The passing of Christopher Hitchens this week has created countless articles about his life, his work, and his impact. A lot of it is flattering. Some are critical and harsh - though as these articles point out, Hitchens believed you should write honestly about someone even once they have died. So if that person was terrible, you should still feel free to write that.
My feelings on him are more mixed. On his positions, I think he was too harsh towards Mother Theresa. And while I am glad he is so vocal about Kissinger, I can't quite reconcile that with his full-throated support of the Iraq War and the War on Terrorism generally. Though his piece on water-boarding was smart (and yet he didn't seem to attack those who push that policy - the same people that pushed the war).
But I loved his thoughts on atheism and why religion is bad for society. I don't agree with it, but his thoughts and arguments were so well constructed.
In fact, I think the way most felt about Hitchens was that because he is a strong debater / arguer, you want him on your side. But if he isn't on your side, you hate him. He was pugnacious and intense, but definitely logical and pretty well-read.
What I really appreciated about him was how seriously he took debating and writing. I think we need much more of that - not what we see on TV, but more like what you would get in a Hitchens debate. Debates should be very smart and informed but also tough and combative. We should be able - in fact we should love - to debate with the other side. I'm not saying anyone will come away changing their mind, but creating a culture where debates happen - where ideas are tested - is necessary.
I'll let you in on a dream I have. I dream of creating a popular debate forum - one that is part Hitchens and part John Stewart (his good interviews with conservative guests on the Daily Show), where really smart people can take a really long time debating relevant issues. I saw glimpses of that when Hitchens would square off with someone. And I want to see much more of it.
