I don't listen to Bill Maher to get Bill Maher's opinion on everything. I like the panel discussions where sometimes even the entire panel might disagree with Maher himself. I think the show attracts a lot of intelligent and well educated people with many different viewpoints. Reza Aslan is somebody who disagrees with Maher on most issues of Islam for example and yet he brings him back to the show again and again. I like having my beliefs challenged and opening a dialogue on issue most people find too controversial. I think Maher does a good job of bringing many silent topics to light. If my beliefs are ill founded I hope there is somebody there to slap me back to reason.
He is unapologetically left wing of course, but he is but one member of a discussion involving 5-6 people. His show has a unique intelligent open dialogue between liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans, religious and non religious, Pro and Anti Israel supporters and so.
If I'm honest I think Maher is on target the majority of the time, but certainly never always. I loved Christopher Hitchens for the same boldness and lack of concern of offending others when he felt an issue was important. Hitchens of course could be wrong, for example his side on the Iraq war is quite questionable in retrospect, but being as objective as I can muster I conclude that he is on point the majority of the time. Sam Harris I believe is somebody who while human, I have yet to disagree with on any major issue. I will attempt to keep my mind open in case of that should occur.
While I tend to disagree with somebody like Bill O'Reilly on the vast majority of issues, and would also question his often evasive interview style, one must at least commend him for bringing onto his show, people he knowingly disagrees with himself. I feel Maher does a vastly superior job of stimulating open discussion and knows when to back down more often (although not always).
But on your point on a single minded world view, I think it is of course important to use multiple news sources when serious about accurate portrayal and facts. That said, listening to Fox News for example with even the most objective of attitudes makes my head explode more often than is comfortable.
And hey, even if I'm 100% bias on an issue (which I hope I'm not), at least I know something about it. My desire to better my world whether misguided or not is more difficult when in ignorance of a topic entirely. I'm just trying not to be a passenger as a citizen. At the risk of sounding conceded, I feel I am more knowledgeable on current affairs than the majority of my college contemporaries. I enjoy parties and sex too, but I find it a little saddening when somebody can't offer an informed opinion on taxing ethics or the right to own a gun. Whatever side you take, at least you care.
And of course, the entertainment aspect is appealing too.
Thanks for the opportunity to rant! Feels great to mouth off once in a while. DISCLAIMER: I am liberal on most issues I can think of. I like me some capitalism sprinkled with socialism European style. I think freedom of speech is better in the USA then here in Europe however. I don't think guns should be illegal but properly regulated. I mostly support abortion but I think some criminals can derive the death penalty. I believe in free religious practice for all, with not sate supported religious at all. I think most if not all drugs should be legal and regulated. I think global warming is real. I like science in general, being a Computer Scientist myself. Hey, maybe if I end up a middle aged man with a desk job I'll be a raging conservative, but for now I'll hold my pretty libertarianesque principals for the world to see, typed on a MacBook Pro my dad bought me.
Just trying to make sense of the world cautiously.
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