Posted on 11/10/2008 7:47:23 PM PST by jazusamo
Among the many wonders to be expected from an Obama administration, if Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times is to be believed, is ending "the anti-intellectualism that has long been a strain in American life."
He cited Adlai Stevenson, the suave and debonair governor of Illinois, who twice ran for president against Eisenhower in the 1950s, as an example of an intellectual in politics.
Intellectuals, according to Mr. Kristof, are people who are "interested in ideas and comfortable with complexity," people who "read the classics."
It is hard to know whether to laugh or cry.
Adlai Stevenson was certainly regarded as an intellectual by intellectuals in the 1950s. But, half a century later, facts paint a very different picture.
Historian Michael Beschloss, among others, has noted that Stevenson "could go quite happily for months or years without picking up a book." But Stevenson had the airs of an intellectual — the form, rather than the substance.
What is more telling, form was enough to impress the intellectuals, not only then but even now, years after the facts have been revealed, though apparently not to Mr. Kristof.
That is one of many reasons why intellectuals are not taken as seriously by others as they take themselves.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
I have encountered the above since and including high school. The most obvious example today is Barack Obama.
Furthermore, there are some lacking in form but have the intellect. I can think of some good examples, but will leave it at that.
Adlai Stevenson was also a bit effeminate, which tended to set him apart as a true intellectual in form. Kerry had much of that form, AlGore some of it, including a heavy lisp.
The Demo concept of the intellectual is quite old fashioned and appears to us as.... an intellectual eunuch. Left over from the time when few people had college educations it is concept which has lost much of its pull over time because of the intellectual’s tendency to accomplish little of worth. In orther words, intellectuals are not men of action, but men who sit and think a lot and are of little use to the country.
The real intellectuals are the engineers who design our space ships, our fighters, our computers. Want some complexity? Try designing a processor with 10 billion operatinal amplifiers that multitasks. Or a fire control system for our fighters that will track and kill 32 enemy figters. Much more complex than readings of Marcus Aurelius, you betcha.
The anti-intellectualism that is referred to is nothing more than anti-aristocracy and it is fully justified.
A great line. And what Liberals inspire.
>> Intellectuals, according to Mr. Kristof, are people who are “interested in ideas and comfortable with complexity,” people who “read the classics.”
Interesting. I guess for what remains complex, one must get used to it. Now, how many husbands read the classics.
Supposedly, if Michael Medved is correct, Carter has one of the highest IQ’s of the modern presidents. That well correlates to his low performance.
Well stated. My only acquaintance of someone like you speak of was a distant relative and an engineer for JPL, he is brilliant and now retired. Not the least bit snobbish but limited in many subjects that average people talk about. I was fascinated when he would talk about unclassified areas of his work though there was some I couldn’t understand.
Thanks, I didn’t know that but believe you are correct.
You are always welcome! : )
Riffing off you thoughts, I’ve found that a great preponderance of “intellectuals” are innumerate as a toddler - ie, they have no mathematical training or education, they have no concept of numbers and are completely gullible in the face of someone spouting random statistics posing as facts, because they have no internal “gut check” on the numbers.
One of my favorites from the early 90’s was debating someone on gun crime stats in California. This guy (a liberal arts major, well read in “the classics” no doubt) popped out with a stat that XYZ policy resulted in a reduction of 168% of crome stat ABC.”
At this, I looked like someone had just passed gas in public. I asked “After the first 100% reduction, where does the next 68% reduction come from?”
He was completely non-plussed, and repeated his claim. I said “Look, when you reduce something by 100%, it is ALL GONE. How can you reduce something more when you’ve completely eliminated it?!”
The audience sat up and agreed with me, and the ‘intellectual’ suddenly realized he was out to lunch - and then some.
Yet, until I pointed it out, this guy had the bit firmly in his teeth and was wow’ing the crowd.
This is the sort of thing that engineers crucify fellow engineers for. You’d never hear an engineer or scientist (especially a physics guy) pop out with this sort of mistake, because if they did in front of other engineers/scientists, they’d be crucified immediately.
Yet “intellectuals” who think “I don’t need calculus, my man, I’ve read Yeats!” have the public completely bamboozled into thinking they’re smart because they’re such suave talkers.
In todays’ public policy environment, we need more engineers/scientists not only running for office, we need more of them to step up to the plate in educating the public by any means possible. Thanks to the NEA, today’s school and college graduates are just woefully innumerate.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6KUDv1wzraWhwlBt1
“Intellectuals” are some of the dumbest people you will ever meet, the things they believe would make your head spin.
The most dangerous people on the planet are “intellectuals” with soft science degrees from Ivy League schools, unfortunately that includes the Bushes.
The last good President we had graduated from Eureka College.
I couldn't agree more with your post, especially the above.
I viewed that video of Yuri Bezmenov a few days ago and it's excellent, he tells it like it is. Thanks for posting it.
Peanut farmers deserved the respect of calling Carter an intellectual.
"That is one of many reasons why intellectuals are not taken as seriously by others as they take themselves."
Zing!!!
I remember Truman being dismissed as a a mere haberdasher by his harshest critics while I also remember his exit being the most principled leave of office ever, where today the leeches cling as tenaciously as roaches inured to the constant swats refuse to die, armoring themselves long past the point reason could possibly justify.
For Truman it was but a hat, for the rest it has become a costume ball where all vie for the grand prize.
A modern intellectual is one whose mind is dirtier than his hands, his tongue is well-scrubbed and his demeanor is proudly inscrutable.
He could have mine....any time! But I suspect he's too smart to want the job even though supremely capable.*
*Dare I say "overqualified" given the last three Presidents - plus the current President Elect!
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