When debatÂing reliÂgion, you can take the low road (e.g., Ann CoulÂter’s recent flirÂtaÂtion with anti-semiÂtism) or the high road. Here’s Richard Dawkins, an avowed atheÂist and evoÂluÂtionÂary biolÂoÂgist at Oxford, havÂing a high-mindÂed conÂverÂsaÂtion about the exisÂtence (or non-exisÂtence) of God with AlisÂter McGrath, who is ProÂfesÂsor of HisÂtorÂiÂcal TheÂolÂoÂgy at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty and also has a backÂground in molÂeÂcÂuÂlar bioÂphysics. We’ve postÂed the videoÂtaped debate below. (And, by the way, you can downÂload the video to an iPod by accessÂing the video here, lookÂing to the right where it says “DownÂload to Video iPod” and folÂlowÂing these instrucÂtions).
Ahmadinejad Spoofed on Saturday Night Live
AhmadineÂjad’s recent appearÂance at ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty genÂerÂatÂed a lot of seriÂous press (watch his speech here), and, quite rightÂly, jourÂnalÂists and comÂmenÂtaÂtors seized on his more outÂlandish asserÂtions — that the HoloÂcaust is not a hisÂtorÂiÂcal givÂen, and that homoÂsexÂuÂals actuÂalÂly don’t exist in Iran. After all of the seriÂous reportÂing was done, SatÂurÂday Night Live got to work and aired this clip that conÂtinÂued its traÂdiÂtion of bitÂing politÂiÂcal satire. Here it goes:
Jon Stewart on 1994 and 2003 Dick Cheney
Strange culÂture we live in these days. It’s the comeÂdiÂans that ask the hard quesÂtions. See John StewÂart below and the refÂerÂenced Dick Cheney video below that.
America’s Philosopher President
What’s gone wrong with AmerÂiÂca’s democÂraÂcy? It’s a quesÂtion that Al Gore takes a hard look at in his recent (and well-reviewed) book, The Assault on ReaÂson. Below, Gore gives you the gist of his arguÂment in a half-hour video. It’s a bit heady. He’s invokÂing the Ancient Greeks, the EnlightÂenÂment, Edward GibÂbon, Adam Smith and John StuÂart Mill. What’s more, his thinkÂing is heavÂiÂly informed by JurÂgen HaberÂmas and his writÂings on ratioÂnal politÂiÂcal disÂcourse. And it all loops into an explaÂnaÂtion of how we’ve takÂen a wrong turn on the Iraq war, the enviÂronÂment, civÂil libÂerÂties and beyond. Yes, it’s heady stuff. But if Open CulÂture readÂers can’t hanÂdle it, who can?
The link to the origÂiÂnal video is here.
The High and Low Road of the Atheism Debate
These days, there is no shortÂage of pubÂlic thinkers launchÂing a vigÂorÂous defense of atheÂism. Most recentÂly, ChristoÂpher Hitchens has come out with God is Not Great. And, holdÂing true to form, he has used this book and relatÂed media camÂpaign as an opporÂtuÂniÂty to fight out the ugly culÂture wars once again. All of the expectÂed ingreÂdiÂents are there — the blusÂter, bad behavÂior, and genÂerÂal unwillÂingÂness to engage in a civÂiÂlized and subÂstanÂtive debate. To get a quick taste of Hitchens’ M.O., just lisÂten to this NPR-ish interÂview. The longer the interÂview goes, the more he hits his stride.
On the upside, there is always Richard Dawkins. Yes, the man has strong opinÂions and can someÂtimes sound smug. But you can’t deny this: he goes out there, takes the debate seriÂousÂly, thinks through the angles, and answers critÂics’ quesÂtions with crisp, intelÂlecÂtuÂalÂly preÂcise arguÂments. It’s all a welÂcomed reprieve from the style of debate that we’ve become accusÂtomed to in the UnitÂed States. Below, you can get a litÂtle taste of what we’re talkÂing about, or click to watch the video here.
Michael Moore’s “Sicko” — Fox Likes It More Than Google?
For some, it came as no surÂprise that “Sicko,” Michael Moore’s latÂest film and critÂiÂcal look at AmerÂiÂca’s healthÂcare sysÂtem, got strong reviews at The Cannes Film FesÂtiÂval. What else would you expect from Europe’s lefty intelÂliÂgentsia? Then there was this litÂtle curveÂball. The right-leanÂing Fox News also called the film “brilÂliant and upliftÂing.” How likeÂly is that? The odds are next to zero. But it hapÂpened, and it says someÂthing rather extraÂorÂdiÂnary about the film. (You can watch the trailÂer for the movie on your iPod here.)
In the meanÂtime, Google has gotÂten itself into a bit of a PR debaÂcle with the release of Sicko. Last week, a Google employÂee took the posiÂtion on a Google healthÂcare blog that “Moore’s film porÂtrays the indusÂtry as monÂey and marÂketÂing driÂven, and fails to show healthcare’s interÂest in patient well-being and care.” And then she invitÂed the healthÂcare indusÂtry to use Adwords, the comÂpaÂny’s monÂey-rakÂing ad platÂform, to showÂcase for the pubÂlic all the good that they do for us. When Google got the inevitable blowÂback, the corÂpoÂrate PR folks kicked things into gear. Soon enough, we were told that the Google employÂee had been speakÂing out of turn and they released an addenÂdum on their main corÂpoÂrate blog, which says someÂthing and yet nothÂing at the same time. Where does Google realÂly stand on the issue? Who knows. They’re playÂing things preÂdictably safe, and that’s to be expectÂed when your comÂpaÂny stands to genÂerÂate bilÂlions of ad revÂenue from a mulÂti-trilÂlion dolÂlar indusÂtry. MeanÂwhile where does Fox stand on all of this (and I am talkÂing about the comÂpaÂny, rather than the indiÂvidÂual film reviewÂer citÂed above)? ProbÂaÂbly nowhere good.
Below, you can find Michael Moore talkÂing with Bill Maher (HBO) about the healthÂcare probÂlem that cuts across the politÂiÂcal divide. Give it a good look, but betÂter yet, go see the movie.
Who Didn’t See This One Coming?
AmerÂiÂca’s 42nd presÂiÂdent spoke this weekÂend at HarÂvard’s Class Day, a traÂdiÂtionÂal event held for gradÂuÂatÂing seniors. While Class Day often feaÂtures pop icons and comeÂdiÂans — take this speech by Ali G from a few yeas ago — ClinÂton’s speech was a bit more seriÂous and ideÂalÂisÂtic, and it reminds us that there may be again a day when we can look to the White House for subÂstance and inspiÂraÂtion. This too shall pass. You can watch Part 1 of his preÂsenÂtaÂtion below. Here are links to Parts 2 and 3.
YouTube’s Impact on the 2008 Election: The Hype and the Fact
YouTube is a litÂtle more than two years old. It’s a mere todÂdler. But, it’s now owned by an overÂgrown, fulÂly-beardÂed nine year old. Yes, that would be Google, and that means that YouTube is ready to storm its way into the media mainÂstream, pamÂpers and all. You can be sure that GooTube has already cooked up sevÂerÂal strateÂgies that will lead the video unit to media domÂiÂnaÂtion. But, even to the untrained media observÂer, it’s fairÂly clear that Google’s video unit has choÂsen the 2008 elecÂtion as an areÂna in which it intends to comÂpete with othÂer major media outÂfits for eyeÂballs. In April, YouTube launched its politÂiÂcal chanÂnel CitÂiÂzenÂTube (get more info here) and, along with it, its first major line of video proÂgramÂming called You Choose ’08. The conÂcept here is simÂple and promisÂing: CitÂiÂzens ask quesÂtions to the ’08 canÂdiÂdates, and the canÂdiÂdates respond. The results, howÂevÂer, have been largeÂly disÂapÂpointÂing. When you strip everyÂthing away, what you get are politiÂcians speakÂing the same platÂiÂtudes that we’ve seen for decades on TV. (See a samÂple reply here.) The only difÂferÂence is that the video qualÂiÂty is worse, and they’re manÂagÂing to get their platÂiÂtudes in front of a young demoÂgraphÂic, which is no small feat. For betÂter or for worse, YouTube is to the ’08 elecÂtion what MTV (rememÂber Bill playÂing the sax?) was to the ’92 elecÂtion. While neiÂther CitÂiÂzenÂTube nor the politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns are using the video platÂform in revÂoÂluÂtionÂary ways, the milÂlions of averÂage users who make YouTube what it is are doing a betÂter job of it. Of parÂticÂuÂlar interÂest is the way in which videos are emergÂing on YouTube that counter images being careÂfulÂly proÂjectÂed by canÂdiÂdates and their camÂpaigns. Here are two quick examÂples. GOP canÂdiÂdate Mitt RomÂney has been preÂdictably workÂing to cast himÂself as a social conÂserÂvÂaÂtive. Twice in recent months, he has shown up at Pat RobertÂson’s Regent UniÂverÂsiÂty to delivÂer lines like this:
But then, howÂevÂer inconÂveÂnientÂly, videos from Mitt RomÂney’s past politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns show up on YouTube, ones which should make evanÂgelÂiÂcals think twice, and there is not much RomÂney can do about it. The past hurts, but it doesÂn’t lie: Then there is Hillary ClinÂton. She’s got the monÂey, the parÂty machine is backÂing her, tryÂing to wrap up the nomÂiÂnaÂtion with a bow. But then a damnÂing attack ad crops up on YouTube. This pitch for Barack ObaÂma remixÂes the “1984” TV ad that famousÂly introÂduced Apple comÂputÂers to AmerÂiÂca, and it casts Hillary as a politÂiÂcal automaÂton, an image that rings true for many. (The ObaÂma camÂpaign denies havÂing anyÂthing do with the video, and its creÂator remains unknown.) It is with videos like these that YouTube gets politÂiÂcalÂly interÂestÂing. Just as quickÂly as a politÂiÂcal camÂpaign projects an image for RomÂney or ClinÂton, your averÂage web user can scrounge up footage that calls that image into quesÂtion. A retort is always posÂsiÂble, which was nevÂer the case on TV. And the cost of delivering/countering a mesÂsage runs next to nothÂing. Again a first. YouTube equalÂizes, and it isn’t a terÂrain on which the rich can instantÂly claim vicÂtoÂry. Just ask RomÂney and his over $200 milÂlion in perÂsonÂal wealth. What good has it done him in YouTube land? |
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