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(8,155 posts) Thu May 23, 2013, 02:35 AM May 2013

Is the battle between right and left a battle between stupidity and intelligence? [View all]

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?

19 replies

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Is the battle between right and left a battle between stupidity and intelligence? [View all] Gravitycollapse May 2013 OP

No, and that kind of self-serving thinking is extremely dangerous. Donald Ian Rankin May 2013 #1

Your memory serves you wrong. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #2

A brief search of the internet suggests that you are wrong about that. Donald Ian Rankin May 2013 #3

no... dtom67 May 2013 #4

Uhhhh...wow. Gravitycollapse May 2013 #5

I wouldn't say "created" truebluegreen May 2013 #6

are you the one... dtom67 May 2013 #9

Here...have a lime pinboy3niner May 2013 #10

Enjoy your stay. truebluegreen Jun 2013 #16

No, it's a battle between "me" and "us". sibelian May 2013 #7

You make it sound like ... surrealAmerican May 2013 #8

Liberals think. Conservatives believe. George Gently May 2013 #13

Modern conservatism, in this country anyway, does have a major anti-intellectual streak. nomorenomore08 May 2013 #11

"Education turns cocksure ignorance into miserable uncertainty." George Gently May 2013 #14

Good thing you are on the side that is superior in that analysis... Pelican May 2013 #12

No, it's to keep us from going after the real enemy. MrSlayer May 2013 #15

No, it's usually about wanting change vs. not wanting change - or wishing to turn back the clock. reformist2 Jun 2013 #17

No. It reflects vastly different views about the role of government. badtoworse Jun 2013 #18

it's more about intelligence and stubbornness. librechik Jun 2013 #19