Chapter 11 Analysis of Letters to a Young Contrarian:

One main thing stood out to me in this chapter. When Hitchens writes "Nowadays 'public opinion' is more smoothly and easily ventriloquised" it really got me thinking. I came to the conclusion that I agree completely with that statement. Just in class when we were writing made-up facts on the Minaret we influenced public opinion. Now with the media roaring louder than ever public opinion is being manipulated more than ever. Most of the public just follows like blind ducks to whatever opinion is being broadcasted as the most supported.

Chapter 12:

In this chapter, Hitchens talks about credentials to speak on a subject which prompted me to think a bit deeper about this. Hitchens says you don't need to be able to respond to the question "Who do you think you are?". I think you do. Why would someone want to go around giving their 2 sense about things that they don't even know about? You will sound so ignorant commenting on political affairs in Madagascar when you couldn't even point it out on a map. I believe it is best to sit back and learn something. You don't always have to act like an expert about everything.

Chapter 13:

Probably my favorite point in this book so far is one that Hitchens makes in this chapter. When he is elaborating on ideas from Noam Chomsky and states "Power...quite probably knows the truth already, and is mainly interested in suppressing or limiting or distorting it," I really thought into it. I really like this quote. It is so very true because if you think about, for example,  political figures being questioned about a questionable act they have committed and they plea they had no idea about it blah blah blah you know that they did. They just never thought it would be brought up. I like that when Hitchens writes about this he writes about how the younger generation are the ones that must learn the truth, because they have no power. Their minds are innocent and ready to learn the truth. I believe that this is the only way we could make changes, for example, in our corrupt government. When the younger generation, the ones naked from power learn the truth about things they will make things better.