Mockery of religion is one of the most essential things... one of the beginnings of human emancipation is the ability to laugh at authority.
Christopher HitchensFor the people who ostensibly wish me well or are worried about my immortal soul, I say I take it kindly.
Christopher HitchensTrust is not the same as faith. A friend is someone you trust. Putting faith in anyone is a mistake.
Christopher HitchensA sort of moral blackmail is exerted from both poles. The underclass, one gathers, should be dulled with charity and welfare provision lest it turn nasty. The upper class must likewise be conciliated by vast handouts, lest it lose the "incentive" to go on generating wealth.
Christopher HitchensA panel at a beautiful annual literary festival in Brazil, held in the almost Utopian coastal town of Parati, found me matched with Fernando Gabeira. This comparison reduced my own limited charisma value to something like zero: Gabeira has excelled at every cultural activity in Brazil.
Christopher Hitchens