IAMA: Christopher Hitchens | reddit's top ten questions

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
  • Christopher Hitchens answers the top questions from reddit.com.
    See questions: budurl.com/hitchens
    Subscribe to the reddit's TH-cam channel: goo.gl/iAL9W
    Creative Commons License Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States

ความคิดเห็น • 3.9K

  • @UberJamesMan
    @UberJamesMan 8 ปีที่แล้ว +512

    Look at those fuckin book towers, fuckin majestic as fuck.

    • @scottc3549
      @scottc3549 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Flexington McStongenheim derpppp

    • @SSB-1
      @SSB-1 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Flexington McStongenheim Goodnight

    • @RarewareLover
      @RarewareLover 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      +UberJamesMan At 23:05 you can see the camera focus on them. Badass

    • @MeLexdy
      @MeLexdy 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      A lot of people have those. They buy books all the time ,mostly well known high brow novels, and they never read them.
      Its just for their selfies and to impress guests ...

    • @UberJamesMan
      @UberJamesMan 8 ปีที่แล้ว +46

      MeLexdy right because Hitch was so well-known for taking selfies and never reading.

  • @nodnarbregztem8546
    @nodnarbregztem8546 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2034

    Could you imagine how great his podcast would have been? Damn.

    • @stylebones
      @stylebones 4 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      I agree that it would have been interesting due to his eloquence and intellect, my only worry is that he is a bit too stubborn for his own good sometimes. He holds his own opinion in extreme regard and that may be to his determent in a podcost format.

    • @braden_m
      @braden_m 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Oh my god

    • @diego67hd94
      @diego67hd94 3 ปีที่แล้ว +37

      MrJonesMV for some reason, I suspect that he would never have hosted a podcast, he liked to live a rather bohemian lifestyle. That being said, I’m sure he would have been a guest on Joe Rogan if he were alive and well. He probably wouldn’t have been the best podcast host, for the same reason he wouldn’t have been the best moderator or interviewer, because he was always quick to take a side, and to do so firmly.

    • @Charlie-de7kk
      @Charlie-de7kk 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      He’d be cancelled today ,most likely 😢

    • @polymathicheretic5068
      @polymathicheretic5068 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@diego67hd94 actually that was one of his strongest qualities. It is a part of classical British educational upbringing to take sides especially in serious matters, why because it denotes the strength of principles for one thing.
      If possible, look up the writings of John Stuart Mill. Also maybe look up young Hitch interviewed a member of white Aryan resistance, it was quite good.

  • @Luke47895
    @Luke47895 3 ปีที่แล้ว +590

    I took a massive break from Hitchens, probably didn't watch anything of his for years, felt bitter about him being gone. But during lock down I started watching again and it was like putting on a comfy old jacket. The man was a wordsmith and his wit, humour and sharp mind would be a massive comfort in these divided and mind numbing times. You went far too soon, Hitch.

    • @jasonvoss1984
      @jasonvoss1984 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Did you notice his "itch" at 16:24 :) "one finger salute".

    • @alphatoon2950
      @alphatoon2950 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Same.

    • @Davidfooterman
      @Davidfooterman 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      It is unlikely that we will see another person with his intellect and communication skills on the freely available web. People with his talent are too busy making a living to allocate the time and effort to this work and it is hard to engage a camera and microphone in a spontaneous and totally unaffected way. If it is, to some extent, a performance he does it very well or, put in a more charitable way, he is able to remain so focused on the subject that the performance becomes of less interest to him. A great loss.

    • @onebeingeverybody
      @onebeingeverybody 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      mate, how right you are.

    • @danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307
      @danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      usa first democratic country* (WOMEN AND BLACKS EXCLUDED!) 🤦‍♂️🤣

  • @MAYBE673
    @MAYBE673 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2316

    This is special. Just seeing Hitch relaxed talking about life and answering questions. There is this kind of amazing and peaceful presence about him here

    • @BVargas78
      @BVargas78 9 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      SW218 I don't always agree with him but the man had charisma.

    • @MAYBE673
      @MAYBE673 9 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      BVargas78 A lot of it. I am reading his memoir, its called Hitch 22. I've always watched him in debates, but this is my first time reading his work, and I must say its amazing. I've always had a problem with reading books because I always felt lost in about a few pages in, which is why I dont read much, but this is different and special.

    • @massey904
      @massey904 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      SW218 Be careful not to fall for satanic influences, learn how to recognize evil characteristics.

    • @HeyCrotchCricket
      @HeyCrotchCricket 9 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      Chris t STFU

    • @massey904
      @massey904 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Joe Mama Who are you talking to?

  • @brendanjames9793
    @brendanjames9793 2 ปีที่แล้ว +105

    'It is only when you have grazed on the lower slopes of your own ignorance, and begun to understand the great vistas of non knowledge that you have, that you can claim to have been educated at all.' The madman, what a quote to just come up with off the cuff.

    • @scottb32a
      @scottb32a 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I need to pull that one out down the pub this weekend

    • @1984isnotamanual
      @1984isnotamanual ปีที่แล้ว

      He was quoting Aristotle wasn’t he?

    • @MikeMcD2112
      @MikeMcD2112 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@1984isnotamanual Socrates

  • @siavoushavesta5324
    @siavoushavesta5324 4 ปีที่แล้ว +229

    I'm Iranian living in iran and seeing him explain how people here actually feel about our government is astonishing, great man, will be missed

    • @Anhorish
      @Anhorish 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      No intelligence service claims that Iran wants and is pursuing a Nuclear weapon, not even the Israelis. Hitchens is demented on this topic. I have read and admired Hitchens since he wrote for The New Statesmen and have zero time for religious governments but he is talking bollocks here.

    • @siavoushavesta5324
      @siavoushavesta5324 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      @@Anhorish he isnt, my government wanted one but not to use it but to have some leverage, now they aren't even thinking of a nuclear plant, nevertheless a bomb

    • @kantraxoikol6914
      @kantraxoikol6914 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      i'm sorry .

    • @danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307
      @danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@Anhorish LOL YES THEY ARE!

    • @1984isnotamanual
      @1984isnotamanual ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I’m an American living in America and I don’t see the people of Iran as our enemy. I want us to be friends. It’s the theocrats lording over you which I can’t stand. Mostly because of what they are doing the Iranian people. I will never forget about beautiful Persia. I’ll never stop educating other Americans about this issue too. I hope to come visit your great country some day. Peace and Love from Northern California! ✌🏼

  • @adrianbatson5682
    @adrianbatson5682 8 ปีที่แล้ว +388

    18:00 "It's amazing how relaxing it is not to pretend to know more than you do"

    • @jonathanlinderer7271
      @jonathanlinderer7271 8 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      +Adrian Batson Yes! Similar to another quote of his, "Certainly there are things that I don't know, all of which I am not commenting on.""

    • @ajcristo4679
      @ajcristo4679 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hitchens is in hell right now

    • @JM-ot8ux
      @JM-ot8ux 5 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      @@ajcristo4679 I'm sure he's not missing any religious assholes like you. Go back to eating shit.

    • @barclayv8282
      @barclayv8282 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@ajcristo4679 Abandon your mythological realms--you're exactly the one that Hitchens raged against.

    • @HolyMith
      @HolyMith 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @Jazzkeyboardist1 It's "Christopher" not "Chrissy" if you didn't know. If you can manage to construct a proper sentence, I would like to know what you are talking about.

  • @iSCATES
    @iSCATES 10 ปีที่แล้ว +536

    It's sad that I discovered him after he was already gone. So thankful for all the vids on TH-cam.

    • @perceus6153
      @perceus6153 5 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Same here 5 years later after you discovered him.

    • @hemeraxo
      @hemeraxo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@perceus6153 same

    • @simplyhuman3982
      @simplyhuman3982 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Same. I just started listening a few months ago now. Was a few weeks ago that I found out he died.

    • @birdbyod9372
      @birdbyod9372 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Me too, I study his example and replicate it as best as I can.

    • @danielrichards3521
      @danielrichards3521 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Same here I only found him a few years ago, so sad, we need him now more than ever

  • @TimothyMallis
    @TimothyMallis 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1327

    If you want to find a question:
    Question 1 (0:10): What historical figures, events, movements, or books do you feel have been ignored or underemphasised in the public education of young people?
    Question 2 (3:13): Do you believe the invasion of Iraq has had a positive or negative impact on the growth and exposure of Islamic Extremism? Also, given that the country has been plagued wit many problems many years after the initial invasions, what direction do you think US foreign policy should take now?
    Question 3 (5:04): Where do you get your news?
    Question 4 (6:24): How is [President Obama] performing in the area of litmus tests?
    Question 5 (10:22): What do you and your fellow Horsemen (Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Samuel Harris) think about being sometimes collectively referred to as 'New Atheists', and do you embrace it or do you hold that there is nothing particularly new? Do you agree with the mention of the word 'brights' as a definition of the unbeliever?
    Question 6 (13:04): If you were the Prime Minister of the UK what would you do to combat religious extremism? Also, can I assure the UK government in order to encourage Atheism and if so, how?
    Question 7 (15:10): Is there a question in a debate for which you have had no good answer and if so, what is your typical strategy to dealing with those situations?
    Question 8 (18:17): Could you elaborate on your position on Marxism and Socialism, and why have you been eerily silent on the healthcare debate?
    Question 9 (22:43): What consensus exists between Socialism and Libertarianism?
    Question 10 (25:42): What goes into the effect of your speaking style? Are there any other speakers or schools of rhetoric from which you draw? What do you think of the state of public debate in America?

    • @heartofjustice6041
      @heartofjustice6041 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      this does help indeed only to those not paying attention which i would hope are none. although it also helps those who want to review the video and take advice from it which i will be doing later thank you

    • @nessieness5433
      @nessieness5433 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Thank you very much for this overview!

    • @ricardomontalban6004
      @ricardomontalban6004 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      You didn’t write his answers down. Deaf people are gonna be pissed.

    • @Garybluespace
      @Garybluespace 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Timothy Mallis g hjhh

    • @richardsantanna5398
      @richardsantanna5398 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      29:00 how does one become serious about funny things?

  • @OverFjell
    @OverFjell 8 ปีที่แล้ว +83

    His modesty when talking about Dennett, Dawkins and Harris is wonderful. Though he wasn't a scientist, I'd argue he was easily as intelligent and gifted in his own way. Truly a great man, aswell as the most compelling of the 'horsemen'

    • @dannyburch2122
      @dannyburch2122 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      OverFjell I agree.

    • @rayzhong8542
      @rayzhong8542 6 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I know very little about Dennnet, but for the rest of them I can say the most compelling is Sam Harris. Hitchens is the most witty, erudite, literate and charming.

    • @JesusFriedChrist
      @JesusFriedChrist 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      He was an author and a journalist, back when being a journalist wasn’t a disreputable profession.
      The two people I see picking up his reins are Douglas Murray, and Carl Benjamin.

    • @armaan1091
      @armaan1091 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Jesus Fried Christ
      God no, Sargon of Akkad is horrible to listening to

    • @slambrew3849
      @slambrew3849 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Jesus Fried Christ Simpgon of Akkuck is a clown

  • @Meechy37
    @Meechy37 3 ปีที่แล้ว +53

    10 years later and it breaks my heart knowing that the world has lost this man. Can't think of anyone I would want a chance to speak with more than Hitchens.

  • @RaoulFel
    @RaoulFel 2 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    Got so much love for this guy. He’s like a second father I never met. Discovering him at 17 was life changing.

    • @cirrus393
      @cirrus393 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Was 18 when I found him and it was also life changing for me. I agree with the second father sentiment

    • @Ashutosh-jg4pz
      @Ashutosh-jg4pz 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@cirrus393 am 17 when I found him and I agree

  • @scottv1781
    @scottv1781 10 ปีที่แล้ว +140

    whenever I catch myself procrastinating I listen to some of Hitchens' interviews/speeches/debates, and I'm inevitably inspired to get to work

    • @ExiledASK
      @ExiledASK 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Fact!

    • @43painter
      @43painter 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I also have that with Stephen Fry !

    • @tatianahawaii13
      @tatianahawaii13 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Indeed

  • @arddalan
    @arddalan 8 ปีที่แล้ว +74

    "its amazing how relaxing it is not to pretend to know more than you do, I am surprised that those who claim to speak in the name of god don’t take more advantage of this. " simply one of the best things said by anyone ever regarding the context and yet it may go by you unnoticed. he was a true legend.

    • @Alan-71351
      @Alan-71351 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks for the heads-up.

  • @jataim4197
    @jataim4197 8 ปีที่แล้ว +64

    I miss this character so much! He gives me goose bumps listening to him. I don't always agree with everything he says, but he pushes "you" the inquisitor, by being a bit controversial to get you thinking and branch out your brain. To look at things all around and then cut through the B.S. and get to the heart of real thought/thinking=answer for yourself. We are so lacking in intellect/critical thinking like this in this world. Truly missed. :( ( I get nervous posting anything to a Hitch video etc. as I fear he is correcting my grammar from another place-even though he of course would chastise me first for thinking he was a "spirit" somewhere and then he'd attack my grammar. Haha :) Love Hitch.

    • @jataim4197
      @jataim4197 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      P.S. Hook me up with your news insider's Hitch....since infotainment and political agenda, distraction pieces are all that we get shoveled upon us. We shouldn't have to search for the "real" news going on in the world.

    • @johncunningham5145
      @johncunningham5145 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      if you spent ten years studying the great hitch, that would be time well spent. i don't agree with him either but his approach with verifiable data and humor is kind of amazing. You do not have to agree with him.

    • @jameshercals9651
      @jameshercals9651 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I just realized he's dead and I'm forever heartbroken :,(

  • @massdestructivemedia8445
    @massdestructivemedia8445 7 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    Just listening to Hitchens' vocal expression is captivating, let alone his knowledge.

  • @RJBeee91
    @RJBeee91 9 ปีที่แล้ว +180

    I'm not sure if this makes me a fanboy, but writing a question and having the late Christopher Hitchens answer it over the span of a few minutes would be such an absolute thrill and honor. To just sit at a table with him, converse current events over a drink would be a memory for the ages.
    I certainly do not agree with every position Mr. Hitchens took. I'd doubt that there's a person on this planet that could claim the opposite. However that was the telltale mark of his defiance to fit a mold. He followed the truth wherever it led him and didn't slide into convenient stereotypes. He was a man with a ferocious appetite for knowledge, booze and literature. The example on which the Dos Equis man was modeled!
    I never had the pleasure of meeting him, or hear him speak, but I can say with utter certainty that the world lost an intellectual force and a great human three years ago. This beer is to you Hitch.

    • @lobsterfork
      @lobsterfork 9 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Rj Bertram Cheers!

    • @deliriousmysterium8137
      @deliriousmysterium8137 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Rj Bertram Cheers!

    • @summercoat
      @summercoat 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Jazzy Keyboardist Onsie- Using a doll, go show and tell the #metoo movement where Chrissy touched you.

    • @lfoster7739
      @lfoster7739 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Jazzkeyboardist1 It’s juvenile to try give a silly nickname to the person you are trying to diminish.
      Everyone can tell by the way you write that you’re not a particularly credible source.

    • @deconry
      @deconry 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I met him and can attest to the fact that he was a friendly gentlemen who was one of the most formidable intellects and debaters of all time. Miss him terribly but feast on his memorable videos.

  • @CarefulAtheist
    @CarefulAtheist 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1902

    Just listening to Hitch makes me smarter.

    • @wellsgb1957
      @wellsgb1957 9 ปีที่แล้ว +69

      Sorely missed

    • @1schwererziehbar1
      @1schwererziehbar1 9 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      * tips fedora *

    • @craighicksartwork
      @craighicksartwork 9 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Incomparable. He contributed to our growth as a species and for that we should be forever thankful.

    • @plumberfiddle
      @plumberfiddle 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      doesn't it though?

    • @SaraBower0376
      @SaraBower0376 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      zzzz.

  • @Friendly_Finn
    @Friendly_Finn 9 ปีที่แล้ว +52

    I could listen to Hitch's voice all day every day. It's so soothing no matter how strong the words are. Hitch

  • @jonnsmith180
    @jonnsmith180 10 ปีที่แล้ว +248

    An Intellectual Giant and sorely missed.

    • @weatherphobia
      @weatherphobia 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      And you forgot that LUMP OF COAL heart he had!!
      HAHAHAHHA Just Kidding...

    • @lloydchristmas4547
      @lloydchristmas4547 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @Jazzkeyboardist1 so if he was wrong on one war, he's wrong and immoral in all else? He's done his best to call it down the line. I can't say the same for too many other celebrity figures.

    • @ACanOfBakedBeans
      @ACanOfBakedBeans 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Jazzkeyboardist1
      And you're an expert on pieces of shit, since there's nothing but them on every branch of your family tree
      Fuck you and your undeserved sense of entitlement
      You're the people that deny science...by denyinh the recent scientific study that PROVES men are funnier than women
      George Carlin alone was funnier than every combined female alive today

    • @kingsman428
      @kingsman428 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @Jazzkeyboardist1 The only *"...mental midget..."* is you, appearing on many of Hitchens' videos, constantly going on about his sex life as though it mattered when most people couldn't care less. Now *fuck off wanker*

    • @paysonfox88
      @paysonfox88 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Also Winston Churchill and C.S. Lewis before him in England. You should look into CS Lewis, he's the only Christian theologian whom HItchens actually had deep respect for. It takes an intellectual equal to gain Hitchen's respect, and in his time there were few rivals. That is why he had respect for a man who'd gone before him.

  • @Ianoxen
    @Ianoxen 7 ปีที่แล้ว +181

    It is because of him that I started reading Thomas Paine.

    • @fredthemanish
      @fredthemanish 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Nai Xo i knew a lot about Thomas Paine (Common Sense) etc. but Christopher Hitchens is what made me buy books about Thomas Paine. definitely a smart man.

    • @jayyavid5363
      @jayyavid5363 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      yep same, tho i lean towards christinaity, or atleast deism (which paine subscribed to)

    • @nandinibandhini
      @nandinibandhini 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @Nai Xo Don´t forget to add Carl Sagan on your list.

    • @barclayv8282
      @barclayv8282 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      ... and it's partially because of Paine that we had Hitchens.

    • @barclayv8282
      @barclayv8282 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jayyavid5363 Big difference between the two.

  • @granthall1235
    @granthall1235 7 ปีที่แล้ว +253

    This is incredible video quality for 360p.

    • @nateo200
      @nateo200 5 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      I'm guessing the stars aligned and whatever is out there sent out instructions: "Listen; this is Hitchens! Make it look GREAT!"

    • @bigdog2432
      @bigdog2432 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You wanna play cod waw zombies?

    • @chasebender7473
      @chasebender7473 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Morgan Freeman whats your GT?

    • @What-go8ng
      @What-go8ng 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @Derek Gleeson Mmmm I say dear chap the plebians' colloquialism is quite offensive to our fine sensibilities.

    • @enneff
      @enneff 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      The importance of good lighting.

  • @Draeka
    @Draeka 9 ปีที่แล้ว +66

    I wish HItchens had done more of these.

  • @MrNikolidas
    @MrNikolidas 7 ปีที่แล้ว +579

    Oh, Hitch doesn't look like he's been drinking today for once.
    *Pans out to glass of wine on the table*
    Good ol' Hitch.

    • @Conorp77
      @Conorp77 7 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      So sad he's gone

    • @spookybaba
      @spookybaba 7 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      He had a good way of concealing his intoxication. His wife said that Christopher was a functioning alcoholic. Unlike most, in the fact the he made so much sense, and so damned eloquently. Dearly missed, to say the very least. He'll be turning in his grave if he were savvy to the dire state of things today, brought on by the regressive liberals.
      It is a cliché, but the world is going mad. The west, pitifully, succumbing to middle eastern mental illness and moral(?) practices. Arrests nowadays being made, and prosecutions, on the victims reporting the crime. What is the world's coming to? Hitch, another Hero of mine that passed far too soon. Sure, he smoked too much. But, my cynicism sometimes thinks that he may have been disposed of. Via folk that he majorly upset by exposing them to the general public. Just a thought.

    • @Res0lut1on
      @Res0lut1on 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      spookybaba, sadly it was more than likely due to a genetic defect passed on by his father (who also died of esophageal cancer); however, his smoking certainly compounded the effects of this defect and shortened his life expectancy rather significantly (compared to his father who lived until he was 78). It all seems rather predictable in hindsight.

    • @Hirnlego999
      @Hirnlego999 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      He does drink a lot before doing Penn and Teller's Bullshit program but generally he said that he doesn't drink without food, or to cure the blues.

    • @ricardomontalban6004
      @ricardomontalban6004 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      He ate alot then.

  • @iPartyHardcore
    @iPartyHardcore 8 ปีที่แล้ว +299

    I know he must of just stacked his books like, fuck it, but it looks like a piece of art to me.

    • @KiLL3RiFiCATiON
      @KiLL3RiFiCATiON 8 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      +iPartyHardcore They are on a shelf

    • @iPartyHardcore
      @iPartyHardcore 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Kill3rification figures, looked way too perfect and steady to not be held up structurally.

    • @eval_is_evil
      @eval_is_evil 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      actually that's a professional defect :)

    • @LeviJohansen
      @LeviJohansen 8 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      +iPartyHardcore I think it's a special kind of bookshelf. Just a pole with flat metal pieces sticking out, that are adjustable in distance to each other.

    • @MuadDib1402
      @MuadDib1402 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      No human being would stack books like that.

  • @jimbasler9294
    @jimbasler9294 9 ปีที่แล้ว +613

    I wish I'd been aware of this guy,an his writing,before his death...... I just wasn't.

    • @kevvoo1967
      @kevvoo1967 8 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Jim Basler Sadly,I'm like you.

    • @sciencenurd2
      @sciencenurd2 8 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      I have the same dilemma.

    • @99MKris
      @99MKris 8 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      +Colt 45. There is no dilemma, as for a difficult choice between two options. only frustration. :)

    • @jimbasler9294
      @jimbasler9294 8 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Agreed...... His words,have opened my eyes. Better late,than never.

    • @davedanger1967
      @davedanger1967 8 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      +Jim Basler Fret not, you have his entire body of work to remember him and learn from him.

  • @RyanGiggsOBE
    @RyanGiggsOBE 8 ปีที่แล้ว +119

    His voice is just so epic.

    • @bigboy2217
      @bigboy2217 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      MichaelKingsfordGray
      There’s so many ways to argue against this awful response it’s hard to pick just one. You seem willfully ignorant of how language or metaphorical speech work.

    • @UseQPixinDune
      @UseQPixinDune 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bigboy2217 Maybe that's the point?

    • @bigboy2217
      @bigboy2217 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@UseQPixinDune God I hope so. Wait can't say god here it'll piss off the normies.

    • @hairand4828
      @hairand4828 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bigboy2217 two cunts in a box ^. Like most of life

  • @muhammedpatel7181
    @muhammedpatel7181 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    It is a public holiday and a friday. It is after lunch and while I rest, I cannot think of a better past time than to listen to this brilliant man speak.

  • @windswept17
    @windswept17 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    What an amazing guy he was: full of knowledge, hypocritical but with the courage to speak about it, with such impeccable oratory skills, to name a few. "Here was a Caesar, when comes such another"

  • @trytwicelikemice7516
    @trytwicelikemice7516 8 ปีที่แล้ว +139

    Man it'd suck if you realised you needed a book from the bottom of one of those piles...

    • @fredthemanish
      @fredthemanish 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Try Twice Like mice they have spaces between them. it looks like they are all on top of each other but they arent.

    • @ricardomontalban6004
      @ricardomontalban6004 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I like the grey(yes grey, not gray) box halfway up. Cocaine box.

    • @a1176789
      @a1176789 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Those are the piles of books of which he has read and memorised every single word and thus only keeps them for sculpture purposes

    • @SamJohn52
      @SamJohn52 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Those books are on shelves - you can buy those vertical bookshelves.

  • @chestypants78
    @chestypants78 10 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    "Grazed on the lower slopes of your own ignorance". I'll have to try to remember that poetic line. Hitchens is the only person I feel I could listen to speak, for a whole day, if not longer. An inspiration and a 'godsend'. (I'm sure Chris would appreciate that tongue-firmly-in-cheek comment).

    • @trstenik100
      @trstenik100 10 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      On the other hand, he would not appreciate being called Chris. I watched in a couple of clips where he insisted on being called Christopher and after his death some of his friends also mentioned this was the case. I never found out the reason why he did not like it.

    • @senortonyful
      @senortonyful 10 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      trstenik100
      He explains it in his memoir. It was partly due to his mothers class ambitions in his childhood. Apparently shortened names and nicknames was a lower/working class thing. The other part seems to be personal preference and the desire not to have his name "circumcised" (his words). Of course he is called "Hitch" by his friends.

    • @trstenik100
      @trstenik100 10 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      senortonyful Thanks for the explanation.

    • @tonystocksmclaughlin4223
      @tonystocksmclaughlin4223 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I'm also sure that he would've appreciated the mild wind-up in 'godsend'..However he bristled at being called 'Chris' !

  • @__seeker__
    @__seeker__ 5 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    He’s one of those rare people you wish could’ve lived forever, in a way.
    I know that’s silly and even something Hitchens would revile. I hope my sentiment is clear though.

  • @Remnants100
    @Remnants100 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    With no Book to promote, nor obvious Agenda here; Hitch comes across as an Educator of truth. There is a warmth in all of his replies, he appears to genuinely want to explain to the very best of his undoubted ability. R. I. P.

  • @Shaffaqwamiq
    @Shaffaqwamiq 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    what a beautiful human being he was. The person we needed in this day and time. he is missed dearly.

  • @SpencerArinhaveamom
    @SpencerArinhaveamom ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I know you’re gone. But thank you for saving my life.

  • @RoM1il
    @RoM1il 10 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    17:47
    Favourite Hitchens moment!

    • @TheSenecaHighlander
      @TheSenecaHighlander 10 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      *****
      Yes, him suddenly blurting out "Dingle Dog" with emphasis in that eloquent accent was pretty funny.

  • @TheDuvalboy
    @TheDuvalboy 9 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    I wish Hitchens were still around. The way the world is going, people like him really are a voice of reason.

  • @bubbercakes528
    @bubbercakes528 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Possibly the best thing I’ve ever witnessed by Mr. Hitchens. I felt as if he were talking to me specifically; as if I was in the same room. This seemed so personal and introspective. I could ask him questions for hours. What a great man we have lost.

  • @gswdeclan
    @gswdeclan 6 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    He's so right about "debate" in politics. The presidential debates are jokes where the candidates take turns making speeches. They should be Oxford style, give them an issue and let them argue their positions and rebut the other one's points.

  • @tonybrunner673
    @tonybrunner673 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    😂I love his critiquing of the stylistic finesses of the questions.

  • @david-stewart
    @david-stewart 8 ปีที่แล้ว +209

    I stupidly felt Hitchens was talking to me directly, which was a pleasure!

    • @massdestructivemedia8445
      @massdestructivemedia8445 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      I did that purposely for mere intellectual satisfaction after reading your remark.

    • @ricardomontalban6004
      @ricardomontalban6004 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      He’s up there now looking down on us all rip

    • @richardsantanna5398
      @richardsantanna5398 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@ricardomontalban6004 hmm

    • @oldironking6375
      @oldironking6375 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Jazzkeyboardist1 right next to that coffee pot orbiting the sun yeah? Or was that out there with mars? Can’t remember

    • @poozer1986
      @poozer1986 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ricardomontalban6004 🤦🏼‍♂️

  • @jmfs2k273
    @jmfs2k273 9 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    A great man ,missed by millions.

  • @fallen4055
    @fallen4055 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I just love this person. He is smug witty , sarcastic and best in what he do. He is Hugh Jackman who rips open his opponents case with such ease that they don't even try.

  • @doorshotel
    @doorshotel 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    This man was one of a kind. After reading Hitch 22 I hold him in even higher regard. A true intellectual power house. We miss you Hitch xxz

  • @SANDSCORCHER
    @SANDSCORCHER 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    That was very enjoyable.
    This should have been a series.
    One episode is not nearly enough.

  • @OctorokSushi
    @OctorokSushi 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    He is so incredibly knowledgeable and well spoken that any time I listen to him speak I can't help but feel stupid. Initially it's depressing, but that's just the ego. Immediately after, I think of it in a more positive "There's so much I don't know, and now that I'm aware of it I can pursue that knowledge and become more like him".
    It's very humbling and inspiring.

  • @Sweence
    @Sweence 10 ปีที่แล้ว +539

    Hitchens set the bar for demolishing silly superstitions that have kept us in the dark ages. Religion deserves every form of mockery imaginable. The world is more enlightened because of him!

    • @Frank289100
      @Frank289100 10 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      (Religion deserves every form of mockery imaginable. The world is more enlightened because of him!)

    • @L3zer
      @L3zer 10 ปีที่แล้ว +57

      Frank289100 True but as any child growing up, it's time to move on and leave non facts behind.

    • @Frank289100
      @Frank289100 10 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      L3zer CHURCHES BUILT ALL YOUR GREAT UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE THAT TAUGHT THEOLOGY, SCIENCE, MATH, ARCHITECTURE, SKILLED TRADES, ETC. IT WAS ALL BASED AND BUILT ON BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS. THE CHURCHES PROGRESSED MAN INTO THE MODERN WORLD YOU SEE TODAY.

    • @L3zer
      @L3zer 10 ปีที่แล้ว +38

      Frank289100 I know but as I said it's time to move on, I'm grateful for your contribution.

    • @Sweence
      @Sweence 10 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      Frank289100 Your assumption is that since the Catholic church had all the money and built cathedrals and universities, that this somehow forgives their historical transgressions. By your logic, this country was built on slavery and the subjugation of women so that means slavery was a good thing? All learning can take place without cathedrals and biblical mythology courses forced on students.
      You failed to make a goog argument in favor of religious teaching institutions. Also, please turn off your cap-locks. ALL CAPS never bolsters a weak argument.

  • @piplarkin5268
    @piplarkin5268 7 ปีที่แล้ว +57

    its weird but i really like just drinking beer and listening to him talk

    • @MichaelUrbanReed
      @MichaelUrbanReed 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Not weird - if you are retaining the information for your own growth :) I used to do the same

    • @doorshotel
      @doorshotel 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Pip Larkin me too!!!

    • @taffpatch1
      @taffpatch1 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Snap. I'm bolloxed now and love the Hitch xx rip

    • @AFMMarcelD
      @AFMMarcelD 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @ Pip indeed, when I listen to the Hitch it is usually accompanied with a glass of JWB with Perrier.

    • @barclayv8282
      @barclayv8282 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      That's my evening right now!

  • @RobertoGaspar69
    @RobertoGaspar69 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    One of my most important and crucial part in my life, was discovering Hitchens debates and reading his book.
    That not only helped me to take the veil from my eyes but also to break down the long wall of bricks that religion build up on your mind. Blinding and distorting facts. He leaven us way too soon. His eloquent and very witty and fun take on the cancer that religion is, was brilliant!
    Thx to TH-cam we still have the pleasure to play his videos over and over again!! And not only mild the pain of his absence but also continuing to learn.

    • @mgzapp1
      @mgzapp1 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Which book may I ask?

  • @matthewpittelli4451
    @matthewpittelli4451 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    We need him more than ever, now.

    • @doorshotel
      @doorshotel 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Matthew Pittelli agreed

  • @chinmaiification
    @chinmaiification หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I come back to this video every so often. Very calming.

  • @WolfTheSub
    @WolfTheSub 10 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The thing that truly makes me happy about the comments sections in Hitch videos, is most people say things like... "I agree with him on this, but not on that, I think that..."
    He is one of my heroes, yet I don't agree with everything he said. If there is one gift he left the world, it was creating a base audience of people who can entertain an argument without accepting it outright. As he said, "try thinking for yourselves, Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way.."
    And time and time again his fans and critics alike prove they understood this concept in the comments they write. So whether we agree or disagree, well done everyone just for that. :)

  • @stuzaza
    @stuzaza 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    17:58 "its amazing how relaxing it is not to pretend you know more than you do"

  • @h8702
    @h8702 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    listening to him makes me feel not so alone

  • @imamoronand9199
    @imamoronand9199 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    it’s weird to see this. in my mind reddit and hitchens are from two different eras

  • @escherpainting8622
    @escherpainting8622 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Within seconds he's critiquing the question and the name of the person who asked it. That's Hitch. Special man.

  • @cesarmaldonado8946
    @cesarmaldonado8946 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Incredible respect and admiration for this man! His use of language is exquisite and humbling!

  • @TJMisfit
    @TJMisfit 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Sometimes it hits me that Hitch has been gone for so long, and that he left right before everything was getting good! It pains me to have only learned of him long after his death, but I'm grateful to live in a time where all of Christopher Hitchens' work is easily accessible; his work alone was a big factor in influencing my thought processes, or what have you. RIP to a great man with a sharp intellect and an undeniable vigor for life and truth.

  • @StevenVanOver
    @StevenVanOver 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    How can you listen to this man and not be impressed?

  • @SideSpin11
    @SideSpin11 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    13:00 "'1984isNotAManual' excellent name" love that compliment from Hitch.

  • @owenstv
    @owenstv 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I love how he opens this AMA. He is my hero.

  • @NothingIsKnown00
    @NothingIsKnown00 10 ปีที่แล้ว +680

    Every time he coughs... I feel like someone stabbed me with a knife.

    • @SkeeterValentine0
      @SkeeterValentine0 10 ปีที่แล้ว +92

      Rex The AstroDog Broken English and bigoted insults. Well played troll

    • @cigolsimons1768
      @cigolsimons1768 10 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Skeeter Valentine Well thanks but I have no idea why you're saying that.

    • @1961Blanchflower
      @1961Blanchflower 10 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Rex The AstroDog He died of lung cancer. Early stages?

    • @NothingIsKnown00
      @NothingIsKnown00 10 ปีที่แล้ว +44

      1961Blanchflower To be exact, I think it was (or started as) esophageal cancer. And if you look at videos from when he was over 45 or so, he coughs often. So I suspect he had it for a long time before it was discovered.

    • @spaceboy1250
      @spaceboy1250 10 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      James Clifford pneumonia if you want to get specific

  • @BruceWayneofCamelot
    @BruceWayneofCamelot 8 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Hitch said "dingle-dog" ...I have lived and can now finally join him in infinite mortality.

  • @andromedaiscoming185
    @andromedaiscoming185 9 ปีที่แล้ว +158

    I have immense respect for this man

    • @cockoffgewgle4993
      @cockoffgewgle4993 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The worship of this pontificating, neocon, wannabe Oscar Wilde is nauseating.

    • @ryant1064
      @ryant1064 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Cockoff Gewgle people like you who think they are smarter then they are, are the real trouble. Bet you are huge fun at parties (as if you have any friends).

    • @cockoffgewgle4993
      @cockoffgewgle4993 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ryant1064 "People who think they are smarter than they are".
      Couldn't think of a better description for Hitchens devotees. 99% of them have never even read a book of his.

    • @napoleonbonaparteempereurd4676
      @napoleonbonaparteempereurd4676 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@cockoffgewgle4993
      You deal in assumptions, stemming from bad faith
      There is no discussion to have here

    • @napoleonbonaparteempereurd4676
      @napoleonbonaparteempereurd4676 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ryant1064
      WTF is up with you're username ?

  • @chrish8903
    @chrish8903 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This video is such a valuable document. We all loved Hitchens for his feisty irreverance when debating against opponents in front of an audience. The man had charisma and huge stage presence. But this video illustrates how perceptive and captivating he could be without any audience. This is a testament to his intellectual and academic side. Gone but never forgotten my friend.

  • @ChrischrosBelgium
    @ChrischrosBelgium 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Been binge watching all of him for years and just now I discover this... What a mind this man has. I do not agree on his views about Iran ...but when it comes to his debates about religion, I fully agree.

  • @Steve-mw5vd
    @Steve-mw5vd 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a brilliant man. A loss that cannot be replaced, however can be inspiring to all.
    With an ability of translating confusion into sense

  • @jameswoodsist
    @jameswoodsist 10 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    i was waiting the whole time for an applause

  • @YoYo_Ma
    @YoYo_Ma 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Love the end where his camera guy comes back into the room just in time to pan out from sweaty Hitch.

  • @kennethmckenzie294
    @kennethmckenzie294 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I'd loved to have met this man, what a beautiful, intelligent & reasoned mind that is sadly missed!....

  • @isaacbell2426
    @isaacbell2426 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Was thinking a few months ago how unfair that a genius like hitch is no longer with us.But he is I thought,with everyone of us who’ve benefited from his wisdom & teachings.He will never really be dead,& his influences will be around for a very very long time!!

  • @ksmit
    @ksmit ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Damn i miss this guy. Thanks Reddit for sharing.

  • @rekunta
    @rekunta 8 ปีที่แล้ว +56

    If the brain can hold so many terabytes of information, then I think Hitchens probably pushed max capacity.

    • @determined919
      @determined919 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Lol yeah

    • @dickvarga6908
      @dickvarga6908 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Kale P Intelligent, encouraged to think by family & education, of which he had good ones, well organized and trained in his thinking & research.

    • @ElMoShApPiNeSs
      @ElMoShApPiNeSs 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      You'd be surprised how much *stuff* you know. He just got questioned on it daily.

  • @trenziedapug1428
    @trenziedapug1428 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    It's been years later and I'm still coming back to this video. It's so peaceful, Christopher explaining stuff so calmly in Q&A style...

  • @mandykidwell-parkin655
    @mandykidwell-parkin655 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Our world needs him so much now more than ever, he is so missed!!!!!!!

  • @jameshixbosen6527
    @jameshixbosen6527 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I wish I could have met him, now it's too late, Thank you Christopher, for being the voice of reason and clarity, I wonder what he would being saying about the way things are in the world today...

  • @FreakishPower
    @FreakishPower 10 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    wow. this was awesome. 2 things: a) I can listen to him speak for hours - he has such a powerful way of stating things, and b) the last sentence of the clip was the best.

    • @Lopfff
      @Lopfff 10 ปีที่แล้ว

      YES

  • @mikyonmars
    @mikyonmars 9 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    this dudes fucken smart

  • @darao9526
    @darao9526 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    could listen to hitchens all day long literally would have loved to bounce almost every question off him his opinion is always suprising and backed up by a lot of knowledge in any subject i can think of

  • @seanmellows1348
    @seanmellows1348 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Just wonderful. A reminder to keep a little bit of the libertarian and of the anarchist in our makeup.
    Greatly missed, but Hitchens’ work and glorious words will live forever.

  • @Impedancenetwork
    @Impedancenetwork 8 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    This guy was an intellectual hit man. I wish I could have seen him speak before he died. He was a great man.

    • @matswikstrom7453
      @matswikstrom7453 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      "Intellectual Hitman" - Love it! 😄👍👏👏👏

  • @malcolmball2829
    @malcolmball2829 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    When I look around the world at the heads of state...…...I laugh, and cry to think that none of them can hold a candle to "The Hitch"...……...He was and is the best thinker of our time..

  • @reeseoverington1015
    @reeseoverington1015 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    this gives me goosebumps... just this

  • @jayleonfb999
    @jayleonfb999 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    He really was the man! I've learned so much from him. Let his knowledge live on through technology.

  • @therantingboy
    @therantingboy 8 ปีที่แล้ว +55

    It's so sad to think that his cough is probably the onset of the throat cancer that killed him. I find it hard to watch Hitch in past vids now, cos it's so sad we lost him.

    • @omarkhan5223
      @omarkhan5223 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      May God rest his soul. RIP

    • @12227UserName
      @12227UserName 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@omarkhan5223
      Hitchens was strongly against all religions. He's said himself that should God truly exist, then it must be a terrifying God - one that allows disease, poverty, misery, etc. I don't agree with Hitchen's interpretation towards religion and God. I just wanted to point out that the man was well known for his Athiest beliefs.

    • @oldironking6375
      @oldironking6375 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      TheRantingBoy yeah it’s sad always noticing ever time he coughs or clears his throat in all these videos

  • @LloydWaldo
    @LloydWaldo 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    What I love about hitch is the uncanny ability he had to be dignified even when doing something incredibly hacky like a fox tv interview or an AMA.

  • @Ballsarama
    @Ballsarama 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very nice, this has expanded my understanding of Hitch and his actions on other videos.

  • @JeghedderThomas
    @JeghedderThomas 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Knowledgable, calm, thoughtful, honest and direct. What a capacity, what a power for rational thinking.

  • @gor265
    @gor265 9 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    A fantastic human being, the world has lost a genius and intellect that was second to none. If there is a god He will surely be humbled by one of his greatest creations.

  • @holonaut
    @holonaut 5 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    17:25 when the acid kicks in

  • @halwasserman7905
    @halwasserman7905 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I visit this video every couple of years simply because I adore the opening line: "Well....Mr Pee Steak, which I think you must be because I don't think there would be a Mrs Pee Steak...could I be wrong about that?"

  • @easyridergz125
    @easyridergz125 10 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The introspective templar, the prizing highly of self determination and education, of logic and reason, is a reflection of Hitchens brilliance.

  • @birdbyod9372
    @birdbyod9372 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Take his example and replicate it, as best as you can.

  • @dimitrisbam1132
    @dimitrisbam1132 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    you are missed my dear sir

  • @yabishthis
    @yabishthis 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Best opening line to an AMA ever!

  • @benwu7980
    @benwu7980 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Good answers, I found the one regarding debates and why court cases are so much closer to what people want to watch, whether real or fiction, compared to the term debate as used with politics.

  • @auditamplifier8493
    @auditamplifier8493 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I wish that I still had a chance to thank him personally...

  • @ActualDav
    @ActualDav 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The piles of books behind him are so relatable 📚📚

  • @Drderp-hd5bb
    @Drderp-hd5bb 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Love this man, much much missed

  • @brendajstevens3719
    @brendajstevens3719 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Fantastic y man I’ve only just started to get in to his work!