Why do you like Penn Jillette so much? He is a retard and the woo is strong with him.

[Richard Masters]

What's your obsession with Penn Jillette?

Is it because he loves Randi? Have you been inducted into his cult via his mesmerizing juggling? Is it his red fingernail?

Is it his crazy drug-loving ways? His opposition to the Iraq, Vietnam and World War II? His love for liberty? His "deep thinking"?

Is it because he thinks 9/11 would destroy our civil rights?

Is it because he hates Noam Chomsky?

Or is it this:

"Penn: "The definition of an intellectual is someone who can change their mind given facts ..."
Randi: "This doesn't happen with the believer, ... they cannot be unconvinced ... based on experience with thousands of them""

I contend he is the worst critical thinker, ever; that the woo is strong with him, and that he is a racist bastard. He also supports quackery, disgusting immoral behavior. And he won't shut up.

 

[WildCat]

What's your obsession with Penn Jillette?

He is my God.

Is it because he loves Randi?

Yes, of course!

Have you been inducted into his cult via his mesmerizing juggling?

His_juggling_is_the_best_there_ever_was

Is it his red fingernail?

He is my God.

Is it his crazy drug-loving ways? His opposition to the Iraq, Vietnam and World War II? His love for liberty? His "deep thinking"?

It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

Is it because he thinks 9/11 would destroy our civil rights?

It is right to give Him thanks and Praise.

Is it because he hates Noam Chomsky?

Noam Chomsky sucks!

Or is it this:

I contend he is the worst critical thinker, ever; that the woo is strong with him, and that he is a racist bastard. He also supports quackery, disgusting immoral behavior. And he won't shut up.

Oh, we have a winner! The first Ronulan to self-destruct on this forum!

I guess this qualifies for the Nose-Picking Gorilla Award:

 

[Richard Masters]

He is my God.

I contend he is the worst critical thinker, ever; that the woo is strong with him, and that he is a racist bastard. He also supports quackery, disgusting immoral behavior.

Oh, we have a winner! The first Ronulan to self-destruct on this forum!

Self-Destruct? On the contrary, as you will see.

 

[Puppycow]

I contend he is the worst critical thinker, ever; that the woo is strong with him, and that he is a racist bastard. He also supports quackery, disgusting immoral behavior. And he won't shut up.

I'm not sure I agree with him on everything, but that doesn't sound right. I've seen a few episodes of BS, and I have yet to disagree with his positions on prostitution, Wal-Mart, the BSA, abstinence-only education....
What else is there? What "quackery" are you referring to? What evidence of racism? What "woo"?

As far as "disgusting immoral behavior," I'm generally in favor of that myself, so...

 

[Richard Masters]

I'm not sure I agree with him on everything, but that doesn't sound right. I've seen a few episodes of BS, and I have yet to disagree with his positions on prostitution, Wal-Mart, the BSA, abstinence-only education....
What else is there? What "quackery" are you referring to? What evidence of racism? What "woo"?

As far as "disgusting immoral behavior," I'm generally in favor of that myself, so...

You forgot he hates mother Theresa, Alcoholics Anonymous, and that he loves Big Business like Wal-Mart.

 

[PixyMisa]

It's really Teller we like, but he won't return our calls.

 

[Puppycow]

Wait. Let me guess: He supports Ron Paul, right? That's actually not too suprising to me, if that's what you're getting at. I'm not completely without sympathy for parts of Ron Paul's thinking.

 

[brodski]

I contend he is the worst critical thinker, ever; that the woo is strong with him, and that he is a racist bastard. He also supports quackery, disgusting immoral behavior. And he won't shut up.

Thats right Pen Jillette proposed legislation which would deregulate sCAM and published newsletters calling MLK a gay pedophile, and pushing a survivalist/ militarist agenda claiming that a race-war was coming- he has also taken money from storm front. Oh and he's standing for election too.

Oh, wait...

 

[Graham Ross]

You forgot he hates mother Theresa, Alcoholics Anonymous, and that he loves Big Business like Wal-Mart.

How exactly is that woo?

 

[Richard Masters]

He is my God.

Your God is a "Paultard" as you like to call them.

Since he supports Ron Paul, he must support quackery, be racist, a crackpot, a retard who doesn't understand politics.

He must also be an idiot because Ron Paul doesn't stand a chance.

 

[brodski]

Your God is a "Paultard" as you like to call them.

Since he supports Ron Paul, he must support quackery, be racist,

Nope, it has been a staple of criticisms of Paul's campaign that some of his most vocal supporters do not know about, or understand Paul's positions.

a crackpot, a retard who doesn't understand politics.

A retard, no, but he is a Libertarian, and watching any of his political themed "BS" shows, show that he is far from the mainstream. You see I am able to agree with someone on objective matters, such as alt-med, the existence of Bigfoot or other skeptical issues, whilst disagreeing with their politics, that is why i can agree with Penn, Randi, Shemer and Sagan, all at different points on the

He must also be an idiot because Ron Paul doesn't stand a chance.

no, he would be a political idiot if he thought Paul stood a chance, not just for backing him.
he's taken idiotic political positions before now, so it wouldn't be surprising, but then he also claims himself to be a "loud mouth idiot" and says that "no one should listen to [him]"

 

[Richard Masters]

I'm not sure I agree with him on everything, but that doesn't sound right. I've seen a few episodes of BS, and I have yet to disagree with his positions on prostitution, Wal-Mart, the BSA, abstinence-only education....

In other words, you agree with Ron Paul on a lot of things.

What else is there? What "quackery" are you referring to? What evidence of racism? What "woo"?

I'm arguing in terms that WildCat can understand, so I've resorted to a guilt-by-association fallacy, as well as reduction ad falsum and ridiculum.

In this case, it was posed as satire.

As far as "disgusting immoral behavior," I'm generally in favor of that myself, so...

 

[Puppycow]

Your God is a "Paultard" as you like to call them.

Since he supports Ron Paul, he must support quackery, be racist, a crackpot, a retard who doesn't understand politics.

He must also be an idiot because Ron Paul doesn't stand a chance.

OK, so your point is this: Penn Jillette is popular on the JREF forum (among certain posters, not all) while Ron Paul is not (again, among certain posters). And yet Penn supports Ron Paul, so anyone who likes Penn should take another look at him because Penn supports him, right? I get it. I am somewhat sympathetic to some of Ron Paul's ideas personally, but I think he is a little too ideologically rigid and out of the mainstream to be a practical choice. And I don't like the lingering atmosphere of John-Birchiness about those around him.

 

[Richard Masters]

How exactly is that woo?

According to WildCat et al., Ron Paul politics are all about quackery, woo, etc.

I personally don't think Penn is about woo, but maybe WildCat can explain it to you.

I'm sorry you were inadvertently unaware of the history of mindless cynicism of the political forum - there was no way you could have known this was satire, unless you read my post history or frequented the Elections 2008 section.

It was a bit misleading, also, that the thread was moved. Don't take my empty Penn accusations personally, please.

 

[Richard Masters]

It's really Teller we like, but he won't return our calls.

 

[Richard Masters]

Nope, it has been a staple of criticisms of Paul's campaign that some of his most vocal supporters do not know about, or understand Paul's positions.

Exactly. I'll bet Penn Jillette doesn't understand Ron Paul's positions, though I'm willing to bet more it is the other way around. WildCat's followers don't understand the positions of any candidates, and they appeal to the skeptic community by posting exaggerations and ridiculing Ron Paul's supporters via generalities.

A retard, no, but he is a Libertarian, and watching any of his political themed "BS" shows, show that he is far from the mainstream. You see I am able to agree with someone on objective matters, such as alt-med, the existence of Bigfoot or other skeptical issues, whilst disagreeing with their politics, that is why i can agree with Penn, Randi, Shemer and Sagan, all at different points on the

That's right. Many of Ron Paul's supporters are libertarians.

no, he would be a political idiot if he thought Paul stood a chance, not just for backing him.

Not according to just about every thread in the elections 2008 section where this post belongs.

he's taken idiotic political positions before now, so it wouldn't be surprising, but then he also claims himself to be a "loud mouth idiot" and says that "no one should listen to [him]"

And, yet, you do.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Did Penn sleep with your wife or something?

 

[Richard Masters]

OK, so your point is this: Penn Jillette is popular on the JREF forum (among certain posters, not all) while Ron Paul is not (again, among certain posters).

Not quite. I would edit the last part like this:

OK, so your point is this: Penn Jillette is popular on the JREF forum (among certain posters, not all) while Ron Paul is mindlessly hated (again, among certain posters).

And yet Penn supports Ron Paul, so anyone who likes Penn should take another look at him because Penn supports him, right?

Not quite. Rather, anyone who likes Penn should stop mindlessly labeling people as wooers, but especially Ron Paul supporters, as that would be a contradiction, since Penn also supports Ron Paul's policy-making.

The moral of the story is, when you call Ron Paul supporters retards you are calling Penn a retard.

I get it. I am somewhat sympathetic to some of Ron Paul's ideas personally, but I think he is a little too ideologically rigid and out of the mainstream to be a practical choice. And I don't like the lingering atmosphere of John-Birchiness about those around him.

I agree on both counts, actually. I can understand supporting Obama and Edwards, (and just about any Democrat besides Hillary), but the unsubstantive generalizations, name-calling, and ridicule, are evidence that even if you think you are a skeptic, you are vulnerable to perpetuating lies mindlessly. That said, I'm not speaking of you specifically. You tend to be rather neutral or at least inquisitive and rational.

 

[brodski]

Exactly. I'll bet Penn Jillette doesn't understand Ron Paul's positions, though I'm willing to bet more it is the other way around. WildCat's followers don't understand the positions of any candidates, and they appeal to the skeptic community by posting exaggerations and ridiculing Ron Paul's supporters via generalities.

I am unaware that wildcat has any supporters. Which primary is he running in again?
You seem to be using this thread to attack wildcat personally, and that is not on. If you want to play semantics and talk about "Ron Paul opponents" (or whatever) in generalities that would be more acceptable. Personalising the issue in this manner could result in mod action (not by me as I am now a participant in this thread).
This word to the wise is not intended as a "taunt".

That's right. Many of Ron Paul's supporters are libertarians.

as are many of his most vocal opponents.

Not according to just about every thread in the elections 2008 section where this post belongs.

spam does not equal support. This thread does not belong there, as it is a thread about Pen Jillette, not Ron Paul. There are plenty of threads over there to discuss Ron Paul, we havn't had a good P&T thread for ages.

And, yet, you do.

Do I? how so?

He presents arguments, sometimes backed with facts. When i find those arguments compelling, and the evidence to be solid I agree with what he says, other times I vehemently disagree. My biggest criticism of Jillette (which is echoed by many here) is that when the facts conflict with his ideology, his ideology wins out.

Which is why he got such a hard time over ETS/ "passive smoking" when eh spoke at TAM. He got his facts wrong.
Of course, as we all blindly follow the holy word of P&T, that would never happen.
Of course, you could make an equivocation and sate that unless I "listened to him" I couldn't accurately criticise what he says, but when he says that people shouldn't listen to him, he means that people shouldn't accept what he says on subjective matters, just because he says it.


OK, so back on topic. What I like about Pen Jillette is that he is an entertainer, who doesn't expect his wacky political views to be taken too seriously, and who often gets a skeptical message out there, even if he often uses unskeptical ways to do so, but hey, he's an entertainer not a politician or a scientist.

 

[Richard Masters]

Did Penn sleep with your wife or something?

No. It's satire.