Rightist Intellectuals

[Agnapostate]

Are there any prominent rightist intellectuals of the social sciences that live and have some major influence on public discourse? Our political mindset is characterized by little more than rancid disease when dimwits like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck are held up as the pinnacle of rightist commentators. Can you imagine any of these clowns in a debate with Chomsky or the late Zinn, or any socialist economist? It conjures images of an Ewok attempting to duel Darth Vader.

Even those that we can concede are legitimate "intellectuals" in some sense are usually obscenely snobbish; every word they speak is dripping with arrogant contempt for those that fail to understand the eternal wisdom of Burke and Hobbes. William F. Buckley is the archetype of this category; Christopher Hitchens is his modern cousin.

Milton Friedman was a rightist intellectual (and appropriately, a supporter of capitalist dictatorship). Why would anyone pretend that Bill O'Reilly is?

[Drace]

Glenn Beck.

[Die Rote Fahne]

That's an oxymoron

[9]

Interesting question. I'm sure there are some out there, but TBH, the "right" in mainstream American politics right now is very deeply anti-intellectual. In fact, I think the elitist snobbery of liberal intellectuals who comprise the so-called "left" in American establishment politics - who basically seem to go out of their way to flaunt their contempt for the working class - presently serves as a huge, huge recruiting tool for the American right; so intellectual rightists aren't really 'good for business', so to speak, as they sort of cramp the present ability of the right to appeal to the working class by selling itself as the bastion against elitist snobs and well-to-do intellectuals. So 'rightist intellectuals' just aren't really in fashion right now, though I imagine they exist - probably on the margins of the Libertarian movement or something.

[Robert]

Yes, everyone on the right is pretty stupid. I mean, that's what "conservative" means if you look it up in the dictionary. Mostly they are born with brain defects and then deteriorate gradually.

But if you want names, there is Michael Medved, who entered Yale University as a sixteen-year-old undergraduate, and graduated with honors in 1969, and then entered Yale Law School.

Also look at Mark Levin (magna cum laude, Temple.)

You might look at another ignoramus named Hugh Hewitt, Harvard University, and graduating cum laude with a B.A. in government in 1978. After leaving Harvard, he worked as a ghostwriter for Richard Nixon in California and New York, before studying at the University of Michigan Law School, where he was Order of the Coif.

Hmm. Who else? D'nesh D'Souza, Phi Beta Kappa, Dartmouth, has the ear of many conservative pols.

All these guys pretty much forged their transcripts so that they could get into college. Then they cheated. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

Now, the king of all dummies has to be John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he was managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. After being admitted to the bar, he served as a law clerk for William Rehnquist before taking a position in the Attorney General's office during the Reagan Administration. He went on to serve the Reagan Administration and the George H. W. Bush administration in the Department of Justice and the Office of the White House Counsel, before spending fourteen years in private law practice. During this time, he argued thirty-nine cases before the Supreme Court.

In his confirmation hearings before the Senate, he answered complex constitutional questions from the Senators, in detail, with no notes, triggering now vice president Biden to describe it as a legal "tour de force."

But by the revolutionary left's criteria, he's still a "dimwit." Don't discriminate against the mentally retarded. We do the best we can with what we have.

[Wolf Larson]

The Bell Curve assholes. The Austrian school capitalists. Lew Rockwell and those idiots. The Rand foundation. CATO. The biggest force in the generic conservative movement are the Koch brothers. They're the bastards behind freedom works/the Tea Parties.

A lot of them are dead, Buckley, Rand, Rothbard, Mises, Milton Friedman etc. The real threat is Obama and the democrats believe it or not. The Democratic Leadership Council- Rahm Emanuel, Bruce Reid, Al From, Larry Summers, Robert Rubin etc. We need to focus on the current administration more and ignore some of the hyperbolic idiocy coming from AM radio and FOX. The conservative movement is so generic, gullible and misinformed there really is no intellectual base. Unfortunately the Austrian School thinkers is what I see popping up in all intellectual debate. The Mark Levin types are just generic propagandists with ghost writers writing their books. Dime a dozen idiots with microphones and bullhorns. The real threat right now are Democrats. Neo Keynesian corporate colonial economic fascism. Neoconservatism with a smile. Democrats are the problem now but the Koch brothers and the right wing libertarian rhetoric is what we see manifesting on the right.

[Drace]

Robert,

I looked at some of those names and none of it contained any information on political beliefs, or more specifically on economics and capitalism/communism. Considering the contemporary norm, this is not at all surprising.

Just because they aren't communists doesn't make them rightist intellectuals.

In 2007, Levin released a book about his dogs, Pepsi and Sprite. Specifically, the book was about Sprite, a Spaniel mix that his wife and son persuaded him to adopt from the local shelter in 2004.

Very intellectual.

[9]

Yes, everyone on the right is pretty stupid. I mean, that's what "conservative" means if you look it up in the dictionary. Mostly they are born with brain defects and then deteriorate gradually.

But if you want names, there is Michael Medved, who entered Yale University as a sixteen-year-old undergraduate, and graduated with honors in 1969, and then entered Yale Law School.

Also look at Mark Levin (magna cum laude, Temple.)

You might look at another ignoramus named Hugh Hewitt, Harvard University, and graduating cum laude with a B.A. in government in 1978. After leaving Harvard, he worked as a ghostwriter for Richard Nixon in California and New York, before studying at the University of Michigan Law School, where he was Order of the Coif.

Hmm. Who else? D'nesh D'Souza, Phi Beta Kappa, Dartmouth, has the ear of many conservative pols.

All these guys pretty much forged their transcripts so that they could get into college. Then they cheated. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

Now, the king of all dummies has to be John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he was managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. After being admitted to the bar, he served as a law clerk for William Rehnquist before taking a position in the Attorney General's office during the Reagan Administration. He went on to serve the Reagan Administration and the George H. W. Bush administration in the Department of Justice and the Office of the White House Counsel, before spending fourteen years in private law practice. During this time, he argued thirty-nine cases before the Supreme Court.

In his confirmation hearings before the Senate, he answered complex constitutional questions from the Senators, in detail, with no notes, triggering now vice president Biden to describe it as a legal "tour de force."

But by the revolutionary left's criteria, he's still a "dimwit." Don't discriminate against the mentally retarded. We do the best we can with what we have.

As lovely a load of emotional nonsense as this is, I'm afraid you are missing the point. George W. Bush graduated from Yale. I have no doubt that - contrary to what he's managed to trick liberals into believing - he's actually a pretty sharp guy. But he knows how to play the cards. Whether or not a politician sells himself as an intellectual doesn't necessarily have anything at all to do with how smart he is.

[¿Que?]

David Brooks is supposed to be good to recommend to people, if you had to recommend a right winger. He is actually a moderate conservative, which is why a lot of democrats actually like him.

Then there's Pat Buchanan. He actually makes me pretty mad, but there was a point in my life where I was willing to listen to him. He has spoken critically of the war in Iraq, but usually is just a talking head for the republicans (on msnbc no less. He's like the Alan Colmes).

The worst of the worst (I really hate to mention this guy, because I don't find him all that intelligent, just sort of acts as if he were intelligent) is Ben Stein. Remember that show on MTV, "Win Ben Steins Money". Or the famous "Beuler, Beuler" In "Ferris Beuler's Day Off". He put out this pro creationist movie called "Expelled". Since he's a creationist, I wasn't going to mention him (I mean really!) but since he usually wears suits and likes to put on airs of intelligence, I thought I'd throw him in. He sucks.

[#FF0000]

Just because they aren't communists doesn't make them rightist intellectuals.

They were all p. much conservatives he listed. Especially that D'nesh D'souza one, who has some p. ridiculous views.

[Robert]

I have no doubt that - contrary to what he's managed to trick liberals into believing - he's actually a pretty sharp guy

Ban him!

Look, you might try listening for yourself to, or reading the works of someone other than Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, before deciding as you have that all conservatives are ignoramuses.

I gave you a list of 3 or 4 prominent conservatives that are considered highly intelligent, erudite, and thoughtful in fair-minded corners of the universe (no, not Revleft, the Keith Olberboor Hour, or The Daily Kos), all trained in social sciences of one stripe or another, and all influential. Several of them shifted their ideologies as they grew older.

As for this:

Since he's a creationist, I wasn't going to mention him (I mean really!) but since he usually wears suits and likes to put on airs of intelligence, I thought I'd throw him in. He sucks.

Yeah, dude, Ben Stein like ... sucks and stuff.

[IcarusAngel]

D'nesh D'Souza spent his time dressing up like a woman and harassing homosexuals according to the book "Blinded by the Right." He is a hack and a pundit, not an intellectual.

Zinn, et al. have done profound work in the field of social sciences, providing new information and new views on history that were known but not well presented in the humanities.

Chomsky is a mathematician and a linguist whose work has had an enormous impact on the sciences.

There is no comparison between what Robert listed and these guys.

Interestingly, the people Robert listed are more like Keith Olbermann, only he speaks better than most of them and uses rationality a whole lot more.

[#FF0000]

D'nesh D'Souza spent his time dressing up like a woman and harassing homosexuals according to the book "Blinded by the Right." He is a hack and a pundit, not an intellectual.

Ahahahahahaha

[Robert]

Interestingly, the people Robert listed are more like Keith Olbermann, only he speaks better than most of them and uses rationality a whole lot more.

Keith Olber-bore-me-for-an-hour speaks from a teleprompter, never goes off script, and never, ever, ever invites dissent or engages in live debate. How in the world can you stand to listen to an hour long monologue interspersed with "attaboys" from like-minded fellow journalists. "Yes, Keith, that's right!" Even O'Reilly has Dennis Kucinich on with some regularity. Don't you guys have any taste for contrast?

My guess is that you guys have never even heard of Michael Medved, so obsessed as you are with Glen Beck, and you have certainly never listened to his show, much less that of Hugh Hewitt. Much less have you listened to or listened to Roberts' confirmation hearings. The Chief Justice, I mean, not me.

[IcarusAngel]

I've known about Michael Medved for years. Anybody who watches cable news has probably heard the name. He's a right-wing media pundit. He often attacked the degradation of American television, and was known for condemning hollywood.

Interestingly, he said something after 9-11 that I agreed with. It was something to the effect of we need to understand why they hate us (I can't remember the exact words).

He generally has a polite demeanor. Much better than most pundits, and not as crazy as D'Souza, Malkin, etc.

He was on MSNBC the other day, possibly the Ed Show.

[Robert]

Why would anyone pretend that Bill O'Reilly is?

Gee, I dunno. Why would anyone pretend that anyone said he was?

Then there's Pat Buchanan. He actually makes me pretty mad, but there was a point in my life where I was willing to listen to him. He has spoken critically of the war in Iraq

Has? He opposed the Iraq war from the start, as he has condemned the bombing of Hiroshima and the adverse effects on labor of several latter day trade agreements favorable to capitalists.

You might want to guard against stereotyping.

[¿Que?]

Has? He opposed the Iraq war from the start, as he has condemned the bombing of Hiroshima and the adverse effects on labor of several latter day trade agreements favorable to capitalists.

You might want to guard against stereotyping.

What's your argument? That I'm stereotyping or that Buchanan is a beacon of progressive thought? Are you that bored that you need to attack my knowledge of a reactionary I hardly pay attention to?

[Robert]

You brought up Pat Buchanan, not I. And it sounds to me like you pay a lot of attention to him, which is good, but he's more complex than you know or will admit. Hey, it doesn't matter.

And yes, this thread is starting to bore me. Not your posts, of course.

Hey Icarus, I just found out that Chomsky actually appeared on the Medved show once. I wish I had a transcript of it. Apparently Medved offered Chomsky a poster of Ronald Reagan after Chomsky said something about Reagan being the Worst Person in the World, or somesuch.

I'm pretty sure Chomsky refused it.

[John_Jordan]

The only guy I can think of is David D. Friedman.

Of course, it really depends on what you mean by "major influence." It's not like the average person knows who Chomsky is.

[ZombieGrits]

Ayn Rand...

Sorta intellectual, more like just a pissed off high-functioning sociopath