Anti-intellectualism rears its head

from The American Prospect:





Dwight Eisenhower once defined an intellectual as "a man who takes more words than are necessary to tell more than he knows." While Eisenhower was perfectly happy to have people mistake his lack of eloquence for a modest intelligence, he would never have gone so far as to proclaim himself proud to be dumb or uninformed.

Yet there are some who seem tempted to do just that. Last month, Sarah Palin added to her growing body of fascinating public utterances by pleading with Muslims to "refudiate" the Islamic center planned for near Ground Zero in New York (it turned out it wasn't the first time she had used the word). Eventually, the Weekly Standard, one of the chief organs of the intellectual right, began selling T-shirts and bumper stickers saying "Refudiate Obama" and "Refudiate socialism."

We probably shouldn't make too much of this -- they're just having a bit of fun, after all. But embracing Palin in all her nincompoopery must, in the words of the former Alaska governor herself, "stab hearts" -- at least some of them -- at a magazine that is supposed to have some sort of commitment to ideas. When you make a slip of the tongue (or the brain), you can say "oops," or you can celebrate your own ignorance. Because after all, wouldn't the later irritate people who value things like education and clear thinking? You know, liberals?

At a time when no one can seem to figure out how to fix the economy, it's easy to conclude that there's not much point in being smart. As Ronald Reagan used to say, complex problems may not have easy answers, but they do have simple answers. You don't need book learning to find them; you just need the right beliefs. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=theyre_with_stupid

the let's hate anyone with half a brain

Most people don't have a college education.

Half of everyone is below average intelligence.

They get pretty tired of hearing the "smart people" - you know, the ones who get the jobs they can't; the ones who make everything so complicated - calling them stupid.

but the ironic thing is that the tea partiers and cons and whatever are usually more educated than the average person

They have made it a badge of honor to be a moron.

They used "intelligence" as a negative to defeat Gore.

How pathetic is it that they were able to convince the voters that they should not want someone "smarter than they are" in the White House??? They were able to make pres shit-for-brains' lack of intelligence look like an asset.

The guy whom you could talk about peak oil with vs the guy you could have a beer and make armpit sounds with.

I did some work producing training literature for a branch of the armed services about 6 years ago. The first thing they told was to write on a comic book level, for a 7th grader, since that was the average intellectual level of a enlisted soldier. A 7th grader. Given guns, explosives, and missiles to operate. And here is this Palin woman, who talks at the level of a 7th grader, wanting to be president. For decades, the GOP has waged war on education, and here is the results- a large bloc of very stupid, easily led, American people, being led by equally stupid Palin. And all proud of being stupid.

soldiers to do their bidding...
Their aim is to to have everyone in the army..no jobs except in the army, and for the few jobs that do exist..most people will be too stupid to get them. That is their purpose in killing public education.

they don't want to hear from "intellectuals". Those are the ones saying the party is over. The oil is gone. The back yard is fillled with junk. The bank is busted. It's a downer.

You may not realize it from how the right used the word in 2004, but look up the definition of 'Elite', it means the very best at something. The way the GOP used the term however to attack Kerry for being an 'elitist' made it sound like a bad thing to be smart.

And look at what happened on election day, too many idiots fell for that crap.

I still shudder over one story of a voter I heard about in 2004, that just shows how stupid people can be. It was a guy who hated Bush (really hated him) but voted for him anyway in 2004, simply because 'I don't know what Kerry will do, I can't trust him'. I can't believe anyone would fall for those stupid flip flop commercials like that who hated Bush so much, especially since Kerry wasn't some total wacko like Angle.

What a bunch of creeps.