Warts and All
Andrew Sullivan, reacting to a reader email wondering how he can be friends with Christopher Hitchens, who is a drunk and hostile to religion, responds,
My own position with friends is to accept them totally, or not be friends. I have no desire for Hitch to be anything other than completely himself, and if that includes a fondness of whiskey, more power to him. I have no desire to change him in any way. His fearless brilliance, astonishingly wide reading and great wit are treasures to me and a lot of others.
Hitchens has accomplished more under the influence of whiskey than perhaps anyone since General Grant.
And I agree completely that someone is your friend as is or not at all. As the old saying goes, “A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway.” People change over time and, presumably, one’s friends have some role in that process. Usually, though, it’s a byproduct of shared experiences rather than calculated effort.
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Remember what Lincoln said about Grant: “Find out what he’s drinking so I can get it for the rest of my generals.”
Hitchens is a throwback to those opinionated old-times who had as much booze in their veins as printers’ ink. He is witty and erudite but much of his humor comes, I think, from a sense of despair.
Ted
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But does Hitchens drink Whiskey or Whisky?
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Quote of the Day, Irish Envy Edition…
From James Joyner: [Christopher] Hitchens has accomplished more under the influence of whiskey than perhaps anyone since General Grant…….
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“”Hitchens has accomplished more under the influence of whiskey than perhaps anyone since General Grant.”"
Perfect Analogy !
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