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Comment count is 15
standard8mm - 2010-11-29

I want to debate Christopher Hitchens on something that I can win at.


StanleyPain - 2010-11-29

I watched this whole thing when it first hit the internet. I've seen most of Hitchens' debates, at least from the last few years, and I was looking forward to this thinking it would be probably the most erudite of his debates (the majority of the ones he's been doing recently are against some of the biggest moron crackpots in religious that come out of the woodwork) but overall it's disappointing. Blair never seems prepared with where the debate heads, I'm not sure what he was expecting, but everyvtime he speaks, it is practiced, political-style speech making that never really touches well on the serious issues. He's passionate, but it's subdued and bland. Hitchens, as always, is powerful and, towards the end, incredibly profound (something that's been a staple of his more recent debates) and it seems almost too easy for him.
By the way, skip part 1 and just head to 2, where the debate actually begins. Part 1 is the overlong and massively boring opening remarks by the people you totally wanted to hear from the most, the moderators!


StanleyPain - 2010-11-29

Oh wait, nevermind, this version truncates the opening remarks...yes, start with this one.


Aelric - 2010-11-29

Blair never quite seems prepared for any screen time he has, but that is just my impression. I don't have time to see this right now, but I will tomorrow. I hope Hitchens doesn't fall into a common problem he has, which is the problem of being such an arrogant prick, no matter how right he may be, that even a fellow atheist like myself cringes. Dakins has a similar problem, though to be fair, they get shit constantly and it's probably a naturally occurring mechanism.

I myself, not that you asked or care but I'm drunk and this is the internet, think that it's more churches that are evil more that faiths. As long as you don't influence the real world, you can believe in whatever space monkeys/aliens/robots/gods/sci-fi writers/Joe Pesci you want to.

I need sleep and should watch before I comment, shouldn't I? Oh well, go ahead and give me shit. I'm sure I'll agree with it when I'm sober.


Bort - 2010-11-29

Jesus is mostly pretty clear on what he expects of people: take care of the needy, make sure mugging victims are brought to safety and are restored to health, and as a handy rule of thumb, whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers. That's the sort of influence I wouldn't mind seeing in the real world. And I find that Unitarians, socialists, liberals, and other evil hippies tend to focus on the stuff Jesus asked his flock to, while the flock is more trying to jury-rig a form of Christianity that operates without the core of compassion.


StanleyPain - 2010-11-29

Hitchens is only a prick when he debates pricks. As for arrogance, Hitchens has already dealt with that one in many debates, basically that anti-theists deserve some arrogance and credit since they've been the least of the world's problems, yet are always the once asked to go on the defensive when religion comes up. (oh, be respectful, please!) When do people do that for the other side?


Pillager - 2010-11-29

"a divine North Korea"


Lurchi - 2010-11-29

when war criminals disagree


IrishWhiskey - 2010-11-29

Hitchens may be pro-war in some of his views, but unless he's in the military or has active control over them, I don't think you can possibly call him as a war criminal.


simon666 - 2010-11-29

If you haven't read or watched Hitchen's defenses for going into Iraq you ought to, they're rather strong.


Bort - 2010-11-29

Agreed, "war criminal" is overstating the case.

But beating the drum for a war that killed hundreds of thousands, sent an entire country into chaos, created a new hiding place for terrorists, and served nobody's best interests except perhaps military contractors ... Hitchens wouldn't know a force for good if it bit him in the ass.


memedumpster - 2010-11-29

I'll five star this for being here and being evil, but after listening to the Source of Human Morality, I'm pretty sure I'd eat a bullet if I watched this.


CharlesSmith - 2010-11-29

Highlight for me: Hitchens actually calling Blair out on his ridiculous bar lowering.


Chip - 2010-11-29

In part 2 Blair brings in the Hitler slander of atheists. Does Hitchens ever get around to rebutting this, or will continuing to watch this just piss me off?


StanleyPain - 2010-11-29

Hitchens doesn't rebut it directly in lieu of taking on other issues, but he's probably exhausted from doing it. In the last three or four debates he's had to recite VERBATIM the following speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyYwo7X4zck


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