So imagine this....
You write an article critical of a public intellectual. That public intellectual then contacts you for an interview. Fine so far, right? I mean this could present an opportunity for people to learn and make up their own minds. Hell, you might even find some common ground or discover some misunderstandings you have of the other party.
Now imagine that the interview has the following conditions: You may not record from your end, only the other party gets to record it. You have to read your article word for word and allow the other party to stop you and critique your article whenever they want. Imagine that they tell you they will either publish the interview or not publish it, but they will decide after the interview.
Nobody should agree to these terms but imagine that out of a desire to move the conversation forward, you agree to all of this and talk to the other party for 4 hours. They do not publish it. You get this email from them:
I just listened to our recorded conversation, and I’m sorry to say that I can’t release it as a podcast. Even if I took the time to edit it, I wouldn’t be doing either of us any favors putting it out there. The conversation fails in every way — but, most crucially, it fails to be interesting.
Better luck next time…
Sam
This is the biggest bitch move I have seen in a long time. Omer Aziz took 4 hours to talk to Sam Harris. 4 hours. This is no small task. A 4 hour interview, especially in the format listed above, can be tiring and frustrating. Having to re-read a piece you wrote while someone on the other end attempts to take it apart is almost surely going to wear a person out. And what came of it? Fucking nothing. That's what. And why? Because Sam Harris is a fucking pussy that's why.
He is also a hypocrite. He always talks about free speech and open dialogue. But I guess in this case it does not apply. He did not offer the raw audio to his interviewee or anyone else for that matter. He dismissed the conversation as not interesting and did not publish it himself, which is fine. But the problem is, being as Sam Harris is a fucking pussy, he didn't offer up the raw audio to anyone!
If it were me, I would be furious. I would lose my shit. But then again, if it were me, I would also have simply recorded the interview from my end. And when I got this email, I would have replied saying that I have my own recording which will go up without any edits. If it were me, I would have noted the earlier statement that Harris made saying he may or may not publish, and as a precaution, I would have recorded it. Also, knowing what a smug self absorbed guy Harris is, I would know that if the conversation didn't make him look good and me bad, it would never go up.
We can only assume that Harris had his ass handed to him by Omer Aziz. Aziz has recounted some of the exchange, you can find it on freethoughtblogs here. However, without the audio, Harris and his devoted followers can simply say the whole thing is out of context. They pretty much always say that.
Sam Harris has been complaining about the so called "regressive left" and "social justice warriors" for a while now. But it seems to me that he needed to create a "safe space" for himself prior to the interview with the conditions he imposed, then used that "safe space" he created to make sure that this interview never saw the light of day.
Shame on you, Sam Harris.
You are a fucking pussy.
For the record, Sam, should you decide you do not feel like taking the time to publish this, send the raw audio to me. I will publish it unedited. My kung fu is the best.
