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Christopher Hitchens

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kennas said:
I don't know who this guy is, or even if he is dead yet, but.....

he'll be even more sadly missed by his family and friends who have watched him die a slow and painful and selfish death by smoking and whisky. Those people who commit themselves to such a death and explain it away as 'my choice' are simply addicts who can not, or are not willing to, do what is better for their most important connections. No sympathy whatsoever except for the people he has made suffer after he has turned to dust.

:2twocents
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Kennas, you are ignoring the immense contribution he has made to the intellectual global capital. If he chose to shorten his life by his use of nicotine and alcohol, so be it.
He was more than intellectually capable of making what was to him a rational choice.

He may die earlier than if he had eschewed such compounds. However, he will have in his lifespan, whatever it might be, have contributed more than thousands of others collectively.

Let's judge our lives by their quality, not their quantity.
 
kennas said:
I don't know who this guy is, or even if he is dead yet, but.....

he'll be even more sadly missed by his family and friends who have watched him die a slow and painful and selfish death by smoking and whisky. Those people who commit themselves to such a death and explain it away as 'my choice' are simply addicts who can not, or are not willing to, do what is better for their most important connections. No sympathy whatsoever except for the people he has made suffer after he has turned to dust.

:2twocents
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He made his choices and lived and will die by them, i also have little sympathy for Chris...i've enjoyed watching him on tv and marvelled at his opinions, answers and intellect...and when he's gone ill miss him.

Planet Earth will be a poorer place with him not in it.
 
He is not alone in making lifestyle choices that shorten life and high intellect and creative people seem to be disproportionately represented in this group.....

But for me that is not the issue here. I never ceased to marvel at his intellect and more significantly, his ability to articulate his views. Perhaps as GG says, they are the common person's views put more cleverly but I think he was much more than that. And now of course for many, his very publicly stated convictions are being put on trial with his imminent and predictable death.
 
Garpal Gumnut said:
I've read a fair few articles by him, since you first posted Julia, I reckon I'll buy his latest book now.

gg
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His writing is beautiful and powerful but for me it's listening to him speak on a topic that rams home his worth as an intellectual.
 
kennas said:
I don't know who this guy is, or even if he is dead yet, but.....

he'll be even more sadly missed by his family and friends who have watched him die a slow and painful and selfish death by smoking and whisky. Those people who commit themselves to such a death and explain it away as 'my choice' are simply addicts who can not, or are not willing to, do what is better for their most important connections. No sympathy whatsoever except for the people he has made suffer after he has turned to dust.

:2twocents
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There's a classic cartoon of two decrepit old folks sat around in the old folk's home

One says to the other:

"Just think, if we hadn't have given up smoking and drinking all those years ago, we'd have missed all this..."
 
Punta said:
There's a classic cartoon of two decrepit old folks sat around in the old folk's home

One says to the other:

"Just think, if we hadn't have given up smoking and drinking all those years ago, we'd have missed all this..."
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A very apt sentiment, Punta.
Christopher Hitchens contributed more to the intellectual benefit of the world than most people manage in a thousand times his abbreviated lifetime.
Vale Christopher Hitchens.
 
I'll never forget his performance on Tony Jones Q&A, when he took on the rest of the panel and seemingly most of the audience, he was too good for all of them.
 
Sad to hear of his passing, I too was a fan of his. I agreed with most of his political views, less so his views on God and religion. What I did like about him though was that he never belittled those who believe in God in the sneering way way that Richard Dawkins does, he simply articulated his arguments in a logical and calm way and I greatly respected that attitude.

As for him smoking and drinking whiskey being selfish I don't agree. Maybe if he had given these up he wouldn't have been the same person and we and his family may have missed out the great man that he was. We are all human and as such have our flaws and frailties, those of us left behind have to learn to cope with that reality.
 
Julia said:
Many will be aware that this public intellectual (and very public atheist) has oesophageal cancer and is facing an early death.

Tony Jones (for once) did a great interview with Christopher Hitchens on Lateline last night, where Hitchens - as only he could - outlines his current situation in response to empathic questions from Jones. It was a rare example of genuine rapport between interviewer and interviewee.

The second part of the interview airs this evening on Lateline at 10.30 pm.
It's not often we get stuff of this quality.
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Here is a 7:30 Report Interview. Not sure if it's the same one Julia, but interesting non-the-less
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3393067.htm
 
I spent a couple of hours yesterday watching him on utube ( do a search there are many good clips of him at work). A fantastic intellect and abilty to make his point clearly. So acutely aware of the communicational tactics of political/religious spin doctors and holds people to account beautifully. Great to watch and learn from.
 
I do not hold to many things that Hitchins says. Hitchins is a public Atheist, with a great intellect who tried to apply his intellect to philosophy of reality, creation, God etc.

Though I do not agree with many of his views, and find that at times his philosophy is more ego driven than philosophical - it will surely be a sad day when this man goes.

Perhaps it is worthy of prayer for intervention. Though I haven't heard of any cases where God intervenes to offer a prolonged life, perhaps some quality to the rest of his life is a gift enough.

I basically don't believe 60 percent of hitchins Atheistic philosophy, so perhaps when he does cross over into the unknown, he is welcomed. I pray that when anyone and everyone, and thing, cross into the unknown - we are all welcomed.

Spare a thought or prayer for Chris.
 
LostMyShirt said:
Though I do not agree with many of his views, and find that at times his philosophy is more ego driven than philosophical - it will surely be a sad day when this man goes.
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Um, "when this man goes"??? Sadly for humanity, he has already gone!
Where have you been the last few days?
 
Some of his material reminds me of Bill Hicks, another intellectual who spent his whole life being angry at the world.

I wonder if being angry at the world all the time makes you sick? Everyone already knows politicians are f##ktards, bankers are c##ts, lawyers not much better, man is destroying the planet with wars and pollution, and man's perverted interpretations of religion are causing misery. People know that!

Maybe better just to accept all these things as they are. Fighting against it doesn't cause it to go away, after all.
 
Fair enough point GB. But I like that there are a few that oppose these things so intelligently that it must at least slow down the rot and at the same time create pockets of reason.
 
Anyone else catch the repeat last night of Jennifer Byrnes interview with Christopher on ABC1? She was talking to him about his book, "Hitch 22". Worth it to see her jaw drop when he told her that he didn't think women should have to work :D .
 
Heard Phillip Adams talk about him last night.

He stated that he greatly respected him as a person and a friend who agreed with him on nearly everything. (Thought of you, Julia, when he said that).
 
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