Just listened to the new episode of @SamHarrisOrg podcast, with guest @sullydish. It is one of the most astonishing experiences of my life, and that's not hyperbole. Before I explain why: I deeply respect both these men, have read much of their published work, and will 1/x

continue to do so. I believe strong disagreement and respect can coexist, peacefully. Having said that, if you're going to listen (and you should; link at end of thread) no matter what you believe there will be something in this episode to at least potentially enrage you, 2/x

fair warning. OK. First, kudos to them both for their honesty. On the topic of the media, they tell more truth than I've heard anywhere else. They freely admit that the "very fine people" thing is a flat-out lie, and an easily proved one at that; a lie that Biden, Harris, and 3/x

the media gleefully tell repeatedly. They admit that once-respectable media organs like the NYT are pale shadows of their former selves, and that their agenda and bias are overwhelmingly obvious, to the point that even men such as themselves, who agree strongly with a desire 4/x

to get rid of Trump at any cost, find it distasteful and dangerous for the free press in a democracy to behave this way. They freely admit that Biden has not been required to give answers to important questions, particularly on court-packing, but also on the various scandals 5/x

surrounding his son. They pull no punches about--and this was so nice, not to be gaslit for once, and I am grateful--the fact that Big Tech and the media are clearly and openly working in concert with a clear agenda to do whatever it takes to get rid of Trump. They don't deny 6/x

the elephant in the room. If anything, they give their audience a fair warning as to where the piles of shit are and suggest stepping around them if possible. I give them huge credit for the fact that though they seem to honestly believe they are being fair-minded (denying 7/x

TDS in themselves) they are honest about their feelings toward Trump, his character defects and flaws. Sullivan admits to experiencing mental health issues as a result of the stress of living with the reality that this man is POTUS and trying to keep up with all the various 8/x

scandals, issues, lies, objectionable choices, etc. Harris asserts that Trump lies more than anyone in human history and that the primary difference between Trump and Hitler is that Hitler had at least some virtues (he cites courage). He asserts that if he were to suffer a 9/x

neurological issue that would make him become like Trump, he would commit suicide without hesitation. What is...amazing is not close to a strong enough word, but it's all I've got...is that they blame Trump for all of these things. Harris can no longer rightly claim atheism, 10/x

in my view. He has found a god so powerful that this deity can cause the entire fourth estate to turn into conscious, conspiring liars, can make otherwise good people who got into journalism for noble motives turn from public-minded investigators into naked activists. Trump 11/x

is a demon and virus in and of himself, making the entire country both mentally ill and the worst possible version of itself. They--these honorable men, and I regard both as such with total sincerity, and found Harris's book about Lying particularly compelling--are desperate 12/x

to see the media's failures, lies, and dereliction of duty succeed. They want this utter failure rewarded with the election of the media's preferred candidate. They regard Trump as, truly and utterly, THAT bad. Between A) something as civilization-threatening as the entire 13/x

free press agreeing to lie, manipulate, and fail to do their jobs to an obvious and overwhelming degree, or B), Trump getting re-elected, they without hesitation regard A) as the overwhelming and obviously correct outcome, the more morally correct, the thing that they want 14/x

to occur. I'm sitting here just stunned at how religious our politics are, when even someone as intelligent and thoughtful as Sam Harris finds a god in it; when even someone as brave and honest as Andrew Sullivan prefers a spineless, lying media horde to get their way rather 15/x

than face another term of a POTUS they despise. Wow. Just, wow. Amazing. I encourage you all to listen. /end https://samharris.org/podcasts/223-october-30-2020/