Mr. President

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Revolution

education does not equal intelligence. i am very well educated, that does not make me smart. if bush and cheney are not bright, what does that say about the opposition party that they have been running circles around for six years?

Right, and I don't think anyone would say Americans are naturally stupid-- look at all the guys who only know about politics what Fox news feeds them but can give you the batting order for their favorite team's last twenty games. It's not a lack of natural intelligence; it's a lack of intellectual curiousity, and I think that goes back to our country's current disdain for intellectual achievement. And I think to some extent, it contributes to Bush's past success. Americans aren't interested in pursuing intellectual topics and so they're happier getting a simpler message, which the Republicans are much, much better at framing. Did any of you read the full story behind Kerry's "I was for the war before I was against it" thing about his Iraq votes? When taken in context, his two votes make complete sense, but he couldn't articulate it simply and the opposition was happy to jump on it and make him "flip-flopper," which is simple and easy for people to grasp (never mind that Bush has done his share of flip-flopping).

I also, honestly, blame the media. Most media outlets are owned by big corporations, and if anyone thinks these corporations don't have a vital interest in keeping the Republicans and their system of corporate welfare in power, they're kidding themselves. TIME Magazine had a ton of stuff prior to the 2004 election that they refused to release because they "didn't want to influence the outcome." What? Isn't giving the American people all the facts, both good and bad the JOB of a news magazine?

And the Republicans are better at dictating the arguments. No question there. They're masters of it.

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

I also, honestly, blame the media. Most media outlets are owned by big corporations, and if anyone thinks these corporations don't have a vital interest in keeping the Republicans and their system of corporate welfare in power, they're kidding themselves.

You're really hot with the jokes tonight ... you're on fire.

Yeah ... CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, BBC, and Al Jazeeira ... are all Republican outlets.

Keep 'em coming ... I'm rollin' on the floor laughing my ankles off!

SAT scores. What a bunch of crap. If thats what SMART is... holy Moses. I made high SAT scores and I dont consider myself smart. Just interested. I got kids who make lousy SAT scores and are exceptionally talented in areas I could not even touch. Fk the SAT scores. This comes from a teacher. They are but one indicator of whatever SMART means.

I know a girl who has a photographic memory. She can remember everything she writes down. As long as she writes it. But you try and get this gal to deal with a problem that is novel and she is sausage. Went to Law school at Texas, everyone thought she would be first in the class. She could not finish. SAT scores... what a pile o chit. But I must admit better than the Sanford-Binet IQ test. This stuff is so overused as a measuring stick it is laughable. Who do you think writes these things, God?

Bush is not stupid by any means. He is a horrible speaker, a lousy communicator, and this automatically makes him stupid? No. He is driven. He is stubborn. Seriously, Clinton makes Bush look like a chimp on the stump, but that makes Clinton smarter? No way. Smart. What the hell is that?

Somer and Pgard,
I have also noted that kids in school who come from money or are well dressed receive more attention by the teachers and put into higher learning groups.
They take the kids who aren't from cash and assume they aren't bright.
A friend of mine who was a single mom had a child who was very bright and he wasn't put into proper accelerated classes.
She couldnt get the teacher to change it.
So I went in and posed as her boyfriend, and you know how subtle I am and willing to back down.
I basically told her if she didn't have the kid tested for the accelerated classes that I would go all the way to the superintendent of the district and make her life as miserable as I possibly could. I smiled as i said this and then explained to her that I had both the perseverance and time to do just that and wouldn't stop until she had regretted entering the teaching profession.
Kid was tested again, and miraculously he suddenly belonged in the accelerated program.

Originally Posted by oracle80

Somer and Pgard,
So I went in and posed as her boyfriend, and you know how subtle I am and willing to back down.

Yup ... I've done a thing or three just like that ... smiling and polite all the way ... and rigid as tungsten steel.

Isn't it amazing how some people perk up ... when confronted by a determined man?

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

Yup ... I've done a thing or three just like that ... smiling and polite all the way ... and rigid as tungsten steel.

Isn't it amazing how some people perk up ... when confronted by a determined man?

I think its the look of mild insanity in the eyes as you smile that kinda tells them that they have a sicko on their hands.

Originally Posted by oracle80

I think its the look of mild insanity in the eyes as you smile that kinda tells them that they have a sicko on their hands.

Works in potential physical confrontations too ...

... always make 'em think you're crazier than they are ... and they'll back off.

Mike ... that should be very easy ... very very easy ... for you to do.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

You're really hot with the jokes tonight ... you're on fire.

Yeah ... CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, BBC, and Al Jazeeira ... are all Republican outlets.

Keep 'em coming ... I'm rollin' on the floor laughing my ankles off!

That's a shame, about your ankles coming off, seeing as how you spend so much time grabbing them.

CBS: Owned by Westinghouse
NBC: Owned by General Electric
ABC: Owned by Disney
TIME: Owned by Time-Warner

And that's what I found out in just in 30 seconds of Googling.

Please indicate to me where it says most Americans get their news from the BBC and Al Jazeera. If you can tear yourself away from Fox News, that is. (Owned by that mega-rich Australian guy, Murdoch)

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

That's a shame, about your ankles coming off, seeing as how you spend so much time grabbing them.

CBS: Owned by Westinghouse
NBC: Owned by General Electric
ABC: Owned by Disney
TIME: Owned by Time-Warner

And that's what I found out in just in 30 seconds of Googling.

Please indicate to me where it says most Americans get their news from the BBC and Al Jazeera. If you can tear yourself away from Fox News, that is. (Owned by that mega-rich Australian guy, Murdoch)

All of the media sources I mentioned ... are notorious, flaming left-wing propaganda outlets.

Nothing wrong with that ... no reason why lefties shouldn't have their own playpens ... but you just seem silly when you proclaim that they favor Republicans.

Originally Posted by Bold Brooklynite

All of the media sources I mentioned ... are notorious, flaming left-wing propaganda outlets.

Nothing wrong with that ... no reason why lefties shouldn't have their own playpens ... but you just seem silly when you proclaim that they favor Republicans.

Relativity.
Flaming left wing compared to... BB's cartesian coordinate reference point which exists somewhere... How do you establish a point that is well right of right?

Supreme Court justices chosen by private companies... he agrees. Cool. I think the IRS should be run privately also. They could sell all BB's information to the private companies that run the CIA and the FBI. And then a decision is handed down to execute him... the ruling made in a courtroom run by private companies. Im telling on BB. You have been posting on a commie leftist site like this one. Justice done. Fraternizing with the enemy, guilt by association. All done privately, and oh so efficiently.

[somerfrost]

An interesting thread....I agree that Americans aren't stupid, just lack intellectual curiosity. SAT scores and IQ tests are clearly only rough estimates of innate intellect, both are severely compromised by environment as well as how an individual processes information...this was an area of interest for me in Grad School, I was taught to administer, score and evaluate IQ, personality and other tests...I think I have a fair grasp on their uses and limitations. Quick example...I have a friend who has a documented IQ score 95 points lower than mine...yet she's taught me everything I know about computers, cell phones and other electronic equipment and no, her expertise isn't limited to those areas; she has difficulty with timed reading comprehension and written exams...she processes information differently than I do, I suspect her intellectual capacity is equal to mine yet if you go by IQ testing....

Originally Posted by somerfrost

An interesting thread....I agree that Americans aren't stupid, just lack intellectual curiosity. SAT scores and IQ tests are clearly only rough estimates of innate intellect, both are severely compromised by environment as well as how an individual processes information...this was an area of interest for me in Grad School, I was taught to administer, score and evaluate IQ, personality and other tests...I think I have a fair grasp on their uses and limitations. Quick example...I have a friend who has a documented IQ score 95 points lower than mine...yet she's taught me everything I know about computers, cell phones and other electronic equipment and no, her expertise isn't limited to those areas; she has difficulty with timed reading comprehension and written exams...she processes information differently than I do, I suspect her intellectual capacity is equal to mine yet if you go by IQ testing....

I got tons of examples of this type of thing. Our school used to enter contests to build a robot out of a box of scraps that included all sorts of stuff that we had to tear apart and then build a bot to perform a specific task and square off against other schools in a field of play. Of course all the bookworm brainiacs would show up, but occasionally we would get these kids that were so 3-d mechanically oriented, and they made horrible grades and test scores.
But they would be telling the other "brighter" kids, no, no, if you do that first, we will not be able to get the arm to swing out this way because..., and the ball catching device will not work because... it was quite an eye opener. And these "lesser" kids were the ones that were by far the best at sequencing the building way ahead of time. They knew exactly what needed to be done first and last..., and being able to come up with alternative designs when we hit a snag on a certain part of a robot. Amazing kids with horrible test scores. I learned some huge lessons from those experiences.