tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post2392564873545722349..comments2023-10-31T03:18:26.963-07:00Comments on Great Guys Weblog: Intelligence and PoliticiansBrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15063508651955739056noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-27459371506529863672015-11-16T13:19:39.963-08:002015-11-16T13:19:39.963-08:00Erp,
I didn't know she ever wasn't. Anywa...Erp,<br /><br />I didn't know she ever wasn't. Anyway, it explains a lot why her arguments are so focused on how people see you.<br /><br />Clovishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921327103613284595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-50512641185207183962015-11-16T13:13:27.147-08:002015-11-16T13:13:27.147-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.erphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09826044412670324694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-60633469340014602802015-11-16T13:13:26.531-08:002015-11-16T13:13:26.531-08:00Clovis, McCloskey is a woman now.Clovis, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deirdre_McCloskey" rel="nofollow">McCloskey</a> is a woman now.erphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09826044412670324694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-55720464378386663002015-11-16T13:10:06.012-08:002015-11-16T13:10:06.012-08:00Bret,
Actually you hit something true - I am tryi...Bret,<br /><br />Actually you hit something true - I am trying to train a bit more the Instapundit/Judd style of short sentences in English. <br /><br />The downside is that, if you don't do it right, you end up like The Donald :-)<br />Clovishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921327103613284595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-68286623423537115902015-11-16T12:47:07.289-08:002015-11-16T12:47:07.289-08:00Clovis,
No problem, that's why I was asking w...Clovis,<br /><br />No problem, that's why I was asking which it was - it obviously changes how to approach discussion, if any.Brethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063508651955739056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-18094833951647523242015-11-16T12:40:57.423-08:002015-11-16T12:40:57.423-08:00Bret,
Not quite, but since you dismissed the big ...Bret,<br /><br />Not quite, but since you dismissed the big bang without having much idea about the supporting arguments and evidence, I felt myself free to shout out my ignorance too.<br /><br />That said, I did bother to take a look at bullet points on McCloskey's arguments some long time ago (it is not the first time you cite him). I was not convinced.Clovishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921327103613284595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-14354084651094491502015-11-16T11:01:35.028-08:002015-11-16T11:01:35.028-08:00Ahh, so he's emulating The Donald. Pretty clev...Ahh, so he's emulating The Donald. Pretty clever! :-)Brethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063508651955739056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-21609191543543783712015-11-16T10:31:05.359-08:002015-11-16T10:31:05.359-08:00Or are you just rejecting it out-of-hand without b...<i>Or are you just rejecting it out-of-hand without bothering to see the supporting arguments and evidence?</i><br /><br />Clovis is preparing for a run for the Brazilian Presidency. He's trying not to look too smart.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15836910211382887430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-3080678225743643712015-11-16T08:01:17.776-08:002015-11-16T08:01:17.776-08:00Clovis,
Have you read McCloskey's "Bourg...Clovis,<br /><br />Have you read McCloskey's "Bourgeois Dignity"? Or are you just rejecting it out-of-hand without bothering to see the supporting arguments and evidence?Brethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063508651955739056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-68437422871373212792015-11-16T03:44:30.455-08:002015-11-16T03:44:30.455-08:00Bret,
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The historian/economist Deirdre McClosk...Bret,<br /><br />---<br />The historian/economist Deirdre McCloskey believes that a change in rhetoric, from disdainful to admiring, [...]<br />---<br /><br />I am always amazed that people buy trat crap, as The Donald would say. [Sorry for the wording, I am learning with your Politicians]<br /><br />Where is AOG to tell us here about logoreality, or whatever he used to call those misplaced beliefs that people have on words and rhetoric promptly materializing what is reality? Though, in this case, he is probably one more to fall for that one...<br /><br />Clovishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921327103613284595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-25137674163651669842015-11-15T17:32:54.213-08:002015-11-15T17:32:54.213-08:00What we need is widsom, not smarts.What we need is widsom, not smarts.erphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09826044412670324694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-45458649862019387582015-11-15T17:12:13.699-08:002015-11-15T17:12:13.699-08:00The Joads WERE stupid, racist fundies, weren't...The Joads WERE stupid, racist fundies, weren't they? :-)<br /><br />The historian/economist Deirdre McCloskey believes that a change in rhetoric, from disdainful to admiring, towards the innovators of society greatly accelerated the wealth creation of humankind (especially in the west) starting roughly in the 18th century. Before that, there was definite mistrust of clever inventors.<br /><br />I'm wondering if the scope of admiration went too far to include political leaders. On the other hand, it's hard to get behind aristocracy as the answer either. Maybe just a little less trust in smart politicians.Brethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063508651955739056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-33016604017691060492015-11-15T04:29:32.877-08:002015-11-15T04:29:32.877-08:00Your friends seem to have taken to heart those boi...Your friends seem to have taken to heart those boilerplate commencement addresses where they were told the world was a mess of thorny problems they were expected to go out and solve by using their brilliance and education to do something splendid. It's interesting how shocked and appalled they were at your heresy. In Victorian Britain, aristocratic breeding was seen as the prized qualification for governance. "Cleverness" was suspect. Happily, the brights took over and bequeathed us such a peaceful 20th century.<br /><br />This ties into the post below about scientism. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geniocracy" rel="nofollow">Geniocracy</a> may still be a fringe belief, at least in public, but more and more we are coming to see government as problem-solving and our problems as demanding formal expertise that only scholars and experts can acquire and understand. Experience, tradition, observation, intuitive knowledge, common sense, even "what works" count for less and less. They are viewed increasingly as the "prejudices" of the sweaty mob. The brilliant have always been arrogant, but today we see much of the general public bow down to formal expertise and scientific authority about matters that are really about values and political choices. There are many, many examples of the increasing tyranny of formal expertise.<br /><br />Most of the left has bought into this completely, which explains the sneering disdain for red states and lots of other groups they profess to champion. They weren't always such snobs. I enjoy taunting my leftist colleagues by suggesting that if Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath today, they would dismiss the Joads as stupid, racist fundies.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15836910211382887430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-74569440676529510012015-11-14T17:34:04.765-08:002015-11-14T17:34:04.765-08:00Clovis,
My arguments, which were similar to what ...Clovis,<br /><br />My arguments, which were similar to what I posted here, were met with silence. In other words, everybody moved to other topics after my email on the subject. In some fairness, egroup discussions aren't as organized and focused as a blog, but I did at least expect the guy who posted that specific link to respond. He didn't.Brethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063508651955739056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-86667230555801905322015-11-14T17:17:39.759-08:002015-11-14T17:17:39.759-08:00Bret,
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I fully expected it to prove my stateme...Bret,<br /><br />---<br />I fully expected it to prove my statement unequivocally wrong. Instead, I found it almost supportive.<br />---<br />So do I. Which makes me curious as to what were the answers when you gave your frat budies the arguments you gave us here...?Clovishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921327103613284595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-16177170295129365012015-11-14T12:56:46.982-08:002015-11-14T12:56:46.982-08:00I remember that post and thought it well thought o...I remember that post and thought it well thought out, probably because I came to similar conclusions from an early ago. I don't know where you are spending your life, but I spent a large portion of mine among academics, many of whom were at the top of their fields and products of the top schools. The results in human terms weren't pretty.erphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09826044412670324694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-8006778596878513132015-11-14T12:43:40.219-08:002015-11-14T12:43:40.219-08:00Your MIT classmates probably rarely take seriously...<i>Your MIT classmates probably rarely take seriously those not among their own exalted number...</i><br /><br />erp,<br /><br />What I learned was that even highly intelligent people had a hard time admitting that they didn't know something. They just repeating something that all the right thinking people were saying if they they did not know for themselves. It was a disappointment because I was hoping to get a jump start in answering questions I had about economics and the greater society. Beyond some answers to those questions,it eventually motivated me to formulate <a href="http://greatguys.blogspot.com/2014/06/intelluctual-lessons-from-father-to-his.html" rel="nofollow">these ideas</a>.Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14980738175201874292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-3042775481467080362015-11-14T12:18:56.881-08:002015-11-14T12:18:56.881-08:00I think intelligence is way, way overrated.
You k...<i>I think intelligence is way, way overrated.</i><br /><br />You know I share that view.<br /><br /><i>...some were horrified...</i> <br /><br />Such a ghastly thought. Intelligent people are willing to believe all kinds of nonsense, engage in faulty reasoning or exhibit plain ignorance, just like anyone else. I like to summarize that observation by saying, "intelligence provides no immunity...."Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14980738175201874292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806884.post-17129831716488400262015-11-14T12:11:21.872-08:002015-11-14T12:11:21.872-08:00Feynman and you (nice company you keep) are correc...Feynman and you (nice company you keep) are correct and that's why W was on target when in his talk to the Yale graduating class he said, " ... and to all you C students, you too can be president" and that's why I support Scott Walker, not a brainiac, for president and hoped he would appoint Cruz for SoS and other brilliant minds for the other major appointments.<br /><br />Your MIT classmates probably rarely take seriously those not among their own exalted number and put your aberration down to <i>la vida loca</i> in the San Diego sunshine.erphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09826044412670324694noreply@blogger.com