Sam Harris on why critique of the media and the establishment must not turn into nihilism.
I know what it's like to read an article in the New York Times and to spot obvious lies. But the alternative to the failure of journalism simply isn't the firehose of lies, half-truths, and conspiracy theories that you find on X. Nor is it the calculated and ever-present distortion you find on right-wing news channels, which never had any journalistic standards to violate in the first place. There's simply no alternative to healthy institutions that maintain their credibility, even when they make mistakes, by reliably correcting their errors. And when they fall short of this standard, they can be pressured to do better, because they have intellectual and moral scruples. It's an imperfect process, but it's the best we've got...
I understand how satisfying it is to find a new bully to beat up the other bullies who've been making you miserable. But the problem is, this new bully is worse. This new bully has no principles. This new bully has no journalistic, academic, or scientific conscience to appeal to. Whatever might be wrong with a person like Anthony Fauci, or Francis Collins, or any of the other doctors who have been demonized right-of-center for their approach to setting COVID policy—at least they are real doctors and scientists who have some professional scruples and reputations to protect among those who actually know something about medical science. RFK Jr. has none of that. He's just a cowboy taking shots at the establishment. The Joe Rogan podcast is not a substitute for the Wall Street Journal or the Kennedy School at Harvard. It is not progress to have a comedian like Dave Smith, who's apparently done his own research, interviewed about the history of the Middle East or the war in Ukraine like he's the next Henry Kissinger. All of this free access to information is making us dumber.
I agree with this. For all the problems with the media, they look like saints compared to many of their critics.
Here’s where we’re at: Trump has declared war on this country. He’s declared war on the men & women of the DOJ, the FBI, the intelligence community, & the military. He’s purposely picked people to destroy these agencies. This is not normal. This must not be accepted. The people in these agencies, who work every day to keep Americans safe, must either resign or fight back. The rest of us must now publicly call out Trump for what he is - an enemy of this country - and be the resistance.
Starting in 20th century, attacking science and portraying scientists as public enemies became a signature of totalitarianism. There is a saying attributed to Bertrand Russell: “Without science, democracy is impossible” and Maxim Gorky “Without science, democracy has no future”
Win for Kamala, smash the patriarchy, and ride with the spirit of Kamala’s rallies of teeming joy, enthusiasm, optimism and community/inclusion to work towards a better world based on deep love. For all of us.
When I think about liberation, I imagine it as using our power and agency to be who we want to be in the world, and to shape the world together into something beautiful that honors all of us in it.
And I wonder what it looks like to build that for all people in this context.
@RepMolinaroNY19 “Hate has no place in Ukraine”?!? Start closer to home and renounce Trump and Trump’s hate blaring in US. You are no friend to Jews @marcmolinaro
My name is Aidan DiMarco, and I’m the National Membership Director of @CollegeDems. Can you retweet and follow to help spread the word about the work I’m doing?
I can't fathom someone who could watch Kamala Harris' speech tonight and justify voting for the other guy.
She is so far above and beyond him in intellect, character, faith, patriotism, and heart it's astounding.
She is what this nation needs.
Michelle Obama delivered an emphatic takedown of Donald Trump on Tuesday night and turned one of his most controversial campaign lines against him: "Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?" https://t.co/TDMoCIyz1J
The Jordanian FM informed Tehran that if it responds to Israel's assassination of Haniyeh, Jordan will not allow it to enter its airspace. Riyadh has also declared it will not allow Iranian missiles or drones to pass through its airspace.
https://t.co/6NdlRn8cmr