Monday 13 February 2023

Sam Harris on UFO's

 
In the debate over whether or not UFO's exist, like the one over whether the paranormal and conspiracy theories are real, both sides make converts from the other. There are those who used to believe and now no longer do. I know some of them, like Neil Sanders, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-bbc-on-rdh.html. Conversely, there are skeptics who change their minds. Some of them do it in a sneaky way to avoid a meal of humble pie, like Prof, Simon Holland, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2022/02/skeptic-copium.html. Others do so more openly. I've come across what could be the most significant and, I have to say, most unexpected conversion of all, Sam Harris. I've dealt with Sam Harris many times before, see the background links below; and I've had to be fairly critical of him, but in a recent interview with Russell Brand he shows a lot of rationality and intellectual honesty. He makes a lot of the same points we in the UFO world had long before. In a way, I think this is partly because he has been given a pass to address these points because of the radical and sudden change in the way mainstream media portrays UFO's. He expresses his own personal discord with coming to this conclusion while being embedded in the society of the skeptic movement. He ends thus: "We're faced with the prospect of having to apologize to the people we've been laughing at for the last fifty years." Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnpXife8JEQ. You certainly are, Sam, but I forgive you! This was not just a moment of foolishness that Sam later regretted and backtracked. He reiterates the same points on another show with Lex Fridman, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Mqvex6tIE. His fellow skeppers have been surprisingly mute over Sam's betrayal. Maybe six years ago or earlier they would have been more vocal. How many more disciples of Philip Klass are going to jump into the lifeboats of their sinking ship? Whoever they are, I will accept their change of mind with goodwill. The last few days have seen an unprecedented surge in the presence of UFO's in media and government pronouncements. What effect will this have on those who have assumed their whole lives that there simply are no aliens?
See here for background: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-greatest-mba-speech-in-history.html.
And: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2022/08/sam-harris-first-shot-in-war.html.
And: http://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2020/02/ufo-disclosure-portal.html.
And: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2018/06/michael-shermer-update-2.html.

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