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How strangely appropriate that he died the day the U.S. officially pulled its troops out of Iraq, since his position on that was what gave him his "big break in show biz", so to speak.
That said, Hitchens was one of the few people I disagreed with on major issues whose articles and essays I still found worth reading.
The best memorial tribute President Obama could pay him would be to finally turn Henry Kissinger over to the ICC a war crimes trial. That would be MUCH more appropriate than any damn sympathy card.
I doubt I'll ever be able to fathom his reasoning for supporting George Bush and the Iraq War. He reviled Kissinger but aligned himself with the likes of Albright and Rice.
The most literate, talented, and widely cited propagandist of neoconservative imperialism. The Joseph Goebbels of our time.
There was a time when the right had few, if any, constructive things to say about him as well. He wasn't above calling for the use of one tyranny to suppress another. But of course everything went much further beyond than just a group of bullies going at one another. To him and Albright everything was worth it...which reeks of elitist Anglo-American imperialism.
No, I think speaking out the way he did in support of George Bush and the neo-con project for the Middle East and Central Asia forever tarnished his work. To my knowledge he never provided a solid enough explanation of himself in that regard, beyond a visceral dislike of Islamic fundamentalism, which couldn't very well hold up as an argument in the case of Iraq under Hussein. It really came down then to a dislike of tyrants in general, but there were so many other examples to choose from that he rendered himself inexplicable by narrowing in that regard to align with an obvious economic agenda.
@ SJ
Sorry man, I don't go in for that shame bullshit.
When he was wrong he was wrong, but when he was right he was right. And he had an incisive intellect, which was always worth paying attention to.
And believe me, I speak as one who was furious with him more often than I agreed with him. Even so, I have respect for him.
Most importantly, he did not temper his work according to what others felt he SHOULD say. In that, I think he has more of the true journalist in him than many in the profession.
Well, if it's turned out that he is standing in front of someone at the moment, he should be hanging his head in shame on that account at least. On the other hand I happen to agree with much of what I've read and heard from him.
That is funny (and I am not saying it in a pointed way at all, so please don't take it as such) . Because on the issues I strongly disagreed with him - a lot. But I really admire the way he did his job.
Anyone willing to submit to abuse to experience first hand if it was torture or not, or to write without compromise or mawkishness about his impending death gets points in my book.
And while I'm not a 100% atheist, I sure don't believe in any final judgment of that sort.
Alexander Cockburn on Hitchens' passing:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/12/16/farewell-to-c-h/
They had apparently been feuding for a number of years.
The discussion might be better carried on in a different thread on "the legacy of CH."
Cockburn's description is pretty accurate.
Key points that come through are:
Hitch did not: "right or wrong call'em as see's em" and played with facts and fiction as equally useful tools.
Hitchens was devoid of integrity or attempts at truth finding in his propagandizing enterprise.
His polemics were laden with calculated deception (what he boasts of as his skills in "chopping logic" in his autobiography).
He was not "a contrarian" but the servant of his latest ideological embrace with neoconservatism and like many true believers, saw nothing wrong in using deception for The Cause.
Clumsily tried to move this discussion here. Didn't quite work as planned, but we'll make it work, hey? Please continue all Hitchens-related apocrypha there.
I was sad to hear that Cesaria Evora has died.
Cape Verde's Barefoot Diva Gone
Czech playright, dissident, and president Vaclav Havel:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16236393
That sucks.
TMZ broke the news that Joe Bodolai, producer of comedy series "Kids In the Hall", "Comics" and "Wayne's World", committed suicide on December 23rd.
Joe's last message
Did NOT know of him...Christ, I wish I had while he was living.
Too many times, the world drives good people to this choice, dammit!
Tarzan's long-time advisor, Cheetah:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/28/showbiz/obit-tarzan-cheetah/index.html
Astrid Brown-O'Herlihy, 28, co-chair of the Ontario New Democratic Youth from 2000 to 2001. She leaves a daughter, 7.
Those who knew Astrid are invited to contribute any memories to scrapbooks her sister is keeping for her daughter.
Nicol Williamson, 1936-2011:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16727853
(he died December 16th, but the death was just announced today by his family)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvE-kML1kbA&feature=related
a truly great actor - RIP
Former Vancouver Mayor & hippie fighter Tom "Terrific" Campbell:
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Former+Vancouver+mayor+Terrific+Campbell+dies/6098754/story.html
http://fathertheo.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/helmets-broomstick-men-the-police-riot-of-%E2%80%9871/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ7sjqEODuk
http://www.straight.com/article-599491/vancouver/former-vancouver-mayor-tom-campbell-dies
Don Cornelius, the host of "Soul Train":
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16941528
A musician friend of mine here in Juneau named Buddy Tabor(who made his living as a housepainter, until nearly the end)....who released nine albums of original music and made annual concert-visits to Folsom Prison for years(including one last visit this last November-he would sing to the inmates and let them sing back to him using his guitar).
This summer, he was diagnosed with Stage Four lung cancer. This Sunday, he died from it, at the age of 63.
here's a YouTube video featuring one of his later songs "Corporate Domination":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czz8gogf5rI
Damaged music legend Whitney Houston, aged 48
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17001548
The only song of hers I can recall is "I will always love you" from the movie with Kevin Costner.
RIP Whitney
What a fabulous voice, and now she's gone. Sad.