

[influenza99]

I once saw Hitch debate AC Grayling over the practice of area bombing civilian populations. Hitch was arguing in the affirmative. Both Grayling and Hitch are awesome debaters and the end result was pretty much a tie IMO. But for Hitch to come out with a tie while defending such a seemingly crazy position was astounding.

[danno321s]

May sound crazy until you realize that in war the population is what backs the troops. Remove that support and the enemy loses.  This is the reason the USA carpet bombed Nazi Germany. This is also called removing hope.

[pcoldham]

I guess it just depends on your definition of debate. I enjoy Hitchens's carefully-parsed grand phrases very much, but the cost of coming out with them is often that they can be a bit boilerplate. His debates don't seem to evolve a lot -- though I guess that's the way it goes on these quickfire chats. I'm talking about Hitch generally now, not just above, and I could be wrong of course.

[pcoldham]

As usual of course, Hitch doesn't let the other guy get a word in edgeways. I would submit that he is a great orator but a poor debater. Any thoughts?

[phys1c]

This is edited and shortened...

Christopher Hitchens can debate with the best of them, he's crushed everyone so far.

[seansmythe2]

Hitchens is probably the best debator around, what you on about.

[weversonman]

You could say he's a master debater

[thesethreekings]

Hitchens is often described as a debater, but he's really a pundit of politics firstly and religion secondly. So his conversations doesn't require much evolution (not to say that that doens't happen), but mostly reveals some superb critical thinking, usually for the benifit of every single person around him.

[HRE]

"I would submit that he is a great orator but a poor debater. Any thoughts?"

^ Christopher Hitchens a poor debater? That's a very silly thing to say.

[LotharioCasanova]

He is a terible debator, just watch him against Tariq Ali or compare him to Richard Dawkins. He should learn to debate using facts. Mere pompous talk and emotional bs don't cut it as well as sweeeping statements. The god argument is easy, watch him fall over on geopolitics.

[jamianm]

Where does he fall on Geopolitics? I'm not being facetious... Id like to know his knowledge there

[LotharioCasanova]

His recommendations on dealing with terrorists by engaging them with military forces, declaring a war between civilizations, a lack of understanding of history (i.e. USA overthrowing democracy in Iran), black and white view of the world i.e. good vs. evil though he may recall that when he supported the Kosovans they were fighting with Al qaeda against the Serbs.

[LotharioCasanova]

His analysis is skin deep,hypocritical (support and training given to Al Qaeda in the 80's to battle Soviet's in Afghanistan),his reccommendations on tackling situations are ignorant and primitive i.e merely military engagement which which is like a broad sword attack against nits (terrorists) who require intelligence forces and a battle of ideas with supporting secular groups within islamic nations and dealing properly with Palestine reigning in both Islamic and Jewish fundamentalism (zionism)

[LotharioCasanova]

Just watch his debate with Tariq Ali to se how weak his knowledge of geopolitics is. He doesn't realise many of the regimes he criticises were put in by the old colonial powers or the USA for specific geopolitical dominance reasons. He eventually went down the path of emotional argument rather than rational argument and facts thus proving how weak his knowledge on the matter was as well as forfeiting his final points out of what I'd assume where no decent rebuttals but I'll let you decide.

[klindred]

You call him a terrible debator but i would like to see you debate him in a recorded one on one. You say he needs to learn to use facts in his debates as if he uses myths. You acuse him of having mere pompous talk and emotional outbursts which simply means you know nothing about intelligence and rationality. And you say the god "argument" is easy without explaining how this can be. I don't believe you know a damn thing you are talking about.

[LotharioCasanova]

Richard Dawkins wrote 400 pages in the god delusion, I think you can give me a break in not wanting to condense that to 500 characters. The arguements were simple but they take a lot of words to fleshout. Just watch him against Tariq Ali and you'll see your hero fall apart. I may not make arguments as eloquently as Hitchens but on geopolitics I think I could take him on- that's how bad he is on it.

He uses half truths and plays on emotions rather than goes to the core reasons for terrorism.

[Belegaer]

Don't think so.

[iyork]

When one debates, they are not debating the person or group representing the opposite idea. When one debates they are debating the preconceived notions of the audience. Rhetoric focuses on audience.

[tintintabulations]

I'd have liked to have seen the whole thing!

Why are so many Brits afraid of Obama? The "special relationship" is not going anywhere.

[kkca1129]

i was there i was n the sercuirty car !!! in the parade

[leeranaka]

i do wonder why they had to sit outside in the bloody cold. its not like they were close to the action... it's a completely pointless act... oh well. Does Hitch look older and worse to anyone else? As much as I love some of his rhetoric, he needs to take better care of himself or no self respecting man will ever give him tongue.

[todaysprogramming]

what do you expect? the guy's been a wreck ever since he quit smoking...

[jameswp266]

on what basis do u say that? he does seem to have put on weight. He should take up chewing gum, apparently it helps the comfort eating that ex smokers have. He does look older, but he is nearly 60...

[billhicks8]

I don't think Christopher looks bad at all considering he was friends with Kingsley Amis, who must have been the definitive heavy drinking upper-class statesmen. I would have suggested some whiskey for Hitch if he has to sit outside on a rooftop however...

[MistytheCat123456]

ty for uploading :)

[Soundgarden4eva]

I was at work when this was aired. Thanks for posting it. I'd love to see more of Chris on Sky News.

[Elcristoph]

I cant belive I missed this on sky...thanks for posting:)

[shikagonga]

Blood, Class & Empire by Hitchens is a terrific read. Love the way he slaughters the William Buckley types

[jimdidr]

Yes, thank you for this.

[presidentialvote]

You're welcome

[lord69z]

Hitchens in a leather coat - somehow im not surprised.

Reminds me of my dad - a fat drinker whos coast smells like cigarettes :D

[Elcristoph]

lol

[danno321s]

And you can't spell. His level of intelligence must be beyond your grasp.

[danno321s]

Is that what I stated? No. I simply pointed out a texter that babbles mindlessly away.

[EpicHiroDJ]

thanks for this...

[presidentialvote]

You're welcome!