Believe it or not, traditionally anti-Israel CBC has hired Irshad Manji as a commentator on The National:
. . . and the debut of someone who will be contributing some Point of View commentaries for us in the weeks ahead — writer and broadcaster, Irshad Manji.
Judith, in a comment at LGF, wonders if someone at CBC read Manji’s bio but forgot to read her resume:
I’m stunned, I’m amazed, I’m astounded, I’m shocked. How did the CBC allow one of Canada’s finest anti-idiotarian on their airwaves to speak as a regular!?!
Well my husband says its because she’s Muslim, she’s a lesbian, she’s a woman, in other words she’s perfect for CBC, except that someone forgot to actually read what she says. This evenings talk was about how anti-Americanism is stupid. Wow! A pigs flying moment!
If only my TV were hooked up… I would’ve loved to see that.
Sari, It isn’t realy that suprising. Manji did the TVO ideas series, and I beleive she’s been on CBC radio. She really is Canada’s foremost lesbian, an such would find a natural home on the public braaodcaster.
But I am curuious what makes her an anti-idiotarian — she is after all a standard Canadian lefty. Big government and all that. Does anti idiotarian mean saying unpleasant things about Muslims to you? IF not, what do you mean by it?
(My view — anti-idiotarian means about the same thing as idiot. Your mileage may very)
Oh, and Sari — LGF comments section is a hate-site. Nothing illegal about hatemongering or bigotry, but it isn’t really very becoming.
According to Samizdata Glossary:
Anti-idiotarian noun. Someone opposed to a whole raft of political values which are derived from a fundamentally irrational meta-context (world view). Anti-idiotarians can be found across a wide section of the political spectrum and are primarily characterised by vocal rational judgmentalism, generally hawkish sentiments and transcendent loathing of Noam Chomsky. (coined by Charles Johnson)
Usage: “Like most anti-idiotarians I cannot but marvel as the sight of the Palestinian leadership forming yet another circular firing squad at the first grudging sign of reasonable behaviour by the Israeli government”
– Perry de Havilland.
Idiotarian noun. A term of abuse for an advocate of what are deemed to be irrationalist and subjectivist values that have very little referenc
(cont.)
A term of abuse for an advocate of what are deemed to be irrationalist and subjectivist values that have very little reference to the workings of the real world. Idiotarians are often socialist (quintessentially Noam Chomsky), but can also be paleo-libertarian or paleo-conservative. The defining phrase of idiotarianism is “it is all the fault of the United States”: this is usually applied to geopolitics but is sometimes encountered with regard to cultural issues, economic issues, environmental issues, the weather, socks lost in the laundry etc.
The term is obviously highly partisan but is in quite widespread use by many blogs. However it is not a term used exclusively by the neo-conservative ‘right wing’ and many well left of centre or libertarian blogs have used it describe the more surrealist wings of their particular branch of political thought.
Manji is an interesting woman. I might actually watch the National now. Or not. But I have to admit, she appeared regularly on Newsworld, doesn’t seem all that shocking to have her on CBC.
OK, Sari, samizdata says irrationalist and subjectivist values that have very little reference to the workings of the real world.
How is this different from calling your opponent an ‘idiot’, with a fancy suffix. I am rational, you are not. You are an idiot. Sorry, I meant idiotarian.
Sari, if I call you a stupidarian, should you be less insulted than if I called you stupid? It’s just a term of abuse, nothing more.
(That Charles Johnson invented it is hardly an endorsement — I would think it would be an embarrasment. though it does explain why anti-Palestinian bigots tend to use it a lot. Not that you are one, Sari. You are meta-rational, or something.)
meta-rational? Before I decide whether to be insulted or flattered, definition please?
It’s meaningless — like the defintion of (anti) idiotarian. However, since everyone can coin a term, I’ll define it how I please.
Meta-rational means someone who espouses a whole raft of of fundamentally humane and rational meta-context. blah blah.
Naturally, to be opposed to this view is to be an irrationalist, as in — like most anti-irrationalists, I was bemused to see the Israeli ambassador to Sweden vandalise an work of art.
I think, Sari, you might be an irrationalist — but don’t worry, its a scientific term coined by the blogosphere. Or, in this case, the commentosphere. So I think you need not take offense.
(Oddly, the term super-rational does seem to have some gobbeldy-gook meaning. But unless you have a secret identity, I don’t think you can be super-rational)
http://superrational.blogspot.com/