Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

To me, bullshit indicates that the speaker does not actually believe what he says.

Is it possible that Obama just has different values from you? The way I read it, he very plainly is in favor of prosecuting copyright violators, and simply wants to eliminate some of the more egregious provisions of the currently proposed law.

I don't think Obama is trying to obfuscate that view in any way, and is being very clear about it.



Unless the WH response stated that explicitly, it's probably phrased specifically to sound like a reasonable position to everyone who reads it, regardless of their position.

So no, it's not clear.


Perhaps values themselves can be bullshit. The word sounds more like cursing than terminology, so when someone says that something is bullshit, it is not clear if the meaning is "something is a lie" or "something is incorrect" or something else.


Read the essay "On Bullshit" by Harry Frankfurt (http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7929.html).


Yes, if he doesn't believe what he says he is lying. If he doesn't care whether it's true or false, but feels what he's saying will further his goals, he's bullshitting.


"Bullshit" is generally a messy combination of lies, misdirection and words intended give one impression but have a different meaning.


I believe Harry Frankfurt had something to say about that.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: