4 ms·

For the opposite side of this, I highly recommend that people read http://eruditorumpress.com/blog/the-beigeness-or-how-to-kill-people-with-bad-writing-the-scot

For the opposite side of this, I highly recommend that people read http://eruditorumpress.com/blog/the-beigeness-or-how-to-kill-people-with-bad-writing-the-scott-alexander-method/ http://eruditorumpress.com/blog/the-beigeness-or-how-to-kill..., which does a thorough explanation of why Scott is a bad writer and how he promotes incorrect and damaging views. Scott's entire game is to use rhetoric to support poorly backed hypotheses like "feminism is terrible". There was literally a women in the rationalist community who committed suicide due to harassment and Scott's first reaction was to insinuate that all of her accusations were false.

viburnum 6y ago
It’s sad that so many people think this creep is intelligent just because he overwrites so badly.
dexen 6y ago
The essay begins with a thought-terminating cliche in the third paragraph: >This is someone who repeatedly speaks admiringly of Charles Murray, puts Nick Land, Razib Khan, and various other fashy types on his blogroll, and openly advocates eugenics. >The claim that he’s troublingly invested in racist bullshit is straightforward and, frankly, uninteresting; anyone trying to dispute it has a disingenuous agenda most likely involving racist bullshit. Ironically enough, the essay throws an accusation of "tedious Gish gallop working its way through a host of minor claims" into the mix, also in the same third out of 100-odd paragraphs. Thank you for providing a morning chuckle.
- lalaland1125 6y ago
  You might want to try reading the article more carefully. The author is giving his quick explanation of why they aren't going to discuss the race stuff. Of course it's a "thought-terminating cliche", the author is explicitly terminating that particular discussion quickly to move onto the topic that they want to discuss. The focus of the essay is to thoroughly explore Scott's rhetoric and views on feminism.
- pseudalopex 6y ago
  Thought terminating cliche is a thought terminating cliche.
Tarq0n 6y ago
While there are some interesting points in this essay, the accusations of wrongthink it leads with are very offputting. In general, the position that some topics may not be argued is not a strong one if you want to criticise someone for their rhetoric.
andrewflnr 6y ago
She raised some good points, but I think she missed the points of the articles she critiqued. I especially still think Scott is more right than she is about the outgroup article. And I'm not convinced Scott writes in bad faith.
pseudoscott590 6y ago
Also, Scott Alexander is horrifyingly racist. Some emails of his were recently leaked that make it clear [1]. I don't know how anyone in their right mind can support him after this. [1] https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 More at: https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott_siskind_emails_which_link_him_to_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott... A bunch of pseudointellectuals. Archive.org backup of the emails: https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.com/TopherTBrennan/status/1362108632070905857 https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.c...
throw6722549 6y ago
Also, Scott Alexander comes off as horrifyingly racist in these recently leaked emails: https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 He is a pseudointellectual. Backup: https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.com/TopherTBrennan/status/1362108632070905857 https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.c... More info: https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott_siskind_emails_which_link_him_to_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott...

viburnum 6y ago

It’s sad that so many people think this creep is intelligent just because he overwrites so badly.

dexen 6y ago

The essay begins with a thought-terminating cliche in the third paragraph: >This is someone who repeatedly speaks admiringly of Charles Murray, puts Nick Land, Razib Khan, and various other fashy types on his blogroll, and openly advocates eugenics. >The claim that he’s troublingly invested in racist bullshit is straightforward and, frankly, uninteresting; anyone trying to dispute it has a disingenuous agenda most likely involving racist bullshit. Ironically enough, the essay throws an accusation of "tedious Gish gallop working its way through a host of minor claims" into the mix, also in the same third out of 100-odd paragraphs. Thank you for providing a morning chuckle.

lalaland1125 6y ago
You might want to try reading the article more carefully. The author is giving his quick explanation of why they aren't going to discuss the race stuff. Of course it's a "thought-terminating cliche", the author is explicitly terminating that particular discussion quickly to move onto the topic that they want to discuss. The focus of the essay is to thoroughly explore Scott's rhetoric and views on feminism.
pseudalopex 6y ago
Thought terminating cliche is a thought terminating cliche.

Tarq0n 6y ago

While there are some interesting points in this essay, the accusations of wrongthink it leads with are very offputting. In general, the position that some topics may not be argued is not a strong one if you want to criticise someone for their rhetoric.

andrewflnr 6y ago

She raised some good points, but I think she missed the points of the articles she critiqued. I especially still think Scott is more right than she is about the outgroup article. And I'm not convinced Scott writes in bad faith.

pseudoscott590 6y ago

Also, Scott Alexander is horrifyingly racist. Some emails of his were recently leaked that make it clear [1]. I don't know how anyone in their right mind can support him after this. [1] https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 More at: https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott_siskind_emails_which_link_him_to_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott... A bunch of pseudointellectuals. Archive.org backup of the emails: https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.com/TopherTBrennan/status/1362108632070905857 https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.c...

throw6722549 6y ago

Also, Scott Alexander comes off as horrifyingly racist in these recently leaked emails: https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 https://twitter.com/ArsonAtDennys/status/1362153191102677001 He is a pseudointellectual. Backup: https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.com/TopherTBrennan/status/1362108632070905857 https://web.archive.org/web/20210217195335/https://twitter.c... More info: https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott_siskind_emails_which_link_him_to_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/lm36nk/old_scott...