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Hitchens on Free Speech

Part 1 of 2: Christopher Hitchens testifies about freedom of speech.
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9 Comments

Current View: 15 / Show all Comments

Viscoma : LVL 34: VP 4.2: said:

Viscoma

9 votes NegativePositive

78 days 15 hours ago...

I would so love to have a conversation with this man, but I know I am nowhere near as intelligent and as educated as him, so I have a feeling he`d lose me fairly quick. :(

The Wicked One : LVL 38: VP 4.6: said:

The Wicked One

3 votes NegativePositive

78 days 14 hours ago...

^Join the Club.

He`s a brilliant man and I do wish that there were more on this earth of his caliber. I mean, not simply in intelligence but also in eloquence and knowledge.

Seriously though, doesn`t the English accent added to the intellectual and philosophical subject matter just top it all off?

I almost get the feeling his subliminal message is: "I am not only educated and brilliant, I am also ENGLISH and PROPER. Bitch."

Mobius2199 : LVL 35: VP 4.3: said:

Mobius2199

2 votes NegativePositive

78 days 13 hours ago...

Great speach. very intelligently put together and keeps your interest, while provoking thought without keeping you off track from the main subject. The world could use more people like him.

mikevraziel : LVL 29: VP 3.8: said:

mikevraziel

-2 votes NegativePositive

78 days 11 hours ago...

I know I am going to be voted down for saying this. But he is no more an intellectual than Ann Coulter. He is British so he acts posh.But thats about it. He is no way in league with Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Amartaya Sen and other such real intellectuals. Speeches by intellectuals from France or Germany are way more interesting than this ramble from a pretentious imperialist toff like Hitchens. In most part of the world, expert opions are obtained from real experts, but somehow in America and Britain, it is obtained from morons whose only quality is that they look good on camera and are charismatic.
You know who was the most "intelligent", "eloquent" and "charismatic" speaker of the last century ? ADOLF HITLER

Boricua13 : LVL 37: VP 4.5: said:

Boricua13

-6 votes NegativePositive

78 days 11 hours ago...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

Stipoo : LVL 14: VP 2.3: said:

Stipoo

2 votes NegativePositive

78 days 8 hours ago...

mikevraziel, do you even know anything about CH besides his position on the Iraq war?
And no, he does not look good on camera nor is he attractive. In fact he could not be further away from being a `posh` brit, even showing up drunk on talkshows and still making more sense than any sober person he finds himself present with.

Next time try and pay attention to the content of what he is saying, if that does`nt hurt too much upstairs.

mufasa1023 : LVL 36: VP 4.4: said:

mufasa1023

-1 votes NegativePositive

78 days 3 hours ago...

eh....he didn`t say anything I haven`t heard already

the problem I have with his speech is that he seems to indicate that there need be acceptance of `alternative` ideas in formal settings like public schools

teaching things such as ID or that the holocaust didn`t happen is wrong-headed because those ideas are against the great weight of the evidence....we don`t teach Astrology or Phrenology in school for the same reasons, that, and because there simply is not enough time in class or life to go over all the wrong ideas with the same weight as the right ideas...neither is it conducive to the advancement of knowledge

I am all for free-speech, but let such free speech that is contrary to science and the historical record ring from speakers corner and the banned books section not from inside the class room.

"If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error."

J.S. Mill

psychologyprofessor : LVL 31: VP 4: said:

psychologyprofessor

2 votes NegativePositive

78 days 1 hour ago...

^^^"he seems speech is that he seems to indicate that there need be acceptance of `alternative` ideas in formal settings"

You completely misinterpreted his speech, so much so that I can only tell you to watch it again.

exploder : LVL 48: VP 5: said:

exploder

3 votes NegativePositive

78 days ago...

^ @ mikevraziel, "...he is no more an intellectual than Ann Coulter..."

A 2 minute comparison on Wikipedia shows how totally full of shit you are. Thanks for prompting me to look, I have more respect for Hitchens now than ever, and less for Coulter.

I personally like the way Hitchens is willing to put forth his opinion for what it is: an opinion. He has one, he owns up to it, and he is well informed, willing, and able to argue it. This makes much of what he says a welcome departure from the rehashed opinions and speculations peddled as facts by many lesser minds. He actually achieves his own authority by solid construction, rather than just weakly invoking others.

We know that we don`t know much about anything in any absolute way. So please let`s do admit the fact, and offer a better, more informative, and therefore usefull accounting of our OPINIONS. Hitchens does, and as well is a respected expert in his field, who yet maintains the honesty to admit opinion instead of holding pretences of some absolute claim on truth.

Unlike Ann Coulter, who practices some of the more dishonest and spiteful deception I have seen for some time. What a shocking fucking piece of work she is. Most of what she says, is not even up for argument, because she is unwilling and unable, and there is usually little or no substance behind it to discuss. She is mostly just harsh verbal spleen, propelled by being the novelty hot mean "intellectual" blonde in a (tacitly) man`s world of power. She does no justice.

Meanwhile, I stand by this opinion of mine, and if you don`t like it, then you can get in line to kiss my ass.

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