Thursday, July 25, 2013

Leo Szilard on the Public's Propensity to Submit to Authority/"Experts"

"If all you know is what someone has told you, you have no basis to form an intelligent opinion."...Yeah, that pretty much sizes it up, I think.

7 comments:

A Pissed Off Irishman said...

Obama: 'Phony scandals' effort 'needs to stop'
By Thomas Lifson
July 25, 2013

Barack Obama is pitching the line that the scandals engulfing his administration are "phony" and is blaming the Republicans for preventing economic progress by seeking to uncover the truth about Benghazi, the IRS and other matters. In very long, very stale speech kicking off his latest campaign rally-like tour in Galesburg, Illinois, he said: (White House transcript)

"But with this endless parade of distractions and political posturing and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball. And I am here to say this needs to stop. (Applause.) This needs to stop."

This contradicts his earlier promises to get to the bottom of the IRS scandal, but the president has moved into the realm of postmodernism where truth is optional, and all that matters is a narrative. His narrative is now set, and we can expect future speeches to mock the Republicans with the trademark sarcastic condescension that marks his humor when turned on his political enemies. Going on the offense, attacking the truth-seekers is a classic defense when you have no case


Spying on citizens is "Phony"
What a fucking Dick-tater

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I'll admit it, POI, I did in fact vote for him in 2008. I had somehow convinced myself that the fellow was some seamless mixture of JFK (inspiration) and Ike (pragmatism) and, yes, I was wrong. I was wrong (Johnson got my vote last September).

BB-Idaho said...

Odd statement by Szilard. He was the catalyst behind Einstein's letter to FDR urging defense work
on nuclear fission. ..and yet he expected the president to believe
what 'someone had told him'.
Like all scientific theory, fission
weapons had its share of skeptics.

Barlowe Bayer, A Very Stable Genius said...

Johnson didn't get my vote. I reluctantly voted for Romney. Why throw your vote away on someone who did not stand a chance? Also, isn't Johnson in favor of surrendering to the terrorists - by pulling our troops out of all their overseas engagements? What, he thinks if we do that they'll leave us alone?

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

BB, he gave his opinion and hopefully FDR made his decision in an informed and thoughtful manner.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Barlowe, I wouldn't say that Mr. Johnson is in favor of surrendering at all. He just wants to focus more on getting the terrorists and not near as much on counter-insurgency and nation-building.......And I live in CT. The President could have killed somebody with his bare hands and still carried this state. I was fully free to vote my conscience here.

dmarks said...

Will said: "He just wants to focus more on getting the terrorists and not near as much on counter-insurgency and nation-building."

A drone program, then?