Christopher Hitchens - one of the few reporters who agreed to be waterboarded

[LynneSin]

I remember all the reporters out there that said that Waterboarding was not torture. They equated it to having a shower or using a neti pot.

Although many times Christopher Hitchens and I were on opposite ends of certain issues in the end he was a man that no matter the opinion I could still respect him. When the controversy about waterboarding came out, Hitchens didn't form an opinion until he himself had a chance to be waterboarded. After lasting about 6 seconds top he had to stop having it done. He documented his waterboarding for Vanity Fair magazine and below is the link to the article and photos.

RIP Christopher Hitchen. The world lost an important voice.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/hitchens200808

Believe Me, It’s Torture

You may have read by now the official lie about this treatment, which is that it “simulates” the feeling of drowning. This is not the case. You feel that you are drowning because you are drowning—or, rather, being drowned, albeit slowly and under controlled conditions and at the mercy (or otherwise) of those who are applying the pressure. The “board” is the instrument, not the method. You are not being boarded. You are being watered. This was very rapidly brought home to me when, on top of the hood, which still admitted a few flashes of random and worrying strobe light to my vision, three layers of enveloping towel were added. In this pregnant darkness, head downward, I waited for a while until I abruptly felt a slow cascade of water going up my nose. Determined to resist if only for the honor of my navy ancestors who had so often been in peril on the sea, I held my breath for a while and then had to exhale and—as you might expect—inhale in turn. The inhalation brought the damp cloths tight against my nostrils, as if a huge, wet paw had been suddenly and annihilatingly clamped over my face. Unable to determine whether I was breathing in or out, and flooded more with sheer panic than with mere water, I triggered the pre-arranged signal and felt the unbelievable relief of being pulled upright and having the soaking and stifling layers pulled off me. I find I don’t want to tell you how little time I lasted.

[RZM]

1. I remember watching this video, which is linked in the VF article

He only lasted about 15 seconds. Doesn't look like a good time to me.

[JitterbugPerfume]

2. his voice will be missed

although sometimes he drove me up the wall. It is important to listen to people you disagree with , and he was the best

[LynneSin]

4. I agree

He's one of the few right-wingers that I could tolerate. He wrote regularly for Vanity Fair and I think in the end he was slowly moving towards the middle again.

[Boston_Chemist]

3. Christopher Hitchens, Neocon, DEAD!

Advocating actions that have resulted in mass civilian deaths in Iraq, and elsewhere, by waving the Muslim boogeyman, has informed my opinion of him.

[rox63]

10. He actually started out as a socialist

Strange history. Read one of the obits floating around out there.

[Boston_Chemist]

29. More like a communist.

He did an about-face, though.

I've gotten into some pretty sharp arguments about him and Sam Harris.

About Sam Harris, to advocate nuclear strikes on the Muslim world? What the fuck?

Being HUMANE is more important than these Ivory-Towerish stances.

[LynneSin]

12. Hitchens was kinda all over the board

And yes, many times he pissed me off.

But in the end he was one that I could read even if in the end I'd think 'What a *#)% idiot'

I could never stomach anything read or said by the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Savage, etc. etc.

[Boston_Chemist]

14. I am an Atheist, but I refuse to be a fanboy.

And same goes for that other warmonger, Sam Harris.

Now, Dan Dennett - he's a real intellectual.

[JI7]

15. this is as stupid as those who say if you oppose war you support Saddam

[Boston_Chemist]

20. That is a nonsense retort.

Judging someone's character by their actions and words is a perfectly valid thing to do. I evaluate Mr. Hitchens on the basis of what matters, his personal stances vis a vis the human lives of other people. Not whether or not he was a smug, sarcastic asshole during debates.

[CrawlingChaos]

17. +1000 He was vile (n/t)

[Critters2]

26. Thank you! I'm sick of reading the sentimental swooning over this Neo-con's death. nt

[LiberalFighter]

5. Too bad there weren't others that tried it out.

Like
Rush Limbaugh
Glenn Beck
Bill O'Reilly
Dick Cheney & his wife
Rumsfeld
Condi Rice & her piano
George Bush & his wife

All of the Generals

[LynneSin]

6. There was some minor right-wing radio personality that tried it too.

HE came out with the same message - he was being tortured.

[hifiguy]

8. Wasn't that ManCow?

And what the hell inspires one to call oneself "ManCow"??

[Edweird]

28. Because "ManBearPig" was taken?

[leveymg]

7. An imperfect human being, like the rest of us. A very good writer and a daring spirit. RIP

He was wrong about Iraq, but very, very on-target about indicting Henry Kissinger and some other Untouchables for Crimes Against Humanity.

He added a lot to the world.

[hifiguy]

9. Agreed 100%

"God is not Great" was a funny, vitriolic and utterly readable book. Hitchens was unafraid to admit his mistakes, and that makes him better than most.

[themadstork]

11. Quite admirable

[EFerrari]

13. Hitchens also went to bat for journalists and writers

that had targets on their backs by governments and political organizations, notably Salman Rushdie. He was one of the moving forces in PEN. He put himself on the line more than once to support freedom of speech in a concrete way.

[CrawlingChaos]

18. Rushdie was his close associate and fellow Muslim-demonizer

Not surprised he would have his back.

[EFerrari]

19. That isn't my experience with either of them. And PEN certainly wasn't founded

to bash Muslims.

[CrawlingChaos]

22. I believe they both serve(d) the same master

Each in their own way have helped to increase hostility toward the Islamic world by promoting this bogus, manufactured “clash of civilizations”, and both have attempted to sell the laughable notion of western moral superiority (Rushdie likes to talk about the inherent evils of Muslim “honor culture”). Hitchens has said it was the Rushdie fatwa affair that caused him to take a hard right turn and become a Bush-loving warmonger. Rushdie isn’t openly bloodthirsty in the disgusting manner of Hitchens, but dang, they sure do fawn all over each other (or rather, used to).

I meant no comment toward PEN, which I’m not even familiar with.

[Warpy]

16. The Guardian (of course) has a whole page of linked articles

along with a very nice assortment of his own writings: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/christopher-hitchens?intcmp=239

[BOG PERSON]

21. i'm glad he's dead

because his suffering is over.

i mean i'm glad his suffering is over.

[Quantess]

23. He actually allowed himself to waterboarded, and filmed,

which was a great service to the public. I do remember seeing that video.

[LynneSin]

24. I didn't see the video but he wrote about it for Vanity Fair magazine

Too bad other right-wing nut jobs that supported waterboarding didn't do the same thing.

[NashVegas]

25. And Yet, He Enabled Torturers

By being a cheerleader for the Iraq war.

[Critters2]

27. Exactly. Just a Neo-con POS. nt