Episode 2066 Scott Adams: Matt Walsh on Reparations, WaPo Fact-Checked On Twitter, DeSantis & DEI

Introduction

Scott Adams welcomes viewers to his show, "Coffee with Scott Adams," and invites them to join him for a simultaneous sip of their favorite beverage. He also discusses his use of Twitter algorithms to increase traffic and shares an interesting tweet from Laura Logan about Elon Musk firing people from Twitter.

• Scott Adams welcomes viewers to "Coffee with Scott Adams" and invites them to join him for a simultaneous sip of their favorite beverage.

• He discusses his use of Twitter algorithms to increase traffic by turning text tweets into screen grabs and posting them as images.

• He shares an interesting tweet from Laura Logan about Elon Musk firing people from Twitter and ponders the impact of his own work on the world.

The Uselessness of Work

Scott Adams reflects on the usefulness of work and how it can sometimes feel pointless, sharing a personal story about his own experience working for big corporations.

• Scott Adams reflects on the usefulness of work and how it can sometimes feel pointless, sharing a personal story about his own experience working for big corporations.

• He wonders how different the world would be if he had never done any of the work he did, realizing that none of it made any difference in the end.

• He compares this feeling to his interest in Twitter, which he sees as a sort of Dilbert thing.

Boycotting 60 Minutes

Scott Adams discusses how 60 Minutes used to interview controversial figures without facing backlash or boycotts, but now faces criticism for having Marjorie Taylor Greene on their show.

• Scott Adams discusses how 60 Minutes used to interview controversial figures without facing backlash or boycotts.

• He notes that tonight's episode will feature Marjorie Taylor Greene and people on Twitter are calling for a boycott of the show.

Talking about Marjorie Taylor Greene and Controversial Topics

In this section, Scott Adams talks about Marjorie Taylor Greene and the controversy surrounding her. He also discusses Matt Walsh's videos on how reparations should be calculated and the backlash he received for it.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Controversy

• Scott Adams mentions that he finds it interesting that 60 Minutes is trying to be fair by talking to Marjorie Taylor Greene, but people are still upset.

• He compares her to Jeffrey Dahmer and Pol Pot, saying that they would have talked to them but not her.

• He mentions some of the people who complained about her, including Congressman Adam Kinzinger, liberal commentator Eli Misthal, and gun control activist David Hogg.

Matt Walsh's Videos on Reparations

• Scott Adams talks about Matt Walsh's videos on how reparations should be calculated.

• He explains that Walsh suggests comparing black Americans who descended from slavery in America today with someone who had never been part of slavery and stayed in Africa to see if slavery was an economic disaster for black people.

• He notes that many people did not agree with this approach and provides examples of arguments against it.

Cognitive Dissonance

In this section, the speaker talks about how people's best argument requires them to hallucinate something absurd so they have something to attack. He explains that this is cognitive dissonance and gives an example of how Matt Walsh was accused of defending slavery when he was simply describing it.

Matt Walsh's Argument

• People's best argument requires them to hallucinate something absurd so they have something to attack.

• Matt Walsh was accused of defending slavery when he was simply describing it.

• When you describe a thing, you're not defending it.

• An economics counterpoint would be the right way to go.

Responses to Matt Walsh's Argument

• People pay the daily wire to get nonsensical drivel like this packaged as intellectualism.

• There were no comments that said what he said was wrong.

• Sometimes reparations are about pain and suffering carried forward in various ways.

Criticisms of Matt Walsh's Argument

• Some people claimed that Matt Walsh justified slavery or racism, but there was nothing he said that supported these claims.

• Some people claimed that his argument lacked logic or formal fallacy, but these criticisms were unfounded.

• Some people criticized him for not attending college, suggesting that only those who attend college should have opinions on Twitter.

The Economic Argument is Ridiculous

In this section, the speaker explains why he thinks the economic argument for reparations is ridiculous.

The Economic Argument

• The economic argument for reparations is ridiculous.

Criticisms of the Economic Argument

• No criticisms were mentioned in this section.

Correct and Incorrect Ways of Making Economic Comparisons

In this section, the speaker explains the correct way to make economic comparisons and how it relates to reparations. He also highlights the incorrect way that reparations are currently being calculated.

The Correct Way to Make Economic Comparisons

• The correct way to make economic comparisons is by comparing what did happen to what could have happened if that thing didn't happen.

• Matt Walsh recommends comparing people who went through slavery to people who didn't have the experience.

• Reparations can have a psychic psychological effect, but it's a separate argument.

The Incorrect Way Reparations Are Currently Being Calculated

• The current way reparations are done is by comparing a black person in America today to what would have happened if they'd been White.

• Black people never had an option to be white, so you don't compare two things where one happened and one was impossible.

• Politicians, pundits, and others who talk about reparations miss this simple fact.

Diversity as a Strength

In this section, the speaker talks about diversity as a strength and his refusal to sign a form at work agreeing with that statement.

Refusal to Sign Form Agreeing That Diversity Is a Strength

• Employees at Pacific Bell had to sign a form agreeing that diversity is a strength.

• The speaker refused to sign the form because there was no evidence supporting the statement.

Refusing to Sign a Diversity Statement

In this section, the speaker talks about his experience of refusing to sign a diversity statement in the 80s and how it impacted his career.

Refusing to Sign the Document

• The speaker refused to sign a document that stated diversity is always good without any evidence.

• He did not have any evidence and did not want to certify something he was not an expert on.

• He was the only one in the company who did not sign it and risked being fired.

• This was not the first time he took a chance of getting canceled. He also risked his career when smoking was still legal inside offices.

Unity Across Diversity

In this section, the speaker discusses Vivek Ramaswami's speech on unity across diversity.

Diversity Exists

• Vivek Ramaswami said that diversity is not our strength but what unifies us across our diversity is our strength.

• Instead of arguing whether diversity is good or bad, we should acknowledge that it exists like oxygen or clouds in the sky.

Unifying Factors

• We need to focus on what unifies us instead of what divides us because we are short on unity.

Budweiser's Trans Activist Beer

In this section, the speaker comments on Budweiser's new beer featuring trans activist Dylan Mulvaney.

Internal Conversations at Budweiser

• The speaker wonders if there is a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) unit in Budweiser.

• The speaker speculates that the DEI people suggested featuring Dylan Mulvaney on the beer to show more inclusion.

The CEO's Role in Decision Making

In this section, the speaker discusses the role of the CEO in decision making and how it relates to diversity and inclusivity.

The CEO's Influence on Company Decisions

• The speaker questions whether the CEO was responsible for the decision to put trans activist Dylan Mulvaney on Budweiser beer cans.

• The speaker suggests that the CEO likely did not make this decision alone, but rather was influenced by pressure from others within the company.

• The speaker argues that CEOs are no longer in charge of big decisions related to a company's presentation or image.

• Instead, less qualified individuals are often tasked with making these decisions.

Diversity as an Operating System

• The speaker warns against making diversity and inclusivity an operating system for a company, as it can negatively impact efficiency.

• Diversity should be considered alongside other important factors, rather than being prioritized above all else.

DeSantis' Leadership Style

In this section, the speaker discusses Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' leadership style and recent actions.

DeSantis' Innovative Ideas

• The speaker praises DeSantis for his ability to come up with innovative ideas that other states have not implemented.

• Despite not believing that DeSantis is solely responsible for these ideas, he acknowledges that there must be someone advising him who is very good at their job.

Banning DEI in Florida Universities

• DeSantis plans to sign a bill banning DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in Florida universities.

• The speaker notes that this decision is likely to be popular with DeSantis' base and could help him if he decides to run for president.

Can a Governor Ban Social Media Companies?

In this section, Scott Adams discusses whether or not a governor can ban social media companies from operating in their state.

Possibility of Banning Social Media Companies

• Scott Adams questions if it is illegal or unconstitutional for a governor to ban social media companies from operating in their state.

• States have the power to pass laws about how companies operate within their state, so it feels legal to Scott Adams.

• The state can make private companies do all kinds of things, such as taxing them and putting requirements on them. So why would banning them be different?

• Scott Adams believes that a governor's job is to ban everything they don't like and promote things they do like.

Renaming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

In this section, Scott Adams talks about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis renaming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Renaming DEI

• DeSantis renamed DEI to Division Exclusion and Indoctrination.

• If someone famous says something like this, it has more power than if an average person said it. If Trump had said something similar, people would have picked up on it.

• Marty Bloodfest updated CRT by calling it Creating Racial Tension. Scott Adams thinks that if you repeat something enough times on Twitter in 2023, you could convince 40% of the public that's what it stands for.

Persuasion Play: Creating Racial Tension

In this section, Scott Adams discusses the possibility of a persuasion play in which people try to convince others that CRT stands for Creating Racial Tension.

Creating Racial Tension

• Scott Adams thinks that if you repeat something enough times on Twitter in 2023, you could convince 40% of the public that CRT stands for Creating Racial Tension.

• If you repeated it enough, 80% of the public would think that's what it meant.

The Washington Post Fact Check

In this section, Scott Adams talks about The Washington Post being fact-checked on Twitter.

The Washington Post Fact Check

• The Washington Post has been fact-checked a couple of times on Twitter. Twitter now adds context or community notes so if someone tweets something factually wrong, Twitter will automatically append the correction to their tweet.

The Washington Post and Fake News

In this section, Scott Adams discusses the Washington Post's cancellation of him due to a video taken out of context. He also talks about his criticism of the newspaper and their tendency to package news intentionally as fake news.

The Washington Post Cancels Scott Adams

• Scott Adams talks about an article in the Washington Post that claims George Soros funded Ellen Bragg.

• He explains that the Washington Post canceled him because they couldn't tell the difference between a group or a video and a real one.

• Adams provides context for what he said in the video, stating that it was offensive but not racist.

• He criticizes the Washington Post for not asking him about his intentions before labeling his comments as racist.

Intentional Fake News

• Adams calls out the Washington Post as a fake news entity that packages news intentionally as fake news.

• He explains how taking things out of context can change their meaning entirely.

• Adams praises Elon Musk for adding context notes to clearly intentional fake news.

The New York Times and Twitter Verification

• Adams speculates on why The New York Times doesn't want to pay to be verified on Twitter, suggesting that they don't want to be called out for fake news.

Woke is a Performance, Not an Opinion

In this section, Scott Adams discusses the concept of "woke" and how it is more of a performance than an opinion. He provides examples of how people use "woke" as a way to perform and gain social status.

Woke as a Performance

• The opposite of woke is authentic.

• Woke is a performance, not an opinion.

• People use woke as a way to perform and gain social status.

• Dismiss the woke as performative.

Conclusion

In this section, Scott Adams concludes his discussion on the concept of "woke" and how it is more of a performance than an opinion. He encourages people to focus on having real conversations instead of performing for social status.

Final Thoughts

• Focus on having real conversations instead of performing for social status.

Childhood Entertainment

In this section, the speaker talks about their childhood entertainment options.

Limited TV Channels

• The speaker grew up in the country and had limited TV channels.

• They had one good channel and one that was not very watchable.

Lawrence Welk Show

• The good channel played an old boring big band show called the Lawrence Welk Show.

• Despite being a child, the speaker would sometimes watch it because there was nothing else to do during that hour.

• There was no other form of entertainment available at that time.

No Smartphones

• The speaker reflects on how terrible things were before smartphones existed.

Locals Chat Disappearance

In this section, the speaker addresses an issue with their Locals chat.

Chat Disappearance

• Apparently, viewers could still see and hear the speaker on Locals even when the chat disappeared.

Conclusion of Livestream

In this section, the speaker concludes their livestream.

Best Livestream Ever

• The speaker declares that this is the best livestream ever.

Extra Content for Subscribers

• Subscribers on Locals will receive extra content from now on.

Goodbye to YouTube Viewers

• The speaker says goodbye to YouTube viewers and thanks them for joining.