Don’t Mess With Wisconsin

By Christopher Hitchens

"The governor of Wisconsin evidently speaks in a more unbuttoned fashion than usual when he thinks he is talking to David Koch. Hoaxed into believing that it was the libertarian moneybags on the line, Scott Walker allowed the actual caller (a near-incredulous Ian Murphy of BuffaloBeast.com) to ask him about the possible use of agents provocateurs to discredit the union protestors in the capital of his state:"

 Read More (Vanity Fair)

Our Man in Pakistan

The dreadful treatment of Raymond Davis is a reminder of how dysfunctional our relationship with Pakistan has become.
By Christopher Hitchens

"In April 2001, a Pakistani diplomat—the first secretary of the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal, as a matter of fact—was found by the Nepalese police to be stashing a large cache of sophisticated high explosives in his home. Muhammad Arshad Cheema invoked diplomatic immunity to avoid prosecution and, after a short interval, was sent home"
Read More http://www.slate.com/id/2286722/

Dialogue with civility: Religion and God

Colorado State University

The debate over religion and its impact on society
Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D’Souza will engage each other in a rousing debate about religion and their respective thoughts on the consequences of religious faith on society. The world renowned authors will discuss their viewpoints on Tuesday, April 5, 2011 in the Lory Student Center Main Ballrooms at 7 p.m.

More Info: http://events.colostate.edu/event_view.asp?EID=34503&ID=7&cTYPE=1&month=4&year=2011&cate

The Great Faith Debate - Hitchens vs D'Souza

Feb 16, 2011. Christopher Hitchens debated Dinesh D'Souza at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts. 

KGO Newstalk AM810:

"We are airing the Great Faith Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D’Souza that was held last Wednesday to a full house at the Lesher Center for the Arts. The only editing of this exchange was for its public broadcast, and this included the removal of all inappropriate terminology. Apart from that, the entire discussion is presented for the first time on radio during the final two hours of “God Talk” this Sunday. For each segment I (moderator Brent Walters) will supply the atmosphere and behind the scenes setting and will close with my overall impression of the debate."

Listen/download the debate on archive.org:

http://www.archive.org/details/TheGreatFaithDebate-ChristopherHitchensVsDineshDsouza

A conversation with Christopher Hitchens: How Pittsburgh Made Me

Pitt professor Colin MacCabe talks to his longtime friend about the subtle influences of Pittsburgh over the years.

"In April of last year I drove down to stay with my old friend Christopher Hitchens in Washington. He had just received press copies of his memoir "Hitch-22" and I stayed up all night reading it. The next morning I told him that the first two chapters on his mother and father were among the most affecting prose that I had ever read in English."
Read more (post-gazette.com)

First published on February 27, 2011

Is Barack Obama Secretly Swiss?

The administration's pathetic, dithering response to the Arab uprisings has been both cynical and naive.
By Christopher Hitchens

"However meanly and grudgingly, even the new Republican speaker has now conceded that the president is Hawaiian-born and some kind of Christian. So let's hope that's the end of all that. A more pressing question now obtrudes itself: Is Barack Obama secretly Swiss?"
Read More (Slate)

Afterlife Debate

UPDATE: Links to the debate

Watch http://www.jewishtvnetwork.com/?bcpid=533363107&bctid=802338105001

Watch/Download http://www.archive.org/details/AfterlifeDebateWChristopherHitchensSamHarrisRabbiDavidWolpeAnd 

Download http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d14/unsecured/media/78129449/78129449_802442685001_afterlife1.flv

Feb 15, 2011, Los Angeles, CA. Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris debated Rabbi David Wolpe and Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson in a panel discussion. The topic: "Is there an afterlife?" Moderated by Rob Eshman.

Afterlife Debate Clips and Audio

A couple of clips of Christopher and Sam uploaded by retroprodigy40
 

Jewish Journal has two audio clips from the debate (20/24 min) http://www.jewishjournal.com/bloggish/item/hitchens_wolpe_harris_artsen_and_the_afterlife_excerpts_20110222/

Unfortunately poor audio quality.

Hitchens, Wolpe, Harris, Artson and the Afterlife [EXCERPTS]

By Rob Eshman

"Last week, I took a break from all the news and cares of this life to spend a couple of hours thinking about the next one. My role was to serve as moderator in a discussion entitled, “Is There an Afterlife?” featuring two rabbis, David Wolpe and Bradley Shavit Artson, and two atheists, Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith, and Christopher Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great."

Read More (JewishJournal.com)

2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalists announced

Los Angeles Times

Contrarian social critic Christopher Hitchens, rocker Patti Smith and novelist Jonathan Franzen are among the finalists for the 2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, it was announced Tuesday. The 31st annual prizes will be awarded at a ceremony at The Times on April 29.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/02/latimes-2010-book-prize-finalists.html

The King's Speech Revisited

The movie's screenwriter goes too far in defending his version of history.
By Christopher Hitchens

"Brush even a fingertip against the balloon of Hollywood ambition and prize-mania, and it can burst with gratifying speed, emitting huge gusts of narcissism and megalomania. Ever since I, and one or two others, published some criticisms of The King's Speech, there has been a lovely value-for-money response of outraged ego." Read More (Slate)

Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris Debate Rabbis David Wolpe and Shavit Artson

Jewish Current Issues have a couple of clips from the debate. Appearantly there's more to come. Watch them here.

Landon Ross attended the debate "Is There an Afterlife?"

"Hitchens entered last, to a frenzied ovation I felt was a clear tribute to the man, and not an obligatory sympathy of any kind. My feeling is that a large portion of the crowd, if not a majority, was there to see him. That was certainly true for myself - any question of an afterlife having long been settled."
 Read More (The Rational Ape)




While we're on the subject: http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/burtlikko/2011/02/16/afterlife-as-an-afterthought/

and..

Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris debate intro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcc6vkeTByY

Post - Faith Debate Notes

Walnut Creek Patch:

Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza Say What's So Great About God, Feb 16, 2011

“There’s an inner voice," he said. "In a world dominated by fear and chaos, people manage to keep their heads. If we didn’t have solidarity, we would not have lived this long. It’s not divine; it’s evolutionary consciousness.” Read More

From lesherspeakerseries:

 - Thanks to all who came to tonight's Faith Debate. It seemed like there was a great vibe at the center, and I hope the program justified it. It certainly did for me. I think it was one of our best- substantive, educational funny and at times poignant.

"We received permission from both participants to record tonight's program. Excerpts of it will be replayed on Brent Walters' God Talk on KGO. Whether it is done this Sunday or next will depend on the speed of the editing process. I will update this blog when we have the slot confirmed. You can also check back on the KGO site at http://www.kgoam810.com/Sectional.asp?id=32111

More: http://blog.lesherspeakerseries.org/2011/02/16/post-faith-debate-notes.aspx

Baseless Words - or: A Little Coaching for Christopher Hitchens

By Thomas Ruttig

"A reply to Chistopher Hitchens’ under-researched rant against what he calls the human rights ‘activists’ community that ‘finally notices the Taliban's war crimes’. AAN’s senior analyst Thomas Ruttig points to some reports that show how far this is from truth."

Read More http://www.aan-afghanistan.org/index.asp?id=1502

News Flash: The Taliban Violate Human Rights

The human rights community finally notices the Taliban's war crimes.
By Christopher Hitchens

"Even in a week that concentrated all eyes on the magnificent courage and maturity of the people of Cairo, a report from Kabul began with what must surely be the most jaw-dropping opening paragraph of the year. Under the byline of the excellent Rod Nordland, the New York Times reported:"

Read More (Slate)

From Berlin to bin Laden

A history of the Baghdad Express illuminates the resilience of politicized Islam.
By Christopher Hitchens

"FEW MOMENTS IN the annals of derring-do will surpass the one at the opening of John Buchan’s Greenmantle (1916) when Sir Walter Bullivant explains the Ottoman side of the Great War to Richard Hannay.."

Read More (The Atlantic)

Would America Have Been Better Off Without a Reagan Presidency?

His simple-mindedness had a touch of genius to it.

By Christopher Hitchens

"The centennial memoir of his famous parent by Ron Reagan (My Father at 100), which at first sight looks as slight as its author, is better than many press reports might suggest."

 Read More (Slate)

Lost in Translation

Free Inquiry, Feb/March 2011
By Christopher Hitchens

"One of the pleasures of trying to keep up with the twists and turns of the religious worldview is noticing the convolutions that this view keeps inflicting upon itself. Last November brought news of two small but significant developments of this kind, both tending to vindicate the essential atheist or materialist contention that religion is man-made."

Read More http://secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=fi&page=hitchens_lost

The Thank Hitchens Project

The Michigan Skeptics Association needs video clips..

"We need you to record a video of yourself or your group saying thanks to Hitch. You can say anything you want and long as it’s some type of thank you."

"Don’t say good bye or anything like that. This isn’t a memorial. He’s not dead."

More Info http://www.miskeptics.org/thank-hitch/