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The link above provides quite possibly the best answer to the question being asked here. Below are some quotes from the article.
Thomas Sowell, is a noted conservative intellectual. He has a book on the topic: Intellectuals and Society
The quick answer is that intellectuals have done both. But certainly, during the 20th century, it is hard to escape the conclusion that intellectuals have on balance made the world a worse and more dangerous place.
are people whose end products are intangible ideas, and they are usually judged by whether those ideas sound good to other intellectuals or resonate with the public. Whether their ideas turn out to work — whether they make life better or worse for others — is another question entirely.
This is a link to a 5 part interview with Sowell on the topic. It is not short but it is quite brilliant.
I am quite happy with my range of knowledge. Most of it by the way, DID NOT COME FROM SCHOOLS! You learn more hands on then you do in a classroom. Your attitude towards being more book smart makes you a better person is a true elitist's way of thinking. Big deal, you might beat me at Jeopardy, but you'd lag way behind in real world performance when it came to actually DOING something.
Book smart is a part of the real world performance. How do you think engineers design aircraft that carries 300 people plus luggage for thousands of miles? Or people that design computers and create software? Do you think oil companies just drill anywhere hoping on luck, or do they rely on the evaluations of geologists who use sophisticated equipment to see if it's worth the effort?
How can you truly understand Global Warming without science? Common Sense? Sorry, no. This is intellectually lazy. No wonder so many people don't hesitate to scream about things that they know nothing about...
If you hire someone to trade stocks for you, how can you evaluate the information they are giving you? How do you now they are working in your interest and not their own...
Sorry your attitude towards "knowing things" is just pitiful. I guess the one thing about being self-satisfied about the lack of breadth in your personal knowledge base is that you're too ignorant to know that its a problem.
So the person with a docorate degree in Proctology knows global warming because he studied the inner working of an ass?
wow my proctologist must not have got that memo since he does not believe in man made global warming
Exsqueeze me? If down to earth approach to politics means that seeing Russia from your backyard is a qualifying factors for being VP, than I want nothing of it.
Yes, Holdencaulfield, Russia can be seen from Alaska.
No, Holdencaulfield, Sarah Palin did not say she could see Russia from her back yard (unless it was the Saturday Night Live parody).
Here is what Sarah Palin actually said: "We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state." Quote of the Day: Palin on Russia | Atlantic Council[LEFT]
[/LEFT]
In the Gibson interview: "They're our next door neighbors. And you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska."
Here is what Can you really see Russia from Alaska? - By Nina Shen Rastogi - Slate Magazine has to say: "Russia and Alaska are divided by the Bering Strait, which is about 55 miles at its narrowest point. In the middle of the Bering Strait are two small, sparsely populated islands: Big Diomede, which sits in Russian territory, and Little Diomede, which is part of the United States. At their closest, these two islands are a little less than two and a half miles apart, which means that, on a clear day, you can definitely see one from the other."
If you can find a video of Sarah Palin actually saying she could see Russia from her backyard, please post it and I will concede that she said those exact words. (The Saturday Night Live and other parodies don't count.)
Book smart is a part of the real world performance. How do you think engineers design aircraft that carries 300 people plus luggage for thousands of miles? Or people that design computers and create software? Do you think oil companies just drill anywhere hoping on luck, or do they rely on the evaluations of geologists who use sophisticated equipment to see if it's worth the effort?
Everything you mentioned was learnd ON THE JOB for the most part. What courses in college teach you HOW to drill for oil? Not a one. Book smart is over rated. I know plenty of dumbass so called "book smart" people who completely lack any common sense whatsoever. When you are talking math and science, yes you get the starting information from books, but what else? Nothing I can think of. Everything else can be learned in the field by working with skilled people.
[font=Verdana]But certainly, during the 20th century, it is hard to escape the conclusion that intellectuals have on balance made the world a worse and more dangerous place.
What I think is inescapable is that when ideas are left to implemented by politicians with competing interest, the policy tends not to look like the original idea that spawned it, on balance.
I am quite happy with my range of knowledge. Most of it by the way, DID NOT COME FROM SCHOOLS! You learn more hands on then you do in a classroom. Your attitude towards being more book smart makes you a better person is a true elitist's way of thinking. Big deal, you might beat me at Jeopardy, but you'd lag way behind in real world performance when it came to actually DOING something.
I think those who would not appreciate your animus towards formal education might agree with you that real world application is a far better teacher when it comes to applied knowledge. Say fixing code in software or tuning up an automobile or installing an HD home theater system. However, they (myself included) would argue that formal education provides a far better framework for an individual to LEARN.
Methods of learning and critical thinking are often lost on the fellow who may be the absolute best at a particular job and often explain why that individual is either passed over for promotion, or if promoted does not fare as well as the guy with the formal education.
The guy who can fix any problem with any car, faster and more efficiently than any other person may not have a formal education, but in most cases, that same fellow will not be the guy who runs the shop. The guy in charge is the guy with the degree in business.
Intellectuals will be happy to concede the real world, real work to the mechanic while reserving the role of shop owner/operator for themselves.
What I think is inescapable is that when ideas are left to implemented by politicians with competing interest, the policy tends not to look like the original idea that spawned it, on balance.
Sowell (and I) don’t agree. Far too often, the implementation of policy as a general rule fails because the intellectuals in charge, regardless of political affiliation have no real world experience.
Yes, Holdencaulfield, Russia can be seen from Alaska.
No, Holdencaulfield, Sarah Palin did not say she could see Russia from her back yard (unless it was the Saturday Night Live parody).
Here is what Sarah Palin actually said: "We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state." Quote of the Day: Palin on Russia | Atlantic Council[LEFT]
[/LEFT]
In the Gibson interview: "They're our next door neighbors. And you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska."
Here is what Can you really see Russia from Alaska? - By Nina Shen Rastogi - Slate Magazine has to say: "Russia and Alaska are divided by the Bering Strait, which is about 55 miles at its narrowest point. In the middle of the Bering Strait are two small, sparsely populated islands: Big Diomede, which sits in Russian territory, and Little Diomede, which is part of the United States. At their closest, these two islands are a little less than two and a half miles apart, which means that, on a clear day, you can definitely see one from the other."
If you can find a video of Sarah Palin actually saying she could see Russia from her backyard, please post it and I will concede that she said those exact words. (The Saturday Night Live and other parodies don't count.)
Wait, it this some sort of a joke rebuttal? Are you really arguing about the exact verbiage of hers? She doesn't even make sense. It's her typical jibberish Palin language where she dribbles out sentences with no direction or point.
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