14 Comments
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Steve S's avatar

Nice combination of historical fact and creative thinking, with irony sprinkled in. I enjoyed reading, because although sadly true, it is enlightening to see truth written.

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Freedom To Offend's avatar

Thanks very much, aren't we amazing as a people to so clearly have double standards but deny them (nothing I said in this is new or particularly deep or intelligent)

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KZwick's avatar

The UN is composed of Commie, Neo Marxist, Muslim countries. This includes Kanadastan. At this point, democracy is an illusion.

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Jewish Grandmother's avatar

Brilliant, insightful , entertaining, outrageous. Your talent knows no bounds, Paul.

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Freedom To Offend's avatar

You and I might be the only one who knows what Yellow Pages are. :)

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Freedom To Offend's avatar

Thank you very much.

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Oli Blah blah's avatar

Very good will be sharing around

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Ronda Wells MD's avatar

Well said!!

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Raquel Hirsch's avatar

I enjoy your writing.

Do you do public speaking engagements?

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Clever Pseudonym's avatar

Dear Author,

I really enjoyed this but I cannot find these Hitchens quotes anywhere.

Do you mind helping me find where you took them from? (especially the one that starts: "To be against the Jewish people and the Jewish state is not...")

From what I remember of Hitch, he had held fast to his Communist's hatred of Israel and his atheist's hatred of Judaism, so reading him say these things is surprising.

Appreciate your help.

Thanks again,

CP

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Freedom To Offend's avatar

One was a Mencken quote that I got wrong, a few should have been listed as being paraphrased because I got the wording wrong. The others

:

1. Quote: “To be against the Jewish people and the Jewish state is not, as its defenders often insist, merely a form of irrational prejudice. It is, instead, a deeply felt desire to replace the painful reality of historical truth with a comfortable myth of innocence.”

Source: This specific quote does not appear verbatim in available records of Hitchens’ writings or speeches. It may be a paraphrase or misattribution.

2. Quote: “Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence.”

Source: This quote is from Hitchens’ book Letters to a Young Contrarian.

3. Quote: “What is blasphemy against Islam if not a moral judgment against totalitarian belief?” 

Source: This exact phrasing does not match any known Hitchens quote. However, Hitchens did express similar sentiments about blasphemy and criticism of Islam in his article “Cartoon Debate: The Case for Mocking Religion” published in Slate on February 4, 2006. 

4. Quote: “The Koran is borrowed from both Jewish and Christian myths.” 

Source: This is the title of Chapter Nine in Hitchens’ book God Is Not Great. 

5. Quote: “The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law.”

Source: This specific quote does not appear verbatim in Hitchens’ known works. It may be a paraphrase or misattribution.

6. Quote: “You can’t be neutral about Israel. You are either indifferent to Jewish survival or you are against it.”

Source: This quote does not match any known statements by Hitchens. It may be a misattribution.

7. Quote: “The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false face for the urge to rule it.”

Source: This quote is attributed to H.L. Mencken, not Christopher Hitchens.

8. Quote: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

Source: This quote is from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, not Hitchens.

I can’t believe I got that Orwell quote wrong. That was bad. I will correct. Thx.

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Clever Pseudonym's avatar

Hey, Thanks for all this hard work.

I appreciate the clarity.

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Freedom To Offend's avatar

I’ll get back to you.

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Raquel Hirsch's avatar

Ditto. He learned later in life that his mother was “of jewish origin”. That shook him. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/the-tenth-man-2

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