Has Our Nation Declared War AGAINST Intelligence???

[DemocracyInaction]

The secret to Republican success is that they have taken the bottom of the evolutionary scale in this country, told them they have "da power", and given the half-wits the macho, braggadocio feeling that they are "kicking intellectual butts". It's akin to a bunch of dull witted, barely illiterate jocks beating up on the academic achieving kids. Unfortunately, half-wit jocks don't build an economy. Smart people do. If the jocks beat up enough smart kids, the jocks will eventually have no jobs and no way to keep their loud mouths stuffed with food. Are not ignorant morons as much a threat to the security of this nation as any terrorist??

I noticed that the "conservatives" are now out screaming that oil dependency is a national threat and want something done about it (no shit, Sherlock..that's what we've been saying for years). SO, by the same reasoning aren't functional illiterate, brainwashed, Limbaugh listeners that are suppressing our advancement in the sciences, etc. and thus giving the winning edge to "dirty" foreigners just as much a threat?? Should we not have a special Camp X-ray for these folks??--called "school"??

They also use the bottom feeders of the Christian religion. The bottom feeders wallow in religion as place they can practice their hatreds. The republicans have given them dominion over the nation and again the ignorant feel the pulse of power cursing through their veins.

Beware of the bottom line: "dumb" cannot hold the flank against the onslaught of "smart" coming from other nations.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Yes. Ignorance is part of conservative DNA

How do conservatives tackle oil dependency? Threaten to kill the leader of a country which supplies us a whole bunch of oil. Conservatives find it so much easier to believe stuff than to learn stuff. That would require applying ones mind.

Conservatives are the number one threat to our constitution - period!

[Bassic]

2. Yes I believe that they have indeed.

How else are we to explain all that is going on and the progression of ignorance as a doctrine.

[ewagner]

3. Well said

It has been disturbing to me for years that the Right Wing glorifies ignorance under the guise of glorifying the "common man".

It's complete bullshit! It's time that we start calling the Republicans on the notion that "college isn't for everyone"...meaning that you need to stay ignorant and let the RW elite make your decisions for you.

[Bob3]

4. They did years ago -

the GOP has been attacking people with working fore-brains since the 50's - remember the attacks on the Eggheads and the Scientists? Aside from the panic that set in when the Russians launched the Sputnik being smart in this country is regarded with suspicion if not outright loathing.

[raccoon]

5. I think Americans have always been anti-intellectual,

not ALL Americans, of course, but many Americans have a negative perception of people who are "too smart," calling them nerds or whatever.

I don't think Americans as a group respect academic achievement the way some other cultures do.

The current Republican administration have raised this to new heights (or depths).

[bigfootme]

6. The ought to call it the war on intellect

Because they rave on and on about college professors, and public schools and how they are the ruination of this society. How can anyone be so basackwards? That's what I would like to know.

[Porcupine]

7. I noticed this 20 years ago! What took you?

Our schools glorify the stupidest people in the school; the football and basketball teams. When's the last time there was a weekly high school rally with pretty girls honoring the guys with high SAT's? Never.

People actually get nervous and edge away from you if you appear to have more than usual knowledge about stuff. IN COLLEGE! We are a nation of idiots.

[DemocracyInaction]

10. Porcupine--there's another type of war on intellect going on, too

I've noticed that if one wants to discuss among "educated" people the housing market, stocks, etc. it's a-okay. But if you begin to delve into the government/politics which are going to be the major effect on all these areas, they not only are dumb as shit but they don't want to talk about. If they say anything, it's Rush-speak. So I've watched intelligent minds break into two pieces. They can rail on about the ignorance of ignoring stem cell research, etc. and then, as I just said, come out with some other Rush-speak when talking about the war in Iraq, Bush, etc.

[hfojvt]

27. Pretty girls honoring the guys?

In my class of 1980, 22 of the 32 who graduated with highest honors or with honors were girls, including, IMHO, some of the prettiest girls in school, and three of them were on the girls basketball team too. So how are we supposed to honor these pretty girls?

Trent Green and Michael Jordan are both college graduates, but they made their big bucks without the use of their knowledge. I wonder how much they pull up the "average" income of a college graduate?

[Porcupine]

34. Well yeah, guys don't see profit in extra studying.

If you want attention you play sports, learn to play guitar or hit the weight room. Having a unique and cogent point to make in class on the reading material just gets groans. After all, the majority of the class just flipped throught the cliff notes or watched the movie.

Thinking has to be worth the effort. Some of us unfortunates just can't help ourselves even when we'd be better off joining the morans and improving our social status.

[oasis]

8. Bill Clinton said it best "When people read, they vote Democrat".

[kestrel91316]

24. .............. which is why the RW wants to do away with public schools

and the Dept of Education. Keep 'em illiterate and uneducated and they vote Republican every time!

[formerrepuke]

9. Conservatism isn't about learning new things: It's about sticking

what what's comfortable and simple (for them).

[imperialismispasse]

11. But it's not comfortable for them.

Maybe intellectualy but not in their wallets! Between gas prices rising and more soldiers dying in Iraq I think it's going to get very uncomfortable for them and then maybe people will start waking up.

[Siena]

15. Now you're thinking too much!

:rofl:

[imperialismispasse]

28. I guess you're right.

:)

[Solly Mack]

12. a long time ago

[RethugAssKicker]

13. We've always been an idiot nation..

But, admittedly it's getting much worse. With the RW radio-hate guys, they have been teaching stupidity at an alarming rate.

[Siena]

14. Yes there is a war against intelligence.

I think it's a number of things. For one, people of faith are taught to fear intelligence. Meaning, if you thought about it too much, you would never really believe in God. And secondly, I think it's a backlash against the "liberal elites". People don't want to feel like they're stupid and there are a lot of people in the intelligentsia that will scoff at ignorance and hence there is a movement to sort of fight back. And lastly, the kool aid goes down a lot more smoothly if you don't think about it too much and hence it's reinforced by our "common man" president. Hey, i got C's in school and I became president of the US! Imagine what you can do! Of course he doesn't add the family he comes from certainly helps out a lot...

[MN ChimpH8R]

16. Excellent post

Religion, at least in its fundie incarnations, is profoundly anti-intellectual. The message is "sit down and shut up and we will tell you what to believe." Many sheeple are unable to handle complexity of any kind, and once indoctrinated into this type of blind obediance, transfer it into other areas of their life. Unless they are told what to do, their heads explode. Complexity must be held at bay or they will come completely apart and they will believe nearly anything which preserves their tenuous hold on sanity, however insane those beliefs are when critically examined.



This has always been a profoundly anti-intellectual country, though The morans can't stand the thought that people with education just might in fact be better (at thinking) than they are. It has, however, become much worse since the rise of shriek radio and the acceptance of loony fundamentalism by millions.

[Siena]

17. I should have tempered what I said...

with religion in its FUNDIE incarnations is anti-intellectual. I didn't mean to generalize all religious people at all. Thanks MN Chimp for that.

I like that icon! where did you get that?

[MN ChimpH8R]

21. Right click on the sheep and then click properties

and the URL will come up in the message box about halfway down!

[Siena]

22. Thanks!!

[Beelzebud]

18. Keep people stupid full of mysticism, and they'll follow you anywhere

[GoSolar]

19. Looks that way.

That's why we think more about leaving every day.
We are worried that our child will get a very um, limited, education here...

:-(

[bullwinkle428]

20. Rush Limbaugh reinforces this point every day...

I recall years ago listening to him on occasion (when I actually had a strong enough stomach to handle it) and he would employ the mantra(in an at least semi-serious fashion), "Let ME do your thinking for you!"

[txaslftist]

23. OAWH Hayl. You gone git it now, mister smarty pants.

You smarties think you know everthing. You ain't got Jayzuz, so you you doan' know dittly. Your whole science thing is a dang librul hoax. Everboddy knows the real truth is in the werd of the Loard.

Themn other nations ain't got Jayzuz, neither, its all a buncha mooslin streemists. But goad is on air side, not there'n.

You panzy, longhaired, sandal-wearin' freak.

[PurityOfEssence]

25. That's older than the Republic itself

This has always been a deeply anti-intellectual country. We pride ourselves on being the commoners who made good, and the quickest way to marginalize someone (short of questioning their religion or sexuality) is to paint them as stuck-up superior types. Listen to any radio DJ for a half an hour and that person will try and ingratiate him/herself by pointing out his/her ignorance of often simple things. Listen to one interview someone who actually knows something, and it's a laugh riot how much the DJ will jockey for position with some sort of "...well, that's way over my head..." comment. It's really funny if the subject is science or math.

The whole approach is a weird little minuet: "love me because I'm unthreatening" is just twist on "I'm better than others because I don't claim to be better than others", and degenerates into some kind of one-downsmanship where people limbo to prove themselves even greater dolts who deserve more admiration.

[anarch]

26. what the hell did you think our education system was FOR?

I mean, you don't really think our corporate overlords want a population that's capable of logic, reason, independent thought and so on, do you? Nowadays, not even a relatively unschooled manufacturing labor class is desired...just consumers.

America's children are taught to be good consumers, and indoctrinated with the proper attitude of respect toward capitalism (and the implied subservience to wealth), and anything else is pretty much driven out of them...but don't listen to me, I'm just a cranky, cynical old asshole, really. It's probably on account of being too broke to go buy stuff...yep, going to the mall would make everything all better...

[samsingh]

29. neocons have dumified America.

[Norquist Nemesis]

30. ummm..."National Security" is the shield for Dominionists n/t

[Stirk]

31. There's a positive side to anti-intellectualism, too.

Though it's largely evaporated.

Anti-intellectualism can also mean rejecting the official "truth" espoused by the people our society annoints as intellectuals, and searching for your own answers. Doing your own thinking.

When it comes to science, medicine, engineering... that sort of thing- of course you want to defer to the experts. But philosohpy? Literature? Political science? What makes them any more expert on these subjects than someone digging ditches or trimming trees?

My dad spent 40 years of his life filling pot holes, and his views on geopolitical issues were a hell of alot more reasoned and consistent that those of David Fineman or Ben Stein (two so-called intellectuals). He would call guys like that what they are: idea salesmen for the powers-that-be. I think there's a place for that kind of anti-intellectualism.

[trof]

32. You describe some of my young cousins to a "T".

Rural Alabamians, mostly male.
30-somethings.
But not poor. Far from it.

A great grandfather was a respected physician. All of his siblings had education beyond high school; some had degrees.

Of the grandparents, one was a high school teacher and one was a sea captain.

In fact it was a family tradition (until the current generation) that the males all attended the same respected private military prep school.

Most of the boys of the younger generation aspired to...go to work at the local lumber/plywood mill right out of high school, if not before. They spend their time off hunting, fishing, and generally helling around the woods (which they and their families own substantial portions of) on 4-wheelers. There's not a thing wrong with hunting and fishing, but for them it's a total lifestyle. The jobs are just the means to that end. This may sound harsh, but to me they're just plantation owners, but without slaves to do the heavy lifting.

A college education was available to all of them, but they scorned it.
Their parents are perplexed, but say "Well...if that's what they want...?", and their grandparents are terribly disappointed, as am I.

If they get ANY news (rare) it's Limbaugh or Fox.
I don't understand it at all.
:-(

[wli]

33. they're not really planning to stick around after the train wreck

The neocons will be absconding to palaces in Saudi Arabia or China with trillions, with private armies to defend them (and if Osama bin Laden is still alive, he'll probably be invited to visit them frequently to reward his playing the patsy for 9/11). They don't need to give a damn about the US.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

35. Reminds me of an earlier post....

America, the land of stupid motherfuckers



I started thinking about this when the Iraqi invasion began. Surely, I wasn’t that much smarter than the rest of my countrymen. Surely, they could see that there were no WMD. Surely, they heard Saddam back peddle and invite inspectors in.

Guess not

Today at work, our HR director was bitching about insurance costs. I said, “It’s amazing, isn’t it. We pay through the nose for crappy coverage that will drop you like a hot potato as soon as they can if you get sick and need to use what you’ve been paying for.”

She knows my feelings, so her answer was “Yes, but we get to pick the doctors we want!”



Yeah. As long as they are listed by our HMO.

She, like so many others has drank so deeply of the Kool Aide that she doesn’t even hear what she’s saying and does not go past Republican talking points in her reasoning. Mindsets like this are damning in their pervasiveness and damning in their results. Every day, I drive by SUV’s and pick up trucks festooned with American flags, bumper stickers proclaiming they support Bush, telling me that ‘these colors don’t run’ and yellow ribbon magnets to inform the world that they support the troops even though they would quickly dismiss any suggestion that they actually go to Iraq and truly support the war effort up close and personal. If all these people feel so strongly about this war, why are the Armed services falling so far behind in recruitment goals?

I’m still hearing people damning the French… “Surrender monkeys.” When I say that we would most likely be a part of the British Empire if it weren’t for Lafayette (You know, that French guy… “Lafayette, we are here” guy?), the answer I got today was “probably not.”

Are these people trying to be stupid? They make Luddites look like the Manhattan Project. Stem cells? Cloning? Evolution? If Newton lived in America today, they would hang him from the nearest tree to disprove the law of gravity. And call it compassionate science…

Compassion? Not if you are poor. You chose to be that way. Not if you’re gay. You chose to be that way. Killing tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens? We’re spreading freedom and you know you have to break a few eggs. After all, we lost 3000 people in the Trade Center disaster, so I guess that figures, Iraq ought to lose 30,000… Even though the 9-11 attackers were Saudis and Iraq had NOTHING to do with it.

I’m sorry, America, 51% of the voters are not simply uninformed. They are Stupid Motherfuckers because they have taken the lies given to them by a bunch of power hungry men and women and have not just held on to the lies but have gilded them in gold and carry the lies as battle standards.