I like Christopher Hitchens and his brother Peter.
He died today (15th December) 13 years ago - 2011.
I found this excellent talk he gave in Canada on free speech.
He didn’t live long enough to deal with cancel culture, online censorship (The Spectator), and (in England) the rise of “Non-Crime Hate Incidents” involving something like questioning an identity which the police determine is motivated by hate as a quasi crime.
Yeah, Christopher Hitchens had an outstanding ability to analyze the origins of hate. I wish he'd had a solution, though, about how to prevent it from plunging the world into barbarism over and over again. Especially now when the extreme right is gearing up to do precisely that once more.
ReplyDeleteI wish he was still with us. I have just finished his memoir, Hitch 22, a great read.
ReplyDeleteOh really. That's nice.
DeleteGood to remember him on the date that he passed on.
ReplyDeleteHow free is free speech now? What are we permitted to say? It becomes ever more difficult to navigate the truth.
ReplyDeleteI think it's getting worse and worse.
DeleteAs always the videos roll on and I find myself listening to both Hitchens and Salman Rushdie. The problem is there are so many wise words in the world but even as I write this find myself defending the right to say what I want. Cancel Culture has slipped in and we have to watch what we say even with our grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, you're fond of Hitchens and Rushdie?
DeleteThat's nice to know.
Christopher Hitchens was indeed a remarkable thinker and a powerful advocate for free speech. It's interesting to reflect on how he might have approached today's complex issues, such as cancel culture, online censorship, and the controversial "Non-Crime Hate Incidents" in England. His fearless commitment to challenging ideas and defending the right to speak freely would have certainly provided valuable insights into these modern debates.
ReplyDelete