The Limits of Free Speech | Full Interview | Peter Hitchens

From Charlie Hebdo to the media today, conservative journalist Peter Hitchens explains what he thinks the limits of free speech should be today.

Peter Hitchens is an English conservative journalist and author. Hitchens writes for The Mail on Sunday and is a former foreign correspondent in Moscow and Washington. He has published eight books, including The Abolition of Britain, The Rage Against God, and The War We Never Fought.

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DELVE DEEPER

[PrincipledUncertainty]

The problem is, we are being prevented from shouting fire in a theatre that is currently ablaze.

[johnbrown]

Very true it is hard to keep trying when no one cares to hear.

[HandsHealNow]

Glad he keeps speaking and gives others their term to do their work. I miss his brother and wish he spoke of him at times.

[foppo]

Peter sounds depressing but he has many points.I have lived here a very long time in the U.K but this country is not going the right way.It has lost its way.

[adambritain]

"I love arguing with Blairites". Yes!

[walbedo]

Tough, unmoved, man and voice of steel. A bit raw sometimes but I understand how he feels maybe deflated when his voice and books seem to have fallen on deaf ears, ears deliberately blocked, or ears filled with liberalism, feet stamping and table thumping socialism - which seems a champion in silencing, shutting down voices (and ruining a person's career and reputation cruelly) - voices that don't actually agree with it, you know, because we actually STILL, I THINK live in a free country based on democracy. I don't think we do anymore unless something changes before, as Peter H says, we'll fall giggling into the sea.

[dieselheart]

The point is, we are in a burning theater, and being told that the word fire is hate speech. The very words that the situation demands be spoken, are specifically the ones being prohibited, a situation deliberately engineered to make those words conspicuous by their absence. In other words, we can say anything we want except what needs to be said.

[johnmaris]

This country has not lost its way politicians have lost their way. We must get shut of this shower of remainers roll on nf

[livondiramerian]

Freedom of speech better create a better world.

[alanwilliams]

You're are perfectly free to criticise Islam as long as you don't actually criticise Islam. Got it?

[rumelali]

A very honest English gentleman. ..a class of literature missing from the modern English society

[whisperwednesday]

Love both brothers and am so pleased we have/had them. Watch the video of their debate about Peter's book, The Abolition of Britain, and you'll see just how downtrodden and pessimistic the man has become. He was so witty and entertaining back then but he's been beaten by all this modern-day nonsense.

[MasterSimpkins]

"I love arguing with Blairitessss..." A little bit of Hannibal Lecter there

[toaster]

This is not the Hitchens I was searching for.

[zilefn]

Peter is right about education, but wrong on its timeline, and therein lies a modicum of hope. I have three 1st class Hons degrees, including in Philosophy (real Philosophy, not Foucault) and including from Cambridge, all earned in the 1980s and 1990s. If we could just get an explosion of grammar schools, the ability of young people to develop thinking and critical faculties could change in 1-2 generations. But it has been nearly 60 years since Crosland virtually destroyed the grammar school system in the name of fairness, and no government since has had the guts even to try to reinstitute them.

[janethockey]

People think in terms of feeling and prejudice then look for confirmation bias to back up their ideas

[rigilchrist]

Would be nice to be able to hear the interviewer withought having to increase the volume such that Hitchens becomes deafening.

[dustinmcmullin]

There is no limit to free speech unless you make a threat to physically hurt people

[heinzriemann]

It doesn't get much more based than this, does it?

[williamwimbourne]

Its not my responsibility anymore!!! Evil prevails when good men fail to act Mr H. Get back to the mill stone and grind the grit the mill requires.