You come into my little scene

A VHS of the C-Span television programme showing the British MP George Galloway debating the British writer Christopher Hitchens in NYC two weeks ago has arrived. I got called by fedex for the first time ever, "just to confirm delivery address" which is the same address I've had on my account for four years so excuse me if I find that suspicious. But having watched it, I'm not surprised as this is explosive material, intellectual pornography.

George may be absolutely bonkers but he really holds his end up. He's very energetic and had clearly prepared a plethora of insults, although nothing as good as this from "Innocence" Buffy, Season Two:

Cordelia: This is great. There's an unkillable demon in town. Angel's joined his team. The slayer's a basketcase. I'd say we've hit bottom.

Zander: I have a plan.

Cordelia: Oh no, Here's a lower place.

Galloway is a happy fascist and loved leaning on his podium and talking to the audience in his transatlantic Scottish accent about how Sodhim Hinsane was a democratically elected president of the perfectly reasonable Baaaath political party. He had some hilarious comments to make, such as taking Barbara Bush to task for some outlandish quote attributed to her, something along the lines of the refugees from Louisiana who were given a place to recover in Texas would probably want to stay. How ridiculous is that? Texas is scary, you're legally allowed to shoot intruders in Texas, although "you only get a trophy if you kill them" - hi Candi!

Hitchens is a proper intellectual, that is, someone so intelligent that if a truthful, persuasive argument is made, he is willing to change his mind. Winston Churchill was the same. Both quick witted, flexible and brave enough to admit when they got things wrong.

So Gall accused Hitch of being against the first Gulf War and Hitchens just looked over his glasses and said "I began a process of re-examination of which I can't really say, or be expected to say I'm ashamed."

Gall misquoted statistics all over the place, one notable instance, when he said only 6% of the "Iraqi resistance" have been foreigners. So how about the terrorists George? Tons of Libyians, Syrians, and so on, can't remember the full list although Michael Yon has reported on this in his blog, for instance here, and I'm sure I heard him mention it on one of the numerous radio programmes he's been on recently. Also, George quoted the Lancet figures which have been thoroughly evaluated and derided even by left wing publications like Slate.

Gall also quoted Juan Cole a professor from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) who is such a devalued source that after his long tirade Hitchens just said "wow!".

Hitchens had a wonderful response; "Professor Cole, who's never set foot in the region, changes his mind on the subject every week."

Galloway said something about Colin Powell saying his UN speech was a stain on his public record and Hitchens goes "I don't give a damn what Powell says about anything". Yay! Neither do I!

Overall, Galloway held on well until losing steam at the end. He was a fantastic example of how a good public speaker can distract you from the content. Now I understand why Antony Beevor said that of all the people from history the one he'd most like to meet is Adolf Hitler.

Well, I'm off to the monthly meeting of the Westminster Society of Cogers. I'm looking forward to discussing Katrina and Rita and George. Cheers!

Oh, almost forgot, I was working with a woman on Monday who said she could read palms. I handed her my left palm, she looked down at it and started laughing uproariously, picked my hand up and flung it back at me saying "you are going to have such a happy life". She's right.