Atheism Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““Though he never actually joined it, he was close to some civilian elements of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which was the most Communist (and in the rather orthodox sense) of the Palestinian formations. I remember Edward once surprising me by saying, and apropos of nothing: 'Do you know something I have never done in my political career? I have never publicly criticized the Soviet Union. It’s not that I terribly sympathize with them or anything—it's just that the Soviets have never done anything to harm me, or us.' At the time I thought this a rather naïve statement, even perhaps a slightly contemptible one, but by then I had been in parts of the Middle East where it could come as a blessed relief to meet a consecrated Moscow-line atheist-dogmatist, if only for the comparatively rational humanism that he evinced amid so much religious barking and mania. It was only later to occur to me that Edward's pronounced dislike of George Orwell was something to which I ought to have paid more attention.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Christopher Hitchens on politics, 2005
Hitchens reflects on a colleague’s claim of never criticizing the Soviet Union, noting the irony given the colleague’s broader political stances and personal biases.
In simple terms: He points out the inconsistency in claiming moral superiority while ignoring other issues.
Question personal contradictions in political statements.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- foreign policy analysis
- historical research
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this reveal about selective criticism?
- How do personal biases shape political narratives?
The claim overlooks other problematic aspects of the Soviet Union and broader geopolitics.