Opinions on Ben Shapiro?

[Crunchy]

I believe my political stances were well thought-out. I have just been examining views of the opposing side and when I hear something that contradicts my beliefs but it actually makes sense, then I am compelled to consider it. I do lean to the left in many areas (abortion, gay rights, regultion of big business, etc.) but I feel that labeling myself "liberal" now comes with certain unwanted connotations (i.e. Islam apologist, feminist, believing there's more than two genders, believing that everything that comes out of Bernie Sanders mouth is gospel truth), and leads people to assume that I don't agree with any conservative values, which I do (i.e. I don't like the idea of making college free, or raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, or making everyone's tax rates as high as places like Denmark). I felt this was because the popular center of the left has shifted too far to an extreme position that I'd prefer to call myself a moderate. 

While I am distrustful of Breitbart and the individuals who work there, I believe it is an ad hominem to dismiss someone on the basis of their employment rather than their talking points. And as I said, though I disagree with some of his stances I think he often uses sound logic to defend them. At least from what I've seen.

Good for you! 
I encourage everyone to let go of these left/right ideological cubby-holes. It's as freeing as becoming an atheist.
I'm also glad you have avoided the trap of false equivalency. Just because you reject pigeon holing yourself, it doesn't mean that left and right put forth equally valid or invalid arguments at every moment in time. It's perfectly fair and reasonable to recognize that currently conservatism in the US has gone off the rails more than liberalism has.

As to Shapiro, he is a smart guy and regularly embarrasses the SJW type liberals by catching them up on their ridiculousness. However, having said that, he is doing exactly the opposite of what you have just done. He constrains himself to one outlook and one outlook only and therefore falls into the dangerous trap of demonizing ALL of the left rather than accepting that good ideas don't have a right/left spin. From what I've seen, he demonizes groups of people far too much for my liking.

[Jeanne]

It is  perfectly fair and reasonable to realize that both Republicans and Democrats in the 20th century moved into Progressivism, with some exceptions.  

What I hope is  for both parties to adhere to our Constitution.  

As long as there are Constitutionalists and Statists both elected, at least Congress will continue to function as it should by not agreeing to everything that is proposed.  And maybe that is all that can be hoped.  

I understand that such views are in the minority here, but I don't understand why.

It is almost as if many here deny that there can be Conservative Atheists.  That can't be the case, because...well, you know...atheists are supposed to be open-minded.

And...atheism is just a state of not having a deity belief, correct?

If that is the case, then why the nasty bullying of any atheist who disagrees with the Progressive Agenda?  Are you asserting that we are less intelligent than you are?  Are you claiming that we are less informed than you are or less educated? Are you afraid that anyone who disagrees with you might be making sense to someone else?  

This is disappointing from people on a site that promotes free thought and going against the flow and standing up for individuality.   It is as if many here are telling others what they can think and believe...but that can't be atheists who are doing that, can it?

-Jeanne

[Crunchy]

It is  perfectly fair and reasonable to realize that both Republicans and Democrats in the 20th century moved into Progressivism, with some exceptions.  

What I hope is  for both parties to adhere to our Constitution.  

As long as there are Constitutionalists and Statists both elected, at least Congress will continue to function as it should by not agreeing to everything that is proposed.  And maybe that is all that can be hoped.  

I understand that such views are in the minority here, but I don't understand why.

It is almost as if many here deny that there can be Conservative Atheists.  That can't be the case, because...well, you know...atheists are supposed to be open-minded.

And...atheism is just a state of not having a deity belief, correct?

If that is the case, then why the nasty bullying of any atheist who disagrees with the Progressive Agenda?  Are you asserting that we are less intelligent than you are?  Are you claiming that we are less informed than you are or less educated? Are you afraid that anyone who disagrees with you might be making sense to someone else?  

This is disappointing from people on a site that promotes free thought and going against the flow and standing up for individuality.   It is as if many here are telling others what they can think and believe...but that can't be atheists who are doing that, can it?

-Jeanne

I think you are absolutely correct. And as evidence, check this out:

Hello, I lurk more than I post but I'd like to hear thoughts on this. If this is the wrong place to put this please forgive me -

I used to consider myself a liberal until the left moved way too far to the left for my liking. Somewhere between the social justice uprising and the anti-Trump hysteria and protests I became disillusioned with that side of the political spectrum, but still maintained many of my left-leaning stances. 

However, recently I have been watching speeches and public debates with Ben Shapiro. If you have not heard of him I suggest typing his name into YouTube or google. He is very much a conservative and many of his viewpoints I disagree with, but he uses what seems to be quite sharp and reasonable logic. I have yet to see someone stump him on any of his points. I'm interested in seeing what other democrats/liberals (who appear to be the majority on the forum) think about him.

Just one question, what left? US politics gives you the choice between tge far-right Republitraitor party and the hard-right Democrat party.

The last time a left party got a significant share of votes was when Teddy Roosvelt had his own party.

Edit: given your obvious hard on for Shapiro, I'm guessing you consider anybody holding a position even the teensiest bit to the left of Mussolini to be a dirty, dirty commie. And even Mussolini to have been a dangerous backslider who compromised too much with them.

So, for Implying that Ben Shapiro may have made some valid points and some you don't agree with, you've got nothing but infatuation for him and are therefore comparable to a Mussolini loving fascist. 

Hmmm, something a little off here maybe??

[Jeanne]

Hi Crunchy.

Although I did pick up on your phrase, the post was addressed to all here who are the opinion that atheists are less than they should be if they are not Statists/Leftists/Progressives/Democrats.

My post reflected my concerns with why this should be so and then why the nasty bullying...not necessarily from you in particular.

Although I don't know if you are directing your last sentence to me or not and if you are then you may be in that same nasty bullying group.

-Jeanne

[Crunchy]

Hi Crunchy.

Although I did pick up on your phrase, the post was addressed to all here who are the opinion that atheists are less than they should be if they are not Statists/Leftists/Progressives/Democrats.

My post reflected my concerns with why this should be so and then why the nasty bullying...not necessarily from you in particular.

Although I don't know if you are directing your last sentence to me or not and if you are then you may be in that same nasty bullying group.

-Jeanne

Hi Jeanne,
I thought my post was pretty clear that I was agreeing with you. The last sentence is directed at the post that Tazzycorn made about Vincent having a boner for Shapiro and that you must be a complete right wing nut job to acknowledge that he may be correct about anything.
Hope that clears it up.

[scoobysnack]

Ben Shapiro is great to listen to. Watching the ideological political left in the US degenerate over the last several years to the tipping point when they realized they were about to lose power after taking things too far, I've listened to Shapiro much more. He does the best job that I've seen of pointing out the hypocrisy and lunacy of the left, and the more that I've studied the left I'm starting to see it's going to implode as more on the left wake up.

He understands the cultural marxism and jacobinism is the left at it's core which has shifted from the haves versus the have nots to the oppressed versus the oppressors. There is a scale of oppression the left believes in, and it's a battle between various groups to claim the most victim hood status. The enemy of course is white males who they view as the least oppressed, and actually the greatest oppressor keeping everyone down.

He points out this is why there are so many labels the victims throw at their perceived oppressor so they can blame others for their failures. It's also the reason the left changed the deffinition of racism to mean oppressed. It's why some black people claim they are incapable of being racist because they are a victim of oppression.

[Divinity]

If that is the case, then why the nasty bullying of any atheist who disagrees with the Progressive Agenda?  Are you asserting that we are less intelligent than you are?  Are you claiming that we are less informed than you are or less educated? Are you afraid that anyone who disagrees with you might be making sense to someone else?  

-Jeanne

Yes, I have no problem asserting that conservatives are less intelligent, less educated, and less informed.  

Just like I have no problem asserting that Christians and Muslims have ass-backwards beliefs.

All you have to do is fucking look at how they form their opinion.

Striking Syria?
During the Obama Administration:
Democratic Support: 38%
Republican Support: 22%

During the Trump Administration:
Democratic Support: 36%
Republican Support: 86%

Obama?  Golfer in chief!  Vacationer in Chief! Wasting Tax Payer Dollars.

Trump?  He's working while golfing.  Sure, he goes to Mar-A-Lago just about every fucking week!  Sure it's costing the taxpayers more than two of Obama's years, but there's a difference...  Trump's a Republican!

Experts agree on Global Warming?  THEY'RE ALL LIARS!
There's a GAY CONSPIRACY!
We need to cut Medicare because we spend too much.  We need to spend more on the military though, even though we spend more than the next fucking 9 countries combined.
Corporate Welfare is just taking advantage of the system.
People who need Welfare to eat are just moochers!

The whole "Fuck the poor" mentality is going to get people told to fuck off too.

People can believe or think whatever the fuck they want. But they don't get their own set of facts, and they don't automatically get the respect of others.

[CapnAwesome]

Meh. I think his style of right wing are just taking advantage of the authoritarian left (social justice warriors or whatever) to push an agenda. Because he's right about those dipshits doesn't mean he's right about anything else.

[Faith No More]

It is  perfectly fair and reasonable to realize that both Republicans and Democrats in the 20th century moved into Progressivism, with some exceptions.  

Lol, only in the United States of Your Imagination.

There's a reason why we are much further to the right on the political spectrum relative to the rest of the world.

What I hope is  for both parties to adhere to our Constitution.  

I've heard lots of conservatives say this before, but I have yet to find one that made a peep when the Patriot Act was signed.  Are you the exception?

As long as there are Constitutionalists and Statists both elected, at least Congress will continue to function as it should by not agreeing to everything that is proposed.  And maybe that is all that can be hoped.  

Constitutionalists and Statists?  What country do you live in again?

[Jeanne]

Hi Crunchy.

Although I did pick up on your phrase, the post was addressed to all here who are the opinion that atheists are less than they should be if they are not Statists/Leftists/Progressives/Democrats.

My post reflected my concerns with why this should be so and then why the nasty bullying...not necessarily from you in particular.

Although I don't know if you are directing your last sentence to me or not and if you are then you may be in that same nasty bullying group.

-Jeanne

Hi Jeanne,
I thought my post was pretty clear that I was agreeing with you. The last sentence is directed at the post that Tazzycorn made about Vincent having a boner for Shapiro and that you must be a complete right wing nut job to acknowledge that he may be correct about anything.
Hope that clears it up.

Crunchy, I appreciate you clearing that up.  The last sentence did not seem to match the rest of your post.  Thanks for replying.

-Jeanne