Mos Def: Neil Armstrong lied, Bigfoot is real and O.J. is just misunderstood

Suppose you were at work one day, minding your own business, when a stranger stopped by your office, muttering almost incoherently that Osama bin Laden was not a real person, that the U.S. did not put a man on the moon, that O.J. didn't kill his wife and that Bigfoot is real.

Would you call security? Or maybe the nice men in white coats?

Not Bill Maher. He gives guys like that a spot on live television.

By now you may have seen -- or read about -- the rambling, profanity-laced appearance of so-called black "activist" Mos Def (pictured) on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." If you haven't, here's a snippet of the discussion with the bad language removed:

DEF: I don't believe it was bin Laden today, I don't believe it was never him. I think it's some dude just standing, I don't even, I can't even believe. I don't even, I'm sorry, I'm from the projects, I know danger. I don't feel no danger from that (expletive), those (expletives).

BILL MAHER: But you don't think bin Laden knocked down the Word Trade Center?

DEF: Absolutely not.

MAHER: Come on.

DEF: I don't. I don't. You know what, I don't.

MAHER: That's where you lose me, my friend, and I'm so on your side, but you know what.

DEF: In any barbershop I am so not alone, I'm so not alone.

MAHER: That doesn't mean you're right.

DEF: That don't mean it is not valid neither. Highly-educated people in all areas of science have spoken on the fishiness around the whole 9/11 theory. It's like the magic-bullet and all that (expletive).

MAHER: Then what happened?

DEF: I don't believe these (expletives) have been to the moon either, but that's just me.

You can find plenty more of Def's garbage on You Tube, if you're so inclined. But the interesting thing is that Def, whose real name is Dante Smith, has quite an audience for his views.

Around the blogosphere, you can find plenty of folks who flat-out agree with the actor/rapper and his bizarre ramblings. To them, Smith is "speaking truth to power" ... bringing to light the realities that the "white establishment" doesn't want you to know. Including:

• The U.S. government is responsible for 9/11 and invented Osama bin Laden to cover it up.


• There is no such thing as al-Qaeda.


• George Washington was a terrorist.


• The Catholic Church is a terrorist organization.


• People around the world want to be "America's friend."

And yes, he clearly told Bill Maher he believes Bigfoot is real.

What people like about Def is his insistence that because of the history of race in this country, you can't trust anyone who is white and in power. I disagree, but I understand he has a different set of experiences that have framed his opinion.

But here's my beef.

I am all for skepticism and common sense when dealing with current events. We need more people who can question the thinking that passes for mainstream wisdom in this country, especially when it comes to our dealings with other nations.

But it must be done with intelligence and an awareness of the importance of nuance. If you really want to be an activist, speak with passion but back up your words with knowledge and insight. Spreading wild conspiracy theories about "the man"while defending groups like al-Qaeda is unconscionable.

While Maher did challenge Def on some of his claims, he basically gave him a forum to rally the ignorant and the biased. Not to mention unleash one of the most wicked triple-negative sentences ever heard on television -- "that don't mean it is not valid neither."

Is Mos Def just a loudmouth? Or does he represent -- along with those who believe him -- another low point in America's race to the bottom? Let's hear from you.