Your ideal authors ought to pull you from the foundering of your previous existence, not smilingly guide you into a friendly and peaceable harbor. Christopher Hitchens More Quotes by Christopher Hitchens More Quotes From Christopher Hitchens The United States has an isolationist and insular culture, combined with a global and interventionist posture. This highly dangerous and febrile mixture, which greatly facilitates the task of the fear-mongers and chauvinists, needs a very exact and nuanced diagnosis. I don't think that analogies from the totalitarian model, however suggestive, are sufficient. Christopher Hitchens united-states tasks thinking My father had died, and very swiftly, too, of cancer of the esophagus. He was 79. I am 61. In whatever kind of a 'race' life may be, I have very abruptly become a finalist. Christopher Hitchens cancer race father Only the aspirants for president are fool enough to believe what they read in the newspapers. Christopher Hitchens fool president believe Those who want to be offended don't have the right to try and close down the newspaper that offends them. Christopher Hitchens newspapers want trying What if I pulled through and the pious faction contentedly claimed that their prayers had been answered? That would somehow be irritating. Christopher Hitchens what-if factions prayer I have decided to take whatever my disease can throw at me. Christopher Hitchens decided disease In modern Greek history, there is a close relationship between national humiliation and political radicalization. Christopher Hitchens modern political greek All the time, I've felt that life is a wager and that I probably was getting more out of leading a bohemian existence as a writer than I would have if I didn't. Christopher Hitchens bohemian wagers life-is Demands that you believe the impossible do not lead to peaceful outcomes. Christopher Hitchens peaceful demand believe Forget it. Never explain; never apologize. You can either write posthumously or you can't. Christopher Hitchens apologizing writing forget If you can charm everyone it means you don't care about anyone in particular. Christopher Hitchens charm care mean I'm very happy by myself - I'm lucky in that way - if I've got enough to read and something to write about and a bit of alcohol for me to add an edge, not to dull it. Christopher Hitchens alcohol lucky writing I used to wish there was a useful term for those of us who thought American power should be used to remove psychopathic dictators. Christopher Hitchens dictator used wish To be in opposition is not to be a nihilist. Christopher Hitchens nihilist opposition A sure sign of ineptitude and malice is manifested when one's attacker is willing to cover himself with mud in order to try and make some of it adhere to his target. Christopher Hitchens target trying order Chomsky proceeds on the almost unthinkably subversive assumption that the United States should be judged by the same standards that it preaches (often at gunpoint) to other nations he is nearly the only person now writing who assumes a single standard of international morality not for rhetorical effect, but as a matter of habitual, practically instinctual conviction. Christopher Hitchens united-states matter writing I became a journalist because one didn't have to specialise. Christopher Hitchens journalist That most risky and volatile of all things a self-pitying majority. Christopher Hitchens majority all-things self I have been taunting the Reaper into taking a free scythe in my direction and have now succumbed to something so predictable and banal that it bores even me. Christopher Hitchens reaper scythes bores If anything qualifies as an irony of history it would be this: that Marx and Engels throughout the nineteenth century wrote about America the United States as the great country of the future, of freedom and equality and a good life for the working man, and a country of revolution and emancipation, and of Russia as the great country of despotism, backwardness, savagery and superstition. Christopher Hitchens good-life men country
