A Good Faith Debate on Bad Faith
Talking Manhattan Institute, Gaza, and identity with Briahna Joy Gray
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My most recent appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show, in which I recount my dismissal from the Manhattan Institute, has apparently made the rounds. I’ve received a slew of requests from podcasts and other outlets, like the Chronicle of Higher Education, to discuss the parting of ways, along with other issues, like my forthcoming book Self-Censorship, Gaza, and my retirement from teaching.
In the above clip, I talk with Briahna Joy Gray about the Manhattan Institute, Ta-Nehisi Coates, the use and abuse of identity, and the asymmetries of the debate over the Gaza War. You’ll hear us mostly agree with each other here, but this is only an excerpt from a two-hour episode in which we debate all manner of things, from the antinomies of DEI to the influence of ancient Arabic culture and knowledge on Western science. You can check out our previous conversations here and here, but this conversation is presently available only to paying subscribers. So if you want to check it out, throw Briahna a few bucks.
I have to say, I really enjoy debating Briahna. She’s whipsmart and well-prepared. She doesn’t pull her punches, but she’s a gracious host and guest. Obviously, I’ve been thinking a lot about self-censorship and the conditions that give rise to it. One of those conditions is a hostile atmosphere, in which every utterance by a speaker is inspected by an audience as a potential violation of an unbreachable tenet. One of the best ways to prevent such a condition from taking hold is the cultivation of environments where disagreements—even sharp, consequential disagreements—can be debated civilly, without recourse to ad hominem inferences. You may disagree with Briahna, as I do on many counts, but hopefully we can all see that she’s helping to cultivate the right conditions for the really important debates—hence the irony of her podcast’s title, Bad Faith.
So two bad faith actors on Gaza have a good faith debate on the bad faith of others. That about sums up how tone deaf both pundents are on this topic. I'm willing to bet the bad faith of BGJ accusing Israeli women of making up rape to steal Palestinian land or her calling Konstantine Kissen racist because she didn't like how he moderated the debate she had with Eli Lake will not come up. I'm also willing to be the fact Glenn chose Tucker Carlson, the definition of bad faith pundentry to air his grievances will not come up either. What a clown show.
This should be interesting. I remember her getting pretty shrill toward the end of her stint at Rising.