Sam Harris on Trump - The Most Powerful Clown

by cofty 103 Replies latest social current

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  cofty

  Similarly, that's your response to my critique of Harris' podcast. - najw

  I responded to your comments. You didn't find my response compelling but, instead of agreeing to disagree, you started dishing out childish insults. That is pathetic. When I objected to your insults you responded with more insults - all the while whining that Sam Harris shouldn't be using insults. That is even more pathetic as well as ironic and hypocritical.

  The thread is about some remarks Harris made on a popular podcast. It has nothing at all to do with "a high level of intellectual or scholarly discourse". Thanks for trashing the thread.

  
  
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  slimboyfat

  Quite clearly, anyone with a bit of honesty and reasoning abilities realizes that "buffoonery", "clown" "awful man", "pathological liar", "jackass" are insults, not evidence.

  I would drop "jackass" because I'm not sure what it means beyond a pure insult. However Trump is demonstrably a pathological liar. This is not an insult it is pure description. Meaning that he lies habitually and even lies when it should be obvious to himself that the people he is lying to know that he is lying. But he can't stop himself. And if his behaviour toward women does not qualify him as an "awful man" then I don't know what ever could. I think he is also a clown in the precise sense that people don't take his problematic behaviour as seriously as they should. "Buffoonery" I am not sure about. He certainly does have a track record of messing stuff up if that's what's intended.

  I agree with Harris's description of Trump's character, his lack intelligence and lack of humanity. If Sam Harris is overly emotional then it may be because on some level he realises that his Islamophobic rhetoric of the past ten years has helped create Trump.

  But I would argue emotion is not inappropriate at this moment either. America has entered a very dark place and the way out of this situation is not at all obvious. It was especially unsettling watching Obama sit with Trump the other day. He was acting as if this was simply a handover to someone of a different party and a different political persuasion. But really this is a handover from a thoughtful, intelligent, humane president, to an narcissistic, angry, impulsive, abusive, pathological liar. I guess Obama and the rest have to pretend that Trump is a normal human being in the faint hope that treating him as such may prompt him behave like one. What else can they do? It's a terrible situation.
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  never a jw

  I have been nothing but respectful.

  add sanctimonious. What the hell, I will help you prove your point
  
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  cofty

  it may be because on some level he realises that his Islamophobic rhetoric of the past ten years has helped create Trump - sbf

  A far more likely explanation is that Harris understands how dangerous a clown like Trump could prove to be.

  Your assertion that Harris helped create Trump is literally ridiculous. If leaders won't address people's legitimate concerns the vacuum gets filled by a dangerous messiah.
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  cofty

  What the hell, I will help you prove your point - najw

  You mean you have finally realised that insults don't equate with evidence?
  
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  slimboyfat

  Labelling a world religion as evil, promoting racial profiling, and floating the "idea" of nuclear bombing Arab countries is in no way "addressing legitimate concerns". It helped stigmatise a minority group and Trump ran with it.
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  cofty

  Labelling a world religion as evil, promoting racial profiling, and floating the "idea" of nuclear bombing Arab countries

  If you have any interest in intellectual honesty you could read Harris' response to your sort of accusations here...

  Of course that would take an hour of your time, some honesty and humility. It's much easier to just go on parroting your biases.
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  Finkelstein

  The is a viable reason why Trump's previously expressed political ideologies particularly concerning foreign affairs has made many people around the world intrepidly nervous.

  Did Obama's humiliation of Donald Trump at the White House foreign press dinner while he was sitting in the audience, incite Trump to press on to campaign toward grabbing onto the Presidency ?

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TwRmX6zs4

  
  
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  slimboyfat

  Harris doesn't deny labelling Islam, being in favour of racial profiling, or floating the idea of using nuclear bombs on Arab countries. Instead he attempts to justify. And Harris has this weird way of behaving that involves making stupid and obnoxious statements, such as using nuclear bombs, and then crying foul that anyone should take him at his word. Because he says it would be "terrible" somehow cancels out that he says it may be "necessary". It doesn't cancel it out.

  Stigmatising religious groups is wrong. Racial profiling is wrong. Arguing for using nuclear weapons on civilians is wrong. Sam Harris said all these things. He is wrong. When someone is as far gone as Harris is I guess it would be near impossible to get him to realise his programme of stigmatising Muslims is harmful and has contributed to where we are right now.
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  never a jw

  Slim
  

  "pathological liar". I paraphrased Harris, because he implied it. Trump, just as many other of his ilk can be proven to be liars, but I wouldn't go as far as comparing him to people in mental institutions. If you can prove it, then show me the evidence.

  
  

  Cofty,

  You have thrown plenty of insults, but I won't play victim lest you compare me to JW's.

  Please deal with this statement "parroting your biases". Exactly what are my biases? I agree with you on the essence of Harris' podcast. I said so more than once.

  I just feel that he is a high caliber intellectual who is capable of delivering his message more effectively. I said so multiple times too. Exactly what are my biases? Have you failed to notice that I implicitly have stated my admiration and respect for Harris? The reason I am disappointed at his podcast is because no one else, other than the late Hitchens, can practice the dialectic method better. His podcast is better suited for Bill Maher.