Christopher's statement "I have been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me. I regret having had to cancel so many engagements at such short notice". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/30/christopher-hitchens-canc_n_631429.html Esophageal cancer (Wikipedia)
What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.
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81 comments:
Somehow you'll beat it you old dog. Start an argument with it and it'll be out the door in two minutes.
nooooooo, I was starting to love him more than Dawkins T_T
; ) ... hadn't thought of that. Wish it were that easy.... his continued existence is highly valued by many ... prognosis doesn't sound good if it's chemo and not surgery though ... I hope they're wrong. I really hope they're wrong.
Want to thank you for having this blog Tom. I just found it recently and I'm glad to have somewhere to 'vent' if you will. Not sure if that's the word I'm looking for ... it's the only one I can think of at the moment. Thanks again ... let's all hope we'll have things to talk about for quite some time .... yeah ... let's all hope that...
From his statement I get the feeling that the cancellations really bothers him.
I honestly hope he's in shipshape asap
Positive thinking, he's not buried yet. More and more people survive cancer these days. Trust the doctors.
I knew it...Damn. Well, if mind set counts for anything, I'm sure Christopher will exploit it to it's fullest extent.
I really hope it works out for him. The treatment section of the page linked to above is very scary.
Sad day indeed. I was certain that he was having heart trouble. This sounds much worse. But I must agree with Tom. The old man will argue his cancer out of existence. Then again, although we may be fairly certain that god is not, cancer most certainly is. Tough days await the most important journalist alive, and I wish him the absolute best.
Horribly depressing news. It feels like a kick in the stomach to all those of us who, not only appreciate the Hitch's arguments, but value him as a deeply moral character in a time when mediocrity and clinging to the shore is often celebrated over courage in the field of argument and debate.
I met him a few weeks ago. What a really nice guy.
All the best in your latest struggle Christopher.
And I just finished reading (actually listening to) Hitch-22 last night.
It's a shame that he's suffering from the side-effects of his addiction (cigarettes), but no one's perfect. Let's hope he makes it through okay.
Terrible news. The Hitch has been a source of much guidance, not only through his moral courage and intellectual integrity, but also by introducing me to a wider range of writers and thinkers.
Best of luck Christopher - fight the bastard off.
Not a nice read at merck.com:
The two leading risk factors for esophageal cancer: Cigarettes and alcohol.
Because esophageal cancer usually is not diagnosed until the disease has spread, the death rate is high. Fewer than 5% of people survive more than 5 years. Many die within a year of noticing the first symptoms. Because nearly all cases of esophageal cancer are fatal, the doctor’s main objective is to control symptoms, especially pain and the inability to swallow, which can be very frightening to the person and loved ones.
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch131/ch131c.html
Crikey look at these ghools!
Don't look at it though!
http://christopherhitchenswatch.blogspot.com/2010/06/dead-man-walking.html
I hope this doesn't punctuate his point(concerning the timing of his memoir). "Well you can't write one too late. Can you?"
That tumor in his throat picked the wrong fight.
christopherhitchenswatch
What a ridiculous page..they accuse him of being for instance hateful against the catholic church but what the website themselves write about just one person is much worse.
And they don't allow comments, another sign of people with weak arguments.
This is a VERY serious condition..potentially life shortening. He apparently exhibited difficluty breathing, which is an indication it may have spread-My mother went through chemo and radiation for her cancer- she lived, but the treatment had terrible side effects- it aged her about 30 years and made her unable to swallow or injest solid food anymore ....
No doubt the Hitchenswatch people are all smiles at this sad news...
Christopher is in for a major change in his life- for one thing, drinking alchohol will feel like awallowing acid....Chemo and radiation brings of sickness and nausai on a level most people can't comprehend..
I hope Christopher will rally- but this is very major...
The Hitchens Watch people are just a sick lot who have an obsession and hatred for the MAN which has nothing at all to do with what he says or thinks. (They disagree with him on EVERYTHING - it doesn't matter what he is saying). They are sick and obsessed. Tastelss. The complete opposite of Hitchens.
Good luck Mr. Hitchens. Best Wishes.
Fuck! Bad news.
Yes, it's an extremely grave and upsetting diagnosis. But never forget--medicine is an art. They don't know. One thing I do know, however, is that CH is incredibly strong willed, disciplined and resilient. I am fully confident that if anyone can beat the odds, it will be him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uHL1aFpb4
2:13 seconds of the Great man.
A tribute [for those who have missed it]
To People who say they hope for the best, Senneca says prepare for the worst. I have hopes and fears for Christopher's life. He has had a very intresting life and shared it with those who took notice.
I'm sad,MexxPowers
OT: But I would need to get my hands on Why Orwell Matters quickly. I have it ordered since 3 weeks and I still haven't received it.
Any tips? PDF format would be great..
This is dreadful news.
Don't anyone get too worked up by those imbeciles at the "Watch" website. If you look carefully, you'll see that all the positive reader responses (and in fact, most of the responses, period) are written by the same 9 people listed on the "Contributors List."
In other words, it's a _very_ small club that outsiders only stumble over by accident, and when they do, they're repulsed.
One word : Gutted!
i wasnt that depressed untill i read the post about only 5% surviving more than 5 years, and most dying in one. Very depressing.
Hopefully history will hold the his works up there with the greats.
Lets hope Hitchens money lets him get the best care.
Excuse me, but these comments are NOT fit for true admirers of the Hitch. Geez, you people are acting like he's already gone. WET I tell you WET.
How about developing a little steel in the backbone, and writing a few fighting words instead. People do beat cancer. Indeed, 5 out of 100 beat esophageal cancer. And if anyone has a shot, it's our pepetually pissed-off, hard- headed, CH.
If you think for a minute that he's not going to live to write Henry Kissinger's obituary, you're kidding yourselves.
So put on your wellies and help CH kick ass, instead of talking about how sad "you" are.
Hope for the best, but be realists. I've had several family memebrs deal with cancer- some fought and won, others lost.
He has a major battle ahead of him, but survival often hinges on how badly a person wants to live. Odds are he'll wind up with a stomach tube. My mum had stage 4 thyroid cancer 4 years ago- they gave her 6 months. Not only did she endure the treatment, she is now cancer free, and still alive and kicking. A great therapy for hitch might be to throw himself headlong into writing..
While there is now a pit in my stomach for only being 22 years old and having not ever seen Christopher live in debate, I agree with Anonymous in that we should all look forward to Hitchens "getting his trousers off" again.
Excuse me Tarn, but eventually we ALL LOSE. And we'll all be dead for a long long time.
All the more reason to fight like hell.
Yes it's true, CH may end up losing the ability to eat normally. But he'll still have the ability to think and write, and he'll the love of his family and his many many friends.
That's plenty to live for.
So let's concentrate on LIFE. We don't need morbid reminders of what might happen blah blah blah. We've all "lost" loved ones to cancer. No need for reminders now. Frankly it's boring and unnecesary.
" We don't need morbid reminders of what might happen blah blah blah."
Hey jackass, I know cancer very well- I know people have beaten it, as well as some who did not-but it is not the stroll in the park you seem to think it is.
Hitch is a strong person and I know he will give his all to beat this- I've known people with the exact kind of cancer Hitch has, and I have a hunch you have zero idea what his treatement will involve.
I know he will give his all- He is not lacking in friends, family, supporters, or resourses, so there are many factors in his favor to help him in his recovery.
of course we could be like you and stick our heads in the sand and pretend cancer is no big deal...
Idiot.
I sincerly wish Christopher Hitchens a very long healthy, happy and productive life.
Excuse me anonymous but one of the main things I admire Christopher for is his use of reality. Unfortunately the reality of this situation isn't as wonderful as you appear to want us to espouse. Yes, I want him to be among the 5% who survive past 5 years but ... I have also seen the videos of recent appearances - something has been 'wrong' for awhile now - whether you like that or not.
I believe that Christopher, of all people, know that the only way to effectively handle reality is to accept it and that you cannot move past it until you do.
Do not tell me what I should be feeling. I repeat - DO NOT tell me how I should be feeling or how I should be expressing it. If you do not like what we are saying - don't read us - if you don't like how we are saying it - don't read us - but don't climb up on a high horse and tell us how we should be feeling and speaking.
I for one prefer to deal with the real world. Reality fucking sucks at the moment (sorry if language offends anyone here - though if you're a fan of Christopher's it shouldn't ; ) ). If I choose to express how much I think it fucking sucks - that is what these types of places are for after all. No one is saying he has nothing to live for - our expressing our dismay isn't going to make this any easier or harder for him - he will probably never see it whether he lives 1 year or 100 years.
I really resent being told that I am not fit to admire Christopher by someone who seems to not like the messy side of life and wants us to shut up about it.
Don't tell me how to feel ...
Okay - I'll stop ranting now....
I'm not an idiot. I happen to be a health care professional who has cared for more than a few with cancer. And I know that the greatest battle with the disease is the mental one.
It's not about YOU. Any fucking fool who can do a google search knows as much as YOU do. And frankly, nobody cares what YOU think.
YOU are a boring little shit.
So let's nix the sad sack Bull Shit, and concentrate on the fight.
There is one going on you know.
It's a fight for TIME, and quality of life.
And it's not enhanced one little bit by YOU reminding us of how "horrible" it will be.
Anonymous -
YOU seem to be forgetting that Christopher is not here - we are not talking to him - we are talking to each other about how we feel about what we have found out. You come in here under the cloak of anonymity and start telling everyone how they should be speaking - how they should be feeling. As though you have ANY right to say this to anyone.
We are not looking to be enhanced, we are looking to a community of others who may feel similarly to how we do - only to have some loud and obnoxious individual barge in and tell us that we are doing it all wrong. Really? I sincerely hope you are never on my team - because I prefer to deal with the real world - not the world someone else tells me I should be dealing with ... because they KNOW so much better then anyone else what that reality should be.
You do not have the right to tell ANYONE how to feel. Period. You are not talking to Christopher - we are not directly involved in keeping him alive - stop talking to us as though we are.
YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO TELL ME HOW TO FEEL. Now stop beating on everyone here behind your mask and go away ... you are not worth the anger you are generating here. I feel sorry for those who you 'tend' to ... seriously if you're anywhere near as overbearing with them as you are here.
Grr...
Actually Xenowhatsyourface, I don't give a fuck what YOU feel. And I won't be reading YOU any more. IMHO, YOU, Tarn and the rest of the self-absorbed doomsdayers are worse than the ghouls at Hitchens Watch.
He's not dead yet you know. And the world certainly doesn't need the likes of YOU to remind us of reality. WE KNOW HOW GRAVE THE SITUATION IS--DUH. Must you state the obvious? What a BORE.
C Hitchens certainly deserves better.
So if you want to vent about how sad you are, do it in your diary. Please. Have a bit of dignity.
oh yeah - need to take my own advise
don't feed the trolls ...
stepping off of my soapbox - picking it up and walking away.
Anonymous wrote"
"It's not about YOU. Any fucking fool who can do a google search knows as much as YOU do. And frankly, nobody cares what YOU think.
YOU are a boring little shit."
How did I ever imply it was about me? You claim to be a health care professional? I find that VERY hard to believe- You certianly don't conduct yourself in a professional manner on this blog. A person with such a vulgar and and obnoxious attitude cannot have much empathy or compassion for sick people and/or their families.
If you encounter family members of cancer patents sharing what they've experienced, do you tell them all to shut the fuck up?
I suspect you do.....
And I will NOT be told that I have to keep my opinions on cancer to myself. (Unless the blog moderator steps in). Having a positive attitude goes a long way in recovery- but it is not a sure thing. It's a long voyage Hitchen's family are on, one I hope that will result in Hitch beating cancer, and living a long and productive life.
My suggestion for you- learn to develop some empathy and compassion-obviously you possess neither trait.
Anonymous said...
"Actually Xenowhatsyourface, I don't give a fuck what YOU feel. And I won't be reading YOU any more. IMHO, YOU, Tarn and the rest of the self-absorbed doomsdayers are worse than the ghouls at Hitchens Watch."
Okay, one thing is clear-Anonymous is NOT a health care professional- or ANY kind of professional-
How am I a 'self absorbed doomsayer'? Did I say Hitchens is doomed? I want him to beat this. But I will NOT say it will be easy. I said he has a long road ahead of him. Beating cancer is not a cakewalk- In that sense, I'm a realist.
I mentioned I watched family members battle cancer, and the reaction of this 'health care professional' was 'who gives a fuck'.
I'd be fascinated to know what third rate bannana republic health care facility (if any) hired a vulgar person like you..
Tarn
Take a deep breath. They are not worth this.
Everyone is upset - I have a feeling this person doesn't want to hear about the messy, painful side of this and resents us for even bringing it up. Then again - maybe I'm giving them too much of the benefit of the doubt ; ).
I have a trigger when people tell me how to think, feel or anything else. It's one of the things I so admire about Christopher's arguments against religion is when he tears that part of them apart. My guess actually is this person came in to stir the pot and apparently we got pulled into it. I can't help but wonder since they brought up Hitchens Watch they might be from there ... but I'm just speculating there.
I think we up one side and downed the other - and got our points across. Let's not feed the trolls and enjoy the good company that exists here ; ).
Can't help but feel like I got something out of my system though ....
People, we all deal differently with news like this and we have our opinions. It's perfectly alright for everyone to post comments here on how one feels. However, to say 'nobody cares what YOU think' is incorrect. I care what he/she thinks. You made your point on how YOU feel about reading certain comments and that's OK, you're entitled to your opinion but speak for yourself and don't say 'nobody cares'.
And would it be too much to ask for if all you 'Anonymous' would use initials or something. It can get a bit confusing.
Good luck Hitch. I've been slowly watching all your videos on cspan and over the last five years have read your articles religiously. Truly a man who has something to say, if you agree of not is irrelevant, because few are as articulate and forthcoming with their opinions and views.
A thread about condolences, and the usual losers have to start an argument... Get a life.
Condolences? Since when do condolences include a frank discussion of feeding tubes and great aunt Mabel being aged thirty years by Chemo? No, these comments are more like group therapy for the morbidly self-absorbed. Heaven forbid that anyone who actually knew and loved CH should stumble upon this garbage and read it.
Does anyone know if Hitchens has just recently found out about this cancer, or if he has perhaps known about it for some time and only now advised to start chemo?
I ask because he has looked a lot worse in the last year or so, and his statement suggests he might have known for some time.
am
(not the anonymous who claimed to be a medical proffesional)
Does anyone know if Hitchens has just recently found out about this cancer, or if he has perhaps known about it for some time and only now advised to start chemo?
Almost certainly he has only just found out about it and that is why he cancelled his tourdates at short notice.
It may be that he has been feeling the worse for wear for some time, but in many of his speaking dates recently he seemed to be almost making a point of drinking scotch. Almost as part of the act (the one on Fora TV, for example, and the "Drinks with Hitchens" video featured here).
Anonymous said... "Condolences? Since when do condolences include a frank discussion of feeding tubes and great aunt Mabel being aged thirty years by Chemo? No, these comments are more like group therapy for the morbidly self-absorbed."
Is this response from the vulgar, hate filled person who claimed to be a heath professional
Condolences? Apprently you've written the man off as dead. I think he can fight this, and there is no crime in discussing his best approach for attack, nor is it wrong to discuss the side effects of certain treatments. Obviously you are squeamish about such realities.
One of many reasons why I have such respect for Christopher Hitchens is bcause ther man is rooted in truth and reality. He exposes the bullshit of religion and ignorance. He will want to conquer cancer headlong knowing reality of cancer, and will NOT wrap himself in ignorance.
Obviously you have never had cancer touch anyone in your life.
Part of fighting cancer is dealing with the reality of cancer treatment- yes, chemo and radiation and their side effects. Sure, some people like you Anonymous wrap themselves in denial and ignorance, and feel the ugly truths abouit the illness should never be discussed.
How is truth morbid? it's a fact. Cancer doesn't magically disapear by itself. Christopher Hitchens even mentioned in his press release he will be undergoing chemo treatment.
Some of us who have loved ones who went through this have empathy for his family and loved ones, because we have been were they are today.
But of course, your reaction to people who have loved ones with Christopher's type of cancer are insults and demands for silence, so i wouldn't expect you to understand.
Apparently you feel a frank discussion about cancer is not allowed. Ignorance may be bliss for you- but I want Christopher to beat this, and he is tackling it headlong by getting treatment.
One thing I'm doing to keep Christopher close in my thoughts is read as many of his books this month as I can..I just started reading up 'Blood,Class and Empire' and 'Unacknowleged Legislation'.
Every page was a pleasure to read. I look forward to many more years with Christopher Hitchens publishing his wonderful books.
From what Martin Amis (CH's best friend) has just said 2 days ago, the throat cancer diagnosis is entirely new. Amis gave a talk at Manchester Uni 1st July and mentions Hitch straight away...
http://www.themanchesterreview.co.uk/site_content.php?name=Centre_for_New_Writing_Podcasts
Xeno, my old mate, I am here to tell you quite categorically that he's nothing to do with us. From his prose style, he looks like a troll who has been around here stirring up trouble and making liberal use of the F and C words (and I don't mean Fahrenheit and Centigrade), and we've dealt with him by banning him and wiping his contributions from the record. Your commitment to freedom of expression at the Daily Hitchens does you credit, but even the Hitch himself would be shouting "Fascist Crackpot" when confronted with such a malicious individual. I heartily endorse your advice to not feed the trolls and enjoy the good company that assembles at your blog.
Yours in Hitch Watching,
Greywolf from Hitchens Watch
adey,
Thanks for the link. Kind of peculiar that Amis only found out about Hitch's cancer on the same day it was announced publicly. He seemed appropriately grim about the news. Apparently, Amis's mother died last Thursday as well. I liked what he said about how, when our mother die, men commit suicide, not because we want to, but because we now can.
I was hoping Hitch would come to the Northwest & discuss Autob' as a form of literature with Amis at one of these events. My hopes are fading. The Amis Autob' 'Experience' has a few good Hitchens stories, their fight landing them both at Hospital (rendered as a long footnote) is illustrative and recognisable to most of us males.
HitchensWatch dislikes Hitchens for his heartlessness and hyporcrisy, so they see his heartlessness and raise him recursive levels of mind-blind hypocrisy and, the ever so easy, heartlessness again. Classy fellows. Also terribly stupid.
Do please go back to speculating on the NWO, cheerleading for the always frighteningly antisemetic Rense.com, and the more abashedly antisemtic HitchensWatch, my dear, dear Greywolf.
The only comments to ever have been deleted here were those that belonged to FGFM, for being off-topic and/or (mostly both) contentless and deranged. Do pack up your little haversack of sanctimony and self-righteousness and general bindmoggling array of paranoid faculties and do please limit yourself to spewing hate and sneering and wishing ill on Hitchens on HitchensWatch. I know your cup over-brims with tiddles of bilious energy, but, please, though they may be a cloying, sycophantic, and generally embarassedly enamoured grouping of "Hitchens fanboys" here, rather than the rather exotic bouquet of shut-in neurotics you have collected over at HitchensWatch, it is still a touch unseemly. So either a) point out their tone-deafness or b) mock them, but certainly do not ride in on that "Oxfordian" horse of good-will of yours. Insincerity is an awful curse.
Also, you may jeer and sneer and generally make an utter arse of yourself over the misfortune of a sixty-year old father (but he was intellectually not to my taste! screams the Internet obsessive), but you have, Greywolf, possibly written, ooh, maybe six to seven volumes, we're talking several millions of words, on the man, so Hitchens Fanboy, or related pejoratives, issue irony free from the odd, paranoid, conspiracy nut that you are.
Anytime you want to apologise for calling me a kike, dear Greywolf, I will of course gladly listen.
Until then, best of luck to the hatefilled and hateful HitchWatchers; they are liars, racists, antisemites, conspiracy nuts, and complete idiots, in no particular order. Paranoia is of course a prerequisite.
But please, dear random readers, do appreciate that they are weird, weird, weird peole.
And, as always, one wishes Hitch well, but it don't look good.
HitchensWatch dislikes Hitchens for his heartlessness and hyporcrisy, so they see his heartlessness and raise him recursive levels of mind-blind hypocrisy and, the ever so easy, heartlessness again. Classy fellows. Also terribly stupid.
Do please go back to speculating on the NWO, cheerleading for the always frighteningly antisemetic Rense.com, and the more abashedly antisemtic HitchensWatch, my dear, dear Greywolf.
The only comments to ever have been deleted here were those that belonged to FGFM, for being off-topic and/or (mostly both) contentless and deranged. Do pack up your little haversack of sanctimony and self-righteousness and general bingmoggling array of paranoid faculties and do please limit yourself to spewing hate and sneering and wishing ill on Hitchens on HitchensWatch. I know your cup over-brims with tiddles of bilious energy, but, please, they are a cloying, sycophantic, and generally embarassedly enamoured grouping here, rather than the rather exotic bouquet of shut-in neurotics you have collected over at HitchensWatch, so either a) point out their tone-deafness or b) mock them, but certainly do not ride in on that "Oxfordian" horse of good-will of yours. Insincerity is an awful curse.
Anytime you want to apologise for calling me a kike, dear Greywolf, I will of course gladly listen.
Until then, best of luck to the hatefilled and hateful HitchWatchers; they are liars, racists, antisemites, conspiracy nuts, and complete idiots, in no particular order. Paranoia is of course a prerequisite.
You will be in my thoughts, Hitch! Please get better soon to take on all the theocratic bullies.
First - Greywolf: Thank you. Although it appears that there is some seriously bad blood between you and L - I do appreciate the kind words expressed here. I have to admit though that you threw me with the 'my old mate'. Had to do some checking to find out if you knew me somehow ... I'm thinking not, but if I'm wrong, let me know. Oh - just one question - sob-fest? Really? I'm not so sure it qualifies but okay.
Okay - I am aware of Hitchens Watch and their point of view. I stumbled across that site before I found this one and realized quite quickly I had very little in common with the people there. That being said, I form my opinions about individuals based on my own experiences. So L, thought it is quite obvious that there is some bitter history here, was the tirade necessary? It seems you feel he's a wolf in - um - wolf's clothing - but I am taking the message at face value. He was, after all, addressing me. Though I realize he knew full well the hackles he'd raise making an appearance here. I am not naive, just picky about the battles I choose and always cognizant of the arena I choose to fight them in.
I suddenly feel like a recess monitor...
Omnipotent, yet needs other's to do his work........created everything, yet failed by creating diseases, and carnivores that kill believer's and non-believer's with no discrepancy.......all powerful, yet fails to show himself......gives us free will, yet is angry for those that think for themselves.....maybe overwhelming for other's, but I be not impressed.
The fool hath said in his heart, "there is no god". The wise man, Christopher Hitchens says it out loud.
A mockery of the hitch watch site:
http://christopherhitchenswatchwatch.wordpress.com/
In hitch 22 Hithchens sais that his father had esophagel cancer. Could it be genetic??
I Thoughts Go Out To Christopher Hitchens. He Is My Fav Author & My Influence In Life.
The documentary presented by Hitchens, Diana - The Mourning After, mentioned in James article 'Why Hitchens Matter' is on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyJazf6umpc&feature=related
I am still reading Hitch 22. I go on youtubes to hear all his talks. Love it. Love him. So glad he has served and enlightened so many people like me. Everyone should read his books and listen to his discussions. I hate to see a brilliant mind like his stop informing. He has so much to give. How can we not want him to get better and get back to us, a while longer. Yes, we are selfish. We want to keep our Christopher. Please docters, try to find a way to make make him better.
im so sad and worried , ive come to love christopher, he has educated me and changed my life but more im portantly me inspired me. we need him right now, hes at his best right now and the most important journalistic opinion in the world. hang in there hitch, fight, fight , fight. love you
To join the long list of well-wishers: I truly hope you get better soon, Hitch. And that your family has the strength to stand behind you.
Instead of praying (I mean, come on - even the Templeton Foundation study found that it did not work), I shall as soon as possible donate some bucks to cancer research.
We are just a bunch of molecules.
But, Hitch, yours are pretty great :)
So hang in there, goddammit!
Tater'll pray for you, brother.
I'm sure the Hitch appreciates the irony of his diagnoses interrupting his memoir book tour.
Hitchens Hails "Glorious War"
The recent memorial for long-term New York Review co-editor Barbara Epstein, sadly felled by cancer on June 15, was disfigured by an unseemly outburst from Christopher Hitchens. There was a list of invitees for the private ceremony and C. Hitchens -- a sometime NYT contributor was not on the list. He implored to be admitted, and some misguidedly decent soul gave him the green light.
Visibly taken with drink, in the estimate of at least one observer, Hitchens showed up and soon made his way to Jean Stein, a close friend of Barbara Epstein, also editor of Grand Street in recent years. Hitchens spared Stein the habitual presentation of his hairy cheek but made a low, facetious bow and offered his hand.
Stein icily declined, saying she had no desire to shake hands with him for many reasons, not least the fact that Hitchens had attacked one of her best friends, Edward Said, while he was on his death bed.
As Hitchens retreated, someone remarked to him, "So your glorious war has turned out to be a total disaster, hasn't it?"
"It is glorious," the sodden scrivener blared, "and it IS my war because it needed Paul Wolfowitz and myself to go and convince the President to go to war."
As mourners digested this megalomanic outburst, Hitchens continued, "And we are going to kill every Al Qaida terrorist and Baathist in the country and that's a good thing. They need to be killed and we will kill them."
http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn06272006.html
I see a CHW operative has chimed in...If the above unflattering account is true, I at least share the sentiments with "..we are going to kill every Al Qaida terrorist and Baathist in the country and that's a good thing. They need to be killed and we will kill them".
CH, unlike George Galloway, is not a supporter of terrorism.
To quote Christopher Hitchens, 'My enemy is the theocratic fascists, I don't love them, i want to destroy them'.
I agree 100 % with that sentiment.
Personally I think the tactics are wrong and that the neocons are not really even bothered by terrorism, in fact they need it, as they needed that new Pearl Harbor event..which benefited their agenda tremendously.
How 268 Terrorist Groups Worldwide Ended, 1968–2006
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9351/index1.html
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9351/images/figure1.gif
Even though I agree with this on Hitchens rather strongly, most of the media are complicit and pretty much most of the politicians have been bitten by the MIC-virus.
/1984
This isn't a message area for the article Christopher just published actually. Your extremely off topic anonymous ...please read the thread you are posting to so you can be on topic ; ). Just saying ... I come here to read what people are saying about the blog post these comments are for - not someone's critiques of Christopher's articles.
The Lighter Side of Mass Murder
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2005/seymour261105.html
I found this article by David Horowitz stupid and nasty:
http://article.nationalreview.com/437551/second-thoughts/david-horowitz
and I wrote a letter to the editor:
http://manlaughing.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/5/
Have you just added Trotsky to the portrait gallery? Lordy lordy!
This is a Hitchens blog and he is an old trotskyist. Why surprised?
Why not add Marx? :)
How about Rosa Luxemburg? It would be nice to have some pin-up chicks on the wall given that it's such a sausage-fest there now.
By the way, are there going to be any more posts here? The latest one is about seven or eight days old. You'll have to call yourself Weekly Hitchens! :D
To quote Christopher Hitchens, 'My enemy is the theocratic fascists, I don't love them, i want to destroy them'.
Like Jimmy Carter, for example.
His favorite characters in history are now represented in the gallery. (The Proust Questionnaire)
I want Christopher Hitchens to survive cancer.
When I learnt that Christopher Hitchens had cancer I was not surprised since he spent a vast chunk of his life to date imbibing and inhaling with gusto but I still fell to a metaphorical knee on the happenstance that his light might be extinguished. When I first discovered the writer and luminary Christopher Hitchens I was searching for some truth in life, a light in the darkness of ignorance and found the well considered writings of this brilliant, brilliant man. I am not ready to accept the obituary of Christopher Hitchens, he must capitalise upon his hard work and success and reap the benefits of each word put to paper and every thought uttered.
Like Hitch I spent formative years in and around the dismal island of Portsmouth on the otherwise pleasant south coast of England, like Hitchens I have moved countries and I feel a synergy for the stranger in a strange land. I feel it appropriate to add that I have lost many people in my life to cancer, notably my mother, grandparents and favourite aunt amongst others and as such I am acutely aware of the challenge facing Hitch today, the behemoth of cancer, epic in its scale and consequences but I am confident that the medical staff attending him will be amongst the best in the world, no expense spared, no poison left untested. Hitchens has always been a fighter, fighting the dawn, fighting the oppression of Bronze Age cults and medieval publishers, fighting for the sake of it to keep his polymath mind agile and ready for attack. If there is anyone that can beat cancer it is this man assisted through the liberal application of radiation and sheer stubbornness.
I want to believe that Hitchens free-thinking autodidactic journey is not over, that the cancer is a stumbling block that will further strengthen his resolve. I wanted to hear Hitch speak at the Opera House on his recent visit to Sydney but a brutal storm that night coupled with the opposing pleasures of a boozy party with friends meant that I was unwilling to take a chance that a ticket tout might grant me access. I had already viewed the presentation accompanying his book launch via youtube and was confident that the content would not vary a great deal, however I will not take this chance again and when Hitch is next in Sydney I will spare no effort to be in the audience to hear him speak and to stand and applaud his efforts and life’s work.
If you have not read any of Hitchens work then I implore you to do so, his honesty and courage in standing up against religious and political tyranny affords him the hard fought position of a cultural revolutionary and I firmly believe that if Christopher Hitchens survives cancer he will go on to light a fire that will burn for a hundred years. Gushing words and appalling punctuation aside, I need, we all need, this man to live.
http://www.hellowhatdoyouwant.com/2010/08/i-want-christopher-hitchens-to-survive-cancer/
i am praying for you...i am just one of those pathetic Christians you so affectionately speak of...nonetheless, you are in my thoughts. get well.
Just left a bit of snark on yesterday's HitchensWatch column. The twit otherwise known as 'greywolf' gives us a sterling example of his own deep humanitarianism as opposed to the inhuman fascist evil of Hitch, by repeatedly referring to him as "Cancer Man" in his postings. I wrote him a brief para suggesting that the use of nasty, pointlessly hateful namecalling wasn't *real* likely to leave his work open to be taken very seriously by the adult minded, never mind any objective merit the writing might have had otherwise. Nothing devalues supposed seriously intended commentary like the inability to leave out half-witted epithets like the above mentioned "Cancer Man" (ugh).
If anyone cares to read the really bright and sparkly rejoinder that 'greywolf' had the courtesy to put up by way of reply, do check it out. It's sure to clue any of the unwitting out there to the depth and quality of Mr.'greywolf''s pensees, not to mention the truly high style of his writing. What a juvenile and tacky bit of self-righteous self-indulgence his 'Watch' site really is.
All that to one side, my chief reaction to the news of Hitchen's illness has been 'damn it all'. I am so very tired and saddened by seeing the few remaining voices of intelligence and ability being disappeared from the stage, one way too soon after another. I have never agreed totally with everything the man has said, but I've always been roundly entertained by it, generally agreed with him more often than not, and always been left with food for thought by his work. And I hope he's enough of a contrarian to come out ahead on this thing; because I'm tired of watching the lighthouses for my generation going out way too soon, way too often.
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