Ben Carson and the Pyramids

[jsteele]

I can't believe we haven't discussed this yet. For those who have been living in a cave -- or perhaps a pyramid -- in 1998 Ben Carson gave a speech in which he said:

"My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain. Now all the archeologists think that they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know, it would have to be something awfully big if you stop and think about it. And I don’t think it’d just disappear over the course of time to store that much grain."

Okay, okay. This was 1998 and who among us has not articulated our own personal theory about the pyramids (yes, normally in different circumstances then a speech, but still). So, certainly by now Carson has evolved on this issue, right? Wrong. Asked about his theory yesterday, he said:

"It's still my belief, yes. The pyramids were made in a way that they had hermetically sealed compartments. You would need that if you were trying to preserve grain for a long period of time."

For those who may not be up on their pyramidology, other than the burial chambers, the pyramids are solid. The Egyptians also had grain silos which were used, surprisingly enough, to store grain.

[Anonymous]

Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

Sure. But, really, didn't we already know this about him?

I mean the strangest things this cycle about Ben Carson and Donald Trump is none of the old rules apply.

Ben Carson says something monumentally stupid and people shrug.

Donald Trump says something bombastic and offensive and people shrug.

Their supporters already know these things about them -- it's like their embrace of their identities as an idiot and a bully inoculate them from the fallout from what would otherwise be gaffes if uttered by competing candidates.

Twilight Zone stuff, if you think about it.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

Sure. But, really, didn't we already know this about him?

I mean the strangest things this cycle about Ben Carson and Donald Trump is none of the old rules apply.

Ben Carson says something monumentally stupid and people shrug.

Donald Trump says something bombastic and offensive and people shrug.

Their supporters already know these things about them -- it's like their embrace of their identities as an idiot and a bully inoculate them from the fallout from what would otherwise be gaffes if uttered by competing candidates.

Twilight Zone stuff, if you think about it.

I think you are correct to an extent about Trump, but not necessarily about Carson. Carson gets a lot of mileage out of the fact that he was a top neurosurgeon. He is supposed to be amazingly smart. When he has said things, for instance, about Muslims, he has been offensive to many of us, but not to his supporters who think he is correct on the substance. They aren't giving him a "pass", they think he was right and simply brave enough not to be PC. But, when he says things that are clearly and obviously wrong, it suggests that he is not as smart as he has led us to believe.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

Sure. But, really, didn't we already know this about him?

I mean the strangest things this cycle about Ben Carson and Donald Trump is none of the old rules apply.

Ben Carson says something monumentally stupid and people shrug.

Donald Trump says something bombastic and offensive and people shrug.

Their supporters already know these things about them -- it's like their embrace of their identities as an idiot and a bully inoculate them from the fallout from what would otherwise be gaffes if uttered by competing candidates.

Twilight Zone stuff, if you think about it.

I think you are correct to an extent about Trump, but not necessarily about Carson. Carson gets a lot of mileage out of the fact that he was a top neurosurgeon. He is supposed to be amazingly smart. When he has said things, for instance, about Muslims, he has been offensive to many of us, but not to his supporters who think he is correct on the substance. They aren't giving him a "pass", they think he was right and simply brave enough not to be PC. But, when he says things that are clearly and obviously wrong, it suggests that he is not as smart as he has led us to believe.

Maybe. Of course, his interpretation is rooted in a Bible story, so I'm not sure this is really enough to disenfranchise Carson's supporters.

[Anonymous]

You have your theories about who built the pyramids, and Dr. Carson has his. Don't be anti-Christian, Jeff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

Sure. But, really, didn't we already know this about him?

I mean the strangest things this cycle about Ben Carson and Donald Trump is none of the old rules apply.

Ben Carson says something monumentally stupid and people shrug.

Donald Trump says something bombastic and offensive and people shrug.

Their supporters already know these things about them -- it's like their embrace of their identities as an idiot and a bully inoculate them from the fallout from what would otherwise be gaffes if uttered by competing candidates.

Twilight Zone stuff, if you think about it.

Ha! Just wait until Trump starts tweeting about this topic to go after Carson. Trump says a lot of wacky stuff, but its often funny and meant, I think, not to be taken entirely seriously. Seriously opining that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain is another animal entirely.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

Sure. But, really, didn't we already know this about him?

I mean the strangest things this cycle about Ben Carson and Donald Trump is none of the old rules apply.

Ben Carson says something monumentally stupid and people shrug.

Donald Trump says something bombastic and offensive and people shrug.

Their supporters already know these things about them -- it's like their embrace of their identities as an idiot and a bully inoculate them from the fallout from what would otherwise be gaffes if uttered by competing candidates.

Twilight Zone stuff, if you think about it.

I think you are correct to an extent about Trump, but not necessarily about Carson. Carson gets a lot of mileage out of the fact that he was a top neurosurgeon. He is supposed to be amazingly smart. When he has said things, for instance, about Muslims, he has been offensive to many of us, but not to his supporters who think he is correct on the substance. They aren't giving him a "pass", they think he was right and simply brave enough not to be PC. But, when he says things that are clearly and obviously wrong, it suggests that he is not as smart as he has led us to believe.

No one is as smart as we have been led to believe Dr. Carson is, and when he underperforms, as he unquestionably will given how high the expectations now are, its going to do real damage. Compare Trump, who the media has covered as if he is a flat-out moron, while he is unquestionably a sharp guy in reality. People see this and thus it is easier for them to write off legit gaffes because they just assume everything negative about Trump is a media hatchet job.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

Given your brilliance, why haven't you accomplished even one tenth of what Ben Carson has done? Instead you sit around blogging stupid shit all day to bash anyone that doesn't think or believe exactly as you do.

[Anonymous]

I know. I don't get it. He seems like a nice man and I have no doubt a very talented surgeon but I can't figure out why he is getting a pass from the left and right on these crazy statements. Maybe the left are hoping he gets the nomination then they will address all of these crazy stories and once they come out he won't win. He clearly is not being vetted by his own party.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than further proof that he's clearly been suffering from dementia for some time now, why does this matter?

I would think that further proof that he is clearly suffering from dementia would be quite enough for it to matter. But, I am sure that some of his supporters will disagree with your diagnoses. Assuming Carson is not suffering from any cognitive disorders, this sheds light on his supposed intellect and his ability to process information.

Given your brilliance, why haven't you accomplished even one tenth of what Ben Carson has done? Instead you sit around blogging stupid shit all day to bash anyone that doesn't think or believe exactly as you do.

Are you defending Carson's theories about the pyramids? Do you also believe they were used to store grain? This is not about me, but if I were running for President, I would certainly not expect to get a pass for all the stupid things that I've said. Do you believe that anything stupid that Carson says should be ignored?

[Anonymous]

In England someone like this would be put under psychiatric assessment. In America you want to make him President.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:I can't believe we haven't discussed this yet. For those who have been living in a cave -- or perhaps a pyramid -- in 1998 Ben Carson gave a speech in which he said:

"My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain. Now all the archeologists think that they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know, it would have to be something awfully big if you stop and think about it. And I don’t think it’d just disappear over the course of time to store that much grain."

Okay, okay. This was 1998 and who among us has not articulated our own personal theory about the pyramids (yes, normally in different circumstances then a speech, but still). So, certainly by now Carson has evolved on this issue, right? Wrong. Asked about his theory yesterday, he said:

"It's still my belief, yes. The pyramids were made in a way that they had hermetically sealed compartments. You would need that if you were trying to preserve grain for a long period of time."

For those who may not be up on their pyramidology, other than the burial chambers, the pyramids are solid. The Egyptians also had grain silos which were used, surprisingly enough, to store grain.

... It doesn't require aliens when God is with you", Ben Carson. It was either God or Aliens according to him.

[Anonymous]

Seriously? Pyramids? That's the angle you're going with? The man's view on the pyramids? Sanders thinks socialism works, and you're fine with that, so you're debating Egyptian Architecture?