Why Do Intellectuals Oppose Capitalism?
Because they are almost all utopian socialists.
I take exception to the defintion of an intellectual. I rather would say that an intellectual is one who self-identifies as a member of the intelligentsia.
Because they all suffer from delusions of adequacy.
Because they crave power.
Because capitalism rewards productivity.
Most of the renown economists are libertarian-leaning. Generally, I consider that fairly 'right'. Just because their 'intellectuals' doesn't mean they know sh&t about how the economy works.
Mainly because intellectuals are generally among the ruling class, and as the ruling class, they are control freaks, and don't like it when they can't control everything. Capitalism by contrast, requires freedom and decentralized decision making.
"...Indeed, some data suggest that the more prosperous and successful the intellectual, the more likely he is to oppose capitalism..."
These are often the same people who:
Wear leather shoes and belts, but support PETA
Drive huge SUV's, but chant "No Blood for Oil"
Shoot the mouths off about freedom of speech, and denounce the very people who purchase their freedom of speech with their blood, the military.
Get up every single day, and take everything they have in life for granted as a birthright, and are the ones who moan most loudly and most piteously when deprived of even some portion of it.
Makes me ill to dwell on their kind.
Try stealing a little of their intellectual capital and listen to them squeal....
Why? Because they don't produce anything. In a Capitalistic system they're worthless dinosaurs. In a Communist system, they reign supreme.
Could be because the American Academy is Marxist brainwash central..
AND very very few care..
Well we have David Horowitz.. shouting up a culvert to hear his echos..
Awesome Post!
I lament every day why as an Engineer, when I toiled in school for years, I can not make as much as the Gas Station owner that I know.
He doesn't have to worry about Gas Station owner's in China either.
I have to to compete with smart people in China and rest of the world to keep my job.
Capitalism rewards businessman. How much "intellectual" knowledge you piled up, doesn't matter.
To a philosopher, the perfect man looks a whole lot like a philosopher.
Because they can't control it themselves. Intellectuals are so smart they know that they can design and order the world in all detail to be run from a central capital where they live and teach. That is the whole reason.
Why? Because, in most cases, "intellectual" should be set apart from the rest of the sentence with quotation marks.
Because they want to be able to allocate our labor and spend our money for us.
The author has this backwards. Self-styled "intellectuals" are not necessarily drawn to leading opinion by advocation; it's much more the case that those opposed to capitalism are drawn to positions allowing such belief the illusion of intellectualism, in order to lead opinion. Big difference there.
We cantankerous and questioning pupils just grew up into cantankerous and questioning adults.
In my case, the process just yielded a cantankerous, questioning conservative.
Go figure.