Ep. 12: The New Atheists - Celebrity Crusaders For Empire

Since the mid-2000s, a specific breed of liberalism has emerged broadly called “New Atheism.” While the movement is hardly a monolith, it has at its core features of liberal chauvinism, anti-"political correctness," “science,” secularism, and a general deference to U.S. foreign policy consensus. Its biggest champions, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Maajid Nawaz, Bill Maher and the late Christopher Hitchens were and are major features in mainstream liberal discourse–from television shows on HBO to major podcasts to writings featured everywhere from The New York Times to The Guardian to The Daily Beast. 

For years, however, leftists of all stripes--anti-imperialists, socialists, progressives--have expressed concern over this brand of liberal chauvinism, its out-sized place in the media and its ability to turn the U.S., and white Americans in particular, into The Real Victims™ ; its ability to offend the religious while championing boilerplate National Security consensus and imperial wars abroad. It seemed vaguely provocative but who was it really offending? And, more importantly, who was it serving? We discuss with guest Luke Savage. 

The Guest 

Luke Savage is a Toronto-based writer, co-host of the Michael and Us podcast, and a regular contributor to Jacobin and Current Affairs.

Show Notes

New Atheism, Old Empire

Luke Savage | December 2, 2014 | Jacobin

The Hollow Courage of Bill Maher

Luke Savage | September 7, 2017 | Jacobin

Bill Maher's Cultural Supremacy and Religious Hierarchy

Nima Shirazi | May 13, 2010 | Wide Asleep in America

The Not-So-New Depths of Bill Maher's Delusion and Depravity

Nima Shirazi | December 4, 2012 | Wide Asleep in America

How Corporate Media Paved the Way for Trump’s Muslim Ban

Adam H. Johnson | February 6, 2017 | FAIR

Same Old New Atheism: On Sam Harris

Jackson Lears | April 27, 2011, The Nation

Notorious 'New Atheist' Sam Harris Outrageously Calls to 'Keep the Number of Muslims Down in Any Society'

Ben Norton | June 10, 2017 | AlterNet

Brazen sexism is pushing women out of America’s atheism movement 

Marcie Bianco | February 12, 2016 | Quartz

Sam Harris, the New Atheists, and anti-Muslim animus

Glenn Greenwald | April 3, 2013 | The Guardian

Fighting Fire with Ire: 3 Lessons from Noam Chomsky's Takedown of Sam Harris

Andrew Aghapour | May 12, 2015 | Religion Dispatches

What’s the Matter with New Atheism?

Ned Resnikoff | August 14, 2014 | The Baffler

Bill Maher Isn't a 'Politically Incorrect' Liberal, He's Just a Bigot

Murtaza Hussain | October 8, 2014 | The Intercept

Bill Maher and Sam Harris' Blind Spot 

Kyle Schmidlin | October 9, 2014 | Salon

References

Mentioned on this episode:

Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Strategic Communication

U.S. Department of Defense | September 2004

Debating Bill Maher on Muslims, Islam and US foreign policy

Glenn Greenwald | May 11, 2013 | The Guardian

Richard Dawkins & Bill Maher Still Baffled Why So Many Liberals Think They're Bigots - Here's Why

Adam Johnson | October 3, 2015 | Alternet