John Brennan/Bill Maher interview

[Mini Me]

Brennan-true patriot of 38 years!

https://youtu.be/1Tv7-sIRwMg

[Ethereal]

Brennan-true patriot of 38 years!

https://youtu.be/1Tv7-sIRwMg

You cannot seriously believe that...

[Mini Me]

A brilliant Concept-Compulsive Narrative Syndrome

Here is Shepherd's characters explaining CNS -- tell me this doesn't ring a bell in modern politics.

“The human brain is trained to look for and identify patterns, but in abstract concepts, fixed and unarguable facts are hard to find. So the brain looks for narratives instead, stories that can tie together various ideas and facts in a way that seems to make sense, to make a pattern. And the human brain, always seeking a pattern as a basic cognitive function, will latch onto a narrative pattern compulsively, and use that pattern as a framework within which to store new information, like a tradesman honing his skill, or someone learning a new language. That’s why religions tell such great stories, the story makes a pattern within which everything makes sense. A synchronicity of apparent facts. Political ideologies, too. Humans are suckers for a great story because we can’t resist the logical pattern it contains."

“When you’re learning a new skill, discarding irrelevant information and organizing the relevant stuff within that framework is good. But in ideologies, it means any information that doesn’t fit the ideological narrative is literally discarded, and won’t be remembered . . . which is why you can argue facts with ideologues and they’ll just ignore you. They’re not just being stubborn, their brains are literally structurally incapable of processing what they perceive as pattern-anomalous data. That’s why some ideologues get so upset when you offer facts that don’t match their pattern, it’s like you’re assaulting them.

http://www.thenorth.com/apblog4.nsf/0/ECDCECD5A52E699785257DD1005993CB

[Ethereal]

If Adolf Hitler rose from the grave and started attacking Trump, I believe some "liberals" would have a newfound admiration for the Fuhrer.

[Ethereal]

John Brennan, supporter of torture, supporter of rendition, supporter of mass surveillance of Americans, a man who spied on the Senate and then lied about it, is Dr. Strangelove's new hero.

Fancy that.

[Hoosier8]

Brennan-true patriot of 38 years!

https://youtu.be/1Tv7-sIRwMg


You like liars, as long as they are the right kind.

[Ethereal]

John Brennan vs. a Sixteen-Year-Old (https://original.antiwar.com/mbenjamin/2013/01/09/john-brennan-vs-a-sixteen-year-old/)

In October 2011, 16-year-old Tariq Aziz attended a gathering in Islamabad where he was taught how to use a video camera so he could document the drones that were constantly circling over his Pakistani village, terrorizing and killing his family and neighbors. Two days later, when Aziz was driving with his 12-year-old cousin to a village near his home in Waziristan to pick up his aunt, his car was struck by a Hellfire missile. With the push of a button by a pilot at a US base thousands of miles away, both boys were instantly vaporized – only a few chunks of flesh remained.

Afterwards, the US government refused to acknowledge the boys’ deaths or explain why they were targeted. Why should they? This is a covert program where no one is held accountable for their actions.

The main architect of this drone policy that has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of innocents, including 176 children in Pakistan alone, is President Obama’s counterterrorism chief and his pick for the next director of the CIA: John Brennan.

On my recent trip to Pakistan, I met with people whose loved ones had been blown to bits by drone attacks, people who have been maimed for life, young victims with no hope for the future and aching for revenge. For all of them, there has been no apology, no compensation, not even an acknowledgement of their losses. Nothing.

[...]

[Ethereal]

John Brennan's extremism and dishonesty rewarded with CIA Director nomination (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/07/john-brennan-dishonesty-cia-director-nomination)

Prior to President Obama's first inauguration in 2009, a controversy erupted over reports that he intended to appoint John Brennan as CIA director. That controversy, in which I participated, centered around the fact that Brennan, as a Bush-era CIA official, had expressly endorsed Bush's programs of torture (other than waterboarding) and rendition and also was a vocal advocate of immunizing lawbreaking telecoms for their role in the illegal Bush NSA eavesdropping program. As a result, Brennan withdrew his name from consideration, issuing a bitter letter blaming "strong criticism in some quarters prompted by [his] previous service with the" CIA.

This "victory" of forcing Brennan's withdrawal proved somewhat Pyrrhic, as Obama then appointed him as his top counter-terrorism adviser, where he exerted at least as much influence as he would have had as CIA Director, if not more. In that position, Brennan last year got caught outright lying when he claimed Obama's drone program caused no civilian deaths in Pakistan over the prior year. He also spouted complete though highly influential falsehoods to the world in the immediate aftermath of the Osama bin Laden killing, including claiming that bin Laden "engaged in a firefight" with Navy SEALS and had "used his wife as a human shield". Brennan has also been in charge of many of Obama's most controversial and radical policies, including "signature strikes" in Yemen - targeting people without even knowing who they are - and generally seizing the power to determine who will be marked for execution without any due process, oversight or transparency.

[...]

[Mini Me]

If Adolf Hitler rose from the grave and started attacking Trump, I believe some "liberals" would have a newfound admiration for the Fuhrer.

You can't seriously believe that!LMAO!

So you think the CIA and intelligence agencies are our enemy? C'mon man!
And our free press is the enemy?

[Mini Me]

Eth, you have more positions than the Kama Sutra!

First you were staunch Rethuglican then you blasted the "Rest Home" Rethugs on the forum. You were pro Trump, then you became a never Trumper!Now you are a Trumproid again!

This is confusing as Hell! One can never determine where you are at!

[Mister D]

Eth, you have more positions than the Kama Sutra!

First you were staunch Rethuglican then you blasted the "Rest Home" Rethugs on the forum. You were pro Trump, then you became a never Trumper!Now you are a Trumproid again!

This is confusing as Hell! One can never determine where you are at!
Seems clear enough to me. Do you a run a meth lab out of your trailer?

[MisterVeritis]

I believe Strange is broken.

[Mini Me]

Go ahead and pile on. Trumproids! This is what you do! I know you and other contards are driving leftists off the forum. Because, like The Grifter, you cannot handle critisisim, and hate the TRUTH!

You have the mentality of a mob, and are truly tribal in nature.You hate democracy, and what our nation once stood for. You are Facsists!

[MisterVeritis]

Go ahead and pile on. Trumproids! This is what you do! I know you and other contards are driving leftists off the forum. Because, like The Grifter, you cannot handle critisisim, and hate the TRUTH!

You have the mentality of a mob, and are truly tribal in nature.You hate democracy, and what our nation once stood for. You are Facsists!
I believe you are broken. Go get fixed.

[Don]

I believe John Brennan is a true American patriot .... In Maher's warped world and his audience "who apparently will moo and boo at anything." (Christopher Hitchens.) :smiley: Bill Maher the not very funny comedian who dreamed he was a great political commentator who dreamed that Bill Maher was funny. :wink:

[Ethereal]

So you think the CIA and intelligence agencies are our enemy? C'mon man!

No, I think the CIA is a wonderful patriotic organization who never does anything wrong... :rollseyes:


And our free press is the enemy?

What the hell are you talking about?

[Ethereal]

Eth, you have more positions than the Kama Sutra!

No I don't. I've been 100% consistent and principled the entire time I've been here. You're the one who is all over the map. One second you're trying to warn people about the military-industrial complex and the next you're celebrating the CIA. Your positions are totally schizophrenic and based on nothing but your hatred for Republicans and Donald Trump.


First you were staunch Rethuglican then you blasted the "Rest Home" Rethugs on the forum. You were pro Trump, then you became a never Trumper!Now you are a Trumproid again!

None of that is true. I was never a "staunch Rethuglican" or a "never Trumper" or a "Trumpoid". I criticize Trump when his actions conflict with my principles and I defend Trump when his actions are consistent with my principles. You mindlessly attack Trump no matter what he does, just like Republicans mindlessly attacked Obama no matter what he did.


This is confusing as Hell! One can never determine where you are at!

It's only confusing to you because you're a partisan. You think only in partisan dichotomies. In your mind, either a person is a "Rethuglican Trumpoid" or "never Trumper". You cannot or will not see that other possibilities exist.

[Mini Me]

Eth, I am a very open minded person. A Third Way kind of guy; a Centrist if you will.I am conservative on some things and liberal on other things.So I catch flak from both sides.

Misunderstandings are bound to happen on a forum.I have agreed with most of your positions over the years. Perhaps I got confused? I dunno. Please don't misconstrue what I said as an attack. It wasn't meant to be.

[countryboy]

Brennan-true patriot of 38 years!

https://youtu.be/1Tv7-sIRwMg


Yes! Because only true patriots vote for Soviet backed communist candidates!

Well, at least in left wing liberal lala land they do.

[MisterVeritis]

Eth, I am a very open minded person. A Third Way kind of guy; a Centrist if you will.I am conservative on some things and liberal on other things.So I catch flak from both sides.

Misunderstandings are bound to happen on a forum.I have agreed with most of your positions over the years. Perhaps I got confused? I dunno. Please don't misconstrue what I said as an attack. It wasn't meant to be.
Arre you aware "The Third Way" was the Left's euphemism for fascism under Mussolini?

[Hoosier8]

Go ahead and pile on. Trumproids! This is what you do! I know you and other contards are driving leftists off the forum. Because, like The Grifter, you cannot handle critisisim, and hate the TRUTH!

You have the mentality of a mob, and are truly tribal in nature.You hate democracy, and what our nation once stood for. You are Facsists!
Hmm, the vocabulary of a playground bully. If leftists leave because they cannot argue in an adult manner then who really cares left or right?

[Mini Me]

Yes! Because only true patriots vote for Soviet backed communist candidates!

You played the Commie card! That's what you RWNJ Rethugs always do when you are losing an argument!
It worked for Joe McCarthy anyway. But not anymore.
Well, at least in left wing liberal lala land they do.

[Mini Me]

Arre you aware "The Third Way" was the Left's euphemism for fascism under Mussolini?

Its the new definition now. Actually, it also means the "middle way".

[MisterVeritis]

Its the new definition now. Actually, it also means the "middle way".

It seemed fitting in a fascist sort of way for you to claim fascism's mantle.

[countryboy]

Dr. Strangelove, your quoting skills suck. Brennan voted for a soviet backed candidate, who was the leader of the Communist Party USA. This is a fact. No cards have been played, nor was I even engaged in an argument with you to lose. You are flailing.

[Tahuyaman]

Brennan has been on several TV networks every day since his security clearance was revoked. How does that support the liberal idea that his freedom of speech rights are being denied?

[Tahuyaman]

Its the new definition now. Actually, it also means the "middle way".


you aren’t very smart. You and MV are a match made in heaven.

[Mini Me]

you aren’t very smart. You and MV are a match made in heaven.
I am smarter than you! That I know for sure!

[Hoosier8]

I am smarter than you! That I know for sure!
Only if @Tahuyaman is a third grader.

[Tahuyaman]

I am smarter than you! That I know for sure!

There's no apparent reason to believe that.