Latest news with #PeterHitchens
Daily Mail
a day ago
- 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.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Britain needs the death penalty - I know because I witnessed the 'horrible' executions of two heinous murderers, PETER HITCHENS tells SARAH VINE on latest episode of provocative Mail podcast
Britain needs to reinstate the death penalty as a deterrent against the most cruel and unusual crimes, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Hitchens has told co-host Sarah Vine on the latest episode of the Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast. The best-selling author argued that the logic in having the death penalty is 'inexorable', with scientific developments in the DNA analysis of crime scenes now meaning 'very few' falsely accused people would receive capital punishment. Hitchens revealed that during his time as a correspondent in America, he forced himself to witness two executions, one by lethal injection, the other by electrocution, to test his convictions in the practice. He explained to Mail columnist Sarah Vine that although the experience was 'horrible', his view on the death penalty remained unchanged, permitting its use under 'very strict conditions.' 'I concluded about 30 years ago that I supported the death penalty under very strict conditions', Hitchens began. 'When challenged, I couldn't deny it. I instantly made myself a lot of enemies among the sort of people I knew then. It is an absolute test in modern liberal Britain: if you support the death penalty, then you're some knuckle-brushing barbarian. 'The logic for it is inexorable – the thing which put the capstone on it for me was witnessing two executions in the United States. I thought I should face the thing I had supported and in a sense, willed. 'I went to these executions – now, no one can say to me: 'Well if you'd seen it, you'd stop being in favour of it.' 'It didn't alter my view. It was a horrible thing, but it was meant to be. 'In an age of DNA, establishing someone's guilt is easier and more likely to be certain than it was before. I certainly am not suggesting the execution of all murderers – only the most heinous of them.' The broadcaster, who over his long career in journalism has written extensively on the subject, went on to detail his reasoning for supporting capital punishment. The death penalty was abolished in Britain in 1965, mostly due to evolving social attitudes and several high-profile miscarriages of justice. Hitchens said: 'You must make it plain as a society that you value life above all things. The only person who can forgive a murderer is the person who's murdered, and that person is not available – we do not have the freedom to forgive on their behalf. 'Then there's deterrence – when the death penalty was suspended in this country in the late 1940s, armed crime went up during that suspension and fell again when it ended. 'There is no question that since final abolition in 1965, the amount of homicide in this country has gone up. 'What's more, the amount of serious wounding has gone up, but that doesn't show in the homicide rates because the health service has gotten so much better. 'If people see someone getting away with murder, then it makes them angry. It makes them less inclined to keep the law themselves. Poorly enforced laws make people behave worse.' Sarah Vine tacitly agreed with her co-host, adding that now, in the modern world, we have far less painful and graphic methods of execution than when capital punishment was abolished. The most common method of execution in Britain was hanging. The deeply controversial 1955 hanging of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be given the death penalty in Britain, turned the public against the method of execution and capital punishment in general. Hitchens said however that if the death penalty was reintroduced, the method of execution should be 'genuinely frightening' by design. 'The thing has to have some force', the author proclaimed. 'When I saw the lethal injection, I thought it was morally creepy. It doesn't look like an execution – it's more like a medical procedure. That's dishonest – people are pretending to be doing something that they're not.' To catch the full debate on the death penalty, listen to the latest Alas Vine & Hitchens now, wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are released every Wednesday.
