Atheists and C. Hitchens's neocon views

[KnightWhoSaysNi]

PZ Myers at Pharyngula blog, described the rather cool reception that Christopher Hitchens got at an FFRF convention.

Then it was Hitchens at his most bellicose. He told us what the most serious threat to the West was (and you know this line already): it was Islam. Then he accused the audience of being soft on Islam, of being the kind of vague atheists who refuse to see the threat for what it was, a clash of civilizations, and of being too weak to do what was necessary, which was to spill blood to defeat the enemy. Along the way he told us who his choice for president was right now — Rudy Giuliani — and that Obama was a fool, Clinton was a pandering closet fundamentalist, and that he was less than thrilled about all the support among the FFRF for the Democratic party. We cannot afford to allow the Iranian theocracy to arm itself with nuclear weapons (something I entirely sympathize with), and that the only solution is to go in there with bombs and marines and blow it all up. The way to win the war is to kill so many Moslems that they begin to question whether they can bear the mounting casualties.

It was simplistic us-vs.-them thinking at its worst, and the only solution he had to offer was death and destruction of the enemy.

I'd like to see the proportion of those present here who more or less agree with Hitchens's neocon political views. What's your view? Do you think Hitchens has got it right or do you think he's a warmonger who's full of shit?

[Headache]

Hitchens is blinded by his own political ideology.

[DrZoidberg]

Hitchens has always been belligerent. He feels more like a clown than philosopher. He's always been on some crusade or another. I wouldn't pay any attention. He's the atheistic equivalent of Jerry Falwell. Loud mouthed and annoying, but entertaining.

[Toto]

Hitchens is reacting to his former leftist friends who he now considers to be soft minded. He is also an alcoholic, although I don't know if that is related to his conversion to neo-conservative fellow traveller.

It's one thing to see the danger of Islamic fundamentalism, and see it as a bigger threat than the pathetic Christian fundamentalists. But this "clash of civilizations" is buying into scare tactics.

[Sigma]

Hitchen's makes the ridiculous mistake of pinning every evil in the world blindly on religion. His views seems quite contradictory judging from his wiki entry. For example, he seems to sympathize with the Palestinians.

However, in your poll options, a simple 'I disagree' would have sufficed as I don't find all his political beliefs to be appalling.

[Solitary Man]

I more or less agree with Hitchens. But it's not "neo-conservative" by any stretch of the imagination.

[Gamer4Fire]

Hitchens is my favorite drunk atheist.

[JaeIsGod]

Hitchens is an oddball. He sais very sensible things about the insanity of religion at times, but his 'solution' easily reaches the same level of insanity.

He has a great sense of humor though, so I'll forgive him. Just...could you keep him away from the nuclear stockpile? Might be better.

[dettus]

I am a liberal democrat and IMO aggressive M.E. policy ( including military action) is long overdue. With that said I don't think the current war in Iraq was the best way to go about this.

[enoch007]

If Hitch wants some payback versus Islam let him enlist like everybody else (except all those other chickenhawks)