Ben Stein Speaks

[Soaring]

- Bueller? Ferris Bueller - wake up. That means the rest of you too.

The American Spectator : We've Figured Him Out

We've Figured Him Out
By Ben Stein on 7.24.09 @ 9:45AM


Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:

The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.

They ignored his anti-white writings in his books. They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.

They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student. They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.

The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.

Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable super leftist, not a fan of this country, way, way too cozy with the terrorist leaders in the Middle East, way beyond naïveté, all the way into active destruction of our interests and our allies and our future.

The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way an effort to help all Americans.

Now, Americans are waking up to the truth that ObamaCare basically means that every time you are sick or injured, you will have a clerk from the Department of Motor Vehicles telling your doctor what he can and cannot do.

The American people already know that Mr. Obama's plan to lower health costs while expanding coverage and bureaucracy is a myth, a promise of something that never was and never will be -- a bureaucracy lowering costs in a free society. Either the costs go up or the free society goes away.

These are perilous times. Mrs. Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, has given Iran the go-ahead to have nuclear weapons, an unqualified betrayal of the nation. Now, we face a devastating loss of freedom at home in health care. It will be joined by controls on our lives to "protect us" from global warming, itself largely a fraud if believed to be caused by man.
Mr. Obama knows Americans are getting wise and will stop him if he delays at all in taking away our freedoms.

There is his urgency and our opportunity. Once freedom is lost, America is lost. Wake up, beloved America.

We live in a society -
"of the Government, by the Government, for the Government".
We are now slaves to A GREEDY government.

 

[Alan Partridge]

"They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student."

Perhaps because it doesn't matter...

 

[geauxtohell]

- Bueller? Ferris Bueller - wake up. That means the rest of you too.

The American Spectator : We've Figured Him Out

We've Figured Him Out
By Ben Stein on 7.24.09 @ 9:45AM


Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Stein lost whatever credibility he ever had IMO after his hack piece on evolutionary theory.

He's a company man. Bought and paid for.

 

[MaggieMae]

- Bueller? Ferris Bueller - wake up. That means the rest of you too.

The American Spectator : We've Figured Him Out

We've Figured Him Out
By Ben Stein on 7.24.09 @ 9:45AM


Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Stein lost whatever credibility he ever had IMO after his hack piece on evolutionary theory.

He's a company man. Bought and paid for.

He's also boring and short. A typical [yawn] conservative bobblehead.

 

[geauxtohell]

He's also boring and short. A typical [yawn] conservative bobblehead.

 

[Alan Partridge]

I guess when you write speeches for Nixon, you need a lobotomy

 

[geauxtohell]

I guess when you write speeches for Nixon, you need a lobotomy

Seriously!

 

[ElmerMudd]

Ben Stein has extreme views but I have a hard time believing he would come out with such an extreme and ridiculous view of Obama.

There are reasons to criticize Obama but when such ridiculous statements are made there is absolutely no credibility. It is hate speech driven by emotion not logic. I wonder what the basis of Ben Stein's extreme hatred of Obama?

 

[Yurt]

"They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student."

Perhaps because it doesn't matter...

thanks for admitting the left were total morons for delving deep into gwb's life as a student and mocking him over and over for being a "c" student....and a party boy....

 

[geauxtohell]

Ben Stein has extreme views but I have a hard time believing he would come out with such an extreme and ridiculous view of Obama.

There are reasons to criticize Obama but when such ridiculous statements are made there is absolutely no credibility. It is hate speech driven by emotion not logic. I wonder what the basis of Ben Stein's extreme hatred of Obama?

They are all trying to get some play out of the recent birther media coverage.

None of them believe the birther conspiracies, but anything to stymie the opposition, ya know?

 

[Sinatra]

- Bueller? Ferris Bueller - wake up. That means the rest of you too.

The American Spectator : We've Figured Him Out

We've Figured Him Out
By Ben Stein on 7.24.09 @ 9:45AM


Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:

The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.

They ignored his anti-white writings in his books. They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.

They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student. They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.

The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.

Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable super leftist, not a fan of this country, way, way too cozy with the terrorist leaders in the Middle East, way beyond naïveté, all the way into active destruction of our interests and our allies and our future.

The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way an effort to help all Americans.

Now, Americans are waking up to the truth that ObamaCare basically means that every time you are sick or injured, you will have a clerk from the Department of Motor Vehicles telling your doctor what he can and cannot do.

The American people already know that Mr. Obama's plan to lower health costs while expanding coverage and bureaucracy is a myth, a promise of something that never was and never will be -- a bureaucracy lowering costs in a free society. Either the costs go up or the free society goes away.

These are perilous times. Mrs. Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, has given Iran the go-ahead to have nuclear weapons, an unqualified betrayal of the nation. Now, we face a devastating loss of freedom at home in health care. It will be joined by controls on our lives to "protect us" from global warming, itself largely a fraud if believed to be caused by man.
Mr. Obama knows Americans are getting wise and will stop him if he delays at all in taking away our freedoms.

There is his urgency and our opportunity. Once freedom is lost, America is lost. Wake up, beloved America.

We live in a society -
"of the Government, by the Government, for the Government".
We are now slaves to A GREEDY government.

Stein is correct.

And his missive on the massive pressures within the academic world regarding religion and evolution was an interesting work. Not fully comprehensive mind you, but both interesting and important.

 

[alan1]

"They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student."

Perhaps because it doesn't matter...

thanks for admitting the left were total morons for delving deep into gwb's life as a student and mocking him over and over for being a "c" student....and a party boy....

Would that be the same left that said Mr Clinton's activities during Viet Nam didn't matter, yet went to great lengths to report false stories of Mr Bush's activities during that same time period?

 

[geauxtohell]

And his missive on the massive pressures within the academic world regarding religion and evolution was an interesting work. Not fully comprehensive mind you, but both interesting and important.

Or fully researched, scientifically accurate, academically honest, or fair.

Now, almost one year after it's release, the work is irrelevent. It's viewed as a political hack job, which is surely is.

 

[Sinatra]

And his missive on the massive pressures within the academic world regarding religion and evolution was an interesting work. Not fully comprehensive mind you, but both interesting and important.

Or fully researched, scientifically accurate, academically honest, or fair.

Now, almost one year after it's release, the work is irrelevent. It's viewed as a political hack job, which is surely is.

Really?

I just watched it on a college campus last winter with about 40 colleagues.

The discussion following was outstanding. It is a work that continues to be referenced within college classrooms to this day - far more than say, Maher's film Religulous, which even academic liberals in my travels put down as far too negative and one-dimensional.

It was a solid work - clearly with an agenda, but in the world of academics, sadly, EVERYTHING has an agenda - most often a highly liberalized one...

 

[Yurt]

"They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student."

Perhaps because it doesn't matter...

thanks for admitting the left were total morons for delving deep into gwb's life as a student and mocking him over and over for being a "c" student....and a party boy....

Would that be the same left that said Mr Clinton's activities during Viet Nam didn't matter, yet went to great lengths to report false stories of Mr Bush's activities during that same time period?

yes

you know....manu1959 told me this would happen would obama won and the dems gained control....since i'm new to politics, i said ok....but thought, nah....he is just hardened against political meadowmuffins....

he has been 100% right in all his predictions so far

not sure i trust him with my lotto numbers though

 

[geauxtohell]

Really?

I just watched it on a college campus last winter with about 40 colleagues.

The discussion following was outstanding. It is a work that continues to be referenced within college classrooms to this day - far more than say, Maher's film Religulous, which even academic liberals in my travels put down as far too negative and one-dimensional.

It was a solid work - clearly with an agenda, but in the world of academics, sadly, EVERYTHING has an agenda - most often a highly liberalized one...

When you say colleagues, what exactly does that mean?

Among the scientific community the film is considered a joke. Stein's basic theory that competing theories to evolution are quashed is true, but a large part of that is that there is not a competing theory that fits within the scientific method.

Add that to all the selective editing of Dawkins and PZ Myers and the admitted bias of the production studio and it's basically a hack piece.

I am not a fan of Dawkins either, but Stein et al. did a huge disservice with that interview.

That's why it is not considered an "academic" work.

 

[Sinatra]

Really?

I just watched it on a college campus last winter with about 40 colleagues.

The discussion following was outstanding. It is a work that continues to be referenced within college classrooms to this day - far more than say, Maher's film Religulous, which even academic liberals in my travels put down as far too negative and one-dimensional.

It was a solid work - clearly with an agenda, but in the world of academics, sadly, EVERYTHING has an agenda - most often a highly liberalized one...

When you say colleagues, what exactly does that mean?

Among the scientific community the film is considered a joke. Stein's basic theory that competing theories to evolution are quashed is true, but a large part of that is that there is not a competing theory that fits within the scientific method.

Add that to all the selective editing of Dawkins and PZ Myers and the admitted bias of the production studio and it's basically a hack piece.

I am not a fan of Dawkins either, but Stein et al. did a huge disservice with that interview.

That's why it is not considered an "academic" work.

Fellow academics, and their wives/husbands.

We have had a film review club for nearly 12 years now. While I no longer teach on campus, I still maintain almost all of my professional contacts as they remain within my social circle of friends - and have assisted in the editing of a number of their published works since leaving the profession.

I assure you, the Stein film is not entirely dismissed as you would presume. While Stein waded into waters likely too deep for his personal experience, it was a work that helped to create conversation -and was a far more intellectual pursuit than Maher's film.

And the basic premise that there is incredible pressure to conform on a college campus is a fact - undeniable, particularly for those not afforded the protection of tenure. On that subject, Stein was spot on. Some campuses are more accomodating of political diversity than others - but it remains a serious issue, and has become considerably worse in more recent years...

 

[geauxtohell]

Fellow academics, and their wives/husbands.

We have had a film review club for nearly 12 years now. While I no longer teach on campus, I still maintain almost all of my professional contacts as they remain within my social circle of friends - and have assisted in the editing of a number of their published works since leaving the profession.

I assure you, the Stein film is not entirely dismissed as you would presume. While Stein waded into waters likely too deep for his personal experience, it was a work that helped to create conversation -and was a far more intellectual pursuit than Maher's film.

And the basic premise that there is incredible pressure to conform on a college campus is a fact - undeniable, particularly for those not afforded the protection of tenure. On that subject, Stein was spot on. Some campuses are more accomodating of political diversity than others - but it remains a serious issue, and has become considerably worse in more recent years...

First, I am not contrasting the Maher film with Stein. My interest is in preserving the integrity of the scientific method. Maher didn't touch that issue.

While I would be inclined to agree with your last point, conformity of thought on college campuses was only examined in light of the issue of evolution in the movie expelled.

That is more than a little disingenuous. Of course Evolution dominates the field of biology. There are no other competing theories that fall within the constraints of the scientific method to teach.

The best the anti-evo crowd can do is Intelligent Design, and save for your occasional Behes, every biologist thinks ID is a complete joke.

 

[Sinatra]

Fellow academics, and their wives/husbands.

We have had a film review club for nearly 12 years now. While I no longer teach on campus, I still maintain almost all of my professional contacts as they remain within my social circle of friends - and have assisted in the editing of a number of their published works since leaving the profession.

I assure you, the Stein film is not entirely dismissed as you would presume. While Stein waded into waters likely too deep for his personal experience, it was a work that helped to create conversation -and was a far more intellectual pursuit than Maher's film.

And the basic premise that there is incredible pressure to conform on a college campus is a fact - undeniable, particularly for those not afforded the protection of tenure. On that subject, Stein was spot on. Some campuses are more accomodating of political diversity than others - but it remains a serious issue, and has become considerably worse in more recent years...

First, I am not contrasting the Maher film with Stein. My interest is in preserving the integrity of the scientific method. Maher didn't touch that issue.

While I would be inclined to agree with your last point, conformity of thought on college campuses was only examined in light of the issue of evolution in the movie expelled. That is more than a little disingenuous. Of course Evolution dominates the field of biology. There are no other competing theories that fall within the constraints of the scientific method to teach.

The best the anti-evo crowd can do is Intelligent Design, and save for your occasional Behes, every biologist thinks ID is a complete joke.

True - that was the point of the film. Nothing disingenuous in that regard.

And not "every" biologist thinks ID is a complete joke - and far more than you likely realize are willing to entertain some version of its possibility.

I will include the comments of a friend of mine who is a marine biologist working on one of the larger NW campuses. His comments regarding Evolution/IE, struck a chord in me and I reflect on them often.

"There is no way I am arrogant enough to believe I know for a fact where life came from, or if there is a who or why behind it - and anyone I meet who says they do know, whether they are a scientist or a pastor, is immiediately suspect. What I do know is the earth and its place in the universe is both incredibly diverse and organized, and so it is either a most incredible design, the most amazing coincidence, or a combination of the two - and it never fails to inspire awe. I will say this, when I saw the birth of my daughter, I really felt I was in the presence of something much bigger than myself, or that singular moment. I'm not gonna call it God, but I am not at all comfortable with just calling it the process of evolution either. It was....really....incredible."

Those comments were the result of a discussion of a group of academic friends/colleagues after having viewed Stein's film last winter.

Not too shabby...

 

[geauxtohell]

True - that was the point of the film. Nothing disingenuous in that regard.

And not "every" biologist thinks ID is a complete joke - and far more than you likely realize are willing to entertain some version of its possibility.

I will include the comments of a friend of mine who is a marine biologist working on one of the larger NW campuses. His comments regarding Evolution/IE, struck a chord in me and I reflect on them often.

"There is no way I am arrogant enough to believe I know for a fact where life came from, or if there is a who or why behind it - and anyone I meet who says they do know, whether they are a scientist or a pastor, is immiediately suspect. What I do know is the earth and its place in the universe is both incredibly diverse and organized, and so it is either a most incredible design, the most amazing coincidence, or a combination of the two - and it never fails to inspire awe. I will say this, when I saw the birth of my daughter, I really felt I was in the presence of something much bigger than myself, or that singular moment. I'm not gonna call it God, but I am not at all comfortable with just calling it the process of evolution either. It was....really....incredible."

Those comments were the result of a discussion of a group of academic friends/colleagues after having viewed Stein's film last winter.

Not too shabby...

It's a beautiful quote from your friend.

The issue w/ ID is not whether or not it's true, no one can know that (not Dawkins or Behe). The issue is it's not scientific. I am not sure what field you taught in, so forgive me if I am being redundant, but science makes no provisions for the supernatural.

I like Dr. Kenneth Millers take on it. Dr. Miller is a devout Roman Catholic. He opposes ID for that very reason.

If you have the time, this is an interesting watch:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVRsWAjvQSg]YouTube - Ken Miller on Intelligent Design[/ame]