Chris Hitchens
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Speaking of technology: as someone who defended freedom of expression all his life, what do you think of Elon Musk when he says he defends free expression by allowing all kinds of speech on his social media network X (you're allowed to speculate a bit)
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Based on what we know about Christopher Hitchens' unwavering commitment to free expression, his response to Musk's approach would likely be nuanced and characteristically sharp.
Hitchens demonstrated his commitment to free speech during one of its most severe tests - standing by Salman Rushdie during the fatwa crisis, "when a very important principle, the whole principle of free expression needed to be defended against the most direct, thuggish possible challenge. I mean, a death threat backed by death squads from the theocratic leader of a foreign state."
Given this background, Hitchens would probably appreciate Musk's stated commitment to free expression in principle. He consistently argued that the remedy for bad speech is more speech, not censorship, and he understood that defending free expression often means defending speech that makes people uncomfortable.
However, Hitchens was also deeply concerned with intellectual honesty and the quality of discourse. He might be troubled by how "free speech absolutism" on social media platforms can amplify misinformation, conspiracy theories, and genuinely harmful content without the kind of rigorous debate and fact-checking that he valued.
The speaker in the context notes Musk's intelligence and "concern for the welfare of the world,"
which suggests Hitchens might give Musk the benefit of the doubt regarding his intentions. But Hitchens was also skeptical of tech utopians and would likely question whether algorithmic amplification truly serves free expression or merely creates echo chambers.
Ultimately, Hitchens would probably argue that true free expression requires not just the absence of censorship, but the presence of informed, good-faith debate - something that social media's structure often undermines, regardless of content policies.