This past weekend I witnessed elite combat. It was not Canelo vs. Plant. It was not Usman vs. Covington. It actually was between two college professors: Glenn Loury at Brown University and Michael Eric Dyson at Vanderbilt University. They were both on Bill Mahr's show on HBO. If you know anything about these two individuals, they are on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum when it comes to black thought. I seek guidance and insight from them both. I can't pick a side because both of them always make compelling arguments.
Dyson is known for his extensive vocabulary and his timeless referencing to hip hop music. Loury is known for his no nonsense approach, open mindedness and fact based approach to all things. When I saw them debate over topics like critical race theory and police brutality, I figured that things would certainly get uncomfortable. But it was just the opposite. They disagreed on more than one topic but never raised their voices or even made ad hominem attacks. Best of all, they learned from each other. Which means I certainly learned from them.
It's rare you see people disagree in a civil manner like this, especially on TV. It's usual that civil debates like this are reserved for things like Intelligence Squared.
I think the reason you see less debates like this on TV is because most debates have individuals who are trying to win. The intention of winning makes for good entertainment - usually filled with zingers, fact checking and even fact denying. But when your job is to educate, you surely know the main point of debate is to provoke thought, not disprove your opponent’s point. This is why I crown them both to be the winners.
They both forced the audience to think, and we are all better for it.
TKO
I need to watch this