George Carlin knows things

[The Duke]

George Carlin was on Bill Maher's "Real Time" tonight.  He got in a fight with AEI's James Glassman.  Carlin said the "owning class" was utlimately responsible for all the things that happen in America, and that our elections are a sham.

Carlin told Glassman that he should "Listen and learn something."  I assumed Carlin must be a credentialed economist or political scientist in addition to being a comedian, since he apparently has a great deal of esoteric knowledge not available to the rest of the population, so I looked up what college he went to.

I learned, to my shock and horror, that this man who claimed to know things actually did not attend college, and did not even finish High School.

James Glassman on the other hand graduated Harvard magna cum laude.

Man,  George Carlin.  Perfect example of a Hollywood idiot.  He's 68 years old, and he's less academically accomplished than the kids on this website.

[opebo]

Carlin is, of course, correct, Ford. 

Your feeble attempt at academic elitism does nothing but show how duped you are.  But if you wish to continue to believe your betters know what is best for you, that is your choice.

[The Duke]

Carlin is, of course, correct, Ford. 

Your feeble attempt at academic elitism does nothing but show how duped you are.  But if you wish to continue to believe your betters know what is best for you, that is your choice.

I am educated and so is Glassman, while Carlin is a high school dropout.  What grounds does he have to tell Glassman to "learn something"?

[opebo]

Carlin is, of course, correct, Ford. 

Your feeble attempt at academic elitism does nothing but show how duped you are.  But if you wish to continue to believe your betters know what is best for you, that is your choice.

I am educated and so is Glassman, while Carlin is a high school dropout.  What grounds does he have to tell Glassman to "learn something"?

Because, Ford, Glassman demonstrated ignorance of the way the country functions.

Knowledge has very little to do with 'education', though presumably swallowing propaganda does.  I find your reliance upon the social heirarchy and your attempt to demean those situated beneath you in it telling.  Of course Carlin does have more money than you and is therefore superior.

[freedomburns]

A guy with great academic credentials can easily be much, much less in the know about what is really going on than a guy who is more intellectually curious and who is also more astute about paying attention to what is going on.  In fact, many tenured faculty with guaranteed jobs tend to lose their edge and coast.  Resting on your laurels is an expression with meaning.  What do you think the laurels are?  I go with Carlin here (Opebo too).    And I sure as funk wouldn't trust some guy who works for the American Enterprise Institute. 

[Platypus]

I have to agree with opebo here, Ford. Schools might show intelligence, but not 'smarts'.

Whether I agree with Carlin is a different thing, of course.

[MODU]

I have to agree with opebo here, Ford. Schools might show intelligence, but not 'smarts'.

Whether I agree with Carlin is a different thing, of course.

I agree.  "Degrees" aren't everything.  However, since I don't know what the full exchange is, I cannot determine who is right and who is wrong in this case.

[The Duke]

A guy with great academic credentials can easily be much, much less in the know about what is really going on than a guy who is more intellectually curious and who is also more astute about paying attention to what is going on.  In fact, many tenured faculty with guaranteed jobs tend to lose their edge and coast.  Resting on your laurels is an expression with meaning.  What do you think the laurels are?  I go with Carlin here (Opebo too).    And I sure as funk wouldn't trust some guy who works for the American Enterprise Institute. 

University degrees aren't the end all be all, but if you're a High School drop out in today's world, you're stupid.  Hence, Carlin is stupid by definition.

[opebo]

A guy with great academic credentials can easily be much, much less in the know about what is really going on than a guy who is more intellectually curious and who is also more astute about paying attention to what is going on.  In fact, many tenured faculty with guaranteed jobs tend to lose their edge and coast.  Resting on your laurels is an expression with meaning.  What do you think the laurels are?  I go with Carlin here (Opebo too).    And I sure as funk wouldn't trust some guy who works for the American Enterprise Institute. 

University degrees aren't the end all be all, but if you're a High School drop out in today's world, you're stupid.  Hence, Carlin is stupid by definition.

No, being a high school dropout does not necessarily correlate with 'stupidity'.  In most cases it is the result of poverty.  I would wager that Carlin is one of those kids who was too intelligent to bear the insipid grind of school, and dropped out (I would even suspect his family was reasonably well off).  I think we all know dropouts from wealthy or upper middle class families who may be very intelligent, but usually troubled, rebellious, or creative types.  These people are certainly more intelligent than those that show up every day for the pointless indoctrination of high school.

That said, I have numerous degrees myself, and they really are useless.

[Cashcow]

Carlin also made some comment about World War II being lost and won by fascism, Germany and the U.S. respectively. Irritating man.

[opebo]

Carlin also made some comment about World War II being lost and won by fascism, Germany and the U.S. respectively. Irritating man.

Carlin is precisely correct about WWII!

And it is unsurprising that it would irritate you, Cashcow.

[Cashcow]

Because I'm not quite a Nazi?

[MaC]

George Carlin uses the term 'owing class', also the favorite term of one of our forum posters, yet never finished high school-anyone else make the connection?

[Gabu]

George Carlin uses the term 'owing class', also the favorite term of one of our forum posters, yet never finished high school-anyone else make the connection?

The connection falls apart when you consider the fact that George Carlin is considered by many people to be one of the funniest men alive, and that he is, either way, a very successful comedian who does not molest children.

[Citizen James]

Well, I don't know much about Carlin's education, but he has a very real talent for words and a gift for comedy.

Meanwhile, Mr. Glassman in known for the book Dow 36,000 which predicted back in 1999 that by 2005 the stock market would likely reach 36,000 - possibly earlier.  As of this evening, the Dow stands at 10,544.90 and though he may have three and a half months left, I seriously doubt it will make it.

Educational attainment is not an absoulte measure of a person's abilities.   I'm sure those of you on the 'right' will agree that a person having a PhD doesn't give them a stranglehold on the truth.   After all, you folks have spent decades demonizing 'liberal' academia, why the sudden confidence in a few letters after a person's name.

After all, a certain Harvard dropout by the name of Bill Gates has done far better for himself that 'Cum Lade' Glassman could ever dream of even in his dow 36000 pipe dreams.

[J. J.]

First, I do agree that I've know numerous college graduates or those post graduate education that are idiots and people that dropped out of high school that are brilliant.

Second, how much experience does George Carlin really have outside his circle of friends.  Most of his material is not topical (though very funny), so he doesn't play as close attention to current events as other comedians; he isn''t exactly out talking to the electorate or seriously studying issues.  He's limited to a fairly small circle of associates that tend to be liberal.

I've been stunned how much out of touch some posters are with the African American community, posters of both the left and the right.  I understand it, because most people don't interact with the urban African American community on a regular basis (and frankly I doubt if most posters would dare to venture into my neighborhood).

[J. J.]

Just to be clear, I don't think it's racism, but lack of contact.

[12th Doctor]

I have to agree with opebo here, Ford. Schools might show intelligence, but not 'smarts'.

Whether I agree with Carlin is a different thing, of course.

Ummm... if anything, it is the other way around.  Intellegence is a natural thing that you are born with and is your ability to reason and think logically and then apply that.

"Smarts" are what you know.

[MaC]

George Carlin uses the term 'owing class', also the favorite term of one of our forum posters, yet never finished high school-anyone else make the connection?

The connection falls apart when you consider the fact that George Carlin is considered by many people to be one of the funniest men alive, and that he is, either way, a very successful comedian who does not molest children.

eh, I still consider the forum's 5 digit post Missourian to be some of the best comedy on this site.