• May 26, 2012
A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

December 25, 2008

Liberal Harold Pinter Dies, Of Cancer

by Jim Newell  

An iconic postwar British playwright who hated America so much, Harold Pinter, died yesterday. He really despised George Bush’s war in Iraq, as well as the other American wars and killings: “The crimes of the U.S. throughout the world have been systematic, constant, clinical, remorseless, and fully documented but nobody talks about them.” Indeed, freedom is on the march. Let’s end with a happier quote: “When the storm is over and night falls and the moon is out in all its glory and all you’re left with is the rhythm of the sea, of the waves, you know what God intended for the human race, you know what paradise is.” [NYT]

{ 14 comments }

chascates December 25, 2008 at 3:07 pm

History will prove Pinter prescient about the President.

Tchim December 25, 2008 at 3:07 pm

Rest well, Mr. Pinter. You have fought the good fight.

Aurelio December 25, 2008 at 4:38 pm

Ah, the rhythm of the sea beneath a glorious moon! Why the fuck is THAT what God intended for the human race? I thought that was something for grunion.

Bruno December 25, 2008 at 5:19 pm

Its right to have this point of view because Britan never did anything bad. ever.

rambone December 25, 2008 at 5:49 pm

Only thing worse than a hippie is a hippie who knows how to express himself with eloquence.

[re=205561]Bruno[/re]: Yeah, cause no other country in the world would ever even think about exploiting other nations.

p-Sludge December 25, 2008 at 6:16 pm

Someone at gawker finds hippie Pinter’s hostility to US war-stuff was “increasingly dated”. Thoughts?
http://gawker.com/5118085/harold-pinter-nobel+winning-playwright

Darehead December 25, 2008 at 6:35 pm

[re=205570]p-Sludge[/re]: It perhaps was “dated” until the US went to war in Iraq, but mainstream now; G must have plagiarized something written in the 90s when everyone was hysterical about blow jobs and Mother Mary with elephant dung and a little Cuban boat boy.
[re=205568]rambone[/re]: Pinter was just as harsh on the UK.

Chief Grinning Eagle December 25, 2008 at 7:06 pm

The film version of The Servant is one of my favorites. It’s such a good metaphor. As Bob Dylan used to sing it: “You gotta serve somebody.” Why not serve yourself first? That way you’ll be sure of getting some.

And let me introduce you to my sister.

Joey Ratz December 25, 2008 at 7:38 pm

Sad. Pinter was one of very few modern dramatists whose work I liked. As a bonus, he was right about W., too.

HipHopOpotamus December 25, 2008 at 11:04 pm

When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planet, and love will steer the stars… This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius.

In honor of his death,I wrote a few verses of what I believe should be the Eugoogalie (as read by Rick Warren) at his funeral. Peace be with him and also with you.

Mavky December 26, 2008 at 10:04 am

Brilliant guy but he did defend Slobodan Milosevic.

ladymacbeth December 26, 2008 at 11:49 am

sad pause.

Iggy Plop December 29, 2008 at 1:58 pm

um, let’s not forget “one of the most influential playwrights of the latter half of the twentieth century” or why not make it the whole fucking twentieth century, political views be damned. i saw a production of The Birthday Party in Princeton a little while back and it reminded me of how incredible he was right from the start.

The London Rich December 30, 2008 at 11:11 pm

[re=205527]chascates[/re]: Luckily, Pinter’s wife (Lady Antonia Fraser) and his stepdaughter (Flora Fraser) are historians, so history can get an early start on how right he was. :D

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