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Interview with Matt Johnson on Christopher Hitchens (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-05 02:17:15
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Here is a recently recorded UNEDITED interview with Matt Johnson, author of "How Hitchens Can Save the Left: Rediscovering Fearless Liberalism in an Age of Counter-Enlightenment".

We discuss a bunch of stuff including:

- Where Hitchens fits in terms of modern gurus

- Would he have been in the IDW?

- Was he an extremophile?

- How far did was he over reliant on rhetoric?

- To what extent he can be considered a neocon in his later career

Audio version will follow later today with minor edits.

Thoughts and comments welcome as always!

Files

Interview with Matt Johnson on Christopher Hitchens

Comments

SHOUNAK SARKAR

Hey guys, interesting interview! I remember posting Johnson's article on the DTG reddit originally hehe. Anyways, he sounded like a level-headed guy, there was some unnecessary "anti-woke" & "free-speech absolutist" posturing but felt he clarified and moderated his positions well. I just hope that he just writes more for the likes of The Bulwark rather than Quillette. With regards to Hitchens, I consider myself bit of a fan. Definitely a lot to be admired with the man. He could match his rhetorical ability and polemicism with genuine knowledge & insights. However, Johnson is dead right, sometimes Hitchens was a major asshole. As in he let his rhetorical flourishes & performative techniques overshadow the substantive point he wanted to make! And as years go by and I revisit Hitchens content, I do wonder whether he would have become a IDW reactionary. I find his close friendship with Douglas Murray particularly troublesome. But at the same time, he was known for his independent thinking and changed his mind on many things like waterboarding torture and socialism. So, I do have some faith that he would have avoided the IDW right wing / Trumpist pipeline, but glad you brought it up Chris and asked for Johnson’s thoughts on it. BTW as an aside, the vast majority of liberals support Ukraine, including progressives that I talk to in my life and see online. Johnson should stop calling the likes of Greenwald, Taibbi and Dore as left-wingers as they have moved significantly right in the last 5-6 years and have gone from opposing Trump to supporting him. And they bash Democrats including far-left types like AOC & Bernie every chance they get. So more accurate to call em hard-right wing reactionaries, Tucker Carlson acolytes and pro-Russia ideologues.

Oliver Bostridge

Really enjoyed this interview. It's such a blessing to find a community of establishment shills who aren't afraid of embracing liberal orthodoxy. In all seriousness, when so much online discourse is polluted by edgy populism and general anti-liberal brainrot, I really appreciate that you guys and Matt are willing to take the uncool but reasonable position – and to do so in style.

Protagonist Science

Freedom of speech can only work in a world that is free from inauthentic media manipulation.

Tim Tripp

That was a great conversation. Free speech is great but I don´t think we have proven ourselves grown up enough to handle terrible arguments made by terrible people. Too many people are looking for simple solutions or for validation of their own terrible ideas.

Jason Trock

Not familiar with Johnson. Defining imperialism vs “involvement” from the perspective of the United States should not ignore Smedley Butlers “War is a Racket.” The “post war” comments I think are misplaced w/r/t Iraq and Afghanistan given the ongoing military involvement in the region across multiple administrations stretching back to Nixon. Saying the modern GOP is isolationist ignores the obvious and overt nativism - which is just white grievance dressed up in Christian nationalism. It has defined the modern Republican Party since Reagan gave his “welfare queen” speech and forged an alliance with the Southern Evangelicals. Otherwise interesting interview and perspective on Hitchens. Good as always! *edit I’ll read the book!