Bart Schut over Islam en democratie

Hedenavond sprak Bart Schut aan de Herengracht in Amsterdam bij het Forum voor Democratie  over Islam en Democratie (leestip!). Zijn betoog is hieronder terug te luisteren.

Inleiding door gastheer Thierry Baudet die alle aanwezigen verwelkomde met een biertje, een wijntje of een glas water. Vanaf ongeveer 8:40 begint het relaas van Schut, enigszins met valse start door licht technische problemen.


Een genuanceerd en goed onderbouwd verhaal van Schut. En nuance en onderbouwing is net iets wat we de laatste dagen maar weinig horen binnen het toch al zo lastige debat over de toenemende vluchtelingenstroom. En dat geldt zowel voor rechts als voor links.

[download mp3]

Posted in Opinie, Verstandige mensen | Tagged , | Comments Off on Bart Schut over Islam en democratie

Don’t waste my time

Bekijk het volledige debat aldaar.

Posted in Verstandige mensen, Video | Comments Off on Don’t waste my time

Zondag met Lubach: homeopathie

‘Eén op de elf hoogopgeleiden bezoekt wel eens een acupuncturist, homeopaat of gebedsgenezer. De alternatieve geneeskunde is een gigantische markt en de onbetwiste marktleider is: A. Vogel. Maar hoe werkt homeopathie eigenlijk? En wie is A. Vogel?’

Meer Zondag met Lubach.

Posted in Humor, Kwakzalverij, Video | Tagged , | Comments Off on Zondag met Lubach: homeopathie

Tim Minchin – The Fence

Somewhere in your wardrobe, I’d be willing to bet
There’s a t-shirt probably bearing the silhouette of Che Guevara

He was revolutionary, yeah, he wore a cool hat
But behind the design I think you might find it’s not quite as simple as that

Che was a bit of a homophobe, Che was a bit of a homophobe, apparently
Che was a bit of a homophobe, Che was a bit of a homophobe

This is my song in defence of the fence
A little sing along, a anthem to ambivalence
The more you know, the harder you will find it
To make up your mind, it, doesn’t really matter if you find
You can’t see which grass is greener
Chances are it’s neither, and either way it’s easier
To see the difference, when you’re sitting on the fence

Somewhere in your house, I’d be willing to bet
There’s a picture of that grinning hippy from Tibet – the Dalai Llama

He’s a lovely, funny fella, he gives soundbites galore
But let’s not forget that back in Tibet, those funky monks used to dick the poor, yeah

And the Buddhist line about future lives is the perfect way to stop the powerless rising up
And he tells the poor they will live again, but he’s rich now so it’s easy for him to say

I’m taking the stand in defence of the fence
I got a little band playing anthems to ambivalence
We divide the world into terrorists and heroes
Into normal folk and weirdos
Into good people and pedos
Into things that give you cancer and the things that cure cancer
And the things that don’t cause cancer, but there’s a chance they will cause cancer in the future
We divide the world to stop us feeling frightened
Into wrong and into right and
Into black and into white and
Into real men and fairies
Into status quo and scary
Yeah we want the world binary, binary
But it’s not that simple.

And your dog has a bigger carbon footprint than a four wheel drive
Yea your dog has a bigger carbon footprint than a four wheel drive
And your dog has a bigger carbon footprint than a four wheel drive
And so does your baby, maybe you oughta trade HIM in for a Prius

ROCK!

I’m taking the stand in defence of the fence
I got a little band playing tributes to ambivalence
We divide the world into liberals and gun-freaks
Into atheists and fundies
Into tee-tot’lers and junkies
Into chemical and natural
Into fictional and factual
Into science and supernatural
But it’s actually naturally not that white and black

You’ll be
Dividing us into terrorists and heroes
Into normal folk and weirdos
Into good people and pedos
Into things that give you cancer and the things that cure cancer
And things that don’t cause cancer, but there’s a chance they will cause cancer in the future
We divide the world to stop us feeling frightened
Into wrong and into right and
Into black and into white and
Into real men and fairies
Into parrots and canaries
Yeah we want the world binary, binary – 0100100!

The more you know, the harder you will find it
To make up your mind, it doesn’t really matter if you find
You can’t see which grass is greener
Chances are it’s neither, and either way it’s easier
To see the difference when you’re sitting on the fence
Cause it’s not that simple… Maybe…

Posted in Humor, Video | Tagged | Comments Off on Tim Minchin – The Fence

Victor J. Stenger

Victor Stenger is overleden. Hij was natuurkundige, filosoof, schrijver, en scepticus.

Waar de meeste atheïsten argumenteren dat er geen bewijs is vóór het bestaan van een god, durft Stenger een stap verder te gaan en argumenteert dat er bewijs is voor het níet bestaan van een god. “While we cannot prove that every conceivable god does not exist, we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a god that plays such an important role in the universe such as the Abrahamic God would have been detected by now. Absence of evidence is evidence of absence when the evidence that should be there is not. For example, if the people who write all these bestsellers about visiting heaven during a near-death experience really entered a supernatural realm, why do they never come back with any verifiable new knowledge? They should, and the fact that they don’t is proof it was all in their heads. While we cannot prove that every conceivable god does not exist, we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a god that plays such an important role in the universe such as the Abrahamic God would have been detected by now. Absence of evidence is evidence of absence when the evidence that should be there is not. For example, if the people who write all these bestsellers about visiting heaven during a near-death experience really entered a supernatural realm, why do they never come back with any verifiable new knowledge? They should, and the fact that they don’t is proof it was all in their heads.”

Hieronder een lezing van Stenger op Skepticon 2 over zijn boek The New Atheism.

Bekijk deel 2, deel 3 en deel 4.

“People are entitled to their opinions, but when the opinion is in disagreement with the data — with the facts — when that opinion does not stand up under critical or rational scrutiny, I think we have a right to point that out. We shouldn’t be stepping on anybody’s toes when we do that. If they’re going to be spouting off nonsense, then we should say that — not as a matter of opinion, but as a matter of scientific fact. When someone says science says something, and science doesn’t say something (“It doesn’t say that! That’s a misrepresentation of what science says.”), then I think we can state that. And if it ruffles some feathers, so what? I just don’t see the basis for arguing that creationism has equal standing with evolution.”

Leestips!

Posted in Opinie, Verstandige mensen, Wetenschap | Tagged | Comments Off on Victor J. Stenger

Dr. Oz and Nutritional Supplements

Last Week Tonight met John Oliver over de kwakzalverspraktijken van Dr. Oz.

Posted in Humor, Kwakzalverij, Video, Wetenschap | Tagged , | Comments Off on Dr. Oz and Nutritional Supplements

The Hitch

Documentaire over Christopher Hitchens door Kristoffer Hellesmark.

Posted in Verstandige mensen, Video | Tagged | Comments Off on The Hitch

Bullshit-test

Posted in Algemeen | Tagged , | Comments Off on Bullshit-test

Sam Harris (Joe Rogan Podcast)

Verfrissende dialoog tussen Joe Rogan en Sam Harris over religie, de menselijke psyche en de ellende die een combinatie van deze beide teweeg kan brengen.

Posted in Opinie, Verstandige mensen, Video | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Sam Harris (Joe Rogan Podcast)

Quote van de dag

“Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the ‘transcendent’ and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.”

–Christopher Hitchens

Posted in Quotes | Comments Off on Quote van de dag