January 11, 2010
Dear Sir:
Because you reckon yourself to be the expert on
religion, world affairs & c., one can understand why
you would believe the stage of letters is not big
enough for you and Gore Vidal. Just as you didn't
give Richard Robinson enough credit in 'your' book
on religion; you don't give Mr. Vidal enough credit
for being nearly on the mark where you are so far
off the mark in your views on world affairs---
especially United States foreign policy.
It appears to this reader that your Vanity Fair article
establishes that Mr. Vidal and his views have
become strange (outrageous). But "strange" in what
sense? I direct your attention to Gregory Vlastos'
Socrates, page 1 where, regarding Socrates'
"strangeness", Vlastos cites Alcibiates' speech
about Socrates in the Symposium:
"Such is his strangeness that you will search and
search among those living now and among men of
the past, and never come close to what he is
himself and to the things he says." (221D)
Mr. Hitchens, you have not come close to revealing
to your readers Mr. Vidal's 'strangeness'. When you
attempt to see Mr. Vidal and understand his
strangeness and his irony, you see someone else.
Who could it be?
To invoke (and give credit to) Karl Kraus: Mr.
Hitchens, like psychoanalysis, "you are the disease
that reckons itself to be a cure". And like the
psychoanalyst and the preacher you are overpaid
for what you profess to do. What disease? The
Pop-Journalist's disease. The Fox 'News', CNN
diseases:
"I'm Christopher Hitchens, I'm (used to be) a
serious journalist. Gore Vidal used to be a lot of
fun, and almost serious. I'm Christopher Hitchens, I
write for Vanity Fair.... Gore Vidal gives interviews
to everyone but me.... I'll fix that. I'll blast the
interviewer and interviewee. I'll sell some
magazines!"
"Success is counted sweetest by those....."
I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Like you, I
used to be a fan of yours.
Happy Days,
Raymond White
