Although I greatly admire Hitchen's writings on atheism, let's not forget what a horrendous ass-hat he really was when it came to the Iraq war, neoconism, and the deaths of civilians. Hitchens would never let anyone else slide (see Mother Theresa, Princess Diana) on their moral misgivings and hypocrisies just because they're dead. How do you reconcile celebrating him with these unforgivable lapses in moral judgement?
most subsequent democratic revolutions, and most major ones, were patterned more on the French violent overthrow than the American secession, making the French revolution the pattern-maker.
I honestly don't know if that is the case or not. I'm inclined to think that perhaps something inbetween the two would make more sense. Surely, the notoriety of the French Revolution would be lessened if it had spawned other democratic movements that matched it in its brutality. Perhaps not.
"He [Hitchens] also helped promote the most atrocious war crime of my lifetime."
I can try to understand your position on the Iraq war but my question would be how do you balance the genocide being committed by a ruthless dictator on his own people and the western world's decision not to become involved? Innocent people are dying, regardless. Should the Idi Amin's and Pol Pot's of the world be simply ignored? Perhaps the answer is not black and white.
Well, you know, there are these "No more war" people who basically want a static world. The oppressed to continue oppressed, the slaves to remain slaves, and the free to enjoy eternal freedom. War is hell. It always has been, always will be. However, war remains a leading engine of change. Iraq has suffered, but it is better off than before.
As far as I know there was no great instance of genocide happening in Iraq at the time of the invasion. If you are referring to the gassing of the Kurds, the gas was supplied to Saddam by the very neocons that Hitchens embraced (Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz) during the Reagan administration to be used against the Iranians (a point the Iranian gentleman who so vigorously defends Hichens should consider), The neocons fully embraced Hussein for years after the gassing. Genocide prevention was never cited by the administration as a reason for the invasion.
I've never stated nor do I believe that there is never a reason to use military force. Attacking a sovereign nation that is not posing an immediate threat has been considered a war crime since Hitler's invasion of Poland. This war was predicated on completely false reasoning and purposely manufactured intelligence. This was not just a crime against Iraq, but a crime against the American people.
Off to drink a toast with some of you (to the cool atheist Hitchens, not the misogynistic neocon jerk Hitchens). We can continue some of this there. It's fun so far. And remember, because of conservative thinking, you can now bring your firearm to this drinking establishment as well as your
Not need to reconcile anything. Hitchens was a brilliant, eloquent asshole. He never claimed to be a moral authority himself; his work was calling out other people for being hypocrites. I respect him as the skilled writer and amazing iconoclast he was, but I probably wouldn't have liked him in person if I had to spend more than an hour in his company.
Your comment is [EDITED] , you don't belong here , you ARE NOT A TRUE ATHEIST, your are probably a Christian fanatic attempting to mislead people , hitch was just a man like everybody like all us,but he knew what he was talking about , and for [EDITED] you to put him down is an insult to his memory
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Ah, a free thinker indeed!