Quote of the Day

An argument that judgment matters but knowledge does not is profoundly anti-intellectual. It implies that we do not need ever to learn anything in order make mature decisions. We can just proceed off some simple ideological template and apply it to everything. This sort of thinking is part of what is wrong with this country. We wouldn't call a man in to fix our plumbing who knew nothing about plumbing, but we call pundits to address millions of people on subjects about which they know nothing of substance.
- Professor Juan Cole


I'm sometimes frustrated by my inability to distill down a concept. People like Dr. Cole do it so skillfully. I had been trying to get across the idea that the conservative Republican types are ignorant fools, basing policy off a standard template. Dr. Cole says it correctly. I merely sound shrill. Lesson learned.

To extend the thought, and this is rather politically incorrect, but comparing red states versus blue states, what would you think the average I.Q. differential would be? My contention is that liberals/progressives are intellectually supperior to conservatives, and by a wide margin. Why are the vast majority of elite universities liberal leaning? Where did the term "liberal elite" come from anyway?

This makes Cole's point even more relevant. I think most conservative/Republican types will cede pure intellect and knowledge to the left. Their argument had always been that intellect and judgement are disparate. Juan Cole points out the error in that assumption, however - you have to be intellectually qualified to understand his point. Therefore - conservative types will not get it.

Now.. before anybody writes in screaming about Dr. Condelleza Rice being really bright, remember I'm talking on average. There's a reason why southern states are red, and northern-coastal states are blue. There's a reason why the current conservative movement is pushing anti-intellectualism.

Maybe I'm being arrogant and elitiest in pointing that out, but one thing I've learned as an engineer is that truth is truth, and it doesn't matter if it hurts. There's no room for hurt feelings in logic.