John Cleese on extremism. How we view things unfairly!

Ordinary people trying to learn about extremism but from the extreme view.

A few days ago, my friend talked about extremism in facebook. And today he shared video--"John Cleese explains extremism." uploaded by NateTalksToYou at May 6, 2016.

When I watched this video, I thought it wasn't bad but....
I've seen number of British comedy so I can understand the kind of British sarcasm(??) which makes quite fun to watch. But something is missing....


Anyway, here is the screenshot:

Screenshot of John Cleese explains extremism. - uploaded by NateTalksToYou at May 6, 2016 @ facebook

5 million (about 5,474,583) views and 21k people liked(and among others), 1k comments, 108,021 shared this video.



I had to watch it two times because I probably missed somethings but I couldn't find out why I felt that way.
At first, I remember a few things like "as nasty as you like", "your behaviors morally justified", "yourself as champion of the truth".
This isn't right, I thought.



When does this video recorded or aired or...?

When I am watching the video, it looked very old. So I'd like to know when does it recorded.
So I googled with "John Cleese explains extremism video date".

Here is the result:

Screenshot of google search with "John Cleese explains extremism video date"-result.

I just wanted to know the date so I clicked this link: John Cleese on extremism - this is from UK, 1987, and it's more actual than ever. How to use humor to deal with difficult topics : JordanPeterson @ May 24, 2017

That's how I found uncut version--I will include video later because you have to see 2 minutes version first so hopefully you will understand what I'm talking about.

If I googled without 'date', I probably clicked very same video I watched--very first and big one is 2 minutes cut version.

Here is the result--keyword without 'date'

Screenshot of google search with "John Cleese explains extremism video"-result.

I will embedded video here--same 2 minutes cut version.
because you have to watch it yourself for the difference, if you want to know.

Here is the 2 minutes version:
John Cleese vs Extremism @ 5 Mar 2008
video description: John Cleese shows the pathology of extremism

Here is the screenshot so you can see how many people watched and shared:

Screenshot of cut version - John Cleese vs Extremism at 5 Mar 2008 @ youtube

617,451 views, 10k likes. 723 comments -- not many people watched--compare to facebook's.
And it was 2 minutes 12 seconds video which is almost same as facebook's.


And then I clicked next link from google search result:

Jonathan Haidt on Twitter: "John Cleese clip on the advantages of extremism. (Britain in '70s, but its timeless) https://t.co/oaspjwLqsN" @ July 4, 2017
That link was hyperlink of the above youtube video--2 minutes cut version.

Here is the screenshot so you can see how many people watched and shared:

Screenshot of Jonathan Haidt's tweet about John Cleese's extremism at July 4, 2017

920 retweets, 1,433 likes, 64 comments(??).



2 minutes cut version was hyped. But 5 minutes version, no one was sharing--even watching.

I can't really measure it. But this video was seen by so many people--at least 7 millions and 30,000 people liked video. And at a hundred and nine thousands people shared.



In contrast, you can see the 5+ minutes video.
It might not really the full version because youtube uploader lemsip said:

I cropped this from a party political broadcast on behalf of the SDP-Liberal Alliance in the UK General Election of 1987.

Here is the screenshot so you can see how many people watched and shared:

Screenshot of uncut version of John Cleese on extremism at Sep 29, 2015 @ youtube

Here is the video:
John Cleese on extremism - YouTube @ Sep 29, 2015 - uncut version 5 minutes video.

After watched cut version, I thought it wasn't bad but something was missing or doesn't feel right.
And now I know why.
That video cut out  after 2 minutes. Whole story is important but just cut out for "excitement"(no need message, ain't it?)


This exactly prove what John Cleese explained this unseen part. Quoted from subtitles of above video--uncut version:

source: John Cleese on extremism - YouTube @ Sep 29, 2015
 - about 3:21
...because attacking our enemies always makes us feel good and
excited in fact just about the only disadvantage to extremism is that it can never
solve problems for them....solving problems is a real bore compared with the healing victory and sparing to smash capitalism and crush socialism and generally feeling good....


 - about 3:45
I mean solving problems involves frustrating thing about listening to people with different views and learning from...

That's not all.

 - about 3:59
...the other irritating thing about solving problems is...
if the solutions are going to work, they've got to be fair....
ask any businessman he'll tell you a good deal is won both sides can accept if not, it won't work

 - about 4:12
but this means that you're going to be fair and balanced and that breaks the....

We generally believe we are viewing fair view on this world.
But how about now?


I'm not saying those people who watched short video was anything wrong with them. I'm just saying that we think we are viewing something fairly (in this case, about the extremism)--or trying to learn about it,
but actually we don't really learn anything from it.




P.S. Now I found full version.
John Cleese SDP/Liberal Alliance political broadcast 1987 - YouTube @ October 15, 2006

I don't think it missed any part from 5 minutes version because those missing parts were about the SDP/Liberal Alliance. So 5 minutes version should enough for about extremism.

And that video's view was higher than 5 minutes version--83,919 views only.