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Anti- Intellectualism


oldtimer

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Nowadays a lot of subjects are being automatically categorically "culted" without any factual data. Typically the loss of jobs. For instance in the 1960's GM used almost 70% more people to manufacture the same amount of automobiles that they do now and the reason why is robots. The steel industry manufactures the same amount of steel now as 30 years ago with less than half the people because of robots and downsizing.

JJK

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Excellent.  Yes it is thinking, perhaps even described as trained.

1 minute ago, cincymat said:

It's all in a sentence. I think you're a bright guy but, for the comments you write here. You do see how the but negates the preceding praise? 

 

Questions aren't meant to provide an answers. They are meant to help find answers. Isn’t intellectualism a trained way of thinking? 

 

Sorry, more questions. 

Finding an answer is the point.  Plus, it can expose the truth, as bsm relates.

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6 minutes ago, cincymat said:

It's all in a sentence. I think you're a bright guy but, for the comments you write here. You do see how the but negates the preceding praise? 

 

Questions aren't meant to provide an answers. They are meant to help find answers. Isn’t intellectualism a trained way of thinking? 

 

Sorry, more questions. 

Also, while I care about what you think, I don't care about what you think of me.  The reverse is anti-intellectual.

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19 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

Thanks Gilbert.  That's a beautiful self portrait.

 

17 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said:

Spurned again!  Oldie, you are the Spurn-inator!

 

 

Seriously, to have an open, or intelligent discussion on any subject, requires open minds. Clearly, and intuitively, people who willing  pass judgement on a whole, but  demonstrate a lack of understanding and/or experience on the subject, are clearly not the open minded type.

 

Perhaps, if Oldie had rephrased his question, I would be willing to take him as being serious..... for now, I'll just say, "schau dir nummer sechs an". 

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14 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

Gilbert, now that you count yourself amongst the open minded, how would you reprhrase the question?  This mind is open to it.

 

That's way too easy.... what would be more challenging, and make for better discussion, is how you determined and why you believe there are over 320,000,000 American's who are anti-intellectual.

 

You started this thread without offering your own insite.  Some might call that trolling, I tend to think of it as being insincere.

 

EDIT:

On some things, most things, I think, I can consider myself open minded; but I'm only human, and have my mind closed on many issues involving morality and to a lesser extent, religion. 

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So you disagree that there is a common thread of anti-intellectualism present today? Or is it just you and I and a few thousand others who respect intellectualism?  Therefore my original statement would stand given overwhelming numbers.  Is everything completely literal to you that a simple qualification of ' "most" is needed?  Or is it only necessary when you want to disagree based on the person making the statement?

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2 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

So you disagree that there is a common thread of anti-intellectualism present today? Or is it just you and I and a few thousand others who respect intellectualism?  Therefore my original statement would stand given overwhelming numbers.  Is everything completely literal to you that a simple qualification of ' "most" is needed?  Or is it only necessary when you want to disagree based on the person making the statement?

believe in nothing that you here..

 

and half of what you read

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So, if you want to smoke me out, here it is.  And I welcome comments and counter theories, especially those without ad hominems.

The 70s were an economic disaster with price and wage freezes, inflation, and stagflation.  People were losing their butts in tbe stock market.  We had lots of experts providing opinions and solutions and our leaders always seermed to choose the worst ones.

After Volker decided to squash inflation expectations, by raising rates to the roof, it caused even more pain but finally worked.  By 83, things were looking up.  

Most, not all, (just for you gilbert) had enough of the pain that hurt the working man the hardest, that making money again became the focus.  Bills have to be paid.  Tired of expert opinions, which were often wrong, people (for gilberts sake most) judt wanted to make money.  Wall Street skyrocketed, investors were getting rich again, greed was good, so good it became glorified in popular culture.  Thoughts, ideas, mattered far less than how much money do you make?  We (most of us gilbert) didn't care about anything that did not make money.  Philosophy became a luxury, even in the richest country in the world( at least top ten gilbert).  Buying up going concerns, laying off all of the workers and selling off the pieces became an art form.  Because it was easy money.  College was simply a means to learn skills to make money instead of providing a broad based education.  The intellectual became a dying breed.  If it is alive and well, please point me in their direction.  People who weigh all sides and come to conclusions bereft of preconceived certitudes.  Where are the Faulkners of our times?  The Buckleys?

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Thank you for sharing you thoughts. Having lived through the time period you so aptly described I can see your point of view. It was easy to pursue material things after experiencing the lack of them. So much so that the pursuit became the meaning of our lives. 

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25 minutes ago, cincymat said:

Were you raised by my mother? That’s her favorite saying.

did your mother never lied too you.....

and made sure you that you did the 

right thing...

 

kids and people or adults are programmed

by the tv and internet...

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2 minutes ago, dirtmudd said:

did your mother never lied too you.....

and made sure you that you did the 

right thing...

 

kids and people or adults are programmed

by the tv and internet...

My Mother always told me the truth. Especially when I didn’t want to hear it. 

 

She tried her best to make sure I did the right thing. Unfortunately, she taught me to question things and I applied that by questioning if the right things were truly right. She didn’t always appreciate my application of her teachings. 

 

Anyway, I think, part of the demise of intellectualism is the lack of questioning the information we are presented. And the respect we gave those brave enough to appreciate both sides of an argument. 

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