Bill Maher Gets It Right ... and Wrong

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW247541544 BCX4"> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Not even a decade ago, television personality Bill Maher had cemented his brand of snarky atheism and political leftism. His crass, snide, and often irrationally irreligious humor infuriated many and led to an earlier show being canceled, not to mention plenty of gigs. For a couple of years now, however, many of his former critics have noted something new: how often he’s willing to say out loud what many on the left are not. </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559731":720,"335559739":0,"335559740":480}"> </span></p> <p><a href= "https://twitter.com/billmaher/status/1720656399414473213"><span data-contrast="none"> In a monologue on last Friday’s episode</span></a> <span data-contrast="auto">of his HBO series,</span> <em><span data-contrast="auto">Real Time with Bill Maher,</span></em> <span data-contrast="auto">which I cannot officially recommend given the language and perverse humor, Maher offered a thorough defense of Israel and Western civilization:</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559731":720,"335559739":0,"335559740":480}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">"For all the progressives and academics who refer to Israel as an outpost of Western civilization, like it’s a bad thing, please note: Western civilization is what gave the world pretty much every [expletive] liberal precept that liberals are supposed to adore. Individual liberty, scientific inquiry, rule of law, religious freedom, women’s rights, human rights, democracy, trial by jury, freedom of speech. Please, somebody, stop us before we enlighten again."</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":0,"335559740":480}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">He went on to note that Israel is the only place in the Middle East where these societal goods can be found and even said that the world would be a lot better off “if it had more Israels.” The plight of marginalized peoples everywhere is better off, Mahe