Sam Harris Picks on Sarah Palin…Again
Well, he doesn’t so much pick on her as call a spade a spade. Sam Harris (The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation) is not only perceptive; he writes brilliantly. Anyway, here’s his latest essay, “In Defense of Elitism”, in which he expresses outrage at the flippancy with which Palin’s supporters dismiss her obvious lack of qualification for the (vice) presidency, and defends the idea that, if we depend upon “elites” to do the heavy lifting in every other profession, that we should do the same when it comes to governance.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
If this were 1776 and Thomas Paine’s time, the Aristocracy to be feared is not King George but the Eastern Intellectual Aristocracy – who believe they know what is best for us all. Freethought is about making decisions based on facts. The fact is that many intellectuals don’t understand what “mediocre” people detailed in Harris’s Newsweek article face each day. We need to give the little people he talks about credit that they know what is best for themselves and their families. There is an assumption that unless a person who works with their hands subscribes completely to the “religious dogma” of the left then they are unequipped to voice opinions on lofty matters such as politics. Just as the serf’s in medieval Europe were required to turn their face away and avoid looking at their sovereign, Harris and his colleagues believe people west of the Allegany’s should avoid criticizing the Beltway royalty unless you have been properly ordained and make the correct theological argument. The Americans who are being castigated in Harris’s article have a nose for self-dealing and the condescending self-righteousness of too many of our friends on the left. Sarah Palin understands this well and has hit a nerve with many of her countrymen. The premise of Harris’s comments is that because Sarah Palin graduated from a western state school (The University of Idaho) and has done stints broadcasting sports, working as a commercial fisherman, and rising through local politics she is “not worthy”. On the experience front - Obama gets a pass not because he has a better resume but because he edited the Harvard Law Review.
Until freethinkers use the same critical analytical skills we use to defrock religious charlatans to defrock the self-righteous priesthood of left we will not have the credibility we need to improve the human condition. Too many people will see that the discussion is really about who is in power – not about how we make life better for all. The Joe the plumber’s of the world possess a very good BS detector and the alarm bells are ringing.
October 22nd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Jerry,
Thanks for your comments. Sam Harris is perfectly capable of defending his own views, but I can’t help but respond in this forum.
In short…surely you are joking. I agree with you that all citizens should be ever skeptical and ever vigilante when it comes to those who see the power of high office. That said, it does not seem illogical to say that being president of the most influential nation on the planet is a job that requires specialized skills; in short, an elite as opposed to a Joe Six-Pack/Joe the Plumber/Hockey Mom/Soccer Mom or whatever other obnoxious Label for the Common Man you wish you insert.
When it comes to the job of president, or even vice president, we as citizens should look for, among those whose policies we believe are sound. the best of the best.
So…while you may disagree with Obama’s policies (and I do on a great many of them) no one can seriously claim that he has not arrived at his opinions after much self-education and introspection, and he has shown over the last few years an ability to hold forth on any number of subjects with depth and intelligence. Palin, on the other hand, has shown that she can memorize talking points and wink her way through carefully controlled photo ops. Her primary qualities are a) she has a uterus and she’s not afraid to use it, and b) she possesses the same blithe certainty and smug incuriosity that our current commander in chief has used to get us into a heap of trouble.
Barack Obama has degrees from two of the finest universities in the world and has taught constitutional law, whereas Sarah Palin bounced like a pinball through a series of community colleges and obscure universities before squeezing out a degree. Granted, she has shown a knack for getting elected to state office, but so has Obama.
While Obama eventually disavowed the ridiculous rantings of his home church pastor (and let’s face it, Obama isn’t a very religious person when it comes down to it - he gives lip service for political reasons); Sarah Palin really honest to goodness does believe in Armageddon, witchcraft, the End Times, that every sperm is sacred, and that America is Gosh Darn It the Greatest Nation that God Ever Put on This Here Planet Earth Dontcha Know. The Bible says it, she believes it, and that settles it (never mind that she’s probably as woefully ignorant of the contents of that Good Book as she is of everything else).
In summary, I think you’re attacking Sam Harris for saying things he didn’t say; you’re inferring much that he didn’t imply. In the end, if one asks which of the two (Obama or Palin) one would trust to make reasoned decisions about the future of the country, the one who reads books and has a sense of humility about American’s place in the world would seem the clear winner, nevermind all the other stuff.
I’ll be voting for Bob Barr.
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I agree with Obama on most of his policies and disagree with Ms. Palin on most of hers. I have read and love Sam Harris’s books as well as Mr. Dawkins and others of the same philosophy. I will either vote for Nader or write in Mrs. Clinton since I think my state will be solid for Obama.
Not to overdo my point but unless the intelligent people of the left can understand why Sarah Palin appeals to the Joe six packs who clean the toilets and bed pans, fight the wars, drive the trucks, work the farms then the coalition which got so much done in the golden age of free thought will not work well. Why was Bill Clinton more successful in this area?
By the way, Thomas Paine left school at age 13 to go to work and then went to sea. He was largely self educated, lived and worked in very tough circumstances. Maybe his familiarity with how the other half lives made him a better “thinker” and voice for common sense for the common man.
Mr. Barr is a very good choice.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
[…] Feedback - Bill objects to our sarcastic asides about Arkansas from podcast #30. Referencing our September 20 blog entry at AmericanFreethought.com, Jerry thinks Sam Harris is an elitist snob. David shares a response […]