[MD] Problems with Intellectual control of Society

[markhsmit at aol.com]

Hey Arlo,



No, I would rather not get into the PC thing again.



We have everybody yelling at each other and accusing them

of being bad.  It's all in good fun, there is no harm done.

Thanks for your opinion.



If you want to see fear mongering, check out our president's

rant on utube over the weekend.  It's pretty sad, all this

Chicago politics.  Doctors, insurances, cable news, rich people,

housewives, old people, all demons we must distrust.  All

out to get us and disrupt our way of life.  Pathetic!



Willblake2




-----Original Message-----
From: ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu>
To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
Sent: Sun, Oct 18, 2009 6:44 pm
Subject: Re: [MD] Problems with Intellectual control of Society




[WillBlake]
t would appear that anti-intellectualism is just another word (like PC) which
eally has no meaning except as a tool to insult someone or to get one's way.
[Arlo]
ctually, this would be "intellectual pinhead" and "elitist" and the host of
ther barrages one hears on talk-radio and other right-wing media outlets to
emonize "professors and academics". 
If you really do not think the right-wing is engaged in a war against
intellectuals", where "pinhead ivory tower elitists" are pitted against the
oble, heroic, common "folk", then I'd ask you to turn on any of these
ight-wing pundits on any given night. 
Witness here alone how many derogatory and demonizing comments Platt makes
bout "the academy" or "academics" on an ongoing basis. Along with "the liberal
edia", the right-wing has been demonizing the academy, professors, teachers,
s mass-brainwashing, anti-liberty, anti-freedom, enemies of "all that is
ood/the populace/heroic conservatives".
Talk-radio is likely the single loudest example of fear-based, emotive rhetoric
e have seen. It is practically devoid of all substance, rather it operates by
andering to the lowest fears in people. Rather than educating or trying to
xplain complex issues, it grasps onto paranoic slogans like "death panels" and
epeats them ad nauseum in an attempt to rile up angry voters. It is "nightmare
olitics" in its media form. Everyone and everything opposed to the ideology is
n agent of evil, an arm of destruction that will destroy America, destroy
iberty, destroy freedom. 
In any event, "PC" is a tool wielded by both sides; right-wing and left-wing.
The Patriot Act" is likely the most insidious example of "PC" I can think of.
ut even expressions like "War on Terror" is "PC". "PC" is simply framing an
xpression to create built-in definitions. "PC' is the reaction the "right" has
verytime anyone speaks any ill of "America". You simply are not allowed to do
t.
We've been through this before here, and I'll say again I think there are many
xamples of "PC" I don't get worked up about. I have no problem with terms like
retard" being relegated to the PC-dustbin. Perhaps you'd like to give me some
xamples of "PC" you find problematic?

Moq_Discuss mailing list
istinfo, Unsubscribing etc.
ttp://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org
rchives:
ttp://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/
ttp://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/