My conversation with Mark Crispin Miller
"We need to face reality"
I am working on a couple of very interesting stories but in the meanwhile, I just have to share the conversation I had with my dear friend, NYU Professor Mark Crispin Miller, on “Make Language Great Again” (my podcast).
It was from Mark, many years ago, that I found out about Edward Bernays and his work. Over the years, I have learned so much from Mark—and last year, it was his newsletter that kept me sane.
It was a great honor for me to interview Mark, whose courage I admire deeply. Importantly, we did the interview in person. Why? Because we are not biohazards. Biohazards, we are not!
Below is the full interview, very well worth watching.
If you want to start with a short segment, here is one where we talk about standing up together against the Great Reset. And also hug. Like real humans.
Links:
News from the Underground (Mark’s newsletter, the one that kept me sane throughout 2020): https://markcrispinmiller.com
Mark's petition for academic freedom: https://www.change.org/MarkMiller
Make Language Great Again (my podcast) https://makelanguagegreatagain.com
If you want to support my writing, you can donate $5 a month (or one time, or anything) on my website. Your support does make the act of robot fighting sweeter. Thank you!
Two of my favorite people in one podcast. I agree 100% of everything you both said. Keep up the great work. Deception indeed comes in many forms. Thank god for those of us who see through it and extra bonus for knowing of others!
Magnificent interview with many painful truths. On "obvious mendacity" and "zero progress against propaganda": I have vainly struggled for years with this. I believe what I have been resisting is the obvious and likely immutable condition of our species to prefer and rely on the common construct. The reason and sensibility of the propaganda de jour is unimportant as long as the critical mindset mass is maintained. On Mark's circumstances: My father bounced from industry to a professorship in the seventies/eighties and then back to industry. While he enjoyed the professional freedoms and opportunities attendant with the academia, he abhorred the political Petri dish. And that was way back in an era that as far as I can tell had far, far fewer social justice warriors at the ready with poison tipped spears. On unity: This gets personal for me again. I really just have to entirely get over being right, and recognize the futility and stupidity of trying to get others to see it my way. Certainly that's not altogether appropriate, since I have found that some are genuinely responsive to my perspectives. But seriously, real humility is imperative here. There are loads of folks way smarter than me who will never see it as I do. The incoherence that may occur in the larger mindset as incompatible truths are dealt with will simply cause a repositioning and new coherence around an adjusted mindset. Progress against one particular variety of propaganda may be possible but general process against the collective attractions that constitute propaganda may be impossible. I agree that your central point, Tessa, is correct, though. In loving and respecting one another we approach a unity that is resistant to the chaos, antagonisms and self righteous patterns that enable totalitarianism.