Latest news with #PeterHitchens
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE No nation should dictate who can and cannot have the bomb - Peter Hitchens attacks America's nuclear hypocrisy on new Mail podcast
Atomic powers like the US employ a lot of 'bilge' to justify their nuclear arsenals while condemning other nations who seek the same deterrent, Peter Hitchens tells Sarah Vine on the latest episode of the Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast. The acclaimed broadcaster argued that misinformation about the Manhattan Project and America's initial motivations for pursuing an atomic bomb provides an all-too-convenient explanation for why some nations are allowed nukes and others are not. While not a 'fantasist' who believes global nuclear disarmament is possible, Hitchens said that the disputes over who can possess nuclear weapons raise questions about whether any country should have access to them. Hitchens said: 'It has been very interesting to watch the US try to explain why Iran shouldn't have nuclear weapons, whereas it should. 'Apparently, no one cares that Israel, Pakistan and North Korea have them. You have to wonder what the logic is behind saying who can and cannot have them, apart from who's already got them, and who's biggest. 'We have an elaborate justification for nuclear weapons in our minds. During the Cold War, I was a fairly strong Nato enthusiast because it seemed logical that it was ridiculous for us to give up ours while allowing the USSR to keep theirs. Peter Hitchens: 'The argument that we dropped the bomb on Japan, and that's why they surrendered - is certainly not true.' Listen here 'But since then, it has been nagging at me – should they exist at all? Should any country be allowed to have them?' Hitchens said much of the justification for nuclear weapons stems from the end of the Second World War – specifically the perceived success of the strikes against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to Japan's surrender. He explained: 'There is a wonderful museum at Los Alamos in New Mexico, where the bomb was originally developed – it has this tremendous display inside, which made the same argument over and over again. 'The argument is the bomb saved possibly millions of lives in 1945. That we dropped the bomb on Japan, and they surrendered. The trouble is, it's certainly not true. 'It was Stalin's decision to invade Manchuria that forced a surrender. The Japanese were terrified of a Russian revenge for everything they had done to them since 1904. 'The other justification for developing the bomb was that Hitler would get it first – Nazi scientists were nowhere near a nuclear weapon. It's complete fantasy. 'The West has dodged a big moral question with these justifications. In which case, why do we have it at all?' The ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East prove that nuclear weapons don't deter conflict as was once assumed, Hitchens contended. He added that nuclear weapons actually enable lower-level conflicts by creating a framework where conventional wars can rage without escalating to total destruction, leaving thousands dead. 'So-called conventional weapons are now of such horrifying power,' Hitchens began. 'Look at these Bunker Busters – my point being that nuclear weapons, rather than preventing war, have increasingly permitted lower-level conflicts to take place. 'Who would have thought that a war involving the Russian army could take place in Europe after the invention of nuclear weapons? Yet, here we are.' Speaking specifically about Iran, Hitchens reminded listeners that Israel had acted dishonestly with its own nuclear programme in the 1960s. He said: 'The reason we're in this mess in the Middle East is because the Israelis don't trust the Iranians, the Iranians don't trust the Israelis and the Americans certainly don't trust the Iranians. 'But, when the Israelis built their bomb – they weren't very public about it themselves. It only came out because an Israeli official got drunk at a cocktail party and blabbed to an American diplomat.'
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Iran is one of the most civilised countries I ever visited - Israel attacking the nation only helps keep Ayatollah Khamenei in power, PETER HITCHENS tells SARAH VINE in new Mail podcast
Iran is a misunderstood nation that could be 'reeled into the civilised world' if handled differently by Israel and its allies, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Hitchens tells Sarah Vine on the latest episode of the Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast. Hitchens' perspective stems from his travels to Iran almost two decades ago - a visit that, he reveals, profoundly changed how he sees the nation. The best-selling author argued that large swathes of the Iranian population dislike the ruling Mullahs and suggested that if western nations stopped threatening the Islamic republic, its despotic rulers might be toppled in a coup. Recent weeks have seen escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, with both countries exchanging aerial strikes and missile attacks - a dangerous escalation that has some observers fearing the region could be on the brink of all-out war. 'Iran is one of the most civilised countries I have ever visited,' Hitchens said. 'The resistance by many of its people to the regime's attempts to turn them into obedient slaves is very strong. Recent weeks have seen escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, with both countries exchanging aerial strikes and missile attacks 'There's a great deal of confident, private discussion about the regime – which people refer to with contempt. It's much more like a southern European country than a Middle Eastern country in many ways.' Hitchens went on to state that foreign meddling in Iran's affairs not only led to the rise of the Ayatollah but continues to strengthen his stranglehold on power. He said: 'If we treated Iran more intelligently, it could be easily reeled into the civilised world. 'The Mullahs really like to be threatened; it strengthens their grip on power. If that threat was relaxed, then their power would shrivel away. 'Iran had a legitimate government in 1953, and do you know what happened to it? We overthrew it. 'Britain cooked up a putsch to overthrow Mohammed Mossadegh, the prime minister of Iran, over oil.' Many historians argue that foreign resentment from the 1953 coup contributed to the Shah's overthrow in 1979 and Iran's subsequent transformation into a theocratic republic. With Israel declaring on Thursday that Iran's leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, 'cannot continue to exist,' Hitchens expressed fear over what another potential forced regime change might to do the country. US President Donald Trump was coy over whether America would join Israel in attacking Iran, telling reporters: ' I might do, I might not.' 'When the people overthrew the Shah, no one wanted the Ayatollah', Hitchens began. 'Revolutions, wars, once they start – they get out of control. There is grave danger in knocking this current lot out. 'What will replace them? Will it necessarily be better? Just look at the chaos in Libya. Or in Syria, where we spent years and years destroying a country, only to accept an Al Qaeda operative as the new head of government. 'Iran is not Mordor – full of orcs. It's a real country, full of real people with differing opinions. There's something approaching a civil society there. 'And when left to their own devices, the Iranians have elected people who are genuinely opposed to the Mullahs.'
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Rampage killings have become commonplace and drugs like cannabis are to blame - PETER HITCHENS tells SARAH VINE on provocative Mail podcast
Rampage killings have become commonplace throughout the Western world and the normalisation of mind-altering drugs is to blame, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Hitchens argued on the latest episode of the Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast. Responding to events in Liverpool on Monday, where a 53-year-old man allegedly high on drugs drove his car into a group of celebrating football fans, Hitchens said more must be done to restrict access to substances with the potential to cause 'madness'. A rampage killing is a specific type of mass murder where an individual kills several innocent people in a relatively short period of time. 'It is common now, in almost every major society in the world, that we get rampage killings', Hitchens said. 'It is incessant. It happens all the time. It never used to happen – and I think I know why. What has fundamentally changed since the 1950s and 60s? 'Crazy individuals are quite uncommon. Usually, madness is connected to some form of brain injury, which is either caused by serious head trauma or a disease. Or a third thing, drugs. 'Anders Brevik was a steroid user. The man who went wild in several Mosques in New Zealand was also on steroids. 'Drugs like steroids, SSRIs, antidepressants, and marijuana are often in the recent backstories of people who do these things. It's very hard to find these things out because the authorities aren't interested. 'There's a huge reluctance in our society to admit that there is a correlation between these things and drugs. There is an immense marijuana lobby – the other drugs have their lobbies as well. 'Particularly, there is a reluctance to admit any connection between the use of marijuana and insane violence.' Metanalyses conducted in America have shown a tenuous link between cannabis use and the propensity to commit violent crimes. However, other studies conducted in the wake of legalisation in certain US states have shown the opposite – with violence decreasing where dispensaries open. Mail columnist Sarah Vine disagreed with her co-host, arguing that psychotic people often seek out drugs and it is not the substances themselves that account for the perpetuator's underlying mental illness. She also emphasised that the prohibition of drugs like cannabis creates a black market actively incentivised to sell a more potent product. However, Vine concurred that the power of cannabis to stir mental illness has been downplayed in wider society. 'People think that because cannabis isn't chemically addictive, it isn't dangerous', Vine began. 'But it is highly psychologically addictive – I have friends that were heavy smokers that when they tried to quit, they went mad.' Hitchens compared the light policing of cannabis in the West to countries like South Korea, Japan, and China, making the point that Asia sees very few of these rampage-style killings. He argued: 'In South Korea, these things just do not happen because the possession of marijuana is still considered a crime. 'Asian governments have rejected the propaganda – if you're a public figure and you're caught with it, you do not merely go to jail, you are discredited. 'You are out of public life forever because it is seen as a shameful thing to do, as it ought to be. 'The people that promote it should also face shame because they are ruining lives. It is not a victimless crime – the family of a person who becomes permanently ill because of marijuana use is a family full of grief for the next 40 years. 'It ought to be punished – we must have it on our statute books that you are punished for possession.' To watch the full contentious debate, search for Alas Vine & Hitchens now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Exiting menopause is like gaining a superpower - I am no longer a slave to my hormones, SARAH VINE tells PETER HITCHENS on provocative Mail podcast
Exiting menopause is like entering 'sunlit uplands', with your moods no longer governed by hormones, Mail columnist Sarah Vine described on the latest episode of the Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast. Vine, 58, admitted to co-host and broadcaster Peter Hitchens, that she now realises most of the 'stupid decisions' made in her life were 'hormone-related'. She added that the 'awful' symptoms of perimenopause and menopause were worth it for the sense of 'liberation' that comes afterwards. Menopause is when a woman's menstrual periods permanently stop, typically occurring in her late 40s to early 50s, marking the end of her reproductive years due to declining hormone levels. 'I have this theory that menopause is like a superpower', Vine told Hitchens. 'Everybody thinks that the menopause is awful, and it is quite awful to go through. I certainly had a rough time with it, but once it happens, it's like entering sunlit uplands. 'You enter a hormone-free existence. You're not full of estrogen and progesterone anymore - you don't have these uncontrollable feelings about nurturing people and small babies. 'You're just a normal human being – you have things like logic; you're not trying to eat chocolate all the time because your hormones are annoying you; you don't get mood swings or PMS. It's just lovely!' She added that too much attention is paid to the uncomfortable symptoms of the transition and not enough to the joys of life afterwards. 'People write books about the menopause and perimenopause – they're doing TV shows about it. It's really a hot topic', the columnist said. 'But no one ever talks about life after the menopause. I can't tell you what a slave to my hormones I was – I realise that most of the things that I have probably done wrong, most of the stupid decisions I made, have been hormone related. 'I realise now that if I didn't have this crazed cocktail of chemicals running around my body, I would have been much more efficient.' The average age for a woman to begin the menopause is 51. The transition period, perimenopause, usually starts sometime in a woman's early forties. Symptoms of the menopause range wildly from woman to woman. Some report difficulty sleeping, hot flashes, dry skin and eyes, and decreased libido. These unpleasant changes may go on for years but can be mitigated with HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Vine told listeners not to fear menopause, describing life afterwards as 'a pretty zen place to be'. 'That like the idea of being that older woman who is sort of a sage figure', the journalist told the podcast. 'That is so much easier when you're post-menopausal. People should stop being so worried about it – it is quite a zen place to be.' 'I don't like the sound of that – sounds pretty pagan to me', Hitchens joked.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'People always tell me I wish you died instead of him': PETER HITCHENS remembers sibling rivalry with late brother CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS on new Mail podcast
On the latest episode of the Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Hitchens remembered the sibling rivalry between him and his 'radically left' brother, Christopher Hitchens. The best-selling author also shared some of the cruel comments he has received since Christopher passed from cancer in 2011. Christopher Hitchens, the brother of Alas podcast host, Peter Hitchens, was a prodigious author and journalist, known for his divisive atheism and left-wing politics. Over his long career, Christopher penned 18 books on topics ranging from culture and history to politics and religion. He was also a champion debater, regularly appearing on TV to defend his contrarian views. Peter told the podcast: 'My brother had a very large reputation. He tended to take different views from me – that is to say, I'm a Christian, he was an atheist. I am a person on the socially conservative right; he was a person on the radical left. 'I am not seeking sympathy by saying this but, it happens all the time that people on social media will tell me – I wish you'd been the one that died. 'That got me thinking about the very curious business of brothers and sisters. There does seem to be a problem with certain sets of siblings, where they just don't get on. 'We used to fight a lot as children – which began a war which, in a way, continued all our lives.' Christopher Hitchens died aged 62 from complications of oesophageal cancer. In his memoir, Christopher said the biggest divide between him and his brother was Peter's belief in God. Reminiscing with Mail columnist and podcast co-host Sarah Vine, Peter remembered how the warring siblings used to frighten each other as children. 'There was this one famous occasion where he was supposed to have removed the brakes on my pram. He brought me up on top of a hill with evil intent. 'Another where Christopher claimed to be sitting by a flower bed, which is unlikely for him, and saw a small menacing shadow of a boy with a rake advancing towards him. 'I also remember my brother leading me into a swamp on the edges of Dartmoor. We always used to fight.' As adults, Peter said he and his brother had a distant relationship, particularly after Christopher travelled across the pond, moving permanently to Washington DC. Although Peter admits that 'they never really got along', he also revealed that he 'misses him all the time'. 'I owe so much to having a brother with whom I had an adversarial relationship - you learn a lot', the broadcaster began. 'There was a brief period when we were both living in DC, where we saw more of each other than we otherwise did. Seeing each other again, it became very clear why we were happy being distant – we just didn't get on all that much. 'But it was always nice saying hello. We could finish each other's sentences - we had private languages as children. 'I miss him all the time.'
