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Most despicable people in the United States today

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Zoso

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Quick reply about the Ayn Rand shirt idea. I had that idea a year or so ago when one of my friends was into Communism (he has since gone to Libertarianism, and to Objectivism... I hope he stays!). I wanted it to have the same revolutionary flare as the Che shirt, and I was going to sell them on CafePress, but the ARI didn't want me to use their image of her face. Maybe someone else will have more luck than I do; I'd pay money for one, that's for sure.

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Not arguing just wondering: how did she make money peddling altruism?

If she did, then I would agree that it's pretty despicable.

Having said that, most people believe that altruism is the epitome of morality. I find it difficult to despise everyone who advocates altruism, because most of them are just saying what they've been taught all their lives. If what you say about Oprah is true, then I would agree that she is worse than most, since she's the one who actually does perpetuates the problem by indoctrinating average people. But I don't think it's fair to use that as a litmus test for the average Joe on the street. If you did, you'd wind up having to say you despise about 95% of the American people.

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The issue is not whether she's sacrificing, it's that she's promoting the idea that it is good to give random strangers something without equal value in return. Of course, in reality, she's not sacrificing because, again, she's peddling altruism, which gets her higher ratings.

She's perverting the principle of trade, because on face value, a random person watching the show sees only Oprah giving out cars without her benefiting at all. In fact, she's relishing, on screen, the look of excitement on her audiences' faces because they are getting something with absolutely no strings attached.

Notice that no one can truly be altruistic--they are inevitably acting for some kind of gain.

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Not arguing just wondering: how did she make money peddling altruism?

Moose, I don't know how much more explicit I can make it. Every one of her shows I have seen has been one big giant cry-fest about how so-and-so is down on their luck and THEY COULDN'T HELP IT and "oh, isn't it terrible?" and look how so-and-so is helping them and blah blah blah altruism altruism altruism. It makes me sick to even think about it. This isn't your ordinary man-on-the-street altruism. This isn't your "weekend warrior who lives his life and occasionally indulges in altruism" that you referred to. This is altruism-as-your-central-purpose-in-life altruism. A show devoted ENTIRELY to altruism. I don't know what it is about you that is preventing you from getting mad at this, but I suggest you check your premises. Oprah is PURE EVIL. She isn't Wynard, who peddled garbage but didn't believe in it himself. SHE BELIEVES IT.

If you don't believe me, watch her show. And bring a barf bag.

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Yesterday my wife was watching Oprah in our bedroom which is the only room in the house with AC. Thus I was forced to a degree to watch this nonsense. The topic was make-overs. There was a group of about 5 people who worked to make these ugly women better looking.

At the end of the show, Oprah address the make-over experts and said," As I always say it takes a village." I think that sums up her approach to life.

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How is Oprah really different then the average person?  Is it just because of the large audience that she has, that sets her apart from the rest?  Aren't the intellectuals to blame; not some talk show host?

I don't get a speech about altruism from the average person. It's quite rare in my daily life to hear about it from random people, and it is the rare person indeed that mentions it in the command-to-abjectly-sacrifice way that is meant by a true altruist.

Why? Does the average person that you know erupt constantly in a call for you to sacrifice? How horrible! :)

Also, while the intellectuals are surely to blame, does this excuse Oprah? Does this make her less personally responsible for spewing pure evil to what may well be one of the single largest audiences out there?

Even though I recognize that a common thug creates less crime than the intellectuals that allow the numbers of thugs to breed and grow, that does not in any way excuse or lessen the crimes of the thug. It should in no way mitigate one's hatred for a thug or his thuggery.

Besides, I did mention Noam Chomsky (a contemporary, living intellectual) in the list of people to hate. I have enough hatred to go around... my hate for Oprah in no way lessens or detracts from my hatred for Kant or Augustine or Marx or Hegel or anyone else who deserves it.

I take it from your questions that you don't understand what all the hubbub is about vis a vis Oprah. I doubt I have fully expressed just how bad she is here. You might have to watch her show and see just how much ALTRUISM is her message. The kind of pure, inexcusable altruism that brooks no forgiveness.

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Thanks for the quick reply. I was not in anyway making a stance for Oprah, but as I'm new to philosophy I was just probing to understand your stance a little more clearly. I have to admit that I don't watch her show, although I have seen snipits from time to time.

I don't get a speech about altruism from the average person. It's quite rare in my daily life to hear about it from random people, and it is the rare person indeed that mentions it in the command-to-abjectly-sacrifice way that is meant by a true altruist.

Why? Does the average person that you know erupt constantly in a call for you to sacrifice? How horrible!

I think I may have a somewhat biased experience; living in a house where everyone is either a Democrat or a Green. I have to thank Ms. Ayn Rand whom I stumbled upon that made me question many things.

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I was just probing to understand your stance a little more clearly...

I think I may have a somewhat biased experience; living in a house where everyone is either a Democrat or a Green.  I have to thank Ms. Ayn Rand whom I stumbled upon that made me question many things.

Now that I more clearly understand the purpose of your question, I can provide you with a more precise answer:

I mentioned Oprah specifically for her advocacy of altruism. Although many people advocate altruism, I set her apart for the fact that the degree of her advocacy is high, the frequency of her advocacy is high, for the fact that she advocates it to a extremely large national audience, and that stylistically, her methods are disgusting to me. To elaborate on degree, she is NOT your ordinary, everyday, "you should sprinkle some altruism into your otherwise selfish life" type, but rather the "altruism as life's primary purpose" type.

So it is degree, frequency, methods, and audience.

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One public intellectual who I think I think is pretty despicable is Cornel West. West is a professor of religion who speaks a lot on racism and American "imperialism." His philosophy draws heavily from Anton Chekov, Karl Marx, Nietzsche, and other existential philosophers. He has also been an ideological ally of people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and other racial opportunists.

One of his books, Race Matters, is required reading at college campuses.

Cornel West and Friends by Mike Adams

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