Sam Harris is a famous atheist and a self-professed “rationalist,” but here he demonstrates that the Left’s hatred for Trump can race far beyond all the bounds of rationality and become cultlike in its perfervid intensity. Sam Harris has spoken critically about Islamic jihad violence in the past, but he allowed himself to be intimidated into silence about the root causes of that violence, and came out in opposition to any and all effective counter-jihad measures. Sam also recently unmasked himself as a fascist foe of the freedom of speech.
In light of all that, this revolting dive into the most fetid dumpster of Trump Hatred, and awe-inspiring example of moral myopia, is not altogether unexpected. But that doesn’t make it any less reprehensible.
“‘Osama bin Laden is less reprehensible than Trump,’ claims ‘rational atheist’ Sam Harris who once described the terrorist as a ‘moral hero in a very bad game,’” OpIndia, October 31, 2020:
Sam Harris may not believe in Gods but if someone asked him to describe Satan, it can be safely said that he will draw a portrait of Donald Trump.
Sam Harris, renowned as one of the ‘New Atheist Movement’ and a self-professed ‘rationalist’, said during the 30th October, 2020 edition of his Making Sense podcast that notorious Islamic terrorist Osama bin Laden appears less reprehensible to him than US President Donald Trump. The section of the podcast where he said it is available only to subscribers and was shared by popular political commentator Mike Cernovich.
In the audio clip shared by Cernovich, Sam Harris can be heard saying, “Osama bin Laden, as a person, is far more understandable to me and far less reprehensible, personally, psychologically, than Trump.” The entire context of the conversation is not yet known but that is not entirely necessary as the atheist has said the same thing in the past as well.
In an audio clip uploaded to his Facebook account on the 19th of February, he explains his position in detail. Sam Harris says, “I find Trump more despicable than I found Osama bin Laden… With Osama bin Laden, it’s just obvious to me that he could have been a mensch in some sense, right? He’s making serious sacrifices for ideas that he deeply believes in. He’s committed to a cause greater than himself.”
The deluded atheist continued, “I don’t doubt he had real ethical connections to the people in his life that he cared about. He’s a real person, right? And in some ways, he is kind of a moral hero in a very bad game. And so therefore, he’s kind of prototypically evil when viewed from my game. he’s a person of actual substance- he’s just committed to the wrong ends, whereas Trump is the negation of all those things.”
It is thus quite clear that ‘peak rational atheist’ Sam Harris believes that Donald Trump, under whose administration historic peace deals were signed between sworn enemies in the Middle East, is more reprehensible than the Islamic terrorist who brought down the Twin Towers and unleashed death, destruction and carnage across the world.
The dehumanization of Donald Trump has subsequently been used as a justification to justify all sorts of brutality against his supporters. Sam Harris surely does not personally endorse physical assault on Trump supporters but it has to be acknowledged that he engages in the same dehumanizing rhetoric that has led to an epidemic of attacks on Trump supporters….
Sam Harris is recognised across the ‘atheist community’ as someone who oozes intellect and rationality. However, quite clearly, he is further evidence of the fact a lack of religious faith does not automatically translate into a more rational worldview or more rational opinions….
mgoldberg says
I hadn’t followed much of his work, or his talks, but now I find that he’s grievously irrational, rather than the prototypical rationalist he professes to be. To despise Pres Trump, who’s accomplishments this one term of office are in fact dramatically improving the lives of so many, as somehow less than Osam Bin laden?!??
Mural says
His two books, End of Faith and Waking up are pretty good.
But this sort of psedo-intellectual clap-trap he just spewed is surprising to say the least.
Rufolino says
Now I understand what “Trump derangement syndrome” is.
THX 1138 says
” With Osama bin Laden, it’s just obvious to me that he could have been a mensch in some sense, right? He’s making serious sacrifices for ideas that he deeply believes in. He’s committed to a cause greater than himself.” – Sam Harris
Atheism is a negative and nothing more. Atheism only tells you what an atheist doesn’t believe in, but it tells you nothing of what the atheist does believe in.
What DOES Sam Harris believe in? It is obvious from his statements that he profoundly believes in the IRRATIONAL and EVIL morality of ALTRUISM which is the moral code which holds self-sacrifice and self-immolation for others the highest moral IDEAL and DUTY.
He willfully misinterprets, dismisses, and belittles Ayn Rand’s morality of RATIONAL SELFISHNESS (you can find it on Youtube), as he must, as any ALTRUIST must. Harris is at heart an altruist and therefore a collectivist and so it is logical that he admires the sacrificial, collectivist, “noble”, and “heroic” nihilism of Osama Bin Laden as he simultaneously despises Donald Trump’s essentially SELFISH, rationally selfish, call for “America First!”.
Despite Trump’s unphilosophical and sometimes contradictory words and policies, his fundamental direction, is one of RATIONAL SELFISHNESS, RATIONAL SELF-PRESERVATION, INDIVIDUALISM, and CAPITALISM. What committed, philosophical, ALTRUIST could have any admiration, respect, or tolerance for such SELFISHNESS?! For the altruist selfishness is not only evil but petty, ugly, unworthy, cowardly, ignoble, and unheroic, even as the committed altruist makes infinite excuses, eternal rationalizations, and turns a blind eye to the evils of altruism.
“Altruism holds DEATH as its ultimate goal and standard of value….
If the good, the virtuous, the morally ideal is suffering and self-sacrifice—then, by that standard, capitalism had to be damned as evil. Capitalism does not tell men to suffer, but to pursue enjoyment and achievement, here, on earth—capitalism does not tell men to serve and sacrifice, but to produce and profit—capitalism does not preach passivity, humility, resignation, but independence, self-confidence, self-reliance—and, above all, capitalism does not permit anyone to expect or demand, to give or to take the unearned. In all human relationships—private or public, spiritual or material, social or political or economic or moral—capitalism requires that men be guided by a principle which is the antithesis of altruism: the principle of justice.” – Ayn Rand
Gordon Dolan says
Equating ALL atheists with the Sam Harris example is both facile and specious; until now I have respected Harris but no more. He shows similar traits to those ‘atheists’ who suddenly “find God” e.g. Francis Collins(?) whose revelation was a waterfall frozen in 3 parts, ergo proof of the Trinity! IOW, he’s lost his marbles…
Just another example of Einstein’s dictum “Both the Universe & human stupidity are infinite. I am not certain about the former”
mortimer says
Agree with mgoldberg. Harris is hardly ‘rational’ here in prefer jihad.
Harris has moved into an ARCHITYPAL, if not a PATHOLOGICAL bogeyman-mentality based on AMYGDALA-BASED FEAR and PHOBIA.
It has been said that when someone accuses others of being ‘HITLER’, he has automatically lost the argument.
Michael Kuehl says
Harris has gone mad since Trump was elected president. In arguing that Trump is more evil than Osama Bin Laden, Harris is exposed as perhaps the most deranged and execrable of all deranged and execrable Trump-haters. I doubt that even the vile and odious Rick Wilson would claim that Trump is more evil than Bin Laden.
In yet another deranged podcast explaining why over 60-million people voted for Trump, Harris vilifies and excoriates Trump as a “sociopath” with no decency, humanity,, morality, dignity, compassion, courage, ad nauseam. How would Harris know this with even knowing Trump, as opposed to Trumps wife and children and friends like Jeanine Pirro and Rudy G. and Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, unless he all-knowing and can read minds like a supreme being, a God he doesn’t believe and who doesn’t exists.
I once admired Harris for his honesty and realism on many issues and for criticizing and telling the truth about Muslims and Islam. I now despise him as just another deranged and psychoticTrump-hater, arguably the worst or the worst among high-brows as opposed to low-brows and middle-brows, a Rick Wilson or Joy Behar with a higher IQ.
william carr says
Well maybe atheists need protection against hate speech too. There are Christian idiots, Moose Limb idiots and no doubt Hindu and Sikh idiots. Only if you are an atheist idiot does it warrant special mention it seems. Speaking as committed atheist for sixty years, I reject completely Harris’ casuistic and specious argument.
OBL was a mass murderer not only for the 9/11 but for the many bombings carried out by people inspired and directed by him.
I do not agree with everything DT does, he seems rather cavalier with the environment for one, but has he been responsible for any deaths? In fact he has saved lives by cutting back on US involvement in foreign conflicts. DT is committed to a cause, the cause of the USA which should be the duty of every POTUS and very citizen
Gordon Dolan says
As an atheist I have no problem with hate speech except when it invokes violence. Some things deserve hate, ISLAM being a rare example.
gravenimage says
+1
Left Coast says
“Cavalier with the environment” ? ? ?
You are aware that Obama said “today the Earth has healed & the waters stopped rising” . . . then bought a Mansion a few feet above the Atlantic Ocean.
You MUST Believe man . . .
Didn’t Trump’s USA reduce emissions more than any country in the Paris Scam?
PS: Every Totalitarian Regime was started by “Atheists” or “Izzzlamists” . . .
Steve says
+1
Expat88 says
Trump gave up everything to lead America and to endure the tremendous unrelenting abuse that he has been subjected to over the past 4 yrs. It has been for love of country and the knowledge that he had the skills to accomplish real change that other presidents weren’t willing or able to do.
Trump’s children seem to have turned out well and have great regard and loyalty for their father. So he has been a better dad than many fathers.
Sam Harris, like so many people without religious faith, turn to empty philosophies and politics with exaggerated fervor that can never replace the worship of God and His Son and Holy Spirit. Harris is morally bankrupt and can only spew absurd analogies to Bin Laden, or next he may as well say that Trump is like Hitler.
I have no respect for such lack of introspection or objective honesty in his views about Trump.
curious george says
?
“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”
– C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
Mural says
+1.
mortimer says
Harris is unable to understand the role of IDEOLOGY in motivating someone like OBL who was raised in a very refined Saudi society.
GOLDMANN says
Well said !! ♥️♥️ Expat 88. JESUS IS LORD . ?
Expat88 says
Yes! Hallelujah! I actually take no joy in criticizing Harris. I feel sorry for him that he has become so twisted or bitter and cannot pen an intellectually honest assessment. What, a few “mean tweets” are equal to all the death and destruction unleashed by OBL and al Queda? TDS big-time!
Mural says
I had much respect for Sam Harris. It was his book, End of Faith, that opened my eyes to the perils of Islam.
This statement is both surprising and reprehensible. Bin Laden killed thousands and inspired a ton of idiots. This shows how far down the leftist rabbit hole these liberal intellectuals have travelled.
Wellington says
Sometimes you need to know just one thing a person has said to conclude that way underneath they’re a fool, regardless of any positives they may have. Harris with this comment of his serves as a case in point.
Westman says
Yes, Wellington. It’s difficult to remember that Harris once said, ” Islam is the motherload of bad ideas”.
Perhaps he thinks the liberals will soon be in control of his opportunities so he’s making liberal noises to ensure future relevancy and income?
mccode says
Sam Harris is a brilliant erudite fool.
Patrick White says
He’s not brilliant, and from the garbled nonsense that is being reported above, he’s not even erudite.
He just comes across as an evil simpleton.
Andrew says
Im shocked, really shocked, to hear that Sam Harris finds the President reprehensible, I didnt expect him to be on the Trump Train as that may damage his reputation but to say this means I have lost ALL respect for the guy.
Patrick White says
He was always a pretender. Nicholas Taleb, who is a real intellectual, long ago labelled Sam Harris a ‘charlatan’ – amongst other things. All Sam Harris could respond with was “you’re a bully.” Absolutely pitiful. Watching him in that pretentious ‘Four Horsemen’ video debate about atheism, I was embarrassed for him and his over-reach.
underbed cat says
Osama bin Ladin media clips showed a soft spoken, somewhat shy, appearing serious person who talked infrequently but when he did it was to “bring Islam back to glory”, referred to as religion which was great cover. What he hide were the tactics used to achieve the conquests he desired and few knew the doctrine to which he was living. The brutality of Pearls death and then the terror attacks followed the code to instill fear, even Sam Harris once said it was a boatload of bad ideas. Some where along the way the way to fight these bad ideas, it appears the powers attempted to hide or did not know the concept of war paths Osama was igniting or desiring or disagreed on it’s dangers. So now trying to stop or speak factually, of the the mass invasion of many who follow this doctrine appears as arrogence, hateful, racist many tried to inhibit, or cover up so it does not surprise me about these comments…he may perfer the quiet style of Biden but Biden saw less or no threat as he wants this taught in schools, and reframe the problem. But that is the intrackable problem, he heard only peaceful words and they omiited the goal, it would be against sharia law and dangers of the problem are nourished back to jihad, which is warfare, or like the “scorpian who convinces the frog to give him a ride across the river”, by pleading mercy and decieving the frog, but they both drown as it is the nature of the scorpian to decieve and then to poisin the frog. Sam Harris comment may reflect the different nature,but who really could survive the hateful attacksTrump has endured unless he tweeted, yep sometimes it is too much but his goal is to save our lives. Just an opinion.
CogitoErgoSum says
I wonder if he finds Joe Biden understandable when he says things like, “When I’m President I’m going to make sure that truemphfithhefspeshamims. I mean it.”
Tony Naim says
I love President Trump, I pray -the rosary-for him every day.
God guide his hands, continue to enrich his great soul and may God protect him from the vicious evil surrounding him to keep America true to her soul.
GreekEmpress says
+1
somehistory says
He is , obviously, a very poor judge of character. If he has children, they should not take any advice from him on finding a prospective mate.
Idiots are everywhere…and some of them, many evidently, believe they are intelligent…and their belief has no sound basis. Mr. Trump is far from perfect, but he is not known to be a terrorist…and not moslim.
Mr. Trump may have had more than one wife, but not all at the same time.
And, to this date, I , personally, have never seen a photo of Mr. Trump in which he looked filthy, as photos of the moslim terrorist frequently showed him.
This harris is a fool. Not only in this bin laden vs Mr. Trump issue, but the Bible Book of Psalms proclaims that anyone saying, “There is no God,” is “foolish.””The foolish one has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.'”
Please remember if any of you who are atheists here read this, the Bible says it. I just agree with it. And no one is forced to read my comment. 🙂 Or agree.
Savvy Kafir says
A nonbeliever myself, and a sort of progressive/libertarian mongrel, I was an enthusiastic fan of Sam Harris in the past. But he has really lost his way (and his nerve) in recent years, which is really unfortunate, since there are so very few of us on the political left who understand the threat that Islam poses, and he was one of the most well-known of the progressive counter-jihadis. I think he just finally got beaten down by all the hatred coming his way from PC, Islam-friendly “liberals” and “progressives”.
For a Lefty to be an outspoken critic of Islam, it requires a TOTAL disdain for the opinions of the willfully ignorant fools of the Regressive Left. Apparently Sam was not able to maintain that attitude. Too bad! I still hope he will someday find those brass balls he formerly had, and rejoin the fight in a meaningful way.
mortimer says
Harris has lost it.
Arab countries seem to like Trump a lot more than OBL.
janicevanguilder says
My gut tells me that for all his intellect, Harris never had “it”, and he knows it at his core.
Dan says
This epitomizes why almost anybody on the right can logically defeat someone on the left.
We DON’T CENSOR the leftist views!
They can have their full say, in context, on our sites, so we know exactly how to prepare prepare a rational rebuttal.
It’s like one army’s commanders being given the other side’s battle plan and sharing it with their men, while the other commanders, if they even bother to read it, certainly has no intention of letting any of the men see the thing.
Faith says
Not sure about “self sacrifices” made by Osama bin Laden – but he was certainly able to manipulate Muslims into killing as many innocent people possible while taking their own lives. I suppose when he wasn’t doing that, he could have been a “mensch.”
I became disenchanted with Sam, who I once respected tremendously, when he implied that suicide bombing when considering Palestinians was more or less understandable when other cases of dying while killing others, not so much (in Islam and the Future of Tolerance). I don’t think he meant to be that clumsy – but that is what an editing process is for.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
Does Sam Harris have a relative named Kamala?
Patrick White says
Mama wrote sitcoms. Susan Harris. Yes. THAT Susan Harris of ‘Soap’ and ‘Golden Girls’ fame. Her son didn’t have her creative gifts, so he decided to pretend to be an academic instead. He got some laughs for that, though.
mortimer says
It should be pointed out that Hitler and his henchmen could present themselves in polite society as gentile.
It proved nothing about their ideological hatreds whatsoever. They were two-faced.
Better someone who is openly critical than secretly conspiratorial.
underbed cat says
Agree, the “secretly conspiratorial” is sharia law on steriods, as they present the friendly face but hold a hard heart..revenge against anyone illuminating facts. to contradict the image of peaceful piousness…towards non believers as if they will not act on it or it is just fringe radicals problem unlock the door, to hide their savagery, Trudeau the cutey face is dangerous for North America…as he invites or amasses a jihad army to enter Canada….kneeling in a mosques signaling more to come and silences the dangers he is yet not aware of or he has been converted by delusions of a religion as it is marketed instead of a deadly conquering political system.
don vito says
“Sam Harris says, “I find Trump more despicable than I found Osama bin Laden… With Osama bin Laden, it’s just obvious to me that he could have been a mensch in some sense, right? He’s making serious sacrifices for ideas that he deeply believes in. He’s committed to a cause greater than himself.” O lord, what twaddle, a mensch yah say? A twisted mensch such that bho had him wasted. Making serious sacrifices for ideas he deeply believes in yah say? 1) ubl recruited people to kill themselves, and kill others while killing themself, 2) please list the serious sacrifices ubl performed other than hiding from the US military for years, oh and define serious sacrifices, most helpful. Maybe harris could talk with ubl’s niece (living in Switzerland) who is supporting TRUMP. Bugger off CLOWN harris.
gravenimage says
Sam Harris: ‘Osama bin Laden is far more understandable to me and far less reprehensible than Trump’
…………………
I had thought that Sam Harris was pretty sane about Jihad terror–but apparently not. Trump derangement syndrome at its ‘finest’.
Lu says
I have been pretty well acquainted with his books and views. This statement of his is totally … reprehensible at least. If he says that, he’s a fool and all his reputation is lost.
Sorry, Sam – you blew it. No more reading your stuff – basta.
Alice W says
I wonder this Harris guy who would he be more comfortable in a room with? DT or OBL?
In any case, this guy is dangerously promoting OBL and Jihad!!!!!!!
gravenimage says
Good question, Alice.
Patrick White says
He’s just a spoilt brat who is considered a laughing stock by actual intellectuals. His mommy is the famed creator of The Golden Girls, Susan Harris.
Harris jr has had limited exposure to real life or any academia that he has been capable of absorbing.
Best ignored.
Aussie Infidel says
As a fellow atheist, I always regarded Harris as a fairly rational person; but he has lost any enthusiasm I might have had for him with his comments about Bin Laden and Trump. Harris is an intelligent man, but intelligence can be inhibited by indoctrination – either religious or political – because it is based on opinions rather than facts. While I still agree with Harris’ views on religion – it is totally against all scientific evidence and human experience – I disagree with his leftist political views. And despite his condemnation of Islam in the past, he seems to have an apparent disregard for the dangers of that totalitarian creed.
I don’t know Donald Trump, and I might not even like him personally; and I don’t agree with everything he has said or done. But only leftist bigots would claim that he is not a patriotic American, or his policies have not been good for America – even if at times they haven’t gone far enough. But many of Trump’s initiatives – like Muslim immigration – have been thwarted by the Democrats; and they have demonized him mercilessly since before he took office.
Despite the condemnation from people like Sam Harris, if I was an American, I’d still be voting for Donald Trump. And that’s not because Trump is the ‘perfect man’ (like Muhammad, ha!), but because the fifth column of Marxists and Muslims in the Democratic Party are the enemies of democracy and freedom.
James Lincoln says
Sam Harris has
1. a B.A. degree in philosophy from Stanford
and
2. a Ph.D. degree in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He is highly intelligent and is usually factual / logical, etc. Nevertheless, he has an *extreme* form of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).
He likely does not *feel* that he has TDS – but is merely “reasoning” using facts and logic.
He is not.
His TDS overrides his use of factual, evidence-based logic when it comes to Pres. Trump…
eduardo odraude says
Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert cartoons, cursed out Joe Biden in a recent podcast, after warning listeners he was about to do that in response to the former VP calling Trump Hitler, which to Adams implied slandering Trump supporters as Hitler supporters.
So I’d say the same angry execrations should be directed at Sam Harris: %$@&# YOU, Sam, you *&^%$Q!!!!
revereridesagain says
I suppose Sam Harris would also contend that Hitler, Castro, Stalin, or any other dictator has “made sacrifices” — always of others of course — “for ideas he deeply believed in”. Harris has always had a loose grip on rational morality. Most of the time he’s just a stooge for the rest of the Left. If Christopher Hitchens were still alive he’d hand the fool his head on a plate. I doubt “Hitch” would have been a Trump fan, but he knew a monster when he saw one and his dissections of Islam are devastating. Look them up on YouTube if you don’t believe atheists have a moral sense.
Of course Christians are always eager to blame all of us for anything one fool should happen to say. Do you think that will get you an extra pat on the head as you pass through the “Purrrrrrly Gates”?
James Lincoln says
revereridesagain says,
“Of course Christians are always eager to blame all of us for anything one fool should happen to say. Do you think that will get you an extra pat on the head as you pass through the “Purrrrrrly Gates”?”
From a devout Christian:
Some Christians, unfortunately yes – but not the clear-thinking ones.
And *no* extra points at the Pearly Gates…
Ren says
What the fuck!
I thought Sam Harris was smart. I guess I was wrong.
James Lincoln says
He is, Ren.
Lots of otherwise smart people out there who have severe cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).
TDS is REAL.
These people are very easily triggered, and there is no known cure that I am aware of…
wpm says
Maybe Sam Harris is on Soro,s payroll now or the Democratic party are offering him a job when President K. Harris I mean Biden gets elected. How may tech billionaires are hoping that Trump loses this election there is alot of money positions and influence out there in this election season.. Being an atheist he has no soul to worry about (he believes?)if he sells out to a higher offer for Biden the trojan horse democrat. What is so bad about comparing a rude vain egoistical man who loves his country and willing to spend his remaining years trying do guide it in the best manner he can, to a mass murdering terrorist who wants to destroy all cultural of western cultural, who would gladly hang atheist from construction cranes to satisfy his moon god allah he he had his way?
Fearless Leader says
Both Robert Spencer’s statement, and all of the comments that I see here are total distortions of what Sam Harris said. So let me try to explain this to you.
Islam (I won’t say radical Islam, because all Islam is radical) is a fairly consistent Ideology. You’ve got this monotheistic god named Allah who expects to control every person on Earth, because they are all his slaves. Mr Allah expects to dictate what everybody wears, when and how they must pray, what they must think, who they must kill, etc.. It is totally authoritarian and all spelled out in an evil book. You all know the song and dance, I won’t detail any further. Of course this is all nonsense, but the Muslims really, really believe it. The are devoted to something greater than themselves and willing to give their lives for this cause. They are willing to pay any price to do what they think is the right thing. They are consistent. Hence, given what they believe, their actions are completely rational. It’s just that they believe in dangerous nonsense.
Mr. Trump, on the other hand, is not a follower of any belief system. He is guided only by his own self interest. As a pathological liar, you do not even get consistency from him, today he will contradict what he said yesterday. Mr Trump, who expects total loyalty from his supporters, will throw his most devoted followers under the bus, if it suits his purposes. Mr. Trump has no standards of decency whatsoever. Note what he said about the American soldiers who died for their country. This man sold out his country to Putin in order to fill his own pocket.
The problem with Muslims, including Osama Bin Laden, is that they believe in Islam, unfortunately. Other than that, most are probably decent human beings. On the other hand, Mr. Trump is a despicable person, incapable of loyalty, altruism, patriotism, devotion to a cause greater than oneself, or helping anyone less fortunate than himself. There is not a single characteristic that I see in Mr. Trump that I would want to see in my grandchildren. Hardly a role model.
You all owe Mr. Harris an apology!
gravenimage says
So being consistently loyal to a creed that is violent and ugly is understandable–and to be lauded?
Even if your estimation of President Trump were accurate (and I’m certainly not saying I agree with this estimation), one might assume that such a person might at least occasionally do the right thing, whereas someone dedicated to an evil ideology would not.
So your positing this only makes sense if you hold that being “devoted to something greater than themselves” is the ultimate good. In that case, Nazis and the thugs of Pol Pot’s killing fields are to be lauded along with the vicious mass murderer Osama bin Laden. In other words, the greatest evil is somehow good because large numbers of others are also evil in the same way.
What a grotesque way to think. *Ugh*.
Fearless Leader says
When did I say that it is to be lauded? It is not. Did I say being devoted to something greater than themselves is the ultimate good? No I did not. The point is that Mr. Trump has psychological flaws that are perhaps more dangerous to the country than ideology.
wpm says
Trumps “psychological flaws” do not include Trump pushing American people who voted for him to be president to commit violence terrorist acts to further Trumps agenda. Ideologies like Nazism, communism , and Islamic Jihadist are very dangerous ideologies that were around before Trump,s presidency and will be around after he is not the president anymore. Trump is not a dictator or a leader of some mad terrorist cult ,his power and reach is limited as every president of the United States power is limited. People with no checks on their power like Stalin, or Hitler or leaders of what I think are cults are for more dangerous then a president no matter what party he or she belongs to .The violence being play out in the streets today ,BLM, anarchist groups ,are people following a cult beliefs with no moral restraints to get what they want. Hitler,s Brown shirts were following a very dangerous “ideology”. Trump is a very flaw man his “ideology” or motives are not always clear that does not mean he is on par as dangerous to America as followers and supports of Terrorist or people who want to overthrow our government. Sam Harris does not understand all of Trumps motives so the motives or some of his motives, some contradict themselves they must be all bad or all good? Osama Bin Laden is easy to understand his motives you can see what he wants so he is no danger or less dangerous then a flawed, unclear on some topics limited leader like Trump?
gravenimage says
No, Fearless Leader did indeed imply that those devoting themselves to something greater than themselves is a good is the point that Sam Harris was making, and that we ergo (somehow) owed him an apology.
But the idea that it doesn’t matter *what it is* that someone is dedicating themselves to is grotesque.
Then, the idea that America is worse under Trump than it would be under Islamic conquest is also absurd.
Kepha says
So, Sam Harris worships the collective and altruism; Trump is more an Ayn Rand-ish worshiper of self? While Trump might very well be a despicable person, I can’t complain about his administration midwifing peace between three Arab states and Israel, opening dialogue with NorK, guiding the country to lowest levels of minority and youth unemployment prior to the pandemic, enforcing immigration laws, and offering hope that we may just keep the First Amendment.
SO…I’ll tell you why I’m voting for Trump. Since he’s apparently responsible for 200,000+ (rather than carelessness or deliberate leaking from a Chinese lab), I guess he’s also responsible for 600,000+ YTD deaths by cancer in the USA, plus deaths by heart trouble, stroke, auto accidents, weather, etc. This explains why this “fascist” president doesn’t have to resort to traditional fascist means, and thus no opposition jornos or politicians are disappeared. So, if I vote for Biden, Trump will have me struck by lightning. Why, he’ll tell God to do that for him. After all, I am a Christian, and I’m supposed to believe that Trump has a handle on God, right? At least, that’s what people a lot smarter than I am tell me I’m supposed to believe.
James Lincoln says
Kepha,
From a physician with an MPH degree:
To your point:
229,293 (CDC) US deaths due to Covid-19 to date. And that’s the only figure the gets all of the press.
Equally prominent should be the morbidity / mortality data related to the different degrees of regional economic shutdown throughout the country.
Suicide, anxiety/depression, alcoholism, domestic abuse, etc.
Not to mention unemployment, bankruptcies, etc.
Ivory tower physicians, no matter how brilliant such as Dr. Fauci, are only looking at the direct biological effects of Covid-19.
The effects of Covid-19 needs to be looked at as a triad:
1. Bio
2. Psycho
3. Social
Patrick White says
I rather think you owe all of us an apology for your CNN-standard-issue, tiresomely familiar cut and paste statements – all provably untrue – about Donald Trump.
Have you considered medicating?
undebed cat says
The problem is they believe it and act on it…somewhere along the line even a atheist see’s the savage behavior as shocking, there are many trapped but many who like Hitlers soldiers, by the way Hitler also had a muslim army division M al Hussieni (imam)to assist, humans should at least have a sense of disgust….as some have had, but they also kill each other if they do not go along with the program. Trump has values and the courage to say it and then be called a racist etc. for speaking out….on warfare that attacks civilians to conquer….that is politically difficult when in the beginning everyone thought this peaceful sounding religion was peaceful and it was racist to call it out, and they be told it is hate speech. Once you see how all this was hidden even by previous leaders you see, or I see Trump as unique and good, not evil. He managed to work toward positives while being verbally and legally attacked by the spineless, facilitators that wanted to go along and bring sharia to our shores to be implemented…under the guise it was humanitarian to allow it to fester in the U..S. to finish off Osama’s work…reprehensible.
Demsci says
You see him then as an opportunist, with no moral compass. But such people can be very useful in the capitalistic system; because when the people Win they Win. And until Covid both thus won with the economy!
But of course pres. Trump IS a patriot and not just for America as such but for the ideology of the Constitution as well. This resonates well with tens of millions of Americans and people around the world. The enthousiasm in his rallies is sky high and crowds chant: ‘we love you’. We have never seen anything like it for other presidents. Would n’t you like that for your grand children? To have or be such a leader?
The blogger mr Reagan enumerated the 13 big lies about Trump and you engaged casually with the one about derogatory remarks about hero soldiers. I suspect you to be in TDS en believing all those lies about him from the MSM.
Demsci says
Oh, this was a reply to Fearless Leader, but i put it in the wrong place.
eduardo odraude says
He should not be addressed by his chosen moniker. That is to cede too much to him in advance.
eduardo odraude says
You have bought into lies, not so fearless leader.
If Trump is in Putin’s pocket, why are Trump’s policies toward Russia so much tougher than Obama’s?
If Trump said bad things about military people, why is it that the many witnesses who were actually present during the time of the alleged statement all deny he said it? While the sources for the statement are all unsourced anonymous?
Suppose Trump is a terrible horrible virtueless person, as you claim, not-fearless leader. Trump’s policies remain infinitely better than those of Biden.
Trump’s policies make the economy boom.
Trump is causing the Middle East to break out in peace for the first time in decades.
Trump, is better for inner city blacks. Why? Because by greatly reducing the number of illegal immigrants entering the country, Trump has placed upward pressure on wages at the bottom of the wage scale, because the shortage of manpower (3.5 % unemployment before Coronavirus!) forced companies to compete for the workers who were left, and that competition for workers caused their wages to go up.
So Trump is better for blacks, better for foreign policy, better for the economy.
Your demonization of him just shows you value surface over substance, style over results, personality over policy.
Rbla says
Proves the old saying. When someone stops believing in God he won’t believe in nothing. He’ll believe in anything.
gravenimage says
Actually, there are a lot of Anti-Jihadists who are Atheist and Agnostic.
Fearless Leader says
No, when someone stops believing in God, he won’t believe in anything without evidence!
Demsci says
I have a nuanced answer to that; when a person stops believing in RELIGION, he still considers that God might well exist as (s)he can’t prove God does not exist, whereas (s)he can see better alternative theories to improbable (for him/ her) religious dogma, such as evolution theories as the better ones.
And so an agnost may believe all sorts of things and theories until they are contradicted by ‘’better’ explanations or theories according to him/ her.
As Atheist or agnost on multiple occasions I was more gullible than my religious friends. And I find it untenable to prove everything I now believe, esp. In this Twitter age, where nuanced answers are considered too long By so many.
eduardo odraude says
Pseudo Fearless Leader, why do you imply support for the cliche that “God” is never more than a theoretical belief? One can have experiences that simply are not reducible to material realities. A prime example is love, when love is experienced in its most authentic forms, which admittedly is somewhat rare. Once one acknowledges that spiritual experience, as in authentic love, is real, one is more than half way to the existence of something like “God.” Indeed, all spiritual experience, when recognized as such, has some of the characteristics (not all) that theologians have often attributed to “God.” In fact, atheism is more of a “belief” than is the kind of theism that is based on experience. Atheists cannot experience a negative, they cannot experience that there is no God. They can only theorize it. But it is possible for theists in some circumstances to experience spiritual realities such as love in its true form. It is not sentimentality that tells us that love is related to God or is God. Rather it is an honest appraisal of the reality of love that shows that it possesses characteristics in a number of ways similar to key characteristics theologians have attributed to God. (I do not include omnipotence, which Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne argued could not be an attribute of God.)
eduardo odraude says
And no, Pseudo Fearless Leader, we do not owe Harris an apology for calling Trump Hitler. Harris, who is often an ignoramus, owes us an apology.
Oh, and for your enjoyment, here is a video in which David Wood very amusingly shows Sam Harris making a bone-headed mistake about a subject in which Harris pretends to be an expert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5pttP1gUQI
eduardo odraude says
Another by David Wood on Sam Harris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwX3RZIMDQ4
gravenimage says
Actually, some Atheists and Agnostics are quite gullible on many matters. It depends on the individual.
Aussie Infidel says
Rbla, Please don’t tar everyone with the same brush. I have never believed in God, but that doesn’t mean I believe in “nothing”. I’m not perfect, but who is? I’ve always tried to uphold the principles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which also incorporates many of the Ten Commandments – but you don’t have to believe in a supernatural God to be good. I still remember the day back in 1948, when I first saw Eleanor Roosevelt on a Newsreel at our local cinema (open-air in those days) holding the newly released UDHR.
https://www.thoughtco.com/eleanor-roosevelt-universal-declaration-of-human-rights-3528095
James Lincoln says
Aussie Infidel says,
“you don’t have to believe in a supernatural God to be good.”
From a devout Christian, absolutely true.
As long as someone is a good person, and follows the Golden Rule – no problem in my book…
Rbla says
I’m certainly no bible thumping scriptural literalist. In fact I’m much more of a Taoist or a Buddhist. But I find it interesting that someone who believes humans are the highest pinnacle of creation can so completely capitulate to the most violent, dogmatic and intolerant of all the world’s religions.
eduardo odraude says
Actually, Harris has generally been fairly tough on Islam.
The problem with Harris is that he caves to the conformist pressure to demonize Trump as worse than Osama bin Laden. The demonization is not honest, it is a power play, and attempt to gain power politically. The same thing with charges of racism nowadays. usually such charges are not authentic, they are a cynical part of a power play.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Aussie Infidel.
Patrick White says
The one thing that unites over-emotional Trump haters, besides limited intelligence and questionable morals, is that they have severe daddy-issues. That’s why Hollywood ‘ladies’ in particular fill their tedious Twitter feeds with vitriol about the President every single day while they sit around and wait for their increasingly unlikely next gig.
Harris fits into the same category. He and his mom – an ambitious and unduly egotistical TV sitcom writer who received great acclaim in days when TV standards were even lower than they are now – were abandoned by his father when Harris was only a toddler, and shortly thereafter, due to the turbulent nature of showbiz, the dad even stopped sending over support money.
Society ended up with Sam Harris, a man educated way beyond his intelligence, and with several very obvious (and unattended-to) personality disorders (not to mention a chronic case of tinnitus). Manifesting out of these first was a hatred for the idea of a God, and now by natural and more scaled down extension, the idea of a white patriotic President. Daddy-issues are never pleasant when played out in adulthood.
As an aside, or perhaps as a result of this simmering parental anger, his explanation for why he thinks Bin Laden is a better person than Trump is laughable and incomprehensible to the point of being puerile. Poor Sam. Ever the charlatan, as Nicholas Taleb once said of him.
Demsci says
I remember the altercation Sam Harris and Bill Maher had with the clueless Ben Affleck. When he said that Islam was the “mother load of bad ideas”. He argued so well back then. And I saw in him a good and brave example for me as an atheist. He got a lot of attacks from Islam apologists too, like Reza Aslan. But he beat them easily with good arguments.
But like the other posters above I now feel so disappointed in him. I think he is steeped In prejudice and lies about pres. Trump.
eduardo odraude says
Sam Harris has long had great antipathy for Trump and has long been left-leaning. In the present climate, great pressures are placed on every Democrat to outdo the last in demonizing Trump. If you don’t demonize Trump, if you go easy on him without supporting him, you are banished to the pit of hell yourself. Well, Harris has a family to support, I guess. Has to tow the party line.
eduardo odraude says
“without supporting him”
should read
“even without supporting him”
Demsci says
To me Sam Harris in this instance sounds like a spoilt child. Because with his erudition, vast knowledge of history and thinking power he still can’t appreciate a leader with such devotion to this successful American philosophy, making America so rich and well developed compared to so many of the 193 countries of the UN. And thus so magnetic to foreigners to the tune of a million legal and a million illegal migrants per year or so I read.
In COMPARISON with other leaders Pres. Trump prefers people to be free from too much government interference and he allows this massive vitriol from the MSM and political opponents totally unhindered, thereby keeping America in the absolute top of nations regarding freedom of speech.
But noooooo, the spoiled child ignores all of that and focuses on some FLAWS in the man’s character! He wants a veritable SAINT at the head of state!
wpm says
Sam Harris gives faint praise to a mass murdering Jihad Terrorist because he thinks that Osama Bin Laden had a “straight moral direction” and moral right according to his beliefs to stick to his mission statement? While Trump trying to lead the country fairly not over reaching beyond his power doing the best he can has to shift his policies ?Is Trump right on everything no, does he have deep human flaws yes ,is he a mad crazy racist that the MSM paint him as with no facts to back up their statements? Is he a dictator with unlimited power , or does he work within the given law he earned as an elected President? Trump will serve 4 years or 8 years and will be gone from the presidency .The problem is other people who are trying to undermine freedom ,censor free speech, want government over reach into Americans private lives ,want to regulate and control all Americans daily lives .Want a top down control of all private businesses from mom and pop stores to Walmart ,to were Americans can travel to within their own country. Freedom to peaceable assemble(in churches, protests rallies, even family gatherings) in the name of for their own good and safety. Big Tech giants wanting to control MSM ,and small new media people who “buck” the opinion of what the big Tech giants want the American people to hear only their(big Tech) holy opinions because we are all dumb lowly animals to them .Yes lets give faint praise to mad cult leaders who are consider the death of our cultural and our way of life for the” better good of mankind”, because they stick to their mission statements never wavering .
Francis W. Porretto says
The Redeemer told us to judge the tree by the fruit it bears. By that standard, Sam Harris, who is demonstrably arrogant, intolerant, and filled with hatred, is a villain. He could only be more culpable if he were to take his vileness into our elementary schools and slather intellectually defenseless children with it.
Faith or sneering, haughty mockery? The One who proclaimed the Beatitudes, or one who denounces that Preacher as “a myth?” Choose according to your own tastes.
K. says
No, Sam Harris is not a rationalist in the actual sense of the word, only puts up a show that looks like that to the superficial listener. I’m on the same page with him where religion as a whole is concerned, but about specific creeds and their impact on society, or their potential to impact in our near future, he is quite ignorant. And he keeps it that way on purpose, because leaving any of his positions might be a risk to his income stream.
If he were as rational as he claims, he would take in all available information and base his decision upon that. But he does as all Leftists do, he chooses to only perceive what fits into his already formed world view. War with Islam is not a prospect he will consider, even if Islam itself demands it and screams it into his face, and despite he could read all about it in all the scripture that is in public domain.
Sad, actually. I find him quite likeable and he might have the potential to fill the gap left by the late and great Christopher Hitchens, if only he was truthful.
gravenimage says
Sam Harris also wrote about free will in his book of the same name. I was disappointed to find that his work was poorly reasoned (he based his argument in part on indivuduals not being all powerful), and his coming to the conclusion that man has no free will at all. So it is odd that he would argue anything involving morals at all, since he does not believe that we have any agency.
ploome says
who is Sam Harris?
“Susan Harris (née Spivak; born October 28, 1940) is an American television writer and producer, creator of Emmy Award-winning sitcoms Soap (1977-81) and The Golden Girls (1985-92).[1] Between 1975 and 1998, Harris was one of the most prolific television writers, creating 13 comedy series.[2] In 2011, she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
his mother
very disturbing
gravenimage says
I don’t actually think that someone’s mother having worked in television to be particularly disturbing. This means he does not come from a family of deep thinkers, but it really doesn’t say anything else negative about him.
S.B says
Part of Sam’s income stream is to tour around “debating” Majid Nawaz, a Taquiya-reformist-muslim hybrid person, and their “dialogue” on Islam never seems to arrive at any conclusion. Wonder why!
OLD GUY says
Who gives a shit what this guy thinks or says, he’s a nobody, just like me. He’s just riding on mom’s coat tales. Reminds me of HanoiJane.
Charles says
I used to follow Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. I am certain Chris would be a critic of Trump, but support him as clearly the best candidate. Richard Dawkins has turned into a whiney brainwashed leftist. I still have admiration for his works in Biology, but his political views are between an SJW and Antifa. This is ironic because he was recently banned from a Trinity debate society for his views on Islam.
Sam Harris was always very mediocre. He made his fame stating the obvious. I don’t put much credence in his political views.
tgusa says
Sam could walk through the middle of a huge Trump rally and live to report on it. If I was as clueless as Sam is I would wonder how Sam would fare walking through a bin laden rally. For some strange reason I know we would not be hearing from Sam after that.
Ian Deal says
Harris is certainly passionate about rationality. As such, he should understand that all of his motivations come from the emotional part of the brain. Harris is easily dismissed by his claim to be a neuroscientist.The rational part of the brain post hoc rationalizes what the emotional part of the brain conjures up. We live in a world where people say the stupidest things with profundity; follow the science is one of them. The idea that Trump is more reprehensible than Bin Laden may be the most dramatic example of stupid posing as profound. Ever since Islam showed up on the scene around 700 AD, it has been a religion built for subjugation. Its followers have been lied to for the past 1300 years about everything from the idea that there is an intact, authoritative Koran to the claim Mecca was the original home of the faith. Islam relentlessly attacks all non-Muslim faiths as part of its charter, making Bin Laden just one in an endless procession of murders justifying their actions by calling them jihad. Trump may the most unsympathetic victim in history, but he is a victim of a level of malice and deceit incomprehensible to human comprehension. He has been lied about by the FBI, DOJ, CIA, the combined media, and the democrat party, plus a never-ending panoply of pundits, hack academics, and clueless celebrities. Harris’s over the top statement points to a pathology of hatred not of the man, but of sentiments shared by more than half of America, that a country based on the rights of man as inherent gifts of G-d is the only legitimate form of government. In his tiny little mind, Harris believes that rationality is the key to designing a ‘just’ society. He should have gotten at best a ‘D’ in his primary neuroscience classes.