Bill Maher explains the Middle East to Gen Z: Can anyone really dispute the facts?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing funnier than a Zionist in an echo chamber who purposely keeps the very people he constantly attacks, off his show and lectures about safe spaces

OP, you’re absolutely pathetic using this coward and his garbage, knowing full-well he refuses to debate anyone. Literally will not invite ANYONE…for YEARS to debate. Lol, Bret Stephens, Bari Weiss every five minutes, Douglas Murray (who no one knew yet I knew Maher would have him on the moment he found himself another putrid Zionist) , etc etc etc. Not a single Pro-Palestinian to debate. Not. One.

You think no one notices?

Ever watch Piers Morgan’s show? He brings on both sides and they shout at each other. I find it fascinating and disturbing…some of what is said is really unhinged, but at least he’s giving both sides a platform and he attempts to foster dialogue.

Anyway, tell me who to watch and read. Tell me who presents the most unbiased take on the dumpster fire. I suspect you’ll suggest sources I’m already following. Let’s see.

The quest for "unbiased" news is a fool's errand. There are biases built into every level of news reporting from the stories that are chosen to be covered, to the slant of the coverage itself, and even in the headline selection. It is better to simply know the bias ahead of time.

Here are some X/Twitter sources that provide factual, if biased, information about Israel and Palestine:

@ntarnopolsky - She is an Israeli reporter.
@DropSiteNews - this is a new news organization that has a reporter in Gaza.
@asadabukhalil - a college professor of Lebanese origin who is also very leftest and basically opposes everyone but generally has accurage news.

One thing to keep in mind about Middle East news — and this is a point often made by Asad Abu Khalil (the third of my recommendations) is that the Western media generally puts a pro-Western spin on things. However, the Middle Eastern media often does the same because it is largely funded by Gulf states who are pro-US. Al-Jazeera is probably the best of the bunch, but it's funded by the government of Qatar and still gets its strings pulled. What's left are generally poorly-funded news sources who lack the resources needed for comprehensive coverage.

Thanks for taking the time to make suggestions, Jeff. I am familiar with some but not all of your sources, and I’ll check them out. I really do follow an intentionally diverse range of outlets and individuals, and I’m fully aware that bias and spin exist everywhere.

I will gently push back on Al Jazeera. They most definitely are controlled by Qataris with an agenda. Qatari money is quietly pulling strings in many sectors and many countries around the world, and the news platform plays a crucial role. Nonetheless, I read what they produce and I don’t immediately dismiss what is being said. I doubt many posters can say that they bother to read content from outlets they disagree with…which speaks volumes about how tribal everything is.

I said the same thing as you about al-Jazeera. You are not pushing back but concurring.

Eh, kinda.

You said some Gulf State outlets are pro-US and seemed to lump Al Jazeera in that bunch, but I think AJ isn’t pro-US and the Qatari agenda most certainly isn’t pro-US or pro-West.

FTR, I respect that you are a well-educated person with well-reasoned opinions, and I humbly ask for the same level of respect (rather than a condescending man-splaining of “concurring.”)

Anyway, I hope we can continue the dialogue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the first few minutes he says "Chappell Roan is blowing up like a Hezbollah pager". Does anyone else not find this extremely disrespectful to the humans harmed by the pagers (who were not just Hezbollah militants but innocent bystanders including children)?

He’s a comic, and jokes get a free pass…even if you find them distasteful.

Why?

Because context matters.

It would be distasteful for an elected official to say that, but it’s not judged through the same lens when a comedian with a show focused on pushing the envelope on such issues says it.

Trust me: nobody wants to live in a world where comics are silenced—particularly the ones focused on politics and pop culture.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing funnier than a Zionist in an echo chamber who purposely keeps the very people he constantly attacks, off his show and lectures about safe spaces

OP, you’re absolutely pathetic using this coward and his garbage, knowing full-well he refuses to debate anyone. Literally will not invite ANYONE…for YEARS to debate. Lol, Bret Stephens, Bari Weiss every five minutes, Douglas Murray (who no one knew yet I knew Maher would have him on the moment he found himself another putrid Zionist) , etc etc etc. Not a single Pro-Palestinian to debate. Not. One.

You think no one notices?

Ever watch Piers Morgan’s show? He brings on both sides and they shout at each other. I find it fascinating and disturbing…some of what is said is really unhinged, but at least he’s giving both sides a platform and he attempts to foster dialogue.

Anyway, tell me who to watch and read. Tell me who presents the most unbiased take on the dumpster fire. I suspect you’ll suggest sources I’m already following. Let’s see.

The quest for "unbiased" news is a fool's errand. There are biases built into every level of news reporting from the stories that are chosen to be covered, to the slant of the coverage itself, and even in the headline selection. It is better to simply know the bias ahead of time.

Here are some X/Twitter sources that provide factual, if biased, information about Israel and Palestine:

@ntarnopolsky - She is an Israeli reporter.
@DropSiteNews - this is a new news organization that has a reporter in Gaza.
@asadabukhalil - a college professor of Lebanese origin who is also very leftest and basically opposes everyone but generally has accurage news.

One thing to keep in mind about Middle East news — and this is a point often made by Asad Abu Khalil (the third of my recommendations) is that the Western media generally puts a pro-Western spin on things. However, the Middle Eastern media often does the same because it is largely funded by Gulf states who are pro-US. Al-Jazeera is probably the best of the bunch, but it's funded by the government of Qatar and still gets its strings pulled. What's left are generally poorly-funded news sources who lack the resources needed for comprehensive coverage.

Thanks for taking the time to make suggestions, Jeff. I am familiar with some but not all of your sources, and I’ll check them out. I really do follow an intentionally diverse range of outlets and individuals, and I’m fully aware that bias and spin exist everywhere.

I will gently push back on Al Jazeera. They most definitely are controlled by Qataris with an agenda. Qatari money is quietly pulling strings in many sectors and many countries around the world, and the news platform plays a crucial role. Nonetheless, I read what they produce and I don’t immediately dismiss what is being said. I doubt many posters can say that they bother to read content from outlets they disagree with…which speaks volumes about how tribal everything is.

I said the same thing as you about al-Jazeera. You are not pushing back but concurring.

Eh, kinda.

You said some Gulf State outlets are pro-US and seemed to lump Al Jazeera in that bunch, but I think AJ isn’t pro-US and the Qatari agenda most certainly isn’t pro-US or pro-West.

FTR, I respect that you are a well-educated person with well-reasoned opinions, and I humbly ask for the same level of respect (rather than a condescending man-splaining of “concurring.”)

Anyway, I hope we can continue the dialogue.

Qatar hosts the largest U.S. base in the Middle East. It is definitely pro-U.S.

[Anonymous]

Here's why your snark regarding social media is no longer taken seriously:

Tell me, did CNN or MSNBC report about this with the same breathless hysterics as "beheaded babies" and "mass rape"?

https://x.com/muhammadshehad2/status/1845022985171657195

Did CNN show the countless Israelis trying to break through the gates to defend their Israeli rapists' right to rape or did Dana Bash tell her viewers once against that "IDF don't rape"?

https://x.com/_ZachFoster/status/1843826125514199134

But sure, the kids on that thar social media like tiktok are the brainwashed ones while you're sitting there watching former AIPAC spokespeople posing as journalists, and reading NYT crap written by people who either served in the IDF or have family/friends, telling you the REAL news.

Face it, Zionists are insidious in their defense of the indefensible and they have to be coddled in their little safe spaces like Maher is, so as not to be exposed for the POS he has always been.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing funnier than a Zionist in an echo chamber who purposely keeps the very people he constantly attacks, off his show and lectures about safe spaces

OP, you’re absolutely pathetic using this coward and his garbage, knowing full-well he refuses to debate anyone. Literally will not invite ANYONE…for YEARS to debate. Lol, Bret Stephens, Bari Weiss every five minutes, Douglas Murray (who no one knew yet I knew Maher would have him on the moment he found himself another putrid Zionist) , etc etc etc. Not a single Pro-Palestinian to debate. Not. One.

You think no one notices?

Ever watch Piers Morgan’s show? He brings on both sides and they shout at each other. I find it fascinating and disturbing…some of what is said is really unhinged, but at least he’s giving both sides a platform and he attempts to foster dialogue.

Anyway, tell me who to watch and read. Tell me who presents the most unbiased take on the dumpster fire. I suspect you’ll suggest sources I’m already following. Let’s see.

The quest for "unbiased" news is a fool's errand. There are biases built into every level of news reporting from the stories that are chosen to be covered, to the slant of the coverage itself, and even in the headline selection. It is better to simply know the bias ahead of time.

Here are some X/Twitter sources that provide factual, if biased, information about Israel and Palestine:

@ntarnopolsky - She is an Israeli reporter.
@DropSiteNews - this is a new news organization that has a reporter in Gaza.
@asadabukhalil - a college professor of Lebanese origin who is also very leftest and basically opposes everyone but generally has accurage news.

One thing to keep in mind about Middle East news — and this is a point often made by Asad Abu Khalil (the third of my recommendations) is that the Western media generally puts a pro-Western spin on things. However, the Middle Eastern media often does the same because it is largely funded by Gulf states who are pro-US. Al-Jazeera is probably the best of the bunch, but it's funded by the government of Qatar and still gets its strings pulled. What's left are generally poorly-funded news sources who lack the resources needed for comprehensive coverage.

Thanks for taking the time to make suggestions, Jeff. I am familiar with some but not all of your sources, and I’ll check them out. I really do follow an intentionally diverse range of outlets and individuals, and I’m fully aware that bias and spin exist everywhere.

I will gently push back on Al Jazeera. They most definitely are controlled by Qataris with an agenda. Qatari money is quietly pulling strings in many sectors and many countries around the world, and the news platform plays a crucial role. Nonetheless, I read what they produce and I don’t immediately dismiss what is being said. I doubt many posters can say that they bother to read content from outlets they disagree with…which speaks volumes about how tribal everything is.

I said the same thing as you about al-Jazeera. You are not pushing back but concurring.

Eh, kinda.

You said some Gulf State outlets are pro-US and seemed to lump Al Jazeera in that bunch, but I think AJ isn’t pro-US and the Qatari agenda most certainly isn’t pro-US or pro-West.

FTR, I respect that you are a well-educated person with well-reasoned opinions, and I humbly ask for the same level of respect (rather than a condescending man-splaining of “concurring.”)

Anyway, I hope we can continue the dialogue.

You are the rudest person here, my god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole idea of indigenous rights to land is absurd in our modern world. Unless you can tell me where all of us mixed breed people have a “right to their ancestral land” then the whole idea is crap. Select groups of humans can’t lay claim to territory based on 1000 year old history. You either have the deed and support of the current government or you don’t just like the rest of us. So much death and suffering for land is pointless.

So, the current government has been working well for you, eh?
What about a 200 year history? Or 100? Or less?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing funnier than a Zionist in an echo chamber who purposely keeps the very people he constantly attacks, off his show and lectures about safe spaces

OP, you’re absolutely pathetic using this coward and his garbage, knowing full-well he refuses to debate anyone. Literally will not invite ANYONE…for YEARS to debate. Lol, Bret Stephens, Bari Weiss every five minutes, Douglas Murray (who no one knew yet I knew Maher would have him on the moment he found himself another putrid Zionist) , etc etc etc. Not a single Pro-Palestinian to debate. Not. One.

You think no one notices?

Ever watch Piers Morgan’s show? He brings on both sides and they shout at each other. I find it fascinating and disturbing…some of what is said is really unhinged, but at least he’s giving both sides a platform and he attempts to foster dialogue.

Anyway, tell me who to watch and read. Tell me who presents the most unbiased take on the dumpster fire. I suspect you’ll suggest sources I’m already following. Let’s see.

The quest for "unbiased" news is a fool's errand. There are biases built into every level of news reporting from the stories that are chosen to be covered, to the slant of the coverage itself, and even in the headline selection. It is better to simply know the bias ahead of time.

Here are some X/Twitter sources that provide factual, if biased, information about Israel and Palestine:

@ntarnopolsky - She is an Israeli reporter.
@DropSiteNews - this is a new news organization that has a reporter in Gaza.
@asadabukhalil - a college professor of Lebanese origin who is also very leftest and basically opposes everyone but generally has accurage news.

One thing to keep in mind about Middle East news — and this is a point often made by Asad Abu Khalil (the third of my recommendations) is that the Western media generally puts a pro-Western spin on things. However, the Middle Eastern media often does the same because it is largely funded by Gulf states who are pro-US. Al-Jazeera is probably the best of the bunch, but it's funded by the government of Qatar and still gets its strings pulled. What's left are generally poorly-funded news sources who lack the resources needed for comprehensive coverage.

Thanks for taking the time to make suggestions, Jeff. I am familiar with some but not all of your sources, and I’ll check them out. I really do follow an intentionally diverse range of outlets and individuals, and I’m fully aware that bias and spin exist everywhere.

I will gently push back on Al Jazeera. They most definitely are controlled by Qataris with an agenda. Qatari money is quietly pulling strings in many sectors and many countries around the world, and the news platform plays a crucial role. Nonetheless, I read what they produce and I don’t immediately dismiss what is being said. I doubt many posters can say that they bother to read content from outlets they disagree with…which speaks volumes about how tribal everything is.

I said the same thing as you about al-Jazeera. You are not pushing back but concurring.

Eh, kinda.

You said some Gulf State outlets are pro-US and seemed to lump Al Jazeera in that bunch, but I think AJ isn’t pro-US and the Qatari agenda most certainly isn’t pro-US or pro-West.

FTR, I respect that you are a well-educated person with well-reasoned opinions, and I humbly ask for the same level of respect (rather than a condescending man-splaining of “concurring.”)

Anyway, I hope we can continue the dialogue.

Qatar hosts the largest U.S. base in the Middle East. It is definitely pro-U.S.

Yes, there are strategic reasons why the US engages with certain countries and even goes so far as to call them “allies.” Similarly, there are strategic reasons why Qatar plays nice and engages with the US and other western nations.

But Qatar also has close ties with China, Iran, and several Arab nations led by Muslim extremists. Add to that the country’s issues with modern day slavery and anti-western values and I think it’s not accurate to deem them pro-US.

But I’m open to persuasion if you can point to something beyond having a base there.

[Anonymous]

He doesnt believe in God but believes that God personally gave a promise ring to Jews 2,000 years ago to one day get the “promise land”.

I laughed when he said nobody was interested in Palestine before the 20th century. Lol, is that why it was never called Palestine but the “Holy Land” by three different religions for centuries?

[Anonymous]

Hopefully, Bill Maher is open to fleeing his home and surrendering all his property to Native Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He doesnt believe in God but believes that God personally gave a promise ring to Jews 2,000 years ago to one day get the “promise land”.

I laughed when he said nobody was interested in Palestine before the 20th century. Lol, is that why it was never called Palestine but the “Holy Land” by three different religions for centuries?

Yes all Jews are born with a property deed to some place in Palestine. The address is left blank.

[Anonymous]

The Southwest was once part of Mexico.
If armed Mexicans crossed the border and expelled Americans out of their homes, according to Maher, this would not be an invasion but a homecoming.

Indigenous land owners have the right to land including forcible removal in perpetuity.

The last owner of your home can return 20 years from now and kick you out

[Anonymous]

Bill Maher is a comedian and sometimes entertaining. Why should anyone take his version of the history of the Middle East? He is clearly bias.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://youtu.be/V76HS4jHoJE?si=5qQgfWo6idKSQFq0

ICYMI: Bill Maher quickly breaks down the Middle East using history and facts for the benefit of everyone—but particularly for Chappell Roan and the TikTok generation.

Sure, he cracks jokes along the way. But his bit is grounded in history and facts.

Can anyone really dispute it? I mean, can anyone dispute the facts without resorting to the lazy knee jerk “Zionist colonizers” rhetoric…which Maher easily explains is both silly and false.

Watch the clip and then let’s talk.

Have we seen the peer review of this history yet? Did Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld and David Chappelle find any factual errors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure. Right after you watch Ezra Klein’s interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Has Bill Maher ever even been to the West Bank?

The Ezra Klein/Coates interview is an interesting conversation. I highly recommend it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the first few minutes he says "Chappell Roan is blowing up like a Hezbollah pager". Does anyone else not find this extremely disrespectful to the humans harmed by the pagers (who were not just Hezbollah militants but innocent bystanders including children)?

He’s a comic, and jokes get a free pass…even if you find them distasteful.

Why?

Because context matters.

It would be distasteful for an elected official to say that, but it’s not judged through the same lens when a comedian with a show focused on pushing the envelope on such issues says it.

Trust me: nobody wants to live in a world where comics are silenced—particularly the ones focused on politics and pop culture.

I guess what strikes me is that no comedian would joke this way about 10/7 and if you are trying to make a case that Israel is acting in a reasonable manner setting up the case dehumanizing others makes me think you are pretty biased to begin with.