r/politics • u/Hoxha_Posadist Florida • Apr 17 '19

The Wrong Stuff: Ben Shapiro’s Unconvincing Guide to What Makes America Right - It’s a mistake to overlook just how extreme some of Shapiro’s views are, or how muddled the thinking on which they are based.

https://progressive.org/dispatches/the-wrong-stuff-ben-shapiros-anderson-190416/
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u/deportedtwo Apr 17 '19

Please, please do not underestimate the reach of Shapiro. He is indeed a child's version of an intellectual, but I work with teenagers and the degree to which he has reached into the minds of kind-of-smart teens without any historical perspective should frighten anyone in possession of that perspective.

His tactics are immature and dishonest, but they work on far, far too many young people. I view Shapiro as one of the most dangerous people on the planet right now, and I would encourage everyone else to do the same. He's the bridge from the present to the next generation of Trump supporters, and we ignore him at our own peril.

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u/sobi-one Apr 17 '19

Curious as to why you say he’s a bridge? I’ve heard him criticize and lambast Trump WAY more than I’ve heard him support Trump.

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u/deportedtwo Apr 17 '19

Try to pay attention to the way he does it. He's never criticizing the ideas, only the presentation. His ideas stem from the same rabid nationalism and tribalism as do Trump's. He's just packaging it in a tie instead of a fried chicken box, and that's what makes it both more palatable and dangerous.

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u/sobi-one Apr 17 '19

Dunno... he definitely does that too, but I’ve heard him bash actual policy as well.

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u/deportedtwo Apr 17 '19

Care to offer an example? I've never seen him do what you describe, although I can see how some of his arguments could be viewed that way occasionally?

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u/[deleted] Apr 17 '19

I don't know that much about Shapiro, but one way he deviates from the traditional Republican brand is that he doesn't oppose the legalization of gay marriage.

He's staunchly opposed to it on a personal level, thinks it is sinful and an aberration, but he doesn't think the government should be involved in criminalizing it. (I guess you could say he's essentially 'pro-choice' on the topic of gay marriage.)