Some thoughts on the latest AMA by Sam Harris

[jeffk]

I thought this was a good podcast for him. Some say he comes off like a cry baby when he points out how some people mischaracterize his arguments. In the latest podcast, he brings up articles that question if he is a white supremacist and how his Internet enemies all share those types of articles to their followers. It is a baseless accusation but some people eat it up. The article says he isn't but basically says he flirts with it and his arguments help support Trump. Needless to say, I think the articles were crap.

Later in the podcast, he talks about Western liberal values and how they have lead to more progress in the world.

I am going to deviate a little from what he said and point out the values he talks about are all opposed by Islamist ideology.

I am going off memory so I might not be 100% right on these but think he pointed out
Rule of secular law
Democracy
Gender equality
Separation of church/mosque and state
Freedom of conscience - right to choose what religion to believe or not to believe
Freedom of expression - right to say draw any cartoon you would want or to say xxx political candidate or sucks balls

It does amuse me how people hear such different things from what Harris writes and says. I had a conversation with someone who thinks Harris doesn't think Islamophobia exists. Harris never denies that bigotry against Muslims exists and that it is a problem. But he doesn't think when one is critical of Islam that it constitutes Islamaphobia. The guy thought that was a laughable distinction. I don't.

 

[jeffk]

Couple other thoughts...

He talked a bit about Maajid Nawaz vs his own thoughts.

Harris said he would rather everyone (my own words here) would not believe a magic book written by a supreme being. Those types of beliefs are divisive and religious beliefs matter and make people act in ways they wouldn't otherwise. But he understands that 1.5 Muslims are not going to listen to him and become atheists.

He thinks the best hope (though he is not really optimistic) is for Muslim reformers to compete in the war of ideas. He supports Nawaz idea to create a distinction between Islam and Islamists. Basically, try to isolate Islamists and to support secularism. Then the next step would to support classic liberalism values.

 

[jeffk]

Chomsky is asked a loaded question by Mehdi Hasan. I thought Hasan comes off like an asshole in this interview. Chomsky doesn't really seem interested in talking about Harris or Dawkins but he gets pressed to give an answer.

The funny thing is Harris said he is voting for Hillary Clinton too.

Funny how Chomsky accuses Harris of making slanderous charges of people he doesn't like and then insinuates that Harris is guilty of islamophobia.

The quote Medhi uses lacks context. It was a reflection of Harris view that he doesn't think Chomsky views jihadists a problem and what drives them.

Harris said Ben Carson is a dangerously deluded religious imbecile… The fact that he is a candidate for president is a scandal. But at the very least he can be counted on to sort of get this one issue right. He understands that jihadists are the enemy. And Harris isn't one who supports carpet bombing. He was not a supporter of the war in Iraq.

 

[Thunderflash500]

I am not impressed with Sam Harris. Other than attacking Islam he never really says anything that requires insight. And attacking Islam doesn't either, but at least he's right about that.

And to the poster above he probably doesn't want to talk about Sam because Sam isn't anywhere near his level.

 

[jeffk]

Have you been listened to his podcasts? He covers a lot of different topics other than Islam - from dealing with anxiety and mindfulness to free will to meat produced in a lab to the illusion of self to an esoteric conversation with David Deutsch. The discussion with Haidt was really good.

He is going to write a book on artificial intelligence that should be pretty interesting.

 

[The ScorpioN]

I am not impressed with Sam Harris. Other than attacking Islam he never really says anything that requires insight. And attacking Islam doesn't either, but at least he's right about that.

And to the poster above he probably doesn't want to talk about Sam because Sam isn't anywhere near his level.

You think Chomsky, a walking meme equivalent to "Thank Obama" for the left is not on the level as Sam Harris? You ever listened to Harris for anything other than Islam? Which he's actually on point about.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

Listen to his podcast with David Deutsch as recommended above.

 

[uncommon]

But he's voting for hillary.

 

[Devout Pessimist]

I am not impressed with Sam Harris. Other than attacking Islam he never really says anything that requires insight. And attacking Islam doesn't either, but at least he's right about that.

And to the poster above he probably doesn't want to talk about Sam because Sam isn't anywhere near his level.

Harris has an excellent discussion with Douglas Murray. In addition to Islam, they talk at length about the problems on college campuses and how ridiculous leftists are. Murray is the star of the podcast.

If you have some time to kill, I would highly recommend listening to this discussion.

 

[Devout Pessimist]

Here is an excellent talk Harris does on Self Defense

 

[HOLA]

harris is such a bad philosopher and thinker that he is widely considered low hanging fruit to attack by legitimate figures, and much like Chomsky does when asked, is worthy only of a casual dismissal.

Forcing Chomsky into that email exchange, lacking the self-awareness on how he looked, and publicizing it should have helped drive that home a little more to everyone.

His claims about science as the foundation for ethics, that science answers every philosophical or ethical question and metaphysics is nonsense is just crap. Pure crap.

This satirical cartoon poking fun at him is so simple, yet so effective of you are familiar with him.

 

[dontsnitch]

You think Chomsky, a walking meme equivalent to "Thank Obama" for the left is not on the level as Sam Harris? You ever listened to Harris for anything other than Islam? Which he's actually on point about.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

Listen to his podcast with David Deutsch as recommended above.

I don't think it's fair to compare Chomsky with Harris, because they're in different fields. Chomsky has been involved in foreign policy for the last 50 years, while Harris has been (mostly) involved in philosophy and religion. Just because Harris has decided to branch out, doesn't mean he's comparable.

I think both guys have a lot to offer, but I believe it's a mistake to look at both guys through the same lens.

 

[Thunderflash500]

You think Chomsky, a walking meme equivalent to "Thank Obama" for the left is not on the level as Sam Harris? You ever listened to Harris for anything other than Islam? Which he's actually on point about.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

Listen to his podcast with David Deutsch as recommended above.

Chomsky a walking meme lol. Your post isn't worthy of response past this.

 

[Yunes]

Chomsky a walking meme lol. Your post isn't worthy of response past this.

I refuse to watch or read anything chomsky puts out

 

[Thunderflash500]

Harris has an excellent discussion with Douglas Murray. In addition to Islam, they talk at length about the problems on college campuses and how ridiculous leftists are. Murray is the star of the podcast.

If you have some time to kill, I would highly recommend listening to this discussion.

I'm not saying he's not right a lot. I just never seem to learn anything from him and he never says anything not obvious. He's not dumb, I'd rather just listen to smarter people.

 

[Thunderflash500]

I refuse to watch or read anything chomsky puts out

Ok.

 

[Deleted member 457759]

Chomsky is fundamentally wrong about Sam Harris and his position on radical Islam. Sam doesn't just "scream at it", it's called showing leadership and calling it like it is. His latest work identifies the need for reform within Islam so it can better co exist within western democracy, something Judaism and Christianity have managed to do well.

Chomsky wants to endlessly mull over flawed moral equivalences and blame the west. That's not productive and it's not a solution. He also spews the Islamiphobia bullshit as if it's the core issue. Typical self loathing leftist.

 

[Thunderflash500]

There is nothing typical about Chomsky and it's disturbing how people just write him off.

 

[Deleted member 457759]

There is nothing typical about Chomsky and it's disturbing how people just write him off.

I don't write him off, but he's stuck in the 20th century.

 

[JosephDredd]

I can't bring myself to listen to Harris after the Chomsky emails: it's just a complete waste of my time. And I spent a good thirty minutes trying to buy a CD of Jingle Bells performed as an arragement of cows mooing at the correct pitches, so there you go.

 

[Thunderflash500]

If Sam Harris attacks liberals I support it. They are trying to usher in New Speak. It's actually amazing to watch. These people who want to fight for equality are now saying we are all equal, but now some are more equal. Muslims who bash gay peoples heads in with rocks are more equal. If white people did it, it's a tragedy, if Muslims do it let them immigrate in we need them. Black people who assault white people with dread locks are more equal. Saying Boy and Girl is discriminatory because some people aren't a boy or a girl therefore it's exclusive. Martin Luther King is a hateful bigot who causes triggering because some of what he said didn't include gay people. He didn't attack them, but he didn't specifically mention them. Bigot filth. The left wants to bring authoritarian mind control and authoritarian racist laws to the United States. Everyone needs to sensor what they think or they will pay. You need to speak how the left tells you to speak or they will do all they can to make you lose your job, they will attack your business and will not stop til you submit. They support the subjection of women as long as it's not white men doing it. They are disgusting anti intellectual trash. And it has nothing to do with equality anymore, that was the Trojan horse. The fact they did do good was the tool they used. Now it's simply about gaining control and subjecting others.

MLK I have a dream quote offends SJW morons-
http://www.weaselzippers.us/253176-...hed-over-student-building-not-diverse-enough/

Seinfeld's daughter learns in school that saying Boy and Girl is sexist-
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jerry-seinfeld-says-political-correctness-is-hurting-comedy/

http://kotaku.com/blizzard-removing-overwatch-butt-pose-after-fan-complai-1767613551
Blizzard removes a scene for being overly sexual. The character is literally fully dressed. You'll see more skin, more ass on any institution of higher learning during times of warm temperatures. But it's because men enjoy these games that the left attacks them. Women want to be sexy, but anytime men endorse it they are attacked. It's all about teaching people up is down, war is peace, love is hate, hate is love.

That's one of the main reasons the media hates Trump. He sets off the liberal pc authoritarian freaks. He knows they hate free speech, he knows they hate comedy and fun, and the left hates strong men. He is everything they hate. A successful white man who doesn't sensor himself.