Let's get some truth to cut through the nonsense...

[carmiel]

Regarding the urban legend bullsh*t Pat Robertson has spouted about Haiti, jaylake posted this link  from "The Straight Dope" in his livejournal...

QUOTES
"Haiti's bargain with the devil was supposedly struck in 1791. Napoleon III wasn't elected ruler of France until 1848, and Napoleon I didn't become big cheese until 1799. The French entity whose

Comments

[technoshaman]

Is it, though? If they hustle him off-air without his cooperation, they'll have made a martyr of him. If he continues to spout organic fertilizer - and we continue to heave it with great ceremony onto the compost heap (a task which doesn't take *all* of us, as long as *some* are willing to stomach watching/listening to/reading his intestinal contents and averring that it still stinks) - then we get free grist for our mill, and he and his cause gets to continue to PUBLICLY look like the bovine scatology it is. Martyrdom for him makes *us* look bad, and drives his movement underground where we can't keep an eye on it.

Heartless bigot? no argument there. As I said, I agree with the folks that say he knew what was in that contract with the devil *because he was the other signatory*. (Ha ha only just a touch serious.) But a *useful* heartless bigot.

"Know your enemy, and know yourself, and you need not fear the outcome of a thousand battles." -- Sun Tzu, translated by James Clavell

[banjoplayinnerd]

This would be a great approach except that there are people, real people, credulous perhaps but actual flesh and blood people, who latch onto this bile hook, line and sinker. I hate to argue for "saving people from themselves," but as long as he's on the air and spouting his bigotry, they'll follow along (and give him the money that enables him).

The real solution would be to find some way to get him to discredit himself in the eyes of his followers, so they would see him for the petty demagogue he is and abandon him. Unfortunately, this solution is easier imagined than attained.

[technoshaman]

Tommy here expressed an inalienable right: You have the inalienable right TO BE WRONG. As long as that wrongness doesn't harm folks who don't consent, you can be WRONG all you want.

Where Pat starts harming people is when he starts affecting their right to worship and associate how and with whom they please. This has to be fought out in the courts, be those courts legal or public opinion. I agree, discrediting his ideas is the way to go... but it's not an easy row to hoe.

Besides, we can't just start picking and choosing who we let speak. One, First Amendment, two, quid custodes, three, that way leads to thoughtcrime and madness. FSM knows we just don't wanna go there.

[banjoplayinnerd]

The problem is that the ignorant heartless bigot owns the broadcasting station and the 700 club. So it would be a bit of a trick to kick him out.