Christopher Hitchens Talks Torture, Kisses Andrew Sullivan At Inauguration Party

New York Magazine:

Inside, Hitchens opined on whether the Obama administration should answers calls from the left to prosecute Bush administration officials for illegal interrogation of prisoners: "As long as it's agreed that these steps were taken in response to public demand," he began, only to be interrupted by Andrew Sullivan, who greeted him with a hug and a kiss. "I want tongue. Give me tongue," Hitchens implored, to no avail. "No, I'm not giving you tongue," Sullivan replied, feigning astonishment. "Let the record show: Sullivan wouldn't give tongue," Hitchens replied. ("He's gayer than I am!" Sullivan later told us.)

Continuing his discourse on torture policy, Hitchens then claimed that the Bush administration's commitment to harsh interrogation techniques, which he considers torture, derived from a desire among Americans for a more "ruthless" government. "It has to be admitted by every American that in the majority after the 9/11 Commission, people wanted an administration that was much more ruthless than the one they'd had on September the 10th," he said.

Read the whole story: New York Magazine

Comments

[wagadog]

Chris, you are a marvelous work in progress.

I really liked "Why Orwell Matters."

No need to go on the defensive about your stand on torture -- just admit you were wrong and drop it, K?

[Earl]

I want to know if it's OK with the conservatives to waterboard a pregnant woman carrying a viable fetus, if our intelligence experts think that woman has information that would save American lives, but the act of waterboarding would possibly harm the fetus.

[Herders4Me]

I love Andrew Sullivan. Well, I love his MIND. Maybe his soul.

But his tongue? Not so much.

[Tulka2]

All i could ever say in defense of Christopher Hitchens is that he needed to be oh so drunk to get through that last administration. Hopefully he can get on the wagon in time to sober up enough to notice the big old empty behind him where he thought the mob walked. No. We did not want a "more ruthless" government of bullies and yahoos.

[Twopennygal]

"It has to be admitted by every American" NO WAY! I never voted for that administration, and I never wanted those methods used. Not EVERY American wanted it.

I really get peeved at people who use superlatives like that. I seldom fit in their group of "everyone," and I wish they'd stop lumping me in there, especially since they seem to be usually talking about conservatives. -- Yes, I take it personally.

[frantaylor]

Perhaps the point he is making is that we are complicit for allowing it to happen. We had ways to stop this but we did not. It is our elected officials who failed to do their jobs, and therefore it is US who failed to do OUR jobs, because WE are the ones who voted for them.

[RODERICK098]

But both elections were rigged so American citizens were victims of Republican corruption

[Herders4Me]

You and I never voted for Bush - and we opposed his policies.

But MORE Americans did vote for him and did approve.

Do *we* have to take responsibility for them, too?

I guess we do if we're truly to march forward as one America...

It sux.

[motoGpifupleez]

When you cast a vote for an administration that has been proven to be torturing, you are making the deliberate decision to support torture.
When you choose to support candidates of a party who's stated goal is to continue a policy of torture, you have made the deliberate decision to support torture.
There is no hiding behind the "one issue" cover. You vote for the entire package. Your candidate supports torture, you support torture.

[OtayPanky]

You're speaking the truth.

[frantaylor]

When your candidate fails to prosecute the torturer, you support torture.

[Earl]

If we were voting for a dictator, sure. But we have a social contract called the constitution. And a judicial system to protect the few from the mob.

[Earl]

I once heard Barney Frank say he got to vote for the perfect candidate one time. The second time he ran, he was not satisfied with everything he had voted for/against during his first term, but he voted for himself anyway.

[Kalima]

If a picture really speaks a thousand words, the one of Hitchens at the top of the thread,
explains just about everything I feel that I need to know.

[freshnotbitter]

"more ruthless".

Either you are man or you are beast.

The Bush family is a beast.

Let them stay in their cave forever.

May we elect human beings to the office of the presidency from this day forward.

[SmolderingRuin]

The latest apologist for bush claims the people made him do it. What a gargantuan lie from a gargantuan a s s.

[frantaylor]

The people YOU voted for FAILED to stop Bush and his torture. It is EVERYONE's fault.

[JinMN]

I don't really care for either one of them (ever watch them on RT W/ Maher on HBO?).

[herbiehamas]

Both are overrated big-mouths!!

[Opendedo]

The dude is a sot! His brain has been pickled, Comes on thre screen smashed. Turn him out to pasture, he is finished

[montex]

Yeah, whatever. I like to listen to what he has to say.

BTW, you might want to proof read your post before clicking on the submit button. You could at least save yourself from the embarrassment of your appalling grammar and punctuation errors.

[Ergon]

You like cheerleaders for war and torture?

[longlivethenewflesh]

Indeed! And this was clearly his Girls Gone Wild, drunken, bicurious moment; the last hurrah. He probably bared his breasts for eager cameramen.

Atheists deserve a better spokesdrunk.

[crayola 08]

that was a cute little interchange between sullivan and hitchens.

[offred]

Kiss from Christopher Hitchens = torture

[RODERICK098]

Great idea-both are equally unappealing No visible physical harm except excessive wretching on the prisoners part and nightmares for life (and that is just the gay prisoners)They could be used to get confessions very quickly and the war against terror would be over.

[guajiro]

Iraq invasion in response to "public demand"????? Where's the proof? I do remember Fox News playing the part of the Bush cabal mouthpiece, as well as all the major newspapers dutifully spreading the Bush propoganda and thereby deceiving the American people. I also remember progressive groups like MoveOn.org and others demanding, imploring, for reason to prevail and NOT go to war. In the following link, Hitchens himself states that he regrets the Bush administration "FRIGHTENING" people into supporting the Iraq war. So no Hitchens, deceiving the people into going to war is not the same as the people demanding war.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIJx6h-G8LI&feature=related

[frantaylor]

Well, it IS the same, because it is the deceived people who are demanding war.

[RODERICK098]

If Mr. hHtchens is coming out of the closet he must think he is very attractive to ask the equally unappealing Sullivan to stick his tongue in his mouth. Mr. Hitchens is so unattractive inside and out that he would be the last person to leave evry gay bar in town alone

[JZ735]

Agreed...b­oth are trolls.