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发信人: freesoul (badfish at large), 信区: Belief
标 题: The War on Intellectualism
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Mon Oct 6 14:47:16 2008), 站内
【 以下文字转载自 WorldNews 讨论区 】
发信人: ayanami (螃蟹@FROSTSHOCK PWNS YOU!!11!), 信区: WorldNews
标 题: The War on Intellectualism
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Sun Oct 5 01:25:09 2008)
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/10/the_war_on_intellectualism.php
It seems there is a new threat to our country- an insidious danger that is
seeping into our homes and everyday lives that must be stopped at any cost.
That threat is intellectualism.
We have heard the some of the buzzwords of this political season- Folksy,
Joe Six-pack, Elitist, and Arugula Eating. It seems the new "culture war" or
wedge issue is intelligence. The Vice-Presidential debate only solidified
the lines in this war. On one side, you had Palin- full of "folksy charm"
and "you betcha" language. Then you had Biden, who had a command of the
issues, but was called "boring" and (gasp!) "professorial" by the pundits.
Is this the point we have come to in our country? Do we really think that
having knowledge about an issue is a liability? Have we learned nothing from
the past eight years about voting for the person you "want to have a beer
with"? Is being smart or intellectually curious a bad thing?
It seems the war is on and the Republicans have launched another surge
strategy.
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I have been absolutely dumbfounded as I have watched the level of discourse
(and the ensuing media coverage) in this political season. There has always
been a level of "east coast intellectual" bashing from the right, but this
cycle it has been raised to a completely new level.
We have seen McCain release vapid attack ad after attack ad about "celebrity
", all the while being devoid of any facts or issues. We have seen Palin
stumble through interviews, to the point of not even being able to name any
newspapers she reads (very reminiscent of George W Bush, who famously said
he doesn't read). The media even praised Palin in the debate for being "down
to earth" and a "breath of fresh air."
How is dumbing down our country a breath of fresh air? Lowering the
discourse to these levels (Paris Hilton, hockey moms, and lipstick- oh my!)
has been staggering and disheartening to watch.
The war has not only been waged by promoting the "Joe Six-pack" quality (a
term that makes my skin crawl and sounds incredibly offensive) of McCain and
Palin, however. They GOP has taken to throwing around charges of elitism,
arugula eating, latte and martini drinking to show how Obama and Biden- and
by extension all Democrats- are "out of touch" with "real" Americans. It's
an amazing argument- by being too smart and thoughtful on issues, they just
don't understand anything. Want proof? They eat fancy salad and drink coffee.
It is also constantly being said that both Obama and Biden are too "
professorial", as if being an intelligent leader is a weakness. Professors
are people who KNOW THINGS and can lead and teach others. How is that an
insult? They simply know too much to be the leaders of the free world? All
those pesky details floating around in their heads makes it impossible for
them to lead? Huh?
How did we get here? I certainly don't want just any old Average Joe to lead
our country. I want someone who knows facts and issues. And if they don't
know something, I want someone with the intellectual curiosity to learn and
find out! Pick up a newspaper, get online, and surround yourself with other
intelligent people. Yet McCain can't use the internet and Palin can't name a
paper she reads. Where is the intellectualism to be a true leader in this
time of trouble in our country?
Let me be clear- I don't care if politicians don't seem "fun" or "folksy"- I
don't want to have a beer with them. I want them to lead. "Going with your
gut" is not a viable option for this level of leadership. Quick sound bites
or catch phrases don't make you a good leader. I don't care if you can hunt,
were in the PTA, or wink at me- I want you to be educated about the issues
facing our country.
Intellectualism is a quality we want in a leader. I would rather have
someone who might be a bit dry and heavy on the facts than someone who is
folksy and dead wrong any day.
But hey, what do I know? Maybe I'll just stick to eating my elitist arugula
salad and reading.
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