John Smith Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 How did this man become a freaking brain surgeon?Maybe put "brain surgeon" in quotation marks, same as "genius" "rocket scientist" etc... Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 This is a good question, but being bright (or even a genius) does not preclude someone from having really wacky ideas. So long as he knew surgery and that was his field, his religious, historical, political, or philosophical beliefs were not part of the equation. LouieB Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Him chewing out CNN for investigating his past while his campaign is issuing a statement downgrading the West Point story to fantasy status is such delicious irony. Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Carson and Trump are gifts that just wont stop giving. Thanks gents! Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 This is a good question, but being bright (or even a genius) does not preclude someone from having really wacky ideas. So long as he knew surgery and that was his field, his religious, historical, political, or philosophical beliefs were not part of the equation. LouieB But some of his beliefs are horribly inconsistent with his chosen profession. It does not seem he is at all intellectually curious and he flatly refuses to accept things that are proven scientific fact. I honestly cannot figure this guy out. Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 As a doctor I know he had to take at least one biology class, and while he does not have to agree with the scientifically accepted evolution, he should have at least understood the basics. Because of this I have a lot of trouble with his recent comments about not believing that people are descended from apes, they are not. This is the lazy intellectuals argument to sway the incurious. Evolution has the premise that apes and humans have a common ancestor way back in the past. He knows better. Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Well Ben Carson unraveled pretty fast. http://www.wsj.com/article_email/ben-carsons-past-faces-deeper-questions-1446861864-lMyQjAxMTI1NTAxNzgwMTcxWj Not surprising his anecdotes are now being found as untrue, considering how fast an loose he plays with actual real verified history. Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 A politician who plays fast and loose with the facts? Stop the presses! Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 It certainly matters more for a man like Ben Carson who cloaks himself in religion and want to use his faith as a basis of national policy. If more dishonesty comes out, I think he will go back down in the polls. One of the attractions of Sanders and Trump is that their followers believe they "tell it like it is". On another note, I'm really surprised Christie didn't get a bump from the last debate and has even been excluded from the next. I thought he gave one of the strongest, if not the strongest, performances. Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 A politician who plays fast and loose with the facts? Stop the presses! No fast and loose with actual verified history. And if you stand on a moral ground such as this: “Lying, I believe, is a grave sin and there’s just no way that I would be sitting here lying about something like this,” Mr. Carson said Friday on Fox News. It should be noted. Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted November 7, 2015 Author Share Posted November 7, 2015 and aside from this campaign, when did Carson become a politician? isn't his outsider status one of his supposed draws? He made those claims in his book well before running for office. Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Far be it from me to defend this guy, but it is possible that he was told he should apply to West Point because he would get a free education (everyone West Pointer does) and that he then extrapolated this out to he was offered a scholarship to the school. Maybe this story is not the right place to attack him. He says so many other wacky and more verifiable things, why not just stick with those? LouieB Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 No fast and loose with actual verified history. Like when Hillary Clinton lied about landing in Bosnia under sniper fire? Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Like when Hillary Clinton lied about landing in Bosnia under sniper fire?I can only assume those that went after the former secretary will chastise Dr. Carson with the same fervor and glee. Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Kevin, are you attacking each with the same fervor and glee? If not, outside of you political affiliations, why not? Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Kevin, are you attacking each with the same fervor and glee? If not, outside of your political affiliations, why not? I have not attacked Dr. Carson on his personal stories. Nor did I attack Clinton on her sniper story, Brian Williams on his helicopter, Bill O'Reilly on his war stories, and (not that was discussed here) Steve Rannazzisi on his 9/11 story. I have been pretty consistent when these stories appear, in truth I don't care too much. It can speak to the person's character, yes, but everyone has exaggerated their personal histories to seem more than they are. If you go back on my comments about Dr. Carson it was never about his personal stories, it was his demeanor and outlandish comments found fathers, pyramids, etc. How he uses a false narrative of historical facts to bolster his way of thinking. I brought up the WSJ article as a larger thread about Dr. Carson to show how quickly the media turned on him. I have also quoted Dr. Carson in saying that lying is a sin. Which is fine to believe that. But if you are going to stand on that moral ground you better have your facts right. It was indeed Hixter that brought up the adage all politicians lie (and the story about Sec. Clinton) as a way to accept Dr. Carson has said. I merely expressed my desire that those who went after Clinton, and to a great extent Brian Williams, in a similar fashion. If memory serves it was Hixter who was particularly harsh of Brian Williams. But as of yet, he has not been critical of Dr. Carson. Admittedly I am more quickly to point out the foibles of Dr. Carson and that is political. But I do not hold him to a higher standard than Sec Clinton. Link to post Share on other sites
John Smith Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 And of course Dr Carsons lies were made 20yrs ago as a private citizen to...? Sell books because the truth is just bleh? So he wasn't a politician at the time, but he was a liar/rmbelisher all his life. Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 All of the back-and-forth reminds me of how hard it is to be non-partisan in our current political landscape. While I like having a lens (social-democrat/progressive) I often think I spend as much time wishing for a radical center as a response to our shitty media. There's so much we don't think about because it doesn't fit the narrative. I.e: George W. Bush in practice was relatively soft on illegal immigrantsBarack Obama in practice has been quite harsh on immigrants (at least according to deportation rates), although his policy proposals are differentBill Clinton was one of the biggest welfare reformers of the last few decadesBernie Sanders is soft on gunsRand Paul would like to legislate against abortion, which is a decidedly non-Libertarian approachReagan raised taxesHillary Clinton may be a hawk in dove's clothing (but I don't have all the facts on that, just something I get from some of her comments) Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 And can we finally be honest about how the low minimum wage is creating a need for safety net services like food stamps? Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 And can we finally be honest about how the low minimum wage is creating a need for safety net services like food stamps? Donald Trump doesn't agree: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/donald-trump-minimum-wage-215787 Nor Ben Carson: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/10/ben-carson/ben-carson-said-raising-minimum-wage-will-increase/ Rubio agrees but doesn't think we should raise it: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/rubio-people-cant-live-minimum-wage-no-increase So apparently not. Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Terrible news out of Paris. I saw Wilco at Le Bataclan in 2007. I hope they can rescue the hostages. Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Yeah that one's a terrible piece of shit. Maybe the fact that it was a band I know but my empathy was up on this one (the way it always should be) and I'm feeling really gross about some of humanity right now. Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 This exchange strikes me as particularly important at this moment in our global dialogue about terrorism. https://youtu.be/PzusSqcotDw Cnn anchors look a bit daft here. Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 This exchange strikes me as particularly important at this moment in our global dialogue about terrorism. https://youtu.be/PzusSqcotDw Cnn anchors look a bit daft here. Clearly when anchors of a major news organization or elected officials (or those who wish to be elected) cannot understand the distinction between a Religion and the actions of individuals, it makes it extremely hard for the rest of us. Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 From The Onion, of all places, in 2003. Great counterpoint, too. Christ. Link to post Share on other sites
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