Hitchens Give Finger to Maher's Audience

[CharlestonChad]

Libertarian does not equal Liberal.

http://redstatesrule.justgotowned.com/

 

[red states rule]

http://redstatesrule.justgotowned.com/

You know you got under a libs skin when they start the personal attacks

 

[Annie]

http://redstatesrule.justgotowned.com/

Stop flamming. He does not have to agree with you. If someone bothers you to such a degree, that's what the ignore option is for.

 

[Dr Grump]

If it walks like a liberal.....

Talks like a liberal.....

And acts like a liberal......

It is a liberal

Bill Maher is a liberal

As I said 'he is an avowed Libertarian, not liberal. Anybody who has read any of his stuff would know that. ' You obviously haven't read much of his stuff...He didn't like Clinton either, does that make him a conservative? Oh, and he dated Ann Coulter...so my hat goes off to the poor guy...

 

[red states rule]

As I said 'he is an avowed Libertarian, not liberal. Anybody who has read any of his stuff would know that. ' You obviously haven't read much of his stuff...He didn't like Clinton either, does that make him a conservative? Oh, and he dated Ann Coulter...so my hat goes off to the poor guy...

Since 2000 he has been a typical Bush bashing limousine liberal

 

[Gem]

I think I watched every episode of Real Time last season, and just caught the episode with Christopher Hitchens two nights ago...I have never read Maher's books...so perhaps there is something there I have missed...but with my experience having WATCHED Maher as much as I have...I'm having trouble with his describing himself as a Libertarian.

With the exception of wanting government out of his pot-smoking habit - he seems to follow the liberal line almost perfectly...rather than just saying "He's a Libertarian not a Liberal," can you give me some other examples of his Libertarianism?

He seems to favor WAY-TOO-MUCH Government intervention in TOO many areas of life to be a Libertarian.

 

[Dr Grump]

Since 2000 he has been a typical Bush bashing limousine liberal

He also bashed the crap of out Clinton when he was pres. He's a satirist...it's his job to bash presidents. No doubt the next president, whether they be dem or repub, will be bashed, too.

 

[CharlestonChad]

Since 2000 he has been a typical Bush bashing limousine liberal

It's a satiracal comedy show. What do you expect comedians to make fun of? Bush might be one of the easiest presidents in the last century to make fun of, so comedians are running wild with "bush bashing". They did the same with Clinton and the whole bj scandel.

 

[Dr Grump]

I think I watched every episode of Real Time last season, and just caught the episode with Christopher Hitchens two nights ago...I have never read Maher's books...so perhaps there is something there I have missed...but with my experience having WATCHED Maher as much as I have...I'm having trouble with his describing himself as a Libertarian.

With the exception of wanting government out of his pot-smoking habit - he seems to follow the liberal line almost perfectly...rather than just saying "He's a Libertarian not a Liberal," can you give me some other examples of his Libertarianism?

He seems to favor WAY-TOO-MUCH Government intervention in TOO many areas of life to be a Libertarian.

Maher describes himself as a libertarian[1][2] and celebrates libertarian figures such as Larry Elder and P.J. O'Rourke. He favors partial privatization of social security, ending corporate welfare, and legalizing all drugs[3][4] [5][6](he is a member on NORML's Advisory Board, an organisation which supports the decriminalization of marijuana), gambling, prostitution, and pornography[7].

While differing with many libertarians on such issues as the issue of private firearm ownership and the 2nd Amendment, Maher stated more than once on Politically Incorrect that he thought libertarianism was enough of a "big tent" that there was room for him in it even with that difference of opinion.

Maher also describes himself as an environmentalist, in which he brings public awareness on the topic of global warming[8][9]many times on his show Real Time.

He supported Bob Dole in the 1996 U.S. presidential election on the basis that Dole was a war hero.[10] He has expressed disdain for many of the liberal positions regarding hate crime, sexual harassment, etc. as being "things that make women nod." Although he told Libertarian candidate Harry Browne at the end of a Browne appearance on Politically Incorrect that Browne would have his vote, he later said on other episodes that he instead voted for Ralph Nader in the 2000 U.S. presidential election.

Maher publicly supports PETA[11], a controversial animal rights organization, and has expressed his distaste for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in general[12], on the grounds that they make their money out of curing people who are made sick by consuming the unhealthy food that society urges upon the public. He has expressed skepticism that vaccines are responsible for helping to eliminate many diseases [13][14]. On the August 11, 2005, episode of Larry King Live, Bill Maher announced he is not a vegetarian but eats meat rarely[15]. He claimed he is still a board member of PETA and supports animal rights[16].

Prior to the 2004 U.S. presidential election he became very forthright in his opposition to the re-election of George W. Bush and his support for John Kerry as the best candidate to defeat Bush, rather than the candidate most in agreement with Maher's views, going so far as to publicly kneel on his show, with director Michael Moore, and beg Ralph Nader to drop out of the race. Maher often says that the word "liberal" has been unfairly demonized, and during the elections he criticized Kerry for being ashamed of the word. He has been called a "libertine socialist" by a political commentator Jonah Goldberg. [17] Maher also supports the death penalty, the legality of abortion and euthanasia[18], often stating his position humorously as "pro-death." Expanding on this statement, he revealed his belief that the size of the human population has led to damage to the earth's ecosystem, so that he is generally in favor of anything that would reduce the size of said population. Since 9/11 he also has on numerous occasions stated his endorsement of racial profiling at airports[19].

He was originally opposed to the war in Iraq, but briefly became less skeptical of it after the Iraqi election of 2005. Maher now views the Iraq War as a failure and implied on the February 24, 2006 episode of Real Time that Iraq was better off under Saddam Hussein and that the U. S. cannot control the sectarian violence like Saddam Hussein did. The result of the invasion of Iraq, in his view, has increased the threat of terrorism. He has also stated his concerns about the possibility of a future civil war in Iraq or about the possibility that Iraq is already involved in the early stages of a civil war.

On the May 13, 2006 season finale of Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher stated his support for the impeachment of George W. Bush by the end of August. [20]

He is an outspoken critic of right-winger Ann Coulter who is, nevertheless, a close personal friend of his.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Maher

 

[red states rule]

Maher is a liberal. his own words prove it


Says parents 'drill' religion into kids' heads using biblical 'fairy tales'

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

Television personality Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," says Christians and others who are religious suffer from a neurological disorder that "stops people from thinking."

Appearing as a guest on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" this week, Maher told host Joe Scarborough:

We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion. I do believe that. I think that religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies. I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder. If you look at it logically, it's something that was drilled into your head when you were a small child. It certainly was drilled into mine at that age. And you really can't be responsible when you are a kid for what adults put into your head."

The former host of "Politically Incorrect" said the lack of enlightenment of so many Americans means the nation actually has more in common with its enemies than one might think.

Said Maher: "When you look at beliefs in such things as, do you go to heaven, is there a devil, we have more in common with Turkey and Iran and Syria than we do with European nations and Canada and nations that, yes, I would consider more enlightened than us."

Maher explained that he was not singling out evangelicals, but was targeting all "religious" people.

"I think the vote in Missouri [rejecting same-sex marriage] and a lot of other states is because people are religious," Maher said. "They don't have to be evangelical, but they're religious. They believe in religion, which as – I think it was Jesse Ventura who had that quote about religion is a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers."

The television host told Scarborough he was convinced evangelicals' influence will wane.

Said Maher: "When people say to me, 'You hate America,' I don't hate America. I love America. I am just embarrassed that it has been taken over by people like evangelicals, by people who do not believe in science and rationality. It is the 21st century. And I will tell you, my friend. The future does not belong to the evangelicals. The future does not belong to religion."

Later in the interview, Maher returned to the childhood-religion theme, comparing fairy tales to Bible stories:

"When you were a kid and they were telling you whatever you believe in religion, do you think if they had switched the fairy tales that they read to you in bed with the Bible, you would know the difference?

"Do you think if it was the fairy tale about a man who lived inside of a whale and it was religion that Jack built a beanstalk today, you would know the difference? Why do you believe in one fairy tale and not the other? Just because adults told you it was true and they scared you into believing it, at pain of death, at pain of burning in hell."


http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42906


Then the coward comment that caused his termination from ABC.....


http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,8852,00.html

Maher Causes "Cowardly" Flap

by Mark Armstrong
Sep 20, 2001, 9:30 AM PT

Allow Bill Maher to rephrase: It's the politicians who are cowards, not the American military.

That sums up an apology Wednesday by Maher, the normally unrepentant, sporadically funny and always outspoken host of ABC's Politically Incorrect, who angered some viewers and advertisers Monday by condemning past U.S. military actions as "cowardly."

Both Federal Express and Sears, Roebuck and Company have pulled their ads from the late-night political forum after Maher condemned recent U.S. missile attacks, during his first episode since last week's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

"We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away," he said. "That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly."

On Tuesday night, ABC and Maher defended the show as one that "celebrates freedom of speech." But by Wednesday, after both FedEx and Sears pulled their ads, Maher apologized and sought to clarify.

"In no way was I intending to say, nor have I ever thought, that the men and women who defend our nation in uniform are anything but courageous and valiant, and I offer my apologies to anyone who took it wrong," Maher said in a statement. "My criticism was meant for politicians who, fearing public reaction, have not allowed our military to do the job they are obviously ready, willing and able to do and who now will, I'm certain, as they always have, get it done."

As its title already warns, Politically Incorrect isn't usually brimming with touchy-feely conversation, nor is it even careful about who it offends. But following last week's tragedy, the country remains on edge. The show itself left one of its guest chairs empty this week in honor of frequent guest Barbara Olson, the conservative commentator who was on the hijacked plane that crashed into the Pentagon.

Maher said Tuesday that he had received positive feedback about his comments. But both FedEx and Sears said they decided to cancel its advertising after receiving complaints from their customers.

The host's comments stemmed from a discussion sparked by author Dinesh D'Souza, who countered President George W. Bush's comments that the hijackers were "cowards." (A full transcript of Monday's show is available on ABC's Website.)

"Although I think Bush has been doing a great job, one of the themes we hear constantly is that the people who did this are cowards," D'Souza told Maher. "Not true. Look at what they did. First of all, you have a whole bunch of guys who are willing to give their life. None of 'em backed out. All of them slammed themselves into pieces of concrete.

"These are warriors," he added. "And we have to realize that the principles of our way of life are in conflict with people in the world."

At the time, Maher concurred, then turning the "coward" label on previous U.S. actions. But on Wednesday, he told the Associated Press that "I should have been more specific."

"It's our government, it's our politicians, who have been cowardly in not letting the military do their job," he said.

Maher then blamed his critics for taking out their frustration on the show. "I understand people have a lot of anger and hate," he said. "They should direct it toward the terrorists and not me. It's amazing that I should have to point out I find [the attacks] despicably evil."

This, of course, isn't the first time the P.I. ringleader has landed in hot water. In 1998, Maher angered the son of Ronald Reagan when he referred to the Alzheimer's-afflicted former president as "nuts."

Maher later insisted he was referring to Reagan during his tenure in office--not his illness.

 

[sitarro]

Bill Maher is one of the best slap down artists on the planet. He's funny as hell AND he is an avowed Libertarian, not liberal. Anybody who has read any of his stuff would know that. Rush Limbaugh is just a lapdog for the right. Coulter is just a dog - not funny, not insightful, and hardly intelligent. How the hell she got a law degree is one of life's little mysteries. Funny thing is, I read a few of her articles and thought she wasn't that bright - just a shill for the right. Then I saw her on Larry King, and before she came on I thought, "well, maybe I've sold her short, maybe hearing her I'll 'get it'". I sold her short all right. After seeing her on King she's even dumber than I thought she was....

Your obvious groupy-ism towards Bill Maher explains your posting style completely. I guess you also believe that a Hyndai is a gorgeous, high performance race car.

I enjoyed Politically correct many years ago until Maher went off the deep end trying so hard to defend the idiot actions of Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. Maher has absolutely no ability what so ever to apply critical thought. He constantly states opinions that merely make him feel better about himself. His hatred for religion paints all of his opinions of others. If you don't agree with Bill Clinton's childish actions you're a rightwing religious nutcase in his opinion. I am not religious in the least and feel that Bill Clinton showed not only no class what so ever but also no common sense in his adolecent pursuit of Lewinsky, an intern under his control and a child in age and intellect..... that is just pathetic. And yet, Bill Maher bent over backwards and twisted like a pretzel in his attempts to defend this clowns actions oviously because he too would have been just as intellectually childish and gone for the easy lay as his mentor did.

Politically Incorrect (what a stupid name)became a show that stacked 3 loudmouthed liberal assholes against 1 mild mannered conservative that could never get a word in. Bill Maher would show his Clintonesque lack of common sense at sometime during every show.

If, as you say, Ann Coulter ever went on a date with this idiot it would have made a funny "Blind Date" episode for sure..... a dwarf both in stature and intellect with long legged, ultra thin, stinger witted blond..... you couldn't write a better show.

As for Rush being a lapdog for the right, what a typically ignorant statement from someone that doesn't have so much as a clue about anything much less political commentary...... you're a maroon that parrots other's opinions.....Grump want a cracker?

 

[jillian]

Stop flamming. He does not have to agree with you. If someone bothers you to such a degree, that's what the ignore option is for.

Maybe those words would be more credible if you directed them at the widdle troll boy.

 

[Annie]

Maybe those words would be more credible if you directed them at the widdle troll boy.

See as I saw it, CC went beyond name calling, which I didn't see RSR doing. In any case, if YOU have a problem with moderation, pm it.

 

[jillian]

See as I saw it, CC went beyond name calling, which I didn't see RSR doing. In any case, if YOU have a problem with moderation, pm it.

You made your comments publicly, so I figured it was fair game. And ALL RSR does is flame.

 

[Abbey Normal]

You made your comments publicly, so I figured it was fair game. And ALL RSR does is flame.

As I understand it, the word "flame" means something akin to attacking other posters: "A searing e-mail or newsgroup message in which the writer attacks another participant in overly harsh, and often personal, terms" (Webopedia)

I have not seen RSR as being prone to flaming anyone other than liberals as a whole, and lib politicains in particular. And this repeated calling him a troll isn't fair, either. He posts regularly, on topic, and posts political articles. If he has been flaming, it couldn't be a regular occurrence. If anything, some people here seem to be repeatedly going after him. Methinks the labels flame and troll belong elsewhere.

 

[jillian]

As I understand it, the word "flame" means something akin to attacking other posters: "A searing e-mail or newsgroup message in which the writer attacks another participant in overly harsh, and often personal, terms" (Webopedia)

I have not seen RSR as being prone to flaming anyone other than liberals as a whole, and lib politicains in particular. And this repeated calling him a troll isn't fair, either. He posts regularly, on topic, and posts political articles. If he has been flaming, it couldn't be a regular occurrence. If anything, some people here seem to be repeatedly going after him. Methinks the labels flame and troll belong elsewhere.

Definitions of Troll on the Web:

From the fishing term. As a noun, synonymous with flamebait. As a verb, to post controversial or provocative messages in a deliberate attempt to provoke flames.
teladesign.com/ma-thesis/glossary.html

a newsgroup post that is deliberately incorrect, intended to provoke readers; or a person who makes such a post
www.archivemag.co.uk/gloss/T.html

You're entitled to your opinion. Most of us just think he's a high schooler sitting in his room .... and mostly he's just an ignorant twit. But if that's what you want the level of your board to be.....cool. But I think I'll leave the definition of troll where I left it.

As you can see, the definition has nothing to do with personal insults, although if you look, I'm sure you'll see that is predominently what he does, as well. The definition, however, has more to do with the RESPONSE the post is intended to elicit. And I think we can all agree that there's nothing about his posts that's intended to elicit discussion.

Hope you had a good vacation, btw.

 

[Stephanie]

As I understand it, the word "flame" means something akin to attacking other posters: "A searing e-mail or newsgroup message in which the writer attacks another participant in overly harsh, and often personal, terms" (Webopedia)

I have not seen RSR as being prone to flaming anyone other than liberals as a whole, and lib politicains in particular. And this repeated calling him a troll isn't fair, either. He posts regularly, on topic, and posts political articles. If he has been flaming, it couldn't be a regular occurrence. If anything, some people here seem to be repeatedly going after him. Methinks the labels flame and troll belong elsewhere.

Gotta agree with Abbey on this one...

 

[Annie]

I've addressed this with Jillian in pm's. For all, flamming according to the rules:

2- Flaming - It's understood and expected that flaming (An insulting criticism or remark meant to incite anger, as on a computer network) will occur when discussing politics and other sensitive issues. I ask once again to have common sense prevail. This is not an invitation to flame someone for no reason because the board tolerates the occassional outburst. Members that are here solely to be disruptive will be removed. Overuse of personal attacks as a method of debate is detrimental to the board. Again, the occassional outburst will be tolerated, incessant flaming will not.

Moderators are not allowed to flame members, therefore members cannot flame the moderators. I expect the moderators to be held to a different standard than the rest of the board, and I also expect they will get the respect they deserve in return. Flaming of a moderator will result in a warning. On the 3rd warning your account will be banned.

To what I was watching, RSR may or may not fall into the red bolded but does not go on the personal. CC was crossing into the blue bolded.

With that explanation, an administrator knows what I was doing. I've given more of an explanation than necessary, because I'm really sick of The Red Badge of Courage and needed a break. With this, please let this discussion on flaming die.

 

[jillian]

Gotta agree with Abbey on this one...

I'm shocked, I tell ya... just shocked.

 

[Stephanie]

I'm shocked, I tell ya... just shocked.

:funnyface