liberal thinkers!

[salinen]

we are superior thinkers! that's correct. we are the fortunate few who have evolved in our own livetimes to have an ability that very few humans achieve. it should be noted that we have the capability to imagine actions away from our bodies (non-ego). ever vote or champion a cause that has no benefit to you? this is the superior way. they can strip us of almost everything, but they can never stop our brains from being superior to theirs.

[stopthegop]

1. right....

that's the way to persuade others to your point of view...

[La_Serpiente]

2. What are you talking about?

I don't like considering myself superior to others in knowledge and thinking. Milton Freidman knows a whole crapload more about Economics than me, but I have reasons why I support Krugman's school of Economics over his, even though my perspective may not be as nuanced as Freidman's.

If you want to create the social construct of intelectualy heirarchy, then don't say things like that on this board.

[HFishbine]

4. I'd be willing to bet

that Dick Cheney is smarter than me.

[leftyandproud]

5. smart and evil..

bad combination

[HFishbine]

24. Well

Dick Cheney is also certainly eviler than me.

[La_Serpiente]

6. He may know more about certain topics then myself as well

For example, he probably knows more about weapons since he is trigger happy and was a former secretary of defense. Me, I don't know anything about weapons.

[leftyandproud]

7. knowledge is not the same thing as intelligence

remember that...There are plenty of educated idiots, and potential Einsteins that were never given the chance.

[La_Serpiente]

8. Yeah

he may be smart, but him, well in my opinion, doesn't have the morals to use it to the best advantage of everyone.

In Melanesian countries for example, a sign of intelligence is displayed by how many friends one has.

[salinen]

26. la

i'd like to ask you a question. when you hear the terms used on du such as "freeper, freeptarded, puke, etc., isn't that the same as declaring superiority?

[leftyandproud]

3. just don't say this in public..

it's a sign of "elitism"...and the murikan public doesn't like that

[DoctorMyEyes]

9. LOL!

Okay, it might be time to open a window and get some fresh air over there....

[a_random_joel]

10. I agree to a certain extent

I don't think it's a coincedence that most university professors skew left. I also don't think it a coincedence that most of history's
"great minds" were progressive thinkers.

The catch is, as stated above, average and below average thinkers tend to view intellectuals as elitists - even if the intellectual is arguing something that will ultimately benefit them.

It's also no coincedence that geeks tend to be beaten up or marginalized in some manner by the less intelligent.

Just my .02

[msmcghee]

11. I see what you're getting at.

I think some here are more worried about Freepers taking comments and skewering us with them - than discussing the merits of your idea. And your statement does give the RW some good ammo.

Here's another way to look at it.

We all like ideas that fit with our world view. Our (liberal) world view tends to include the needs of others in our society - much more than the RW - who are mostly interested in their own well being, even if others have to make do with less.

Smart people on both sides can do a pretty good job of arguing that their side is the most logical. Which means nothing.

It comes down to values - the social Darwinism of the RW vs. an activist government that tries to help those who don't benefit so much from our (supposedly) free market system (using taxes).

But those on the left are just as silly as those on the right when making logical arguments for our side - and have no monopoly on better reasoning ability.

[salinen]

22. msmcghee

"We all like ideas that fit with our world view. Our (liberal) world view tends to include the needs of others in our society - much more than the RW - who are mostly interested in their own well being, even if others have to make do with less."

Yes, that's it. But isn't that just what irks the trolls as much as saying they are inferior?

[a_random_joel]

12. BTW, before claiming intellectual superiority,

it might serve you better to ensure that proper grammatical constructs (e.g. capitalization) are demonstrated in your posts.

I have no doubt that you are an intellectual; but intellectual laziness betrays one as easily as sheer ignorance.

[foo_bar]

13. speaking of non-ego

we are the fortunate few who have evolved in our own livetimes

"Livetimes"? A little bit of ontogeny is a dangerous thing.

[salinen]

23. foo

call it what you want. disregarding self over the needs of the whole is not a natural state of being. so instead of "evolved" let's say "altered"

[spindoctor]

14. Yay us!

We're da bestest!

[dwckabal]

15. Me fail English?

That's unpossible!

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[salinen]

17. superior obviously

implies smarter to some. superior as less self serving to others. i'm taken aback by some responces that imply that the thread (my thread) is doing something unique; overtly stating a position that is implied by so many here at du. if we don't believe our causes to be "superior", why state them at all? BTW, please don't mistake me for a freeper. i understand why this thread was responded to with passion, anger, and some hostility. i regard myself as a slightly underachieving liberal with a modest i.q. who is too lazy to capitalize. and i do not go as far as to give my thread the power to bring down our ideals.

[tom_paine]

18. Spare me the doubletalk.

And I'm not mistaken.

And I'm not a liberal either. I believe that liberal and conservative lines of thought need each other to balance and survive, as the Founding Fathers intended this to be a moderate nation...

Neither liberal nor conservative are superior to one another in that they both have their excesses, neither can be trusted with unchecked power.

Of course, the Busheviks aren't conservatives either...they are Totalitarians.

And why am I bothering to explain myself to YOU?

[salinen]

19. "it is man who makes truth great,

not truth which makes man great." For this reason,"humanness" or "humanheartedness" was always felt to be superior to "righteousness," since man himself is greater than any idea which he may invent. There are times when men's passions are much more trustworthy than their principles. Since opposed principles, or ideologies, are irreconcilable, wars fought over principle will be wars of mutual annihilation. But wars fought for simple greed will be far less destructive, because the aggressor will be careful not to destroy what he is fighting to capture. Reasonable-that is, human-men will always be capable of compromise, but men who have dehumanized themselves by becoming the blind worshipers of an idea or an ideal are fanatics whose devotion to abstractions makes them the enemies of life.

confucious

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[salinen]

21. I had no idea

that T.P. owns this site. A thousand pardons sire. If you deem me as whatever you wish, I shall become that.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[a_random_joel]

27. Tom

In all fairness, I do not think salinen was trying to troll here.

His thesis was a bit over the top(although I can understand the underlying logic), and his articulation noticeably not-superior, but I do not think his intent was malicious, satirical or subversive. Of course I have not seen any of his other threads, perhaps you have?

And the star comment is below the belt, IMHO.

[salinen]

29. I'm not sure

what the star comment means? Can someone buy a star for someone besides themselves? I'm new here, but I hear (or rather read) terms used like, "freepers, pukes, freeptards, etc. Are these terms meant to imply superiority? I use them and worse to describe the enemy. I fail to see the difference.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[salinen]

31. assassin

You managed to assassinate two with one shot. Good aim. It doesn't serve you well to call people "fuckwited" with no explainations. That's what I expect from the freep!

[Character Assassin]

32. 'The' Freep? Newp.

The encounters, possibly apochryphal, between Lao Tzu and Confucious are well-documented. Read them and come to understand the essence of Confucious' fuck-wittage.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Character Assassin]

34. Your bracing powers of insight and stinging rejoinder have me at a loss

A loss as to explain why you would chime in, when obviously ignornant of the teachings of Confucious as they relate to the modern concept of intellectualism.

Will wonders never cease?

[a_random_joel]

35. Very Interesting!

Considering that this thread was about claiming intellectual superiority.

[Cleita]

36. Blork.

:puke:

[Cleita]

28. Funny a teacher once said to me that

you could be stripped of all your possessions, titles and property, but one thing no one could take away from you was your knowledge.

[Selwynn]

37. I believe this thread is a direct refutation of all your claims (nt)

[salinen]

38. That would be

the same as calling me a liar. I'm not sure how to proceed. I only posts what I believe. If you mistake me for some spy you will be wasting your time on the real spys. I think it's a good time to end this for the sake of what's really important, defeating Buchco!