I’m halfway through your EXCELLENT deconstruction of Shapiro & his ilk. Before my head explodes I must stop to emote in common street parlance, as I make no claim of being an intellectual or trained philosopher.
Shapiro is a flaming bundle of steaming hot bullshit.
I watched him being “raised” by Ann C for -unt. Or “Unty Ann” as I think of her now. I watched Mini-Spock the wunderkind’s star as it rose — along with his Alvin the Chipmunk voice — via FoxNews. And I bought it all for an uncomfortably long period of time.
TY Mike, this piece is very helpful as a teaching piece, especially for ppl like me who will, till my last day, be in recovery from Rightwinkthink, even tho I officially got out in 2016.
*** returning now to finish your teaching module ***
What an elegant explication of Shapiro’s motivated lunacy you’ve written for us!
I see Shapiro now as the high-dollar, tail-case equivalent of Baghdad Bob. All the call backs to enlightenment traditions collapse as soon as he states his conclusions.
He’s leapt into the running dog sector of the public yapper Venn diagram for reasons that have to include hubris, avarice, and fear.
So the plumber, before fixing the toilet, tried to kill your kid with a pipe wrench. Fortunately your kid escaped. Then he set fire to your couch. Fortunately you had a fire extinguisher handy. Then he proceeded to fix the toilet, after which he stole your car and crashed it into a tree. Fortunately you had insurance, and another car.
He did a great job on that toilet! You will definitely recommend him to all your friends.
Yes. I'd only say, in this analogy Shapiro is only too happy to leave the expense and time of replacing the couch and fixing all the damage to others. ("The guardrails will hold") And then he claims others' hard work to repair the house as the reason the plumber isn't so bad. He's mooching and freeloading off of his fellow citizens' commitment to democracy and the Constitution.
Ha great analogy Rick! Too bad Sam Harris didn’t think of it.
Remember some guy crashed a plane into the White House during Clinton’s presidency. He didn’t comment on it. He didn’t attack the press. It was a big deal to the Secret Service, but not to him.
Accusations of TDS have become little more than fossilized memes carried forth by those with no imagination or originality or independent critical thought. Well done.
Edit more. Fewer words would say the same thing more clearly. It's also hard to keep wading through the jump cut style that AI loves. This is supposed to be an essay, not Jason Bourne. And I say this only because I think the underlying analysis is very good and you're merely hiding it beneath an avalanche of needless words.
Thanks again, Mike for an analysis that is as honest as it is illuminating.
A few thoughts:
As a practicing psychologist, I admire your ability to see through the disguises of public figures and movements. Your vocabulary is more philosophical than psychological, but I recognize a fellow seeker of truth, especially hard truths. Your insights are both remarkable and articulate.
I am also an admirer of Sam Harris, not just because of this interview, but of his courage and dedication to truth. Much like you. I am not unaware of his flaws- I think he does become obsessive about certain issues, and it affects his usual ability to think clearly. But everyone has limitations. I think that may happen to you as well, and being the honest observer you are, I think you already know that.
Please keep writing the way you are here. We need it.
I used to marvel at Sam Harris's intellect but like Shapiro, he tends toward tribalism where Israel is concerned. This causes me painful cognitive dissonance.
Fast talking and running your mouth really equates to intellect in these right-wing spaces. I'll never forget that Ben Shapiro said, long ago on Larry Wilmore's podcast, the civil rights act was unnecessary because we live in a free country. If someone doesn't want to allow people of a certain group in their establishment, then people are free to open their own business for "their" people. Sure, Ben, go ahead and open a Jewish business for every single thing you want or need. Great plan coming from that big-boy brain.
“That would imply a coherent ideology being defended. What Shapiro is, is a partisan apologist of the most elite kind, whose job is to make the most plausible steelman case for voting his clan, in the language of the liberal intellectual tradition, in order to confuse people into going along with it.”
Excellent analysis. Although, I would also posit that Shapiro’s Ideological alignment with Israel clouds his moral judgment—if he possess’s any!
For example, my brother is conservative and we’re also Jewish. He voted for Trump three times because of tax cuts and Trump’s unwavering support of Israel.
Furthermore, it sounds like guys like Shapiro are the same way as my brother. They justify every heinous and insidious decision and act based solely on whether it’s good for Israel, as well as their respective wallets!
Not to mention, Ben has always been a stalwart supporter of Netanyahu and his Kahane-ist crazies running the Israeli government—into the ground of late!
After all, the Daily Wire has been an amazing platform that has been promoting Netanyahu incessantly. Just saying! IMHO…:)
All this is true, and Shapiro is an intellectual charlatan. He, of course, might concede that and admit that he’s laughing all the way to the bank… Which further destroys his credibility, not that he would mind.
So many apologists around me using Shapiro's type of arguments. "I don't like the man, but I like his policies." Garbage. They don't care about anything but their wallets. Really has opened my eyes about a lot of people.
By some accounts, Shapiro is both academically and emotionally intelligent. A solid thinker. But, as with so many on today’s ’right’ he is a salesman, chiefly concerned with meeting a quota and feathering his bed. A profound disappointment who surely could have bettered humanity in myriad ways.
No he just cares about Israel. If Trump were 100% the same but had Joe Biden's Israel policy (which was still very Zionist), Shapiro would have dumped support for him by now.
I love the BS line! With appreciation and respect, not having checked who took it from whom (and by no means looking for an international frackus with our beloved neighbors) but as I recall it was used by Hemingway near the end of his life in a George Plimpton interview.
You are totally right. Found it: Hemingway told Plimpton: "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof, shit detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it".
It IS possible for two people to come to the same idea independently. More crucially, your point is well taken that there’s a need for more writers and speakers (as well as readers and viewers!) to incorporate the concept as we’re gorged with input from these digital devices.
I am sure Richler would have read that Hemingway Plimpton interview. Richler wrote for American magazines- he followed the USA closely. Plus Richler loved sports journalism - he wrote often about hockey and snooker (!) and would have seen Plimpton as one of the best.
A good read. I'm a big Sam Harris fan and listened to the interview you are reviewing as well his "debate" with Shapiro before the 2024 election. I think Shapiro's main argument in that debate was that Trump's first term was mostly controlled, some good things happened, and we should expect that kind of thing to happen again. Then, Trump's elected again, things/actions are much worse than the first term, and I always remembered his argument and wondered what he would say. As you point out, he basically said his main argument doesn't matter anymore.
As a Sam fan, I do think you should elaborate on your comments about his views on Islam. It seems out of place to just float it out there to your readers without any details at all about what you find concerning. I know his views, but I'm sure many of your readers don't have any idea.
In any case, thanks for your thorough and accurate review of Shapiro's positions.
I would love for Sam to bring someone on the show who can push back coherently on some of Sam’s positions. I’m a long time listener of Sam and I agree with your take that he’s obsessed and in some sense wrong-headed.
A "big Sam Harris fan" (like I once was) who's not sussed that Sam Harris thinks the murder of civilians in Gaza is merely an unfortunate consequence of urban warfare logistics and that Islam is a "death cult" but Israel is "open society" probably needs more than a sidebar to a critique of Ben Shapiro.
All good and important points. It’s worth remembering, though, the much lighter example of apologetics that we on the left made for Bill Clinton. Yes, he perjured himself, but it was about sex (Larry King). Maybe he raped women and abused an intern, but the policies!
I said it was much lighter. I am not apologizing for Trump or doing Whatabout. The post was about apologizing, and I am pointing out that it is not only the Republicans, even though what they try to excuse is so much crazier and more dangerous. On my Substack I have repeatedly criticized them for bad faith. I don’t mind pointing it out when we Dems cross that line. Such as with Hasan Piker.
Fair enough. Of course people in general are tribal by nature. I suppose I think that at this point, Trump and his apologists are so uniquely stupid and terrible that the difference between them and Clinton is more than a difference in degree.
And fuck Hasan Piker.
I'm only a 'Dem' in the sense that I recognize how truly batshit the American right is at this point.
I’m halfway through your EXCELLENT deconstruction of Shapiro & his ilk. Before my head explodes I must stop to emote in common street parlance, as I make no claim of being an intellectual or trained philosopher.
Shapiro is a flaming bundle of steaming hot bullshit.
I watched him being “raised” by Ann C for -unt. Or “Unty Ann” as I think of her now. I watched Mini-Spock the wunderkind’s star as it rose — along with his Alvin the Chipmunk voice — via FoxNews. And I bought it all for an uncomfortably long period of time.
TY Mike, this piece is very helpful as a teaching piece, especially for ppl like me who will, till my last day, be in recovery from Rightwinkthink, even tho I officially got out in 2016.
*** returning now to finish your teaching module ***
What an elegant explication of Shapiro’s motivated lunacy you’ve written for us!
I see Shapiro now as the high-dollar, tail-case equivalent of Baghdad Bob. All the call backs to enlightenment traditions collapse as soon as he states his conclusions.
He’s leapt into the running dog sector of the public yapper Venn diagram for reasons that have to include hubris, avarice, and fear.
Simultaneously pathetic and dangerous.
The reasons also include money. Lots and lots of money.
Why is it always the “religious” amongst us who seem to have zero concern about selling their precious immortal souls??
So the plumber, before fixing the toilet, tried to kill your kid with a pipe wrench. Fortunately your kid escaped. Then he set fire to your couch. Fortunately you had a fire extinguisher handy. Then he proceeded to fix the toilet, after which he stole your car and crashed it into a tree. Fortunately you had insurance, and another car.
He did a great job on that toilet! You will definitely recommend him to all your friends.
Yes. I'd only say, in this analogy Shapiro is only too happy to leave the expense and time of replacing the couch and fixing all the damage to others. ("The guardrails will hold") And then he claims others' hard work to repair the house as the reason the plumber isn't so bad. He's mooching and freeloading off of his fellow citizens' commitment to democracy and the Constitution.
Ha great analogy Rick! Too bad Sam Harris didn’t think of it.
Remember some guy crashed a plane into the White House during Clinton’s presidency. He didn’t comment on it. He didn’t attack the press. It was a big deal to the Secret Service, but not to him.
And that other plumber you could have hired might have installed a pink toilet seat with a bidet, so ... gotta go with the murderous pyro plumber.
Terrible analogy driven by Trump Derangement. Meanwhile the ones actually trying to kill people are the ones trying to kill Trump.
Accusations of TDS have become little more than fossilized memes carried forth by those with no imagination or originality or independent critical thought. Well done.
Edit more. Fewer words would say the same thing more clearly. It's also hard to keep wading through the jump cut style that AI loves. This is supposed to be an essay, not Jason Bourne. And I say this only because I think the underlying analysis is very good and you're merely hiding it beneath an avalanche of needless words.
I'll write however I want to write. https://www.notesfromthecircus.com/p/on-my-writing-style
Dude was trying to give you good advice, he liked your piece. He’s right it’s wordy af.
Badly
Thanks again, Mike for an analysis that is as honest as it is illuminating.
A few thoughts:
As a practicing psychologist, I admire your ability to see through the disguises of public figures and movements. Your vocabulary is more philosophical than psychological, but I recognize a fellow seeker of truth, especially hard truths. Your insights are both remarkable and articulate.
I am also an admirer of Sam Harris, not just because of this interview, but of his courage and dedication to truth. Much like you. I am not unaware of his flaws- I think he does become obsessive about certain issues, and it affects his usual ability to think clearly. But everyone has limitations. I think that may happen to you as well, and being the honest observer you are, I think you already know that.
Please keep writing the way you are here. We need it.
I used to marvel at Sam Harris's intellect but like Shapiro, he tends toward tribalism where Israel is concerned. This causes me painful cognitive dissonance.
Nixon had plumbers too.
Fast talking and running your mouth really equates to intellect in these right-wing spaces. I'll never forget that Ben Shapiro said, long ago on Larry Wilmore's podcast, the civil rights act was unnecessary because we live in a free country. If someone doesn't want to allow people of a certain group in their establishment, then people are free to open their own business for "their" people. Sure, Ben, go ahead and open a Jewish business for every single thing you want or need. Great plan coming from that big-boy brain.
“That would imply a coherent ideology being defended. What Shapiro is, is a partisan apologist of the most elite kind, whose job is to make the most plausible steelman case for voting his clan, in the language of the liberal intellectual tradition, in order to confuse people into going along with it.”
Excellent analysis. Although, I would also posit that Shapiro’s Ideological alignment with Israel clouds his moral judgment—if he possess’s any!
For example, my brother is conservative and we’re also Jewish. He voted for Trump three times because of tax cuts and Trump’s unwavering support of Israel.
Furthermore, it sounds like guys like Shapiro are the same way as my brother. They justify every heinous and insidious decision and act based solely on whether it’s good for Israel, as well as their respective wallets!
Not to mention, Ben has always been a stalwart supporter of Netanyahu and his Kahane-ist crazies running the Israeli government—into the ground of late!
After all, the Daily Wire has been an amazing platform that has been promoting Netanyahu incessantly. Just saying! IMHO…:)
All this is true, and Shapiro is an intellectual charlatan. He, of course, might concede that and admit that he’s laughing all the way to the bank… Which further destroys his credibility, not that he would mind.
So many apologists around me using Shapiro's type of arguments. "I don't like the man, but I like his policies." Garbage. They don't care about anything but their wallets. Really has opened my eyes about a lot of people.
By some accounts, Shapiro is both academically and emotionally intelligent. A solid thinker. But, as with so many on today’s ’right’ he is a salesman, chiefly concerned with meeting a quota and feathering his bed. A profound disappointment who surely could have bettered humanity in myriad ways.
By whose accounts? I want to talk to them.
My best recollection is this was from Bill Kristol on a podcast within the last year or so. As best I can recall….
Great observation.
No he just cares about Israel. If Trump were 100% the same but had Joe Biden's Israel policy (which was still very Zionist), Shapiro would have dumped support for him by now.
Merci from Canada, thanks for your excellent analysis.
The late, great Canadian novelist Mordecai Richler was asked what was his greatest skill as a writer.
“My bullshit detector,” he said. (Sorry I can’t reference the exact quote.)
We Canadians take pride in being able to sniff out American crap and Mr. Shapiro’s stink has been revolting us for years.
We north of the 49th frankly don’t know what to make of ultra right wing American culture that seems to posses a never ending circus of goons.
I love the BS line! With appreciation and respect, not having checked who took it from whom (and by no means looking for an international frackus with our beloved neighbors) but as I recall it was used by Hemingway near the end of his life in a George Plimpton interview.
You are totally right. Found it: Hemingway told Plimpton: "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof, shit detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it".
It IS possible for two people to come to the same idea independently. More crucially, your point is well taken that there’s a need for more writers and speakers (as well as readers and viewers!) to incorporate the concept as we’re gorged with input from these digital devices.
I am sure Richler would have read that Hemingway Plimpton interview. Richler wrote for American magazines- he followed the USA closely. Plus Richler loved sports journalism - he wrote often about hockey and snooker (!) and would have seen Plimpton as one of the best.
That would make sense…that Richler was good at “borrowing .”
A good read. I'm a big Sam Harris fan and listened to the interview you are reviewing as well his "debate" with Shapiro before the 2024 election. I think Shapiro's main argument in that debate was that Trump's first term was mostly controlled, some good things happened, and we should expect that kind of thing to happen again. Then, Trump's elected again, things/actions are much worse than the first term, and I always remembered his argument and wondered what he would say. As you point out, he basically said his main argument doesn't matter anymore.
As a Sam fan, I do think you should elaborate on your comments about his views on Islam. It seems out of place to just float it out there to your readers without any details at all about what you find concerning. I know his views, but I'm sure many of your readers don't have any idea.
In any case, thanks for your thorough and accurate review of Shapiro's positions.
That's a long conversation.
I would love for Sam to bring someone on the show who can push back coherently on some of Sam’s positions. I’m a long time listener of Sam and I agree with your take that he’s obsessed and in some sense wrong-headed.
Well, perhaps we need to accept the bundle that is Sam Harris?
A "big Sam Harris fan" (like I once was) who's not sussed that Sam Harris thinks the murder of civilians in Gaza is merely an unfortunate consequence of urban warfare logistics and that Islam is a "death cult" but Israel is "open society" probably needs more than a sidebar to a critique of Ben Shapiro.
Ben Shapiro always struck me as someone who is smart enough to know better but is contractually obligated to pretend otherwise.
Yes, Shapiro is definitely a POS
All good and important points. It’s worth remembering, though, the much lighter example of apologetics that we on the left made for Bill Clinton. Yes, he perjured himself, but it was about sex (Larry King). Maybe he raped women and abused an intern, but the policies!
That's fucking 30 years ago and in no way did Clinton's transgressions come close to Trump. Fuck Clinton. Who cares. But this is WEIRD whataboutism.
I said it was much lighter. I am not apologizing for Trump or doing Whatabout. The post was about apologizing, and I am pointing out that it is not only the Republicans, even though what they try to excuse is so much crazier and more dangerous. On my Substack I have repeatedly criticized them for bad faith. I don’t mind pointing it out when we Dems cross that line. Such as with Hasan Piker.
Fair enough. Of course people in general are tribal by nature. I suppose I think that at this point, Trump and his apologists are so uniquely stupid and terrible that the difference between them and Clinton is more than a difference in degree.
And fuck Hasan Piker.
I'm only a 'Dem' in the sense that I recognize how truly batshit the American right is at this point.