Forthwith, the late author/journalist Christopher Hitchens's razor-sharpest zingers, from Sarah Palin to Barack Obama. Hitchens succumbed to cancer yesterday at the age of 62. Love him or hate him, he's gone now - but the laser-like intellect and righteous anger will live on.
Not for the faint of heart - the ever-controversial Hitchens takes aim at religion: Christopher Hitchens - Best of the Hitchslap (YouTube)
9 comments:
Funny, I did not see any notices nor any eulogies for Mr. Hitchens, but I loved reading his biting essays. His "eulogy" of Reagan was particularly good: nothing but the bitter truth about a man who set out to create American empire and the rapacious people who enabled and cheered his coming and then canonized him after his death.
An example:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2011/02/would_america_have_been_better_off_without_a_reagan_presidency.html
Though the above has been tempered with time.
Pete
It's one thing to get angry. It's quite another to STAY angry, and to write and speak eloquently about what angers you for years and years.
Though it might be detrimental to your health?
Definitely. But Hitchens wasn't wired for contentment. Trying to be mellow might ultimately have been more stressful for him.
Given the opportunity I would write something more eloquent, but, sadly, I am an engineer and am only marginally gifted at expressing thoughts in text.
RIP Mr. Hitchens
Yes, it's really a shame about you being only marginally gifted, Pete. You're only about the biggest brainiac I know :D
No. I meant that I would write something that was as witty and evisceratingly funny as he would have. Not without years of practice.
Speaking of which, Dana had to write a satire paper last year satirizing something. She decided to satirize "American Exceptionalism", especially wrt language. She wrote a paper about an American traveling to other countries and being amazed at how well they could translate between their native language and "American." The countries were, of course, Canada and England. There was a section about a Canadian taxi driver being able to read and translate between Canadian and American while driving around! I loved it, but I think the teacher didn't get it.
*sigh*
Where's Chris Hitchens when you need him...
I managed a lifetime without even hearing about Mr. Hitchens...and a little ashamed to say that. I know I'd have adored the anti-establishment attitude as a much younger person. At this end of my lot in life, I don't know as I'd agree. Good stuff though. Thought provoking, to say the least. Thanks!
Pete - I'd love to see that paper if Dana would be willing to share it. Sounds fantastic. Grammy - don't feel bad about not having heard of him - I hadn't either until about a year ago :)
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