Yes, Jethro, if you apply yourself again and get all of that skoollin like cousin Larcenia done, done, you too can do waht she has done.

Well heck Jethro, you see what your other cousin W done done. Least you finish 6th grade twice. So boy I figured you got 12 years of skoollin behind you. You know son grannie’s proud of you.

I actually worked as a committee staff attorney for the Florida House at the same time JT was a consultant for us, and could tell you plenty of things about Charlie Dean that might have you reconsidering such a generous, absurd, and entirely unjustified characterization. It was an experience that I’ll always be grateful for, but while there are a handful of legislators who are flat-out geniuses, most of them, to be VERY kind, not.

I enjoy a good non sequitur as much as the next man, but how does anyone get from Affirmative action to Socialism?

I’d also point to the historical example of the repression of Gaelic by the English as a control mechanism and the treatment of dissident writers by both the Soviets and the Chinese.

Or for a less fictional example: look at the prohibitions on the translating religious texts throughout history. How long was the Catholic Church’s hold on Christianity complete because they were the only ones that could read the text of the Bible? That is, other than the nobility, who had their own reasons for keeping the Church in power.

Orwell was a wise enough man to base his theories on his own observations of history and humanity. If you want a little more involved study of his views on the importance of language check out some of his essays (“Politics and the English Language” “Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver’s Travels” “Why I Write” “The Prevention of Literature,” etc.)

As far as Huxley goes, I think it’s a exactly backwards that “Brave New World” is touted as a classic and “Island” is virtually ignored.

Read “1984″ by George Orwell. Freedom and human rights are quite intertwined and impacted by the choice of language. Pay particular attention to Newspeak – a concerted effort to control thought by controlling language. War is peace? Double plus ungood. See also “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley and “Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury for further literary examples. Linguistic manipulation is the core of propaganda.

Self-superiority seems far more destructive than stupidity. Centuries of slavery did not come from a lack of vocabulary.

Joe is much smarter.

Agreed as to all your comments.

Pot, meet kettle.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0309/Carlson_on_Stewart_a_partisan_demagogue.html

Hear, hear! So true and so sad. But while we’re dishing out awards for stupidity and arrogance, let’s not give big corporations and the press a free pass either.

Katie Couric got an award for asking the probing question “What papers do you read?” of a woman she should have held over the fire about being associated with both an End of Time cult and a separatist movement. If you’ve read the news this week, it has been hard to miss that a COMEDIAN is a better reporter than anyone at CNBC.

Edward R. Murrow is spinning in his grave.

Stupidity isn’t just for government anymore. It’s for media.

And it’s stupidity bought and paid for lobbyists and big corporations so they can steal without challenge. Is it an “accident” that CNBC is owned by one of the world’s largest defense contractors, GE? No. It was a purchase made so that GE could control the spin on the news to supplement their lobby and market manipulation activities. Is it an accident that Rupert Murdoch used lobbyists to help circumvent local media ownership requirements that had helped preserve the integrity of the 4th Estate – further helping a FOREIGNER form the largest right-wing fascist propaganda machine seen since Goebbels ran the show for the Nazis? No. Is it an accident that schools across this nation now produce fewer actually educated people? Instead often acting as babysitters rather than teachers? No. Again a situation aggravated by lobbyists and corporate money trying to keep people stupid in the guise of fighting unions and setting results oriented objectives for teacher’s performance reviews. They know stupid people are easier to manipulate. Dumbing down is their mission. It has been done with corporate purpose and malice aforethought.

It’s a pattern. It’s a pattern that all traces back to greed and short-sightedness of the few at the expense of the many. That’s evil. Evil is stupid. Evil and stupid are the poison that big corporations would like you to swallow, preferably without complaint. That way they can steal and trample your rights without challenge. The needs of the many outweigh the desires of the few.

But if we are going to swing the stupid stick, let’s take a whack at ALL the piñatas – government, their corporate masters/lobbyist lackeys and the media outlets THEY own and control who try to mislead and disinform the citizenry (and I mean that in the technical sense of disinformation) instead of doing their job of reporting the facts.

They have it coming.

********

Joe American an out and out racist, but he is right that illiteracy in public office, and stupidity among our leaders is a disservice to us all. Arrogance may be more of a vice for one engaged in menial labor, but not for those charged with leading our fellow citizens, keeping safe the public trust, and making difficult policy choices during times of catastrophe that affect us all. Stupidity there is sometimes deadly. See Bush, George W and Katrina. You’re doing a heck of job there, Joe American!

“I always wonder what the traditional, white, intelligent, upstanding members of state senates think…”

If they are anything like the statements you made, they may be consumed with their own sense of superiority. Arrogance is far more of a vice than illiteracy or mispronunciation.

not like you, J.A.

I always wonder what the traditional, white, intelligent, upstanding members of state senates think when they have to watch these fat, black semi-literates waddling in. They’re elected by areas of the state with large black populations.

Before your knee jerks and you call me a racist, watch it on YouTube or CSPAN sometime. They waddle in and then just love to hog up that microphone, wailing to everyone in the room about PAH-ver-ty, the social injustice of being a mah-NOR-i-ty, and why no one in their district can be expected to take responsibility for themselves like the rest of the country has to.

All of the above but with strict abstinence education messaging as part of the program. In other words, David Vitter, don’t pay for farm animals, do you understand?! Larry Craig, stay out of the stalls!!! (and so on)

In the interest of clarity, do you mean many animals, big animals, or many big animals? I’m trying to picture the casting other than Bill Paxton.

seamus,

prose? Do you have something against poetry?

I support this type of husbandry and think it’s big o’ me.

*bu-dum-cha*

Well done!

Brings a whole new meaning to “hot” dog.

There are tons of jokes applicable to the Senator’s lack of basic knowledge and I expect our witty gang will post a few more originals here.

I suggest that to become a Federal or State legislator, those persons must take written and oral tests to demonstrate the basic competency expected of a 3rd grader (4th grade competency and above still get a free pass to become ‘all they can be in government’ and even president of the USA, as we have already established with GWB).