Brook on O'Reilly 12/13

[Oakes]

O'Reilly really revealed himself last night, he actually said, "Perception is reality".

I was surprised by that too. It was after Bill said that killing civilians would make us Nazis. When Brook responded that we are the good guys defending America, Bill said "Well the Nazis thought they were right too." Brook then said "It doesn't matter what you think you are, what matters is what you truly are." Then came Bill's awful plunge into subjectivism: "Perception is reality."

[Ed from OC]

The whole exchange reminded me why I never watch O'Reilly's show. Brook needed, say, 3-5 sentences to get a significant point across, but the host would cut him off after one or two. And he would cut him off not with some intelligent question or counterargument, but with the most trite or ridiculous sort of statement.

For example, when Brook correctly argued that we need to place higher moral value on the lives of our soldiers than on those of Iraqi civilians, O'Reilly countered with the claim that that would make us Nazis.

This guy loves to act like a know-it-all, and won't even go to the trouble of listening to what his guests say. His guests often come on to have a serious discussion, and he wants to throw spitballs at them.

I'm glad Brook at the chance to make the points he did, but it'll be a long time before I revisit "The No-Spin Zone."

(Incidentally, I think the nickname of his show is apt: he is a man devoid of spin -- that is, ideology. He is an utter pragmatist, accepting the most banal and trite platitudes of the day, regardless of their mutual inconsistencies.)

[flyboy2160]

...The whole exchange reminded me why I never watch O'Reilly's show... 

I agree!! He's disgusting. (Imagine a vomiting smiley here.)

Dr. Brook made some excellent points, but I was disappointed that he even mentioned bringing democracy to Iraq by bringing it's culture to it's knees, like we did with Japan after WW II. It would be too easy for a listener to assume that we need this as a reason to reduce them (and Iran) to dust. Being consistent with the concept of fighting in defense of the United States by removing a threat to it doesn't necessarily require the emergence of democracy in Iraq after the war, just the removal of the threat. Bringing the "democarcy after the war" notion into the discussion smacks too much of the old "white man's burden" argument used to justify the British colonies and of Bush's altruistic attempt to turn Iraq into Missouri.

[Inspector]

I was surprised by that too. It was after Bill said that killing civilians would make us Nazis. When Brook responded that we are the good guys defending America, Bill said "Well the Nazis thought they were right too." Brook then said "It doesn't matter what you think you are, what matters is what you truly are." Then came Bill's awful plunge into subjectivism: "Perception is reality."

"The Nazis thought they were right too"

"Perception is reality"

Okay, Bill. So you're saying that the Nazis WERE right, then?

[Concerto of Atlantis]

Is the Brook vs. O'Reilly interview available on the net at all?

[unskinned]

Is the Brook vs. O'Reilly interview available on the net at all?

Now it's on ARI in either "news" or "media." You need RealPlayer.

[Concerto of Atlantis]

Thank you.