Dr Jordan B Peterson has shared a brief email exchange with the executive director of a left-wing think tank called The Abs-Tract Organization.
Brent Cooper sent an email urging Dr Peterson to “communicate” with him and “other leftists as soon as possible,” for his own good.
Attention all,
You are the bulwark surrounding and enabling Peterson, making sure that he does not have to engage with any serious leftists. Since he won’t, they are having a conference about it.
Conference: Responding to Peterson in lieu of a debate (Oct 19-21st)
It would be better for Peterson to directly communicate with me and other leftists as soon as possible, or things like this will continue to reflect negatively on him, by his own hand…
It is time to refocus the world wide Peterson Reality Tour from making money to understanding what sociology and progressivism are about. Get him the message.
Point Being,
Brent Cooper, Executive Director
The Abs-Tract Organization: Metamodern Think Tank
Dr Peterson then responded to Mr Cooper’s email, suggesting it demonstrates almost everything wrong with the radical left.
Dear Mr. Cooper:
Believe me, a message with the tone of your missive has as much chance of attracting me as an honest 1920’s Ukrainian farmer had of living long and happily in Stalinist Russia.
Your “invitation” is simultaneously presumptuous (“the bulwark surrounding and enabling Peterson”), dismissive [“making sure that he does not have to engage with any serious leftists” (and what makes you so certain, Mr. Cooper, that you or any of your crew is serious?)], calumnious [“since he won’t (self-serving conflating sheer disinterest with frightened refusal)], rude (it’s Dr. Peterson to you, bucko), threatening (“it would be better for Peterson”), accusatory and self-righteous (“by his own hand”), grandiose, high-handed and sarcastic (“is time to refocus the world-wide Peterson Reality Tour to understanding…), and, finally, impolite and demanding (“Get him the message”).
You even managed to squeeze in an ad hominem attack on my hypothetical economic motives (“from making money”). Congratulations, Mr. Cooper. You unwittingly managed to demonstrate almost everything wrong with the radical left in six sentences. And, in case you didn’t notice, we just had our debate.
Sincerely,
Dr Jordan B Peterson
Throw in the towel. He’s “gotcha!”
An "invitation" to "debate," and my response: pic.twitter.com/ytupoK1gPE
— Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) September 25, 2018
