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June 18, 2018 - Real Coffe - Scott Adams
06:12
Episode 23 - Scott Critiques the Zuckerberg Testimony in Real Time
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Time Text
While you're all getting in here, I'd like to do my impression of Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress.
That was my That was my impression.
Now, I haven't watched most of the Zuckerberg testimony, but I did happen to catch the little bit where Senator Ted Cruz was talking to him.
And, oh my God, did any of you see Ted Cruz cross-examining, if you will, Zuckerberg?
That was like watching a hunter clubbing a baby harp seal on live TV. So I have several things to say about it.
The first is that it's the best I've ever seen Cruise on TV, you know, including all of his running for office and various interviews and stuff.
And I think what made him so effective is that, first of all, his material was great.
You know, the questions he asked, the way he presented it was, you know, every bit the trial lawyer that I think he was, right?
Wasn't he a trial lawyer?
Or he was some kind of lawyer. But he dialed back I guess he dialed back his emotions and just delivered it like a surgeon.
So it was just so surgical without any emotion in it that it was almost hard to watch.
He just dismantled poor Zuckerberg.
And here's the part where Zuckerberg had what I would call his Failure to deny the KKK moment.
I'm not sure if other people will see it this way.
But what I saw was Ted Cruz give him multiple opportunities to either confirm or deny that they are unbiased in terms of the political speech that they cover.
And each time...
Zuckerberg was asked to simply answer the question, is it your intention to be unbiased?
Or, which is equally legal and allowed, is it your intention to use your First Amendment rights to be more about the message?
Very simple question.
Zuckerberg avoided it several times, and when he offered something that sounded like an answer, here's what he said.
He said that we see Facebook as a platform for all ideas.
That was his response, which is not an answer, to the question, is it your intention to be an unbiased platform?
Because here's the difference.
Yes, it's true that they are a platform for all ideas, but do all ideas also get the same amount of attention?
Are they treated the same?
That's the part that Ted Cruz's question gets to.
You know, is there bias there?
Zuckerberg had a chance for several layups If the answer was, yes, we were trying to be unbiased.
We don't always hit that mark, but that's what we're trying to do.
We'll do better. There were lots of ways that Zuckerberg could have answered the question, are you trying to be unbiased?
Is it even an attempt?
Is it a goal to be unbiased?
And he wouldn't say that that was their goal.
And instead he said it's a platform for all ideas.
Well, yes it is.
I would agree that Facebook is pretty much a platform for all ideas, minus the terrorism and the suicide stuff and the stuff nobody wants to hear.
Or at least most people don't want to hear.
But it's not the answer to the question about bias.
It's because the bias would come in with how much attention each of those messages get.
So, and unfortunately, Zuckerberg looks panicked.
His actual face looks like he's ready to show some flop sweat there.
He's pretty shiny, and he's clearly insanely uncomfortable.
So, you know, I hate to see Facebook go down, but this is not a good day for them at the moment.
Hmm.
Okay, just looking at your comments.
Yeah, it's not a comfortable place for an introvert.
But you have to say, you know, on the plus side, he's very smart, very capable, and he's very game.
He's pretty brave even to show up.
He probably could have done something not to show up.
Maybe not. I'm not sure how that works.
If they tell you you have to show up, do you have to?
Maybe you do. So I'm going to watch a little bit more of that.
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