Is the battle between right and left a battle between stupidity and intelligence?

[Gravitycollapse]

I'm reading right now about post WWII Germany, accounts by low ranking party members and working class Germans, following defeat, expressing total disdain towards the "cunning," "intellectual" and "crafty" Jews.

Doesn't that dichotomy between the supposed evil of intelligence and the benevolence of the "average man" sound disturbingly similar to America today?

Listen, I am the first to call out Godwin's law. But this has to be analyzed.

Is conservatism merely manifest stupidity? And is it a history that has always existed in one form or another?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

1. No, and that kind of self-serving thinking is extremely dangerous.

It's a symptom of how the internet has made it much easier to have one's prejudices reinforced and avoid talking to people who disagree with you.

For reference, if my memory serves me more right-wingers than left-wingers have college education (although fewer have PhDs).

[Gravitycollapse]

2. Your memory serves you wrong.

The more education you have, the more likely you are to be liberal. However, PhDs are less liberal than others.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

3. A brief search of the internet suggests that you are wrong about that.

e.g. http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/14983/do-non-educated-people-tend-more-to-the-right-conservative-political-wing

I don't have time to search in depth right now, though.

[dtom67]

4. no...

The battles of Left vs Right, Men vs. Women, Black vs White, Gay vs Straight,North vs South, God -fearing vs Non -believer are mere distractions that benefit one side of the True Fight; 1% vs 99%.

[Gravitycollapse]

5. Uhhhh...wow.

So what you're saying is that sexism and racism are merely distractions created by the top 1%...

Better break out that tin foil hat.

[truebluegreen]

6. I wouldn't say "created"

but definitely "exploited." Distract, divide and conquer.

[dtom67]

9. are you the one...

That took my tinfoil hat? I need that back...

[pinboy3niner]

10. Here...have a lime

[truebluegreen]

16. Enjoy your stay.

[sibelian]

7. No, it's a battle between "me" and "us".

Selfdom vs selflessness.

[surrealAmerican]

8. You make it sound like ...

... Nazi Germany and present-day America are the only places and times this thinking has happened. It's an almost universal meme in human history. Even during times when intellectualism seems to be prized, there is always a subculture of people who distrust it and venerate the thinking of the less educated.


If it were a battle between stupidity and intelligence, it would be over by now. There's a lot more nuance to our current situation.

[George Gently]

13. Liberals think. Conservatives believe.

One of the cons in my home forum posted that Liberals think blah . . blah . . blah while Conservatives believe blah. . blah . . blah.

I truncated it back to him as:

"Liberals think. Conservatives believe."

There's an element of truth there.

[nomorenomore08]

11. Modern conservatism, in this country anyway, does have a major anti-intellectual streak.

But I don't think it's so simple as conservative = dumb/uneducated, lefty = smart/educated. There are simpleminded people with no real ideas or beliefs of their own, in every slice of the political spectrum, from far right to far left.

[George Gently]

14. "Education turns cocksure ignorance into miserable uncertainty."

I think it's Mark Twain - -- what a great quote.

[Pelican]

12. Good thing you are on the side that is superior in that analysis...

Convenient to say the least...

[MrSlayer]

15. No, it's to keep us from going after the real enemy.

When we fight each other the owners laugh and take further advantage of us all.

[reformist2]

17. No, it's usually about wanting change vs. not wanting change - or wishing to turn back the clock.

Objectively speaking, there have been many times in history when the conservative viewpoint has been the correct one.

[badtoworse]

18. No. It reflects vastly different views about the role of government.

[librechik]

19. it's more about intelligence and stubbornness.

when shown progressive policies the right won't change their already made up minds about them.