Mike Rowe Comments on Glenn Beck, Bill Maher, Dialogue

I've broken my own rule of copying something and posting it here, verbatim. While I don't think that Mike would mind (nor the site, which is linked below), I did want to recognize my own hypocrisy, with apologies.

So, is Mike Rowe right?

Link: http://www.ijreview.com/2013/10/90363-mike-rowe/

 

He is, without a doubt, correct. And before he even mentioned it, I knew that Penn Jillette (a Libertarian that would make Volst53 blush) is on Beck's show often, just for the very reason of dialogue.

 

Better question: If Mike Rowe is right, why do we so rarely see lively and respectable discussions amongst people holding divergent views / opinions?

 

Because it's easier to call the other side the devil, and we've been too influenced by our leaders. We don't want to talk or compromise, we want it 100% our way.

 

Because usually the person in front of the camera is the attractive embodiment of a demographic created for exploitation. Very rarely are those people remotely similar off camera to the ones they play in front of it, and I seriously doubt you could get many to debate their character's views on television.

 

I think he makes an outstanding point. It's ridiculous to eschew association with others because of a difference in ideologies. In fact it is ignorant to do so. If you broke every person down into a set of comparable beliefs and ideals we'd find a lot of conflict - even with people who on the surface seem alike. In most cases that's a very good thing; it allows us to challenge and learn from one another.

Some folks just trumpet a specific side of themselves which seemingly masks the other aspects of the individual, which might be shared.

 

Politicians will NEVER do it, not in the current climate. Their constituents would call them sell outs and turncoats.

I, personally, love talking to the people on this board, no matter how divergent our views. The only way to truly understand the world is to turn off your sounding board talking head on AM radio and actually interact with the people you disagree with.

 

I can't speak to Alabama, Florida, Auburn or Texas fans.

 

I'm not a fan of talk radio, but from all reports Glenn Beck is a standup guy.

Also you couldn't find a better guy than mike Rowe, and his work on building a skilled work force in America doesn't get no where near enough attention. He's a really damn bright guy.

 

I hope Bill Maher wins.

 

I'm a huge fan of Penn Jilletee. I love his show Bullshit. It really makes you look at how you view things and does a great job of showing a wide spectrum of view points.

 

I'm a Rowe fan, "367 miles northeast, on the Time Bandit..."

 

Actually by all reports he's a prescription drug addict who is doing this to make as much money as possible. He was pretty open about it

 

I'm not seeing many "Last post: IP"

 

None of that makes him bad.

 

I really just can't go the Libertarian route...

 

He's basically living the American dream. I've never understood the making lots of money automatically makes you a bad person thing.

I'm not even a huge Beck fan anymore, but I tip my cap to what he's accomplished.

 

No it just makes you question if he actually believes half the shit he says. Let's not forget he was a failing morning zoo radio host before he found the benefit of radical political views.

 

Nothing wrong with making money, but if that is your stated goal as a political commentator than don't expect me to believe a word of what you say.

 

Nailed it.