Why smart people are important

[dfnj]

I'm really sick of the anti-college sentiment and the "elitist" label thrown about. Once you label someone you can treat them as sub-human not worthy of any respect. The thing is smart people are really smart. You may think you are smart but when you talk to someone who's really studied something all their life they have amazing insights and knowledge.

For example, here is a Ted talk by a European "socialist" "elitist" professor on poverty. Please watch the whole thing because it's just fascinating. Especially the part about culture at the end. Professor Rosling is just amazing:

New insights on poverty

His message really works for me. I know it's all liberal socialist idealism. But the message works for me: We can have a "good" World.

 

[Sunstone]

Numerous people down through the ages have observed that Americans tend to be anti-intellectual. That seems to have always been the case, but I think it's been made worse in recent years for various reasons. Global Climate Change, Evolution, Gross wealth inequality, Thermonuclear war, overpopulation, environmental degradation, and resource depletion -- those are all issues that require a bit of knowledge and intelligence to form any useful insights about, and they are also all issues that many Americans think need little or no expertise to grasp.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Numerous people down through the ages have observed that Americans tend to be anti-intellectual.

While being the world leader in actual practical scientific discovery in almost every field you can think of.... coincidence?

 

[Enoch07]

The problem with intellectuals is ideas > action. They are seduced by ideas that look good on paper, but historically are shown to be terrible once applied. The only way socialism could work is with 100% of the citizens supporting it. If you have a significant portion 25%+ in opposition to socialism it has be enforced, by an authority. Once it is enforced by an authority, the system begins to break down.

It's a pipe dream that will never take hold in the U.S. Too much of the population is in opposition to socialism. So therefore it would have to be enforced, therefore it begins failing immediately out of the gate.

 

[Revoltingest]

While being the world leader in actual practical scientific discovery in almost every field you can think of.... coincidence?

We can always find examples of being pro or anti intellectual.
People will see what they want, depending upon whether
they want to praise or dis Americastan.

Btw, I'm in favor of people being smart & educated.
Although....I'm wary of your imposing triple digit IQ.

 

[Sunstone]

While being the world leader in actual practical scientific discovery in almost every field you can think of.... coincidence?

Guy, you seem to be neglecting the role immigrants have played -- and continue to play -- in making us the world leader in so many fields.

 

[BSM1]

I'm really sick of the anti-college sentiment and the "elitist" label thrown about. Once you label someone you can treat them as sub-human not worthy of any respect. The thing is smart people are really smart. You may think you are smart but when you talk to someone who's really studied something all their life they have amazing insights and knowledge.

For example, here is a Ted talk by a European "socialist" "elitist" professor on poverty. Please watch the whole thing because it's just fascinating. Especially the part about culture at the end. Professor Rosling is just amazing:

New insights on poverty

His message really works for me. I know it's all liberal socialist idealism. But the message works for me: We can have a "good" World.

I think one of the problems here is that being smart doesn't necessarily equates to being wise.

 

[Sunstone]

The problem with intellectuals is ideas > action. They are seduced by ideas that look good on paper, but historically are shown to be terrible once applied. The only way socialism could work is with 100% of the citizens supporting it. If you have a significant portion 25%+ in opposition to socialism it has be enforced, by an authority. Once it is enforced by an authority, the system begins to break down.

It's a pipe dream that will never take hold in the U.S. Too much of the population is in opposition to socialism. So therefore it would have to be enforced, therefore it begins failing immediately out of the gate.

Where is the science backing up your speculations here? You seem to want to claim insights, but you offer no evidence for them.

 

[Sunstone]

I think one of the problems here is that being smart doesn't necessarily equates to being wise.

Good point. But neither does being dumb and ignorant.

 

[BSM1]

Numerous people down through the ages have observed that Americans tend to be anti-intellectual. That seems to have always been the case, but I think it's been made worse in recent years for various reasons. Global Climate Change, Evolution, Gross wealth inequality, Thermonuclear war, overpopulation, environmental degradation, and resource depletion -- those are all issues that require a bit of knowledge and intelligence to form any useful insights about, and they are also all issues that many Americans think need little or no expertise to grasp.

Or hyper-intellectual.

We can always find examples of being pro or anti intellectual.
People will see what they want, depending upon whether
they want to praise or dis Americastan.

Btw, I'm in favor of people being smart & educated.
Although....I'm wary of your triple digit IQ.

I have a triple digit IQ. Unfortunately the first digit is zero.

Guy, you seem to be neglecting the role immigrants have played -- and continue to play -- in making us the world leader in so many fields.

Who came to this country--legally--to become great.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think one of the problems here is that being smart doesn't necessarily equates to being wise.

Or....Don't take on faith what someone says just cuz they're an intellectual.
One should still do one's own thinking, & have a working BS alarm.

 

[sun rise]

Once it is enforced by an authority, the system begins to break down.

Authority always enforces some things - it's called civilization. Where to draw the line is a question. The statist right and statist left want to enforce different things by authority.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I'm really sick of the anti-college sentiment and the "elitist" label thrown about. Once you label someone you can treat them as sub-human not worthy of any respect. The thing is smart people are really smart. You may think you are smart but when you talk to someone who's really studied something all their life they have amazing insights and knowledge.

For example, here is a Ted talk by a European "socialist" "elitist" professor on poverty. Please watch the whole thing because it's just fascinating. Especially the part about culture at the end. Professor Rosling is just amazing:

New insights on poverty

His message really works for me. I know it's all liberal socialist idealism. But the message works for me: We can have a "good" World.

More often than not, I have found anti-college labels like "elitist" to either be sour grapes or self-serving justification for people who have either never had the initiative to pursue a college degree or tried and failed because of poor work ethic.

That's not to say anything about people who do have good work ethic or want to go to college but can't for reasons they can't control; it's only about the self-entitled, anti-intellectual types.

 

[BSM1]

Good point. But neither does being dumb and ignorant.

Which, of course, precludes anyone on RF...

 

[Revoltingest]

I have a triple digit IQ. Unfortunately the first digit is zero.

Beats a decimal point.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I have a triple digit IQ. Unfortunately the first digit is zero.

Same here, but I have an excuse: I write everything in binary.

 

[BSM1]

Beats a decimal point.

Never thought about it like that. You is smart.

 

[Revoltingest]

Never thought about it like that. You is smart.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Guy, you seem to be neglecting the role immigrants have played -- and continue to play -- in making us the world leader in so many fields.

Not at all, we are a nation of immigrants, smart people are and come from everywhere, & Americans have a long tradition of valuing practical achievement, over academic qualification, intellectualism, social status etc which I think has served us well do you not?

 

[bobhikes]

I'm really sick of the anti-college sentiment and the "elitist" label thrown about. Once you label someone you can treat them as sub-human not worthy of any respect. The thing is smart people are really smart. You may think you are smart but when you talk to someone who's really studied something all their life they have amazing insights and knowledge.

For example, here is a Ted talk by a European "socialist" "elitist" professor on poverty. Please watch the whole thing because it's just fascinating. Especially the part about culture at the end. Professor Rosling is just amazing:

New insights on poverty

His message really works for me. I know it's all liberal socialist idealism. But the message works for me: We can have a "good" World.

To be honest if a person is Truly Smart they aren't going to care what others say of think of them. What other's say or think about them is not going to change their accomplishments.

 

[joe1776]

The problem with intellectuals is ideas > action. They are seduced by ideas that look good on paper, but historically are shown to be terrible once applied. The only way socialism could work is with 100% of the citizens supporting it. If you have a significant portion 25%+ in opposition to socialism it has be enforced, by an authority. Once it is enforced by an authority, the system begins to break down.

It's a pipe dream that will never take hold in the U.S. Too much of the population is in opposition to socialism. So therefore it would have to be enforced, therefore it begins failing immediately out of the gate.

Socialism is inevitable. However, it won't happen until a new, more effective, decision-making model for governments replaces the current ones. A cooperative economic system won't work with governments that are incompetent, corrupt , or both.

Until then, the mixed economies will work best. The competitive, free market works fine when consumers, spending their own money, are buying products that can be seen and compared. Those requirement don't apply to services -- especially not to services like healthcare where none of those requirements are met. The free market is just the wrong tool for the job.