Free Radical : Christopher Hitchens interview

Reason Magazine ^ | Nov. 2001 | Rhys Southan

[Free the USA]

A big bump for Hitchens. One of the few lefties willing to call a spade a spade instead of twisting principles to defend Clintoon.

[balrog666]

Hitchens is an unadulterated genius and I don't say that lightly. Unfortunately, he has bent that genius to perpetuate his own socialist (liberal) ideology instead of questioning it and examining its source and nature. I hope that someday he will transcend his own nature and achieve the libertarian enlightenment that would so enrich both his own life and ours.

[YaYa123]

And some folks on the right wonder why other folks on the right admire C.Hitchens.

This works for me:
"Hitchens’ willingness to put moral principles before political alliances has earned him the wrath of ideological compatriots."

[Alberta's Child]

I have never been a big fan of Hitchens, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for him because his attitudes are rooted in a clear, consistent group of principles. The following statement was the most remarkable observation in this piece:

. . . I’d say that libertarianism often feels like an optional philosophy for citizens in societies or cultures that are already developed or prosperous or stable.

While this pretty much sums up the death of liberalism among intelligent people in the U.S. in the 1990s:

The world of Gloria Steinem and Jesse Jackson, let’s say, has all been, though it doesn’t realize it, hopelessly compromised by selling out to Clintonism.

[Cicero]

His "thoughtful, provocative" critique of Mother Teresa was an abomination. It was truly stupid.

Like many clever people, Hitchens is admirable when he hits the right target. But great cleverness is not the same thing as true wisdom. Alhough he sometimes gets things right, just as often you will find him somewhere far out in left field, chasing imaginary demons.

[Moridin]

Very interesting; Hitchens has an outstanding knack for getting his ideas across. Thanks for posting this.

[The Shootist]

Read this early this morning. Good interview. Hitchens is easily my favorite liberal. One of the few who has actually thought out his politics and uses logic to cement his arguments.

You will never hear him say something like, "It's for the children".

[lizma]

And I must say it both startles and depresses me that an authoritarian majoritarianism of that kind can have made such great strides in America, almost unopposed.

Well he's got that right, but his firm belief in the Marxist "utopian" smacks me as elitist and ego-centric.

Give me Burke over this guy anyday.

[jodorowsky]

If you like Hitchens, there are a couple of recent Real Audio video interviews/discussions in the Uncommon Knowledge series:

• one with the great Robert Conquest on THE RAVAGED CENTURY: A Look Back at the Twentieth Century
• another with tiresome Clintonist Hendrik Hertzberg on DON’T STOP THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW: The Clinton Legacy There are other episodes featuring him at the same site on topics including the Spanish Civil War and the European Union...

[Paradox]

While you may not agree with Hitchens all the time, you have to admire him for sticking to his guns, and realizing the vacuity of the left. He is right on the money about the left being "Clintonized". He was AWESOME as a talking head, bashing the Clintonistas.

He is one of the few "honest" liberals out there, with whom you could probably have an honest debate with. That alone makes him a refreshing voice from the liberal camp.

[McTex]

If you like Chris Hitchens then you will love his brother - the true genius in the family. He's a conservative and utterly brilliant. Sorry, but his name escapes me.

[ishmac]

I agree. Hitchens is devilishly articulate. You'll rarely hear any tripe escape his mouth--with the exception of his attack on Mother Theresa, which was truely villainous.

[janus]

Then there’s the question of whether or not people can be made by government to behave better. They can certainly be made to behave worse; fascism is the proof of that, and so is Stalinism

He's still a hypocrite. Even here where he makes his attack on the philosophy of fascism, but lets socialism off the hook by only accusing the Stalinist form.

[jodorowsky]

He's a bit more nuanced than you might think from this quote. The video interview I link to at post 10 goes right into it. Though you know, he never does directly answer the direct question:

Peter Robinson: But would you say then, Christopher, I'll put it a little bit crudely but it's television, would you say then that the Soviet state was a good idea gone awry or a good idea captured by Stalin and Brute (sic -- jodorowsky). That is to say, had things turned out differently, had Trotsky risen to power instead of Stalin that the communist revolution might, in fact, have been commendable or are the ideas, in and of themselves, so distorted and so mistaken that the whole thing was bound to spin out very badly?

[beckett]

Fascinating. I had no idea Hitchens was referring to himself as a "recovering Marxist" these days. There's hope for the old boy yet.

[beckett]

His "thoughtful, provocative" critique of Mother Teresa was an abomination. It was truly stupid.

Like many clever people, Hitchens is admirable when he hits the right target. But great cleverness is not the same thing as true wisdom. Alhough he sometimes gets things right, just as often you will find him somewhere far out in left field, chasing imaginary demons.

Nicely articulated point. I agree. I also think that although one day he may find himself, as a "recovering Marxist," having a few beers with Virginia Postrel and maybe a few Objectivists, I'd be stunned and amazed if we ever hear of him lighting candles in church.

[FReethesheeples]

Hitchens is a fun guy.

He's also fun to talk to.

Good for him, he's evolving.

[MHGinTN]

WOW! Thanx for the links; you've made my evening getting to listen to Chris expound.

[MHGinTN]

Does Christopher actually drink beer?... Seems a bit too tame.