The Chris Cuomo Project - The Problem with One-Sided Thinking in Politics

Episode Date: September 5, 2024

In this episode of The Chris Cuomo Project, Chris Cuomo explores the essence of critical thinking and the ability to hold two contradictory ideas simultaneously. Drawing from history’s great minds, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Chris examines the challenge of confirmation bias, the pitfalls of social media, and the broader implications on political discourse. He also discusses the complexities of vaccines, identity politics, and current geopolitical issues like Ukraine and the U.S. economy, stressing the importance of nuance in today’s polarized world Follow and subscribe to The Chris Cuomo Project on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday: https://linktr.ee/cuomoproject Join Chris Ad-Free On Substack: http://thechriscuomoproject.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the secret to critical thinking? I'm Chris Cuomo. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo project. Here's the answer. The ability to keep two often opposing ideas in your head at the same time. That is the key. How do we know? History of great thinkers. Like who? F. Scott Fitzgerald. A mark of a great mind is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas in your head at the

same time and still function. What did he mean by that? Well, is something good or bad? Here's a reason for both. And are you still able to work your way through it? Not just function, meaning can you live your life? He was being funny, right? But it was that you can keep working on the solution as opposed to just saying, look,

I just need an answer, man. I just need to know how to feel. Tell me how to think. Happens a lot in our society. And that's where you get confirmation bias. And that's such a huge part of social media and such a challenge in our politics day, which is people are just desperate for more proof that they were right in the first place. Nobody's open-minded.

And now you have all these outlets that are called independent, but they're really not. They're completely dependent on cultivating or curating an audience that they keep feeding exactly what they want to be true and real. You see what I'm saying? Can you keep two thoughts in your head at the same time? That is the critical piece of critical thinking. It is what is lacking the most. It is what is given you, least by the media and so many of the outlets that people turn to.

I can't tell you how often people say to me, did you see this? Did you see that? Did you see this? I almost never recognize the outlets that the clips come from. And they're almost always cherry picking and catering and cultivating one specific argument, which is fine if it's an advocacy position. We are pro-death penalty, so I'm going to keep giving you data that supports that you need to kill some people.

Okay? That's fine as a position of advocacy. I'm giving voice to, I'm giving voice to, ad vocating, that's where it comes from, vocare, to give voice, ad, to, towards, prefix in Latin. I'm giving voice to a position. I want this shit to be the position. I'm giving you everything that goes with it. That is not critical thinking.

Critical thinking is about balance. It's about chewing on it, mastication of information. And so, if this is what we want to establish as a device, the ability to hold two thoughts in our heads on a single issue at the same time, where do we see that in application? Ah, I'm glad I asked. Everywhere. COVID. Just having a discussion with the boys. The vaccine, good or bad. Why wasn't it like this with the polio vaccine? Oh, I'll tell you why. Because there was desperation there for the vaccine because polio was fucking people up. It was killing people, it was disfiguring kids, and

the desperation was to get the vaccine. And there was slowly an evolution that I believe culminated with Vietnam. Vietnam introduced the American reality that the government can lie. Duh. Anything populated by humans is going to be fallible. But whatever, it's a lesson we need to keep learning. So after Vietnam, there was a shift where people went from surrendering to the whole. They were so desperate for assimilation. My people, so desperate.

They wanted to change their names. They wanted their kids to speak English, don't speak Italian, don't let them know that you're Italian, change how your name is pronounced, call yourself John when your real name is Giuseppe. And then it flipped. And the individualism of Americana came back, but came back in a perverse form of resistance. And that has been getting stronger and stronger to the point where now people see

resistance to government or agencies or anything as a sign of strength. But I see it as just cynicism and I see it as toxic. I believe in skepticism. I used to be in the business of saying to the FBI, what do you mean you can't confirm or deny? The fuck is that? Now I'm in the business of defending the FBI. Why? I don't want to defend the FBI. I like the skepticism. Well, because cynicism has to be countered. I mean, what is your democracy if you don't have the institutions? And if you're going to run down all the institutions, how long are you going to keep the democracy?

That's what Benjamin Franklin was getting at when he looked around the room at the convention and said, well, there you have it. You have a constitution. You have a democracy. If you can keep it. Why would he say that at that time? They were so happy. They just made this shit happen. What do you mean if we can keep it? It's all we wanted. He knew. He knew what a challenge it would be to get people who are so prone to wanting advantage to surrender to a whole.

Could he have imagined that we'd be where we are now? I don't know. I don't know. But where are we now? Well, nobody wants to keep two thoughts in their head about a single issue at the same time. So the extension of what was true in polio to the vaccine now, now it's, well, if I'm not sure, I'm not

going to touch it and I'm going to say it's poison. So I'm going to go issue by issue with some very important things and show how you got to be able to have the ability to hold two thoughts in your head on a single issue at the same time. Support for the Chris Cuomo project comes from ReadyWise. The Latin phrase is semper preparandom. You have to be ready, always, especially today. Everything happens so fast. Everything can change in an instant. So don't wait for the unexpected to then try to prepare.

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So, I get savaged when I talk about vaccine injuries. Why? What are you doing? Why are you giving into the anti-vaxxers? What? I'm not giving into the anti-vaxxers. Two things can be true at the same time. People have been injured after taking the vaccine because of what happened to them from taking the vaccine. How many? Well, depends on how you want to look at it. In terms of your risk portfolio, if it's one in 10,000 or one in 100,000, those are very acceptable parameters of risk for vaccinations for most medical procedures. But when you scale up 90% of the adults in the country taking the vaccine, you now are dealing with what, 200 million people? One in a hundred thousand starts to give you thousands. Now it seems like you have an epidemic

on your hands. That's what the anti-vaxxers have seized on. They too can't keep two thoughts in their head at the same time, or at least they don't want to. They don't want two things to be true. They want the vaccine to be poison. They want the government giving it to them to have been evil. They want the media saying that you should take this, especially early on, to be evil. Why? Makes them right. Makes them better. Galvanizes them.

But it's not accurate. There is an absolute factual relationship here. The vaccine worked, lowered hospitalizations, lowered the amount of death. That's why you see disproportionate outcomes with people who were and were not vaccinated in hospitalizations became 90% of the people in the hospital were unvaccinated. Why? You know why. You see a

disparity between red and blue on the basis of vaccine resistance. Some people applaud that like, haha, stupid rednecks. I don't. I feel so bad for those people. I think it's so shameful. And that's why I want to talk to the people that we're encouraging them to think as long as you got ivermectin in your life, you don't have to worry about COVID and you certainly don't have to take the vaccine. That was stupid and dangerous. And people got sick and people died

because of that kind of thinking. Not saying ivermectin killed them. I'm saying that believing that you didn't have to care about anything else because of that, like it was some panacea, was stupid. Two ideas in your head at the same time. That doesn't work for people, but it needs to work for you. The vaccine worked.

There are a lot of people who needed to take it. And some people got hurt and they need attention. And just because they're not enough and it's not enough to offset the value of the vaccine doesn't mean you ignore them, which we have, and doesn't mean that you throw the vaccine away as garbage, which you have the fringe trying to do. So you have the majority ignoring

the people who've been hurt. And you have this magnified minority fringe, anti-vaxxers, who are getting dismissed by the majority because they are foolishly saying that the vaccine is poison. You have to be able to keep two thoughts in your head at the same time because two things can be true at the same time. We need to know more about the vaccine injuries, how it's happening, why it's happening, and what to do for these people. And you don't look back and say everybody who suggested the vaccine or made the vaccine is an evil. And they have another problem, which is that seems to conclude everybody except their fearless

leader Trump, who gave him the vaccine, told him to take it, says he was boosted, and believes in the lockdowns. But they absent him from responsibility. Why? Because they're just desperate to be right. That's all. Not reasonable. Not in any way about progress or getting to a better place. Just being right and making money off that online by harnessing that hate. So, you see it everywhere.

Identity politics, LGBTQ+, whatever it is. I'm not dismissing it, it's just hard to keep up. What is wrong with identity politics or with identity anything? Culture? Well, culture. Well nothing. If it doesn't relate to you, why do you care? Two things can be true at the same time. You may believe that, as I do, that you come through the shoot one of two ways. Male or female.

I believe that parts matter. Now, there are people who disagree with me. That's fine. You can believe whatever you want as long as you don't make me have to believe it. Now does that mean that my kids shouldn't be taught that there is a division in thinking on this? No, the kids should know about the division, but it should be weighted appropriately. And it should be also accommodated at home in terms of what you want them to believe.

And then someday they'll decide for themselves. Two things are true at once. It's not trans is bad. You're putting me on in trans, you're transing me. You're making my kids want to be trans. Just because it exists. And by the way, don't say that, well, we've never done that before. The fuck we haven't. Why do so many of the same people want intelligent design taught as well as evolution?

I mean, if you're not a Christian, what in the hell do you want to hear or have your kids hear about intelligent design for? There is no scientific proof of intelligent design. There's no scientific proof of God. And I'm a Christian. It's not what it's about. It's about faith. Two things can be true at the same time.

You can believe whatever the fuck you want, but there is no right to make other people live by your rules, especially when they're not based in science like evolution. So you're okay with it there, but you don't want to make the accommodation in the other place. Look, that's not critical thinking. It's not critical thinking. The border. The border.

The border is a mess. The border's a mess. The border's a mess. It has been ignored by the Biden administration. And... There is not an open border policy. That's not fair to the CBP people who are enforcing their asses off to the extent that they can. And... The Republicans did scuttle a potential deal because they liked the problem better than the solution.

Two things can be true at the same time. The thing is a mess and they didn't work that hard to fix it. The thing is a mess, but it's not an open border policy. Two things can be true at the same time because the truth is enough and the truth is often layered and nuanced. Is the economy good or bad?

You tell me, how do you feel about it? Because the facts can take you anywhere you want to go. No, that's not true. Look at the grocery store. Look at the gas pump. Yeah, okay. What did you think? When demand was cut and supply was smothered during the pandemic?

There wasn't going to be any effect from that after the pandemic. Really? You didn't think that corporate... Why are prices higher? Because corporations are charging more. Why? Because there's more demand and they're still catching up with supply. That's why. And that happened on a world scale. That's why gas prices are what they are. Yeah, but they were lower during Trump. Yeah, before the pandemic. Then the pandemic happened and they shot up. And most of that was on Biden's watch. Yeah, but inflation. Inflation was started before Trump. Why? You've been juicing the economy artificially with quantitative easing for years and years. And then Trump put in the tax cuts, which ballooned the deficit, which increased

the borrowing. Inflation. And Biden continued it. Yeah, but Trump was way better than the economy. Well, you know, the economy tends to do better under Democrats than it does under Republicans. Fuck you, Cuomo. That's your opinion. No, it's not. It's a direct quote from Donald Trump. Yeah, look it up. Donald Trump said it. Not now. It doesn't suit him. Back when it didn't suit him to kiss conservative Heine, that's what he said. Now, do I believe that? Circumstantial, it depends.

But I don't believe in trickle-down economics. It's never been proven to work. It just sounds good, especially rich people. Trump ballooned the deficit, not just because of the pandemic, but because of his tax cuts, much more than Biden. Two things can be true at the same time. Grocery prices suck. Gas prices need to be lower.

And Biden should be blamed because it's on his watch, but it's not because Trump had everything magically better. Circumstances were better, but not necessarily because of him. Two things are true at the same time. And now it's about how you weigh them. That's critical thinking. Support for the Chris Cuomo Project comes from Factor. Let me tell you, you gotta fuel up, man. You gotta fuel up to meet your needs. Food matters. You cannot out train the kitchen.

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Trump did it. Trump went way over the line into illegality with the phone calls he made in Georgia and pressuring officials who felt pressured by the calls. Republican and Democrat. And it's a funky case, although I think that's a real one. The documents. He obviously broke the law on purpose because he wanted the conflict with the government. So don't say they're coming after him.

He made them come after him. Two things are true at the same time. Should you be prosecuting over that? I don't think so. Georgia? Yes. That? No. DC? There's no question that Donald Trump helped, encouraged what happened at the Capitol on January 6th. To the point of criminality? I don't think so. Did he incite riot? I Don't think so. I think it's a close call Hard fine. Let's figure it out a trial. No, I think it's I think it's too divisive a process The bar has got to be higher for me two things could be true at the same time

It's a bad guy who did bad shit doesn't mean that it's worth a criminal trial Did he pay off the women and try to hide it? Fuck yeah he did. Fuck yeah he did. Did he break the law? Yeah, by the letter of the law. Should he have been prosecuted? No.

Wait a minute, you just said he did it. You don't bring every case where someone broke the law. Sure you do. No one's above the law. Ask prosecutors. It's called prosecutorial discretion. Two things can be true at the same time. The unemployment rate can be lower than ever in recent history, which it is, and people are having to work more hours and more jobs because they're not making enough. So yeah, they're employed, but they're

underemployed. And the trade class is dying. We need artisans and they make really good money. Six-figure incomes, great paths to entrepreneurship, but we only value college because of the prestige. But it's not as good an investment as a trade education for a lot of people. Two things can be true at the same time. Global warming. Global warming is real. What do you mean?

It's always hot out. That's weather, not climate. It's a difference. But global warming can be real and we're not ready to go to electric vehicles, and they are not necessarily better. So don't force them on us. Two things can be true at the same time. Just because Elon Musk turned out to be a whack job doesn't mean that alternative fuel

sources isn't a good investment. EVs, I don't think they're the solution. The batteries take too much to make, and they're too heavy and inefficient and they don't last long enough. Hydrogen cells are probably going to be better because they work with combustion engines. We're just not there yet. And I know it sounds good to get away from fossil fuels, but you're not ready. But the idea of, we're not ready for that so I don't want to believe in global warming

or global warming is real so I want to go from zero to 100. That's not critical thinking in either case. Two things can be true at the same time. Global warming is real. We got to do stuff about it, but we can't be putting ourselves at such a disadvantage because of what the correction is, that we're out of step with the rest of the world's economy, who is now all gaining and surpassing us because they're not doing what we're doing. Two things can be true at the same time.

Ukraine. They're corrupt. Yeah, okay, who isn't? But compared to Russia, Russia is the culture and system that made them corrupt. They've been trying to get out from under that. Yeah, but Ukraine's bad. I don't want my money going there. Listen, brother, you got to think a little bit more critically.

You think Russia stops at Ukraine? Are you nuts? And why are we all the... Who are these people all of a sudden saying, why are we giving Russia such a hard time? They exist to see our demise because communists want capitalists to lose, so that more people want to be like them and be smothered by an authoritarian ruler. They want us to lose, just like the terrorists do. Ukraine has problems, and it matters to us.

Ukraine has problems and it matters to us. Israel is killing too many people and they clearly have to defend themselves against an existential threat. Too many people are dying and it's inexcusable that they haven't given back the hostages. Two things can be true at the same time. We have a two-party system and that system sucks and it's not a creature of law. It's not in the Constitution. It's just a tradition. That's not me saying that. The Supreme Court said it in the 1970s. George Washington said avoid parties for a reason. We should have listened. We should listen now. Two things can be true at the same time. All right? I don't want to vote for either of these guys.

And I want the system to change. And nothing changes if nothing changes. And if I keep going along the way you want me to, it'll always stay this way, and it'll get worse and worse. Two things can be true at the same time. I don't like Trump, but I hate this system. That's the secret to critical thinking. That is what we need.

That is the antidote to the division that is fueled by toxic fringe thinking, where people just want one thing to be true and everything they have to hear has to support that. That's why Fox News viewers had no idea what really happened on January 6th and why Tucker Carlson cherry-picked video to show them that it was really just a protest. They were invited in. What a stupid fucking thing to do.

But why would you do it? Because you're curating and cultivating that audience. And you want them to believe what they seem to need to believe. Because it's good for you. Two things can be true at the same time. It works for them, and it's fucking wrong. Be a critical thinker. Be a free agent.

Not party first. Okay? Pragmatism first. Hold different thoughts in your head at the same time. F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's the hallmark of a great mind. Being able to have an idea in your head, but you don't have to accept it. Being able to have contradictory thoughts, but you can still function and find your way through it.

You don't need it to be simple. You don't need pablum. You don't need to be spoon-fed what you just want to be so because it suits your party's preference. Be better than that. Be an independent critical thinker, a free agent. That's how I see it. How do you? After all, just because I see it that way, two things can be true at the same time. How do you see it? I'm Chris Cuomo. Thank you for subscribing and following. If you love the podcast, but not the ads, sign up at the Substack. Five bucks a month ad free podcast. It gets there first, right? So you get a little bit of an advance.

Sometimes that matters because sometimes I have newsmakers on. And you'll also get everything that I know about COVID, long COVID rather, my doctor's expertise, what she's seen in my blood, what she's doing with me in terms of protocols and supplements, why, what the impact is, what I'm doing nutritionally and exercise to try to get me to a better place.

And it certainly will work for you whether you have long COVID or not in terms of what I'm doing to get myself to a better place. And if you have questions for me, then you want to get to me directly, sign up with Minect. The app is there, it's free, and you can ask me questions. And it's a very reasonable thing. And I get back within the day. And don't forget, if you're going to watch cable news, watch me on News Nation, 8P and 11P every weekday night. My friends, the problems are real. But no more real than

the remedy. Let's get after it.