Anti-intellectualism

[SoupIsGoodFood]

I've seen some people *****ing about so called "Anti-intellectualism" on the board and I've got some questions about it. Is it even a real form of discrimination? Who counts as an intellectual? Most people who call themselves intellectuals that I've met are just elitists who think they're smarter than everybody cause they've got a fancy degree and use big words.

[scarletghoul]

It's not so much a form of discrimination as a bad attitude.

Of course, there are intellectual wankers who like plato and shit and are completely detatched from reality, doing nothing but wanking their own ego. But there are many intellectuals who are good, and play a big part in the socialist movement. People like Chomsky Zizek n stuff. They're intellectuals but they're cool because they actually do stuff related to real life, rather than just being intellectuals for the sake of being 'clever'.

So we should be anti-wanker rather than anti-intellectual. Intellectuals can play a great role in society

heres a cool article http://chomsky.info/articles/19670223.htm

[*Red*Alert]

Intellectuals play an important role in any struggle, but personally I think many on this site and in "extreme left" politics over-intellectualize the issues and is one of the causes of leftist politics not reaching the working class.

For instance, compare the Policy section of the BNP website to the Theory section of UK SWP website. The BNP outlines its policies in simple, 200 words or less articles, making use of bullet points to summarize it. The SWP on the other hand links to several long and complicated theory papers on the Revolutionary Left, or Marxist theory.

We need to put our theory into simple everyday language. From my experiences, if you start talking about Marxism or Trotskyism people, even politically active people, immediately switch off.

[scarletghoul]

The SWP website is a bad example to pick, because its a trot party and they're all full of interlectualist wankfaces. They often go on about stupid pointless intellectual theory concepts while completely detatched from reality. This is the bad kind of intellectual, and also the reason there has never been a trotskyist revolution.

It is possible to be intellectual and engage in intellectual thought but still make points clearly and understandable to the normal people. Huey P Newton was really into theory and stuff, but the Panthers' 10 point platform and program is straight to the point and speaks to the ordinary people

[*Red*Alert]

It is possible to be intellectual and engage in intellectual thought but still make points clearly and understandable to the normal people. Huey P Newton was really into theory and stuff, but the Panthers' 10 point platform and program is straight to the point and speaks to the ordinary people

Bingo. That's what every Leftist party needs, a simple point-based platform and program of action which sets out what they stand for, why they stand for it, and what they do to achieve it.

Generally I've noticed that many Trotskyist groups (CWI, etc.) are very thick on theory but very thin on the ground.

[kharacter]

Bingo. That's what every Leftist party needs, a simple point-based platform and program of action which sets out what they stand for, why they stand for it, and what they do to achieve it.

Generally I've noticed that many Trotskyist groups (CWI, etc.) are very thick on theory but very thin on the ground.
thin on the ground and thin on the air; just generally pretty slim these people.

[Invader Zim]

Well we have one member who has no problem with seeing all intellectuals taken to the wall and murdered:

"[In the context of the Katyn Massacre] I have no sympathy for priests, military officers, intellectuals, or other members of the exploiter class who actively help that class and take advantage of the working masses and keep them in their life of toil, misery, and want for their own personal gain"

MarxistLeninist (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1517521&postcount=46)

[LOLseph Stalin]

This is the bad kind of intellectual, and also the reason there has never been a trotskyist revolution.

But there's no such thing as a "Trotskyist revolution", but a worker's revolution.

Also, the only problem I have with intellectuals is the fact that often they're elitists who look down upon anybody who isn't as well learned as them. Of course this isn't the case for all of them. Intellectuals can actually be an important part of our struggle. For example, there's intellectuals who have contributed new ideas to the Socialist movement which may have not been created otherwise. Also, many intellectuals could offer guidence to those who may not know as much. Learning in any form is always valuable I think.

[AntifaAustralia]

Intellectuals can actually be an important part of our struggle. For example, there's intellectuals who have contributed new ideas to the Socialist movement which may have not been created otherwise. Also, many intellectuals could offer guidence to those who may not know as much. Learning in any form is always valuable I think.

I agree with INSERTNAMEHERE

The killing of intellectuals are of the most savage of cannibalism, to my opinions. For example the polish massacres of Intellectuals where total elimination of the elite happened over jeolosy and plain anger over class divisions. Ok it is justified to some degree, but inhumane like nationalism and religion. Also anti-semitism can be seen as anti-intellectualism, as intellectuals in europe were largely known to be the minority jews.

Intellectuals can benefit humanity greatly, sciences, medicine, technology etc. Marx and all communists were intellectuals.

Pol pot as an example of anti-intellectualism by maoists, nothing wrong with it, just goes to show the true proletarian was acknoledged becasue of the links of upper-class and intellectualism.

Death to profit driven, non-altruistic intellectuals. Education for all. I hope i dont infuriate the anarchist, lol. I am anti-anarcho-primitivist

[Oolong]

Pol pot as an example of anti-intellectualism by maoists, nothing wrong with it, just goes to show the true proletarian was acknoledged becasue of the links of upper-class and intellectualism.

This part kind of confused me and I can't work out what you're saying. I don't think the anti-intellectualism of Pol Pot can ever be seen as something that wasn't wrong (if that's what you are arguing).

[AntifaAustralia]

This part kind of confused me and I can't work out what you're saying. I don't think the anti-intellectualism of Pol Pot can ever be seen as something that wasn't wrong (if that's what you are arguing).

Hello anarchist fellow aussie brother, sorry for not being so detailed.

You might vehemently disagree with everything pol pot did (so do i), but it is neccessary to learn the mistakes of authoritarian revolutionary socialists on the path to communism. they were communists like us. Pol pot was an anti-intellectual savage cannibal! i deplore him

What i tried to explain was that the stereotyping if intellectuals as rich and empathyless people, will still linger about. We all know that rich and intellectuals can be harmful to society, if they are the bad apples that is, and the good ones can be the great changers of society.

as i said earlier, Intellectuals can benefit humanity greatly, sciences, medicine, technology etc. Marx and all communists were intellectuals.

EVERYONE there is another thread about "RICH PEOPLE are people as well", in OPPOSING IDEOLOGIES (http://www.revleft.com/vb/rich-people-humans-t115547/index.html). It is similar to anti-intellectualism

[Luís Henrique]

I don't think antiintellectualism amounts to discrimination or prejudice against intellectuals. It is an attitude towards life in general, that abhors anything that cannot be understood, described or explained in the simplest terms.

Luís Henrique

[Reuben]

Well this really illustrates how dominant is the politics of grievance and victimhood. What should be a political discussion about the social and political role played by intellectuals - and the political impact of anti-intellectualism get posted as a topic in the discrimination forum.