I was sorry to learn that Christopher Hitchens passed away. I knew he was dying of throat cancer; so his death comes as no surprise. But I thought Hitch was a great writer and an even better mind. Even when I didn't agree with him, I always appreciated his informed opinion on all sorts of matters. I think at heart he was a highly ethical man who enjoyed challenging people in power whose ethics were in need of being challenged. That made Hitch a great iconoclast, often against people he had been friends with or against people who everyone else seemed to give a pass to.
He was definitely an interesting guy - a socialist who supported the Iraq war, an avowed atheist, but a guy that a lot of people on the other side respected.
He knew his excess drinking and smoking was unhealthy, but he also said it contributed to his writing and thinking capability. Too bad he couldn't have found healthy alternatives. He will be missed.
