Christopher Hitchens versus Ritter: Iraq War debate PART 5

Christopher Hitchens and Scott Ritter duke it out over the Iraq war. ca 2006. Part 5

Ritter proves himself to be Hitchens' most formidable opponent in the Iraq war debates. He was intimately involved in the Gulf war, and in the events leading up to the Iraq war. He gives a very detailed account of the contradictions and hypocrisies of US policy toward Iraq. Hitchens largely agrees, but draws a different conclusion.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Christopher
• Hitchens
• Scott
• Ritter
• Iraq
• war
• terrorism
• WMD
• George
• Bush
• Dick
• Cheney
• Saddam
• Hussein
• UN
• weapons
• inspectors
• Kurdistan
• Kuwait
• Kanan
• Makiya
• Gulf
• War
• Al
• Qaeda

[truestefq]

It boils down to the "Pilates-wager":

can we wash our hands in innocence?

Ritter says (like Kissinger): yes - we live in an anarchical state-world, national security trumps everything, morality ends at the border of the US- the rest is strategy.

Hitchens says: no, we have certain moral obligations to people everywhere and have to evaluate the situation and our position accordingly. So if we "wash our hands in innocence" we are just accomplices of evil.

[boobiecats]

Wow, I think this is the best opponent Hitchens has ever had in a debate.  Really a pleasure to listen to!

[Territomauvais]

@dingane Our policy of appeasement (and sometimes to our shame, support) and coexistence with Saddam Hussein has been the core of all we've done wrong.

Removing Saddam in 1991 or 1987 would have saved MILLIONS and MILLIONS of lives.

[dingane]

@truestefq Which policy resulted in more dead Iraqis? More dead Americans? More property destroyed, more lives ruined?

Which one is therefore more evil?

[Anomalous59]

Try as I might, I don't understand the point that Ritter makes in the beginning of this video. He continuously argues that it was clear that all Iraqi nuclear material had been discarded at the time of the US invasion, and then suddenly he, aggressively, makes the case that Iraq had been lying very grievously about their reports as in June, 1991, a convoy of WMDs was found.

This seems to contradict his own case profoundly, and I do not understand why he presents it as an argument in his favour.

[Jmsadv]

@6ganey9 If I could out do Mr. Hitchens and RItter on this subject. Then you would be commenting on my public debates and speaking engagements or maybe just telling others " Hey you should check this guy out" and when they don't agree with you or obey your request, you can just mock them like you have with me. Cheers!

[Jmsadv]

@6ganey9 Why should I raise the bar in this discussion when you have done nothing but promote Jon Stewart. Are you on his payroll? Their nothing wrong with being Jon's lackie but you need to be honest about this. I myself am a private citizen and will not obey your's or even Jon's commands. I don't care what you think about my intelligence. Maybe this YTube channel is everything for you, maybe you crave positive feedback on your I.Q. from the YTube community. How much does Jon pay you?

[6ganey9]

@Jmsadv it's to bad you didn't watch it. maybe then you would have something new (and intelligent) to say on the issue. if you know ANY of the history of U.S. and european colonialism and imperialism make your case there. "...sucking jon stewarts dick". Really j-sad, Really? if you EVER want to be seen as "smart enough" you WILL have to exhibit greater rhetorical skills than a 12 yr old. ciao!

[Jmsadv]

@6ganey9 I don't need the Daily show or even the straight media on how to think. I can do the work myself and come to my own conclusion. So go ahead Ganey and keep sucking Jon Stewarts dick. The only pollyanna is you and your reliance on overpaid host like Mr. Stewart. Start thinking for yourself or just start thinking and you pulled the old " Your not smart enough line" Really 6Ganey9, Really? Oh and the oppressed still disagree with you and so do I, Cheers!

[6ganey9]

@Jmsadv - your naivete apparently doesn't allow you to grasp some larger, unpleasant truths. watch the hilarious, while also spot-on, Daily Show "freedom package" segment of mar 21. as is usual, the underlying hypocrisy and self-interest of U.S. foreign policy is exposed there far better than in the "straight" media. if you can't get my point after that then you are just a hopeless pollyanna.

[Jmsadv]

@6ganey9 Don't worry 6ganey9.. Soon the rebels of Libya will be dead and you talk of justice. WTF?

[6ganey9]

@Jmsadv as history has shown, and is not to difficult to foresee in libya, the "oppressed" have a distressing way of becoming the oppressor. an imperialist power, as the U.S. has become, will inevitably, eventually, base it's "support" on advantage, not justice.