1/ Spent several hours listening 2 Ben Shapiro vids bc every1 says he's smart & I was bored. Um, nothing he says is fresh or un-rebutted by yrs of research/analysis. Saying things at 78 rpm in dog-whistle pitch doesn't make it true. He's a dumb person's version of a smart person.
2/ He speaks as if people don't spend yrs studying the subjects abt which he speaks, and don't write scholarly, heavily researched articles/books proving he's wrong. It's like he doesn't read the opposition at all, but just assumes those who heckle him r the sum total of the left
3/ and then he makes 10th grade arguments, mixed with snark & speedy delivery 2 make people think he's saying something. It's fascinating that people find this intelligible...when I get some time, I'm going to write a long piece particularly taking apart his silliness on racism..
4/ In truth, I've already done it in 7 books, but I mean, like a point by point deconstruction, because it's embarrassing that this is the best the right has. Even D'Souza made better arguments in the 8 debates I had w/him in the 90s and early 2000s. Not much, but better...
5/ In fact, I'm gonna have to do the Shapiro takedown on video I think, because a) there's too much to say to make it enjoyable to read; and b) you really are gonna need to see the eye rolls to get the full effect...this is my winter break project...
6/ Fact is, I sorta "debated" Shapiro many years ago, as well as the NYTs Ross Douthat in this online forum about free speech on campus & the firing of Ward Churchill. Note, the "free speech warriors" had no problem w/Ward's firing.
timwise.org/2005/03/frontp…
timwise.org/2005/03/frontp…
