George Carlin, American Radical

The Nation ^ | 23 June 2008 | John Nichols

[Publius]

The last vote that George Carlin said he cast in a presidential race was for George McGovern in 1972.

When Richard Nixon, who Carlin described as a member of a sub-species of humanity, overwhelmingly defeated McGovern, the comedian gave up on the political process.

[toddlintown]

“I was speaking sardonically.”

And I was just using a keyboard. Funny, that.

[metesky]

The guy was funny when Hector was a pup. I can remember seeing him do all six or eight different Boston accents plus running through all the other local dialects throughout New England. He had an ear for it and it was really funny, especially if you knew NE's regions before TV newscasters flattened America's dialects.

Other than that, he was a plain vanilla, boiler-plate lefty all his life, and his so-called "anger" was more the grating whine of a political loser.

[Morgan in Denver]

I could not agree with you more. I did not always agree with Carlin but I never dismissed his rants and opinions.

I just wish more Democrats and people on the left did the same thing, and questioned what it is they are asking for.

[ShasheMac]

Or maybe He’ll just be crucified.

[toddlintown]

Who got the last 8-ball out of his pocket before they took his sorry ass away?

[dragnet2]

"The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They've long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They've got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying – lobbying to get what they want.

This for the most part is the truth.

The corporations and business owners, own D.C. and those in it. Their wealth compared to the wealthiest celebrities, make these celebs appear destitute and poor.

[csvset]

Pryor was much funnier than Carlin.

[vietvet67]

I don’t fault Carlin for his views but they did turn noticeably left as he aged without recognition of the consequences.

Before that he always entertained me by his ability to cut through the BS and offer the simplistic view which in most cases was correct and somehow shocking for many.

He made many realize that everything doesn’t have to be complex and for that I simply say Rest in Peace..

[NurdlyPeon]

I'm glad to finally find a thread that agrees with me; George Carlin was nothing. Less than nothing. Maybe he was funny 20 years ago in front of a bunch of drunk college students, but that was a long time ago. He was crude. He was boring. He was the opposite of funny. No wit. No insight. No nuthin’ (except crudity and sarcasm). The man sucked the oxygen out of a room. Goodbye, Carlin. I for one will not miss you. Not even a little bit.

[Zero Sum]

Any idea how many of his collected potatoes he gave to those who had none?

Good question. I'd imagine that he piled up quite a few potatoes for himself during his Hollywood career. There was nothing stopping him from giving some of his potatoes to poor little Joey, and it would have been comendable if he had chosen to do so.

Not to mention, this whole scenario makes the typical leftist assumption that economics is a zero-sum game. But that's another matter altogether.

[Publius]

He was a vulgar man who made himself rich by ridiculing all that was good in America.

He also ridiculed what was bad in America.

[normy]

was more the grating whine of a political loser.

I think that sums him up. He had a little insight but was basically a whiner.

[Magic Fingers]

I saw him in the early 80’s in a theater in the round and he went non-stop for an hour and a half. Not a pause or a stumble, and no cards or teleprompters in sight.

[gubmint cheese]

These actors and comedians and politicians who don't actually work but make huge sums of moneyt could vow to live on 50 or 75,000 a year and donate the rest.

First, let me say that I am asking this in good faith...not trying to start a fuss. But, who would they donate their money to? The "poor"? Then we continue the cycle of dependance. Programs to educate the "poor"? We've spent billions on those programs and we keep being told that it is not enough. The truth is, it will NEVER be enough.

I'm not a rich guy. Far from it. But, I believe that everyone should be able to sell their talents or products for whatever the free market is willing to pay.

God Bless the rich! I hope to be among them someday. And in this wonderful free society, I actually have a shot at it (if I am willing to WORK for it.)

I guess that I am just saying that I don't know where the rich could donate their money where it would not do more harm than good.

[normy]

I don't actually care if the donate or not but for them to bitch so much about the poor while they are very wealthy is absurd. I give and I am very middle class. If I made 20 million a movie I wouldn't use my fame to push for the government to fund causes I believed in, I would fund them myself and get my peers to help fund them.

[normy]

By the way, the rich and actors/slash comedians who berate America are the ones I am talking about. Give where you want to or not at all for all I care.

[mtg]

I also agree with you. Could never stand the guy. His comedy (even without the vulgarity) was mediocre at best.

[aruanan]

I also agree with you. Could never stand the guy. His comedy (even without the vulgarity) was mediocre at best.

Yes, but he was anti-environmentalist, anti-global warming, so he wasn't all bad.

[television is just wrong]

I found him intriguing.

[Intolerant in NJ]

When Richard Nixon, who Carlin described as a member of a sub-species of humanity,...what a warm, compassionate, equitable man he was......