An Interview with the Most Exciting Conservative Thinker You've Never Heard Of (3 Videos)

David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog ^ | July 30, 2010 | David Swindle

[HorowitzianConservative]

His name is Howard Bloom.

Can watch at NRB: Part 1: http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/07/23/video-nrb-dialogue-with-howard-bloom-part-1-the-lucifer-principle/

Parts 2 and 3: Phttp://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/07/30/is-capitalism-natural-videos-2-and-3-of-nrb-dialogue-with-howard-bloom/

Or at YouTube Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTasLbPNXZU Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvlDMZPd8q4 Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8EkN615X0g

Also check out my review of Howard's new book "The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism" at FrontPage Magazine: http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/06/how-science-crushes-the-left/

[HorowitzianConservative]

Howard Bloom uses science to demonstrate why conservative ideas are right. Fascinating stuff. He's also a very entertaining speaker. I've jazzed up the audio interview with images to illustrate what's being discussed.

[shibumi]

Thanks for the links.

Here they are in clickable form.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTasLbPNXZU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvlDMZPd8q4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8EkN615X0g

[wastedyears]

Ping for later.

[HorowitzianConservative]

Thank you much. Apologies for my sub-par HTML-ing.

[gaijin]

He’s very entertaining, and it’s great we have a conservative Jew somehow able to pursue a successful career in Hollywood.

Where did he get his PhD in microbiology?

Cuz he spoke about a long career in science, and his microbio studies.

[HorowitzianConservative]

Here’s his bio from his site:
http://howardbloom.net/bloombio.htm

I don’t think he has a Ph.D.

[Blind Eye Jones]

Conservative thinker? What a JOKE!!!! He’s a self claimed atheist democrat who worked in the music/entertainment industry, revels in Obama and condemns Bush. The only thing thing that he has some good sense about is that he isn’t totally against capitalism, but every thing else is pro Obama and anti Palin and Bush. How can you put this up if you are a Horowitzian conservative?!

[TheThinker]

I think it is much more important to study why Germans uphorically supported Hitler. He briefly talked about how they reached this seemingly transcendant state through Hitler's propaganda and stagecraft. It wasn't all just hate, although that was a big part of it. Liberals do a disservice to everyone by claiming they understand such horrible events when they miss the whole picture. I do believe in social evolution and liberals only impede it.

[HorowitzianConservative]

Where has he said anything anti-Palin? You don’t know what you’re talking about. Have you read his books?

How is he pro-Obama?

Links supporting ANYTHING that you’ve just said?

[SunkenCiv]

Howard Bloom

[Blind Eye Jones]

The first link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTasLbPNXZU

He worked in the music industry: 4:56 - 5:00

The second link (which you didn’t post but I thought you did):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAemCwQ09Xo&feature=related

He is against Palin: 20:20

He is an atheist: 35:22 - 36:33

He is a democrat & Bush hater: 1:08:09 - 1:08:20

He is pro Obama’s regulation of CEO wages (European model): 1:17:46 - 1:18:45

He is pro Obama’s space plan that he claims was really screwed over by Bush. He is also restating that he is a democrat and Bush was an “insane idiot”: 1:23:23 - 1:31:38

*****************************************

Above are the links and references. I have to clarify one thing: I chose the second link thinking it was part 2 but it was part 2 of another interview. What made me think it was the same interview was that the interviewer was the same person asking Howard the questions.

My impression is that Howard is a glib talker and can probably hood wink insecure, non academic musicians and ingratiate himself to people in the music industry. (John Lennon hung out with a guy like that called “Magic Alex.”) He bandies around words like “sociality” as a legit scientific term — it just may be but I’ve never heard of it — and it sounds impressive. There is some truth to what he is talking about but much seems to be either common sense or some hand-me-down old wives tale wrapped up as science or wisdom. Much in the second interview is also your standard pro Obama talking points — he can’t upset the music industry (his bread and butter) too much can he? The interviewer I think wants him to go ballistic on some people — probably more for ratings and viewers. Overall, Howard likes to talk about his not knowing much but I find it odd that he has a lot to say, willing to give his opinions at great length for some body who claims he doesn’t know that much. If you listen to the second interview his whole sensibility comes across as a bleeding heart liberal.

[HorowitzianConservative]

Have you read any of his 3 books? I have and they’re conservative. He’s also pro-Israel and his views on Islam are the same as Robert Spencer’s.

Don’t miss the forest for the trees.

What did he say at 20:20 against Sarah Palin? Nothing.

I know he’s an atheist, so what? You can be an atheist and still be a conservative. David Horowitz and myself are both agnostics. Does that disqualify us from being conservatives?

I know that he’s identified as a Democrat. Yawn. Doesn’t mean he’s a leftist. Um, Pat Caddell. Centrist Democrats who want to take the party back from leftists should be encouraged.

Look, all I’m saying is that there’s a lot to be gained from his 3 books. If you haven’t read them then you’re not in a position to debate his views.

[Blind Eye Jones]

No, I haven’t read his 3 books but when you add up Bush hater + music industry + democrat + pro Obama + atheistic, the word conservative doesn’t immediately spring to mind. His views for the most part seem very liberal. Yes, he is pro capitalism but on condition that the state moderates wages as in Europe. That is not free market capitalism but rater “the third way” which is a form of state run or corporate capitalism that socialist countries (and Hitler) like to use. Horward would fit in very nicely with Obama’s cronies. Pat Caddell, on the other hand, who is on side with Horowitz, is not a statist and doesn’t believe in the expansion of government power, especially based on the European model.

You’re are right that he doesn’t say anything directly against Palin but when the interviewer slagged her, Howard didn’t immediately rush in to defend her. For me there was an implied consent by his silence.

I think the problem with Howard is that he is out to sell books and his market is very liberal. He sounds young for a 68 year old guy and he appeals to the young. I said that he is a bleeding heart and that means saving the world from cruel mother nature. Mother nature is evil and he wants an ideal cozy world where it’s all perfect. That is your liberal pipe dream that appeals to youth. He can’t go on that program and sound like Dick Cheney — youth won’t buy that — so he has to name drop Michael Jackson and make it all seem very cool and radical. His remarks about cell phones, video games and LOST where complete nonsense, IMHO. He makes LOST sound like some major break through in people’s thinking with its 38 plot lines. The show is basically a soap opera — which have been around forever — and they all have about that many plot lines. What it comes down to is flattering your audience so that they feel special and intelligent and will want to hear more and, therefore, buy your book. That kind of BS goes over big time in Hollywood and the music industry. They are gluttons for that and there are whole award shows dedicated just for those very ends.

[HorowitzianConservative]

Your loss. He’s not a Bush Hater or Pro Obama, though, and you’re really missing out. And that he doesn’t immediately leap to Palin’s defense means NOTHING. Read my review and perhaps you’ll see but after that I’m done trying to persuade you that he’s a tremendously worthwhile thinker who has a lot that conservatives can use:
http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/06/how-science-crushes-the-left/

You need to look deeper and not be thrown by surface-level stuff. “Mother nature is evil and he wants an ideal cozy world where it’s all perfect.” No he doesn’t. That remark alone shows you don’t understand him.

Look, I’ve read all 3 of his books and done one 2 hour long interview with him and been in dialogue with him for months about these subjects. You can either trust me that I know what I’m talking about or you can rely on these meaningless surface things and dismiss him. (And BTW, my colleagues at the DHFC who I’ve been recommending his books to and who have been reading his books agree that he’s a conservative.)

[Blind Eye Jones]

When Hitler invaded Poland was that surface level too? Maybe we have to look deeper to see that the Poles really invited him in. In the same way when Howard says “Bush is insane” and it is a good thing that Obama wants to introduce European wage control we have to look deeper to see the conservative point of view. Which is what? What have you gleaned from his 3 books that counters his remarks in that interview? What is the deeper point of view?

You dismiss direct quotes as “meaningless” and “surface level.” I’ll tell you why. They are surface level to you only because you don’t want to address his liberalism. And that’s very not honest of you. If you could show his conservationism you would and you’d back it up with quotes of your own. But you haven’t. Until you can do that I’ll continue to believe Howard is a liberal by the character of his own remarks.

And, yes, Howard is saying that nature is evil (and using morally loaded terms like “atrocities” and “bitch” is not exactly doing hard science). Further, I believe he would want a cozy, “harmonious,” “kinder,” “gentler,” “loving” world — he did hang out with many musicians from the “we are the world” crew of the 80s — why else would he be against the “bloody acts” and “mass murder” of nature?

I don’t believe direct quotes are meaningless, especially when there are many quotes in the interview that point to his liberalism. Appealing to a higher authority (DHFC) doesn’t fly with me either. I heard what Howard was saying and you are asking me to disbelieve my lying ears based on you and your blogs your presumed authority! What a joke. So far you have just given me spin. Why not just give me some of his conservative quotes?

Anyway, good luck on your writing career.

[HorowitzianConservative]

I have given you his conservative quotes in my review. Have you bothered to read it yet? No, it looks like you’ve ignored it.

I never said he was a down-the-line, conservative-on-every-issue, dyed-in-the-wool Republican partisan Rush Limbaugh-style conservative. But he is a conservative and a conservative thinker. Read his books — and see the next segments of my interview — and you’ll see it.

Bush was insane about some things. He was insane about calling Islam a religion of peace and insane when it comes to spending. If I say Bush was insane about something does that mean I’m not a conservative?

If criticizing Bush means you’re not a conservative then you’ve got a screwed up litmus test.

My point is this: I’ve read all three of his published books, interviewed the author for 2 hours, and been in dialogue with him for months. You’ve listened to one interview he gave. Who’s in a better position to judge his ideology? Now you can trust me or you can choose not to. Your call.