Ivory Tower Academics. Pointy-Headed Pseudointellectuals.

[JHB]

Anyone remember how Nixon's smear-machine (namely speechwriters Pat Buchanan, William Safire, and others) pointed these terms at liberals to evoke that "out of touch with reality" image?

I submit that the neocon think-tank "fellows" and conservative PhDs * has surrounded himself with have assumed that mantle more fully than liberals ever did.

Let's start throwing the words back in their faces.

[ewagner]

1. You mean

the elite corps of impudent snobs.

You're right it fits the neocons better than than it did back in '69 or '70

(btw: I had a tee-shirt done up with the above saying after Agnes's remarks)

[July]

2. I can't call them intellectuals.

I'm sure there are a few people of exceptional intellect and education among the conservatives, but most of them wouldn't make it as serious academics. Check out where they got their degrees, where they've taught, what they've published. Lots o' rinky-dink schools and propaganda in big words. A day or two ago on Air America a Princeton historian commented that Condoleeza Rice's book -- missed the title -- was panned by historians.

I view this gang as canny types who are using the veneer of "think tanks" to give their opinions some kind of intellectual heft. The PNAC document that underpins our current foreign policy just happens to be the perfect "policy analysis" to front for unmitigated greed and imperialism. Funny how that happened.

[JHB]

3. Thus the sublime appropriateness...

...of the term "pseudointellectual" to describe Condy, Newt, "Vegas Bill" Bennett, Wolfowitz, etc.

[July]

5. Got it. We are in agreement.

They're the nuts who think they're intellectuals.

[Az]

4. Not really an ivory tower though

More of a Dark Tower. Even has a cool burning eye hanging over it.